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On Tuesday morning the pastors of Lutheran Saints in Ministry gather in Fairborn Ohio to discuss the texts for Sunday.

These are the contributions that are brought to the table.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

John 17, the Greek - Pr. Fourman

John 17:1-11a

The subject shifts in this part of the prayer from Jesus speaking to the disciples, to him speaking to God the Father.

v 1 ελαλησεν (λαλεω) aor. "after [Jesus] said [this]" - - referring to the previous discourse and indicating a change in object from disciples to Father.
επαρας (επαιρω) aor. pas. "he looked " - attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "said"; "lifted up his eyes ..... and said" is the typical attitude of prayer.
εληλυθεν (ερχομαι) perf. "[the hour] has come" - perfect expressing a completed act with ongoing consequences.
δοξασον (δοξαζω) aor. imp. "glorify [your Son]" - aorist indicating a single act, i.e. Jesus' crucifixion. 

v2 εξουσιαν (α) "authority over" - Jesus is given a particular authority for "all humanity". On the basis of this responsibility, Jesus asks that the Father "glorify" the Son.
παν ο δεδωκας (διδωμι) perf. "you have given [him]" – the perfect is denoting the permanence of the gift.

v3 γινωσκωσιν (γινωσκω) subj. "they may know" - present tense is durative, expressing an ongoing, ever-expanding action. 
τον μονον αληθινον θεον "the only true God" - an affirmation of monotheism..
απεστειλας (αποστελλω) aor. "you have sent" aorist indicating punctiliar action probably referring to the incarnation.

v4 εδοξασα (δοξαζω) aor. "I have brought [you] glory
τελειωσας (τελειοω) aor. part. "by finishing" presumably the cross is the completed work that is on Jesus' mind, although the totality of his work on earth up to this pointis another possibility. 

v6 The focus of Jesus' prayer now moves to the disciples, establishing first the validity of his request on their behalf (they belong to God and have responded in faith), and the reasons why he prayers for them and not the world, v6-11a (they belong to God, and v11a, he must go and they must remain).
εφανερωσα (φανεροω) aor. "I have revealed" - Jesus, as the Word of God, serves as the apex of God's revelation to humanity.
σου το ονομα "Your name" i.e. the intimate name of God (trinity).
τοις ανθρωποις (ος) dat. "to the men ους εδωκας "you have given [me]". The sense can move between "those whom you have caused to believe " to "those who are in but not of the world."  Jesus recognizes God's chosen people belong to the Father and the Father has given Jesus authority over them. 
του κοσμου "the world" – in John's gospel this term refers to humanity apart to God.
τετηρηκαν (τηρεω) perf. "they have kept. The perfect expresses the idea of a past act with ongoing consequence, so they have done and continue to rest on what they have done. "Obeyed" is unhelpful as it implies some kind of ethical choice.
τον λογον "[your] word" here means "the divine message of Jesus as a whole. 
v8 τα ρηματα (α ατος) "the words" – the things/matters/message this stands in apposition to λογον.
ελαβον (λαμβανω) aor. "[they] received. the disciples received the divine revelation communicated by Jesus, i.e. they put their faith in the gospel, having recognized Jesus' credentials.

v9 ερωτω (ερωταω) pres. "I pray" this word is often employed in John's gospel of Jesus praying to the Father.
ου περι του κοσμου "[I am] not [praying] for the world" - The position of "not the world" is emphatic here, a concern sometimes expressed by commentators over Jesus' harsh neglect of the lost. But in fact, it is through the disciples' mission that God's love for humanity is realized in the calling out and saving of the lost.  So Jesus prays for the means to save του κοσμου

v10 τα εμα παντα "all I have [is yours]" - a problem with the neuter - Jesus is surely speaking of God's chosen "all who are mine are yours.
δεδοξασμαι (δοξαζω) perf. pas. "glory has come" – the perfect is expressing a completed act with ongoing consequences.

v11 ουκετι ειμι "I will remain [in the world] no longer" - the present tense expresses immediacy, so it actually reads "I am no longer in the world".

ερχομαι "I am coming" – since Jesus is addressing the Father, "coming" rather than “going” makes more sense.

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