Sigh...
We'll STILL end up being like...
Posted on 06/10/2015 7:16:05 PM PDT by Bigtigermike
PRESENT TENSE: CONTINUOUS ACTION, HABITUAL ACTION, OFTEN REFLECTS A LIFESTYLE
EXAMPLE OF PRESENT TENSE:
1Peter 1:5 who are protected (word study) (PPPMPA) (5746) by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time
PPPMPA: Present Tense, Passive Voice, Participle, Masculine, Plural, Accusative
From Peter's use of Present tense one can see that in context. He is referring to born again ones, describing them as those who are "continually being protected by the power (dunamis) of God". God's protection of His children isn't fickle, present one day and absent the next. You can see how even the most basic understanding of verb tense can add so much to the meaning.
Knowledge of the tense of a verb can sometimes be critical for accurate interpretation. For example read the following verse.
1John 3:9: "No one who is born of God practices (present tense) sin (noun), because His seed abides in him and he cannot sin (verb), because he is born of God."
Look at the verb sin. At first glance the verse seems to imply that one who is "born of God" can never commit a sin and yet all genuine believers know that this is not a reality (1John 1:8, 2Chr 6:36, Ec 7:20, James 3:2).
When you understand that the verb sin is in the present tense, it becomes clear that John is saying that one who is born of God cannot habitually commit sins as their general pattern of life. The verb "practices" is also present tense and conveys the same thought. All believers commit sins but not habitually or as their lifestyle.
Application: if one's lifestyle is that of continual sinning in conjunction with no desire for holiness ( Hebrews 12:14), these individuals need to examine whether they are genuinely new creatures in Christ (2Cor 5:17-note) born from above (Jn 3:3, 5, 2Co 13:5-note).
And so one can see that in 1John 3:9 (as in most of chapter 3 of first John) the accurate interpretation of the passage is aided by a proper understanding of the verb tense.
Depending on the context, the following adverbs may be useful to "amplify" the meaning of a verb in the present tense:
"Continuously, constantly, habitually".
Present Tense with the indicative mood represents contemporaneous action, as opposed to action in the past or future. In moods other than in the indicative mood, it refers only to continuous or repeated action.
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AORIST TENSE: EFFECTIVE ACTION, SUCCESSFUL ACTION, SINGLE ACTION, ONE-TIME ACTION
States that an action occurs without regard to its duration. It is analogous to a snapshot which captures an action at specific point in time.
In indicative mood, aorist can indicate punctiliar action (happens at a specific point in time) in past
EXAMPLE OF AORIST TENSE
1Peter 1:3-note Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again (AAPMSN) (5660) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
AAPMSN: Aorist Tense, Active Voice, Participle, Masculine, Sing., Nominative
The Aorist tense conveys the truth that the believer's new birth (indicative mood is mood of reality) has occurred at a point in the past without specifying when this event occurred. The passive voice indicates this new birth was produced by a Source outside of the recipient and in context that Source is "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ".
Depending on the context the following adverbs may be useful to "amplify" the meaning of the action portrayed by the aorist tense:
"Effectively, successfully, completely, even once, actually, really".
Aorist tense is somewhat difficult to grasp, so don't be frustrated if you don't receive any glowing practical insights initially. If you continue to perform Word Studies (including verb tense, voice and mood) as an integral part of your Bible study, you will begin to appreciate the meaning of the aorist tense and you will begin to receive insights from this understanding.
One writer adds "strictly speaking, the aorist denotes past time only in the indicative; in the other moods the aorist is not confined exclusively to action in the past. Unlike the imperfect, the aorist is used to express an action that is not continuous or habitual." (Learning the Basics of New Testament Greek. AMG Publishers)
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PERFECT TENSE: ACTION COMPLETED at a SPECIFIC POINT of TIME in PAST with results CONTINUING into the PRESENT. In certain contexts the results are PERMANENT.
