[B-Greek] Phil 3:10

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Mar 1 04:42:29 EST 2007


On Feb 28, 2007, at 11:39 PM, Oun Kwon wrote:

> Two questions from Phi 3:10
>
> Quoting 3:9-10
>
> (9) KAI hEUREQW EN AUTW
> MH ECWN EMHN DIKAIOSUNHN THN EK NOMOU
> ALLA THN DIA PISTEWS CRISTOU
> THN EK QEOU DIKAIOSUNHN EPI TH PISTEI
> (10)
> TOU GNWNAI AUTON KAI THN DUNAMIN THS ANASTASEWS AUTOU
> KAI [THN] KOINWNIAN [TWN] PAQHMATWN AUTOU
> SUMMORFIZOMENOS TW QANATW AUTOU
>
> Question 1: How does TOU GNWNAI (v.10) connect with v. 9? Or does it
> begin a new sentence somehow?
> Question 2: Is KOINWNIAN (v. 10) (accusative) an object of the verb
> GNWNAI? If then, what would it mean to say 'know fellowship'?

I think that we need to include a larger frame for the formulation as  
a whole:

8 ALLA MENOUNGE KAI hHGOUMAI PANTA ZHMIAN EINAI
DIA TO hUPERECON THS GNWSEWS CRISTOU IHSOU TOU KURIOU MOU,
DI' hON TA PANTA EZHMIWQHN, KAI hHGOUMAI SKUBALA,
hINA CRISTON KERDHSW 9 KAI hEUREQW EN AUTWi,
MH ECWN EMHN DIKAIOSUNHN THN EK NOMOU
ALLA THN DIA PISTEWS CRISTOU, THN EK QEOU DIKAIOSUNHN
EPI THi PISTEI, 10 TOU GNWNAI AUTON KAI
THN DUNAMIN THS ANASTASEWS AUTOU
KAI [THN] KOINWNIAN [TWN] PAQHMATWN AUTOU.

TOU GNWNAI is an infinitive of purpose; it relates ultimately to the  
hINA clauses that hang upon the rest of verses 8 and 9: 'I deem all  
of that to be X because of Y, in order to gain Christ (hINA CRISTON  
KERDHSW) and in order to be found/find-myself in him (KAI hEUREQW EN  
AUTWi); there's an intervening explanation of the basis upon which he  
is "found/finds himself" in Christ -- after which the purpose-string  
continues: "in order to know (fully experience)  him and the power of  
his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings."

I do think that the phrasing of these objects of GNWNAI is a little  
awkward. GNWNAI must mean something like "experience intimately" or  
"feel deep within myself." What he wants to "experience intimately"  
is "him" (Christ) and that is explained further in the two phrases as  
the experience of Christ's death and resurrection -- but in reverse  
order. This is a recurrent theme in Paul and has been characterized  
by various rubrics such as Schweitzer's "mysticism of Paul the  
Apostle." You might compare the "earthen vessels" passage in 2 Cor  
4:7-10.




Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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