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 From
Oklahoma, an argument on Gal. 6:10 (author unrevealed); and I am
asked to examine and reply in P. T.
Reply:
The
author says "let us do good" is "hortatory
subjunctive;" and "according to the laws of Greek
grammar, a hortatory subjunctive is always in the first person
plural, and is an exhortation or command which includes the
speaker and the person or persons ...addressed. In this case the
letter is addressed to 'the churches of Galatia' and therefore the
command is given to the churches of Galatia." By that he
means, a church is commanded to support general benevolence from
its treasury — as a collective work.
The
basic fallacy here is assumption that a letter addressed to a
church cannot contain exhortations for individual members of that
church. Context of the particular exhortation, NOT the address at
beginning of letter, determines application of that particular
admonition. The church consists of individual saints, who have both
individual and collective obligations. A letter addressed to a
local group could, and usually does include exhortations of both
kinds.
The
"hortatory subjunctive" part is just a snow job.
"Hortatory" means giving or characterized by
exhortation. This is not a grammatical form; nor does it make the
address at the beginning of a letter apply with exclusiveness.
"Subjunctive" is a Greek mood. "In the first person
plural it has also the suggestive force which is usually classed
as an imperative." So what's new? Nothing but the effort to
give someone the
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impression that "the Greek" of
Gal. 6:10 gives churches the authority to form and support
church-hood institutions for the furtherance of the social gospel.
"Neither
let us commit fornication" (1 Cor. 10:8) is first person,
plural, present subjunctive. The letter is "addressed to the
church" so, by the "laws of Greek grammar"
(fallaciously offered) the church can act in such an
immoral way, and had to have this "hortatory
subjunctive" admonition. Another "hortatory
subjunctive" is found in 1 Cor. 10:9 ("neither let us
make trial of the Lord"). It is also first person, plural,
present, subjunctive; but is an admonition to individual saints
who form the church, even as it uses the example of individual
sinners who were part of the "congregation" in the
wilderness.
Paul
addressed "all the saints that are in Christ Jesus that are
at Philippi." But in 4:15 he called them a "church"
and followed "church" with a singular verb. Somehow we
must be made to realize that "church" collects people
— saints — and it may be used collectively OR DISTRIBUTIVELY.
The address at the beginning of the letter cannot be used to
categorize the contents of the letter as having either collective
or distributive application. The immediate context must determine
that.
I'm
surprised our "hortatory subjunctive" addict did not
argue that a single church is not being considered for
general benevolent work, since Galatians is addressed to
"churches." Did Paul advocate diocesan work???
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