Schematically illustrated by a "dot" (●) denoting a definite action in the past followed by a line (▬►) indicating effect of that action continuing into present
EXAMPLE OF PERFECT TENSE
1Peter 1:4-note to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved (word study) (RPPFSA) (5772) in heaven for you
RPPFSA: Perfect Tense, Passive Voice, Participle, Fem, Sing, Accusative
In this verse Peter uses the Perfect Tense to convey the truth of the "living hope" (not "hope so" but a certain expectation of future good) that believers have an inheritance that has been reserved for us at a point of time in the past (when we were born again) and remains in a state of being "reserved". What a great picture. When taking a long road trip we have all had the misfortune of arriving at our motel late at night, only to discover that our reservation has been given away! Peter says that this "mistake" will not happen to believers when we reach our final destination in heaven, for our future home (and inheritance) have been reserved for us in the past and that reservation is valid for all eternity because the "reservation price" has been "paid in full" when Jesus' cried out "It is finished" (Jn 19:30).
"Finished" (teleo - word study) in John 19:30 is also in the perfect tense and refers to Messiah's work of having obtained "once for all eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12-note), making possible "so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:3-note) (eternal life) through the payment of His precious blood (1Pe 1:18, 19-note) on Calvary, so that all the sinful sons of Adam (Ro 5:12-note) who justly deserved their wages for sin (eternal death) might receive "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ro 6:23-note) by grace through faith (Ep 2:8-note, 1Peter 1:3-note, 1Peter 1:21-note, Johnn 5:24, 8:24, Act 16:31).
The entire sense of Jesus' poignant cry is “It was finished and as a result it is forever done!” “It stands finished!”. The priests in the tabernacle always stood when ministering the sacrifices. But Jesus Christ our great High Priest is seated because His work is forever finished. He need never arise and offer another sacrifice because full payment for our sins has been paid in the past with His sacrificial blood and the effect of that payment will endure throughout eternity! This is indeed good news, beloved of the Lord!
In short, the perfect tense is very expressive for it speaks of an action that took place in the past, which was completed in past time, and existence of its finished results. For instance one might say “I have closed the door" which speaks of a past completed action. But the implication is that as a result the door is still closed. Thus, the entire meaning is, “I have closed the door and it is closed at present.” You can see how a simple understanding of the perfect tense can often amplify the meaning which may not be readily apparent in the English translation, because the perfect tense has no exact equivalent in English.
In Matthew 4:4, our Lord answers Satan, “It is written” and "written" is in the perfect tense. Here Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy which had been written by Moses 1500 years before, but is still on record. David said, “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” A good paraphrase would be “It stands written forever.” It is the eternal word of God and you can stake your life on it yesterday, today and tomorrow! (cf He 13:8, Mt 24:35, Ps 89:34, Is 40:8, 55:11, 1Pe 1:25)
In Ephesians 2:8-note we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” where "have been saved" (sozo-word study) is in the perfect tense. The picture therefore for every believer is that we were given the gift of salvation at a specific time in the past when we believed, and as a result of that past completed work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and our past acceptance of the same, we at present are eternally "safe" (saved) and continue in that state forever in Christ. Amen. A believer's present possession of salvation therefore is based upon one thing only -- what Jesus did on the Cross for us and our acceptance of His finished work which means that the works of an individual, past or present, good or bad, do not enter into our acceptance or retention of salvation (Titus 3:5-note; 2 Timothy 1:9-note). Salvation is the work of Christ alone and our reception of that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. The believer is the recipient which means that the believer is saved and saved forever, for the present results of the perfect tense are always present with the reader.
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IMPERFECT TENSE: REPEATED or CONTINUAL ACTION IN THE PAST
EXAMPLE OF IMPERFECT TENSE
Acts 16:7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying (3PIAI) (5707) to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them
3PIAI: 3rd Person, Plural, Imperfect Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood
The Imperfect tense denotes continuous, ongoing or repeated action in past. Thus the imperfect tense often "paints" a vivid picture of an action ("motion picture") as one which happens over and over. E.g., in Acts 16:7 Luke uses the imperfect tense to portray Paul attempting to enter Bithynia, being hindered in some way by the Holy Spirit and yet trying again and again to enter! Interesting! This dramatic picture gives us an intriguing insight into the heart of Paul that cannot be gleaned without a basic understanding of the imperfect tense. Doesn't the added insight help make this verse literally "come alive"? This is often the effect of the imperfect tense. Look at some other examples of the picture painted by the imperfect tense...
Mark 4:37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over (imperfect tense) the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
Comment: Can't you picture yourself in the boat with the waves pounding again and again (imperfect tense conveys this picture) against the side and even beginning to fill the boat with water.
