On Sat, 13 May 2000 14:22:48 -0500 "Bill Ross" writes: > > * the semantic range of this verb is not limited to being "slated": > it is commonly translated in 1 Cor 16:15 as "devoted" > > NIV > You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in > Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I > urge you, brothers, > > * this occurrence could be construed as being either middle or > passive - the form is identical; hence it could read "...they believed, all those > having devoted themselves to eternal life" (or as Carl said the words beg a > stative sense, "all those being devoted into eternal life" > * the words "word of the Lord" here does not, in the context given, > refer to the Gospel, and thus "believed" does not, in this context, refer to > saving faith. Rather, the "word of the Lord" refers to the dictum that the > Gentiles were partakers in the Gospel. It is specifically the *Gentiles* who > heard this dictum, that are the ones recorded as rejoicing and glorifying > and believing > > What think ye? Hi Bill: I believe both the immediate context and the broader context require that TON LOGON TOU KURIOU refer not to the news of v. 47, that salvation has been brought to the Gentiles, but to the word of the Lord regarding salvation, that is, the good news of the gospel. The phrase LOGON TOU KURIOU occurs 6 times in Acts (8:25, 13:44, 13:48, 15:35, 16:32, and 19:10). Everywhere else in Acts, including 4 verses earlier (13:44 where B and the majority have KURIOU), the meaning is clearly the word of the Lord regarding salvation. It means nothing else in Acts. If so, then what was believed (EPISTEUSAN, v. 48) was the good news regarding eternal life. This causes problems for your view inasmuch as belief in the gospel then is the result of their having devoted themselves into eternal life. But, such is foreign to the text of Acts, let alone the rest of the NT. Paul Dixon --- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu