[B-Greek] Ephesians 2:8
Steven Lo Vullo
themelios at charter.net
Mon Jul 4 21:11:38 EDT 2005
On Jun 18, 2005, at 6:41 AM, Charles Rempel wrote:
> What does Acts 17:31 add to the arguement, if anything at all?
>
> ... PISTIN PARASXWN PASIN ANASTHSAS AUTON EK NEKRWN
>
> If faith is a free gift and it is provided to all, then wouldn't all
> be saved? (Sticking only with Greek logic, of course, and not entering
> into theology.)
Charles, I'm not sure what "Greek logic" is, but I think the above
question deserves some comments about the semantics of PISTIS. In this
context the ideas of subjective faith and belief simply do not make
sense, since all in fact do not believe that God has set a day in which
he will judge the world in righteousness by a man he has appointed.
But, as is well known, PISTIS has a long history of meaning something
like "proof" or "pledge," i.e., "a token offered as a guarantee of
someth. promised" (BDAG 1.c and examples). You'll find a similar
definition along with examples in LSJ (see also the definition in L&N).
Taking the participial phrase as indicating means (pretty common), the
idea is that by raising Jesus from the dead he has provided proof or a
pledge or a guarantee to all that he will judge the world in
righteousness by this same man whom he has appointed for this very
thing. Thus PISTIS is objective proof or a pledge, not subjective faith
or belief.
It should also be remembered that PASIN need not mean every man, woman,
and child alive or (worse) who has ever lived. I have written so many
posts on this issue that I am not going to go into it again. There is
much in the archives.
============
Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI
MAR student
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
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