Luke 9:16 Then He took (aorist) the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up (aorist) to heaven, He blessed (aorist) them, and broke (aorist) them, and kept giving (imperfect) them to the disciples to set before (aorist) the people.
Comment: The blessing and breaking of the loaves and fish happened in a moment of time, while the "giving" of the bread and fish occurred over and over, which paints a vivid picture of the miraculous nature of the event. Try to place yourselves in the disciples' "sandals" for a moment!
These examples should help you see the wonderful added insights that are possible with just a simple understanding of the verb tenses. If you are intrigued, take some time and practice applying your new understanding to a few other NT verses that use the imperfect tense and see if you do not glean some added insights which help make the texts "come alive" as you envision the action suggested by the imperfect tense (this exercise will be most beneficial if you read verses in context)...
Mt 2:4 "he began to inquire" (imperfect)
Mt 26:59 "kept trying to obtain (imperfect) false testimony"
Mt 27:23 "they kept shouting (imperfect) all the more"
Mk 7:26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking (imperfect) Him to cast the demon out of her daughter." (what a vivid scene!).
If you have meditated on the pictures portrayed by the over and over (imperfect tense) actions in each of the preceding verses, you are beginning to see the incredible value of a simple understanding of this tense. You were probably familiar with each of the scenes depicted, but heretofore you had viewed them only as "black and white stills", whereas now illumined by your understanding of the imperfect tense, you can see them as vividly "colorized motion pictures".
Most of the oldest copies of the new testament found are from the early church and first father’s and they were written in Koine Greek from which I’m talking about. Why do you guys break down a thread into fighting and endless debating as though you guys are looking to pick a fight? All I did was to help those with references of the Greek to guide along studying of the SCRIPTURES, not to say this is the only way to study or this the correct way to study but as a complement
Do you believe in God? Do you think God is able to have the Bible He wants for this age? Or is your notion of God so small as to be at the mercy of ‘transcription errors’ and ‘additions’, etc. when He has millions of us studying the Scriptures finding these ‘transcription errors’ and ‘additions’ and, well, perhaps you get the picture?
I don’t know where tbp is coming from, but the one-two punch of boosting Aramaic and trying to discredit the Greek is typical of the Hebrew Roots apologetic. First comes the doubt in the word of God, then comes the substitute. Buyer beware.
Peace,
SR
Excellent! Thank you for posting this.
For the few phrases that are recorded in Scripture in that language?
The NT is written in Greek. Better to spend the time studying the language that the NT was actually written in than the one that some people think it may have been written in but the manuscripts were lost.
Did God really say....?
Questioning the word of God and trying to cast doubt into people’s minds about its veracity is NOT the work of the Holy Spirit.
You think so? On the flimsy evidence here?
But only the Authorized Version is a literal translation from the true Byzantine/Majority Greek. The others are from the synthetic corrupted Critical (Westcott & Hort type) text, and some are even dynamic equivalency in their hermeneutic, not literal equivalency in their translation, as the AV is.
(1) Al these modern versions left out the word "elders," presbuteroi, which is determinative in which form the Sanhedrin took (as assembled at Annas' domicile, versus as later at Caiaphas' quarters) and so just excising this one word alone (and there are many such similar instances when comparing the Greek sources), thus eventually forcing one to choose as to whether the Received Text continuously preserved and in the possession of the churches (for almost two thousand years in thousands of copies); or whether the Westcott & Hort/Nestle-Aland/Bruce Metzger/United Bible Society synthetic text cobbled together from principally three corrupted traditions not even agreeing with one another--and coming to light only in the 1870s--is the real Greek New Testament not only in canonicity, but also in actual word content.
(2) The verb dzaytehoh, "to seek", is not translated anywhere by the AV nor by Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon as having the sense "to look for." The translators of this verb gave the meaning of "be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (X will) seek (after, for, means)" which excludes the sense of "look". Thayers gives it the lexical value of:
(1) to seek in order to find
..1a) to seek a thing
..1b) to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into
..1c) to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
(2) to seek, i.e. require, demand
..2a) to crave, demand something from someone
(3) Furthermore, the verb is in the imperfect tense, active voice, indicative mode, third person plural. This is expressed as the simple past continuous activity, so that the correct meaning is best expressed as "sought," as in the AV. All the other versions employ the participle, which means that their renderers are not merely translating, but also interpreting and indoctrinating as they go, without apprising the reader that they are doing so. In contrast, when the translators of the AV add extra words for clarity, they italicize such words so the reader is warned. Yes, the reader may find that the English rendering has ambiguity when literally translated, requiring study of the Greek for a deeper sense of the nuances, but they limit their work to translating, a far more legitimate effort.
(4) Furthermore, the verb thanatawoh, "to make dead" or "to put-to-death" is in the aorist tense, active voice, subjunctive mode, third person plural; while it is legitimate to render this with "might" (perform an activity, as a future probability)), but using "could" gives the sense of justifying a capability, which is stretching the translation to include a meaning not linguistically correct. In fact, the "might" can also be left out, since here the intent was not probablistic at all, for they killed Him, finding a false testimony, pseudomarterian, to do so--not that "maybe they could," but that they did.
A proper look at this verse yields to me the conclusion that neither in the Greek nor in the English can I rely on these modern versions. Therefore, I am firmly settled on the King James Authorized Version alone for personal overview and study; and recognizing the AV's limitations, the exegesis of the underlying Koine or Hebrew/Aramaic to search out the deep things of the Holy Spirit in the language He used, with recognized authoritative commentators to alert one for the meaning of the verse in the greater context.
I really don't trust any seminarian who uses the critical eclectic text and modern versions of which he can select one that agrees with his interpretations. I won't go to their churches nor read much of their study guides, for you don't know when they will deceive you to forward their own interests above those of the Lord's.
But only in addressing his fellow rustic home-boys, not in communicating with the upper-crust Sadducees, Pharisees, scribes, Roman soldiers, and other Hellenized components of the hoi polloi. In fact, God , Jesus, and the Holy Spirit obviously agreed to have the canon of the New Testament written in the commonly accepted Greek dialect for its beauty, precise linguistics, and logical concepts for the Gentiles, to whom the Godhead desired to communicate the Gospel of Jesus The Christ.
So it would be wiser to study Koine Greek, rather than Aramaic. That language was basically only used in the Old Testament; and there was limited to Daniel chapters 2 thru 9, which were written for the Gentiles of that era in Babylon.
Thanks for your common sense and useful effort! Hope others on FR Religion forum will do the same --
Agree with you, Bro —
I included the King James version among the sample translations of Matthew 26:59. That translation, as well as any you might attempt on your own, will arrive at the same general sense. There are occasions where serious controversy arises over the translation of the text, but these are relatively small in number. As far as I can tell, the NASB is one of the better, literal translations. To make a mountain out of minor differences in translation is like making a mountain out of whether Fords and Chevys are both vehicles or not. I would add that “meat in due season” today does not mean what it meant in the 15th Century unless one cares further to explore the text.
FWIW, we generally use the Orthodox Study Bible,http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Study_Bible#Translation, for daily use. We use Byzantine Greek in our Liturgies.
Koine Greek is not an easy language to learn Byzantine Greek isn’t too hard at all. A working understanding of those languages gives “cultural context” to the words of Scripture.
Out of a hundred translations, which is utterly reliable? In Engllsh, the King James is still the top. The rest diminish the divinity of Jesus, and degrade the standards of their proponents, as well as those of their users.
As you can see.
Yes, to become expert in it requires a lot of study. But actually, the very basic footing of it is quite easily to pick up, as it was for the many cultures Alexander brought under Hellenistic control. At one time it was taught to most British youths in the "public" schools, and to our children. It is especially simple to acquire if one has already learned about grammar in any well-structured language, and more so if one has learned the Greek alphabet.
http://www.bibletruths.net/Greek%20Course.htm
is an online course in Biblical Greek, consisting of about eight simple lessons which will greatly improve the serious disciple's spiritual maturity.
I recommend it, especially for the attitude and helpfulness of its instructor.
The Holy Spirit inspired His words to be recorded and preserved in the Koine Greek for a reason.
That's a warning all should heed.
I agree. Any serious student of scripture should avail themselves.
I think I read that somewhere...
Genesis 11:7
Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Heck; I can't understand what my WIFE is saying half the time!
Dang it!
I'm beginning to think the Mormons are right:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
So I'm gonna get me a book and study some 'cause I just KNOW I'm SO much smarter than teams of Greek and/or Hebrew experts who have labored YEARS to give me the best they could in bringing the truth of the Scriptures to me in MY language!
Sigh...
We'll STILL end up being like...
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