{"id":2886,"date":"2013-10-30T01:20:01","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T19:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/?p=2886"},"modified":"2022-12-21T12:30:01","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T18:30:01","slug":"throwing-their-weight-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=2886","title":{"rendered":"Throwing Their Weight Around"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While studying the <a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/11\/romans-part-47\/\">gift of contributing<\/a> I came across something in 1 Thessalonians that troubled me.\u00a0 I had to look into it further.\u00a0 The translation\u2014<i>although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u2014seemed oddly religious to me.\u00a0 It implied that ordinarily the <i>apostles of Christ<\/i> threw their weight around, but Paul and his associates behaved out of the ordinary in Thessalonica by becoming <i>little children<\/i>.\u00a0 Truly, then as now, religious leaders throw their weight around at times.\u00a0 But if Paul thought that \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f61\u03c2 \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f00\u03c0\u03cc\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9 (having power [or, able] in weight [or, burden] we are as Christ\u2019s apostles) meant that he was empowered by Christ to throw his weight around, he was clearly wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus warned us to be wary of such people (Mark 12:38, 39 NET).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Watch out for the experts in the law.\u00a0 They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And again (Luke 20:46 NET):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Beware of the experts in the law.\u00a0 They like walking around in long robes, and they love <em>(\u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03bf\u03cd\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd, a form of \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03ad\u03c9)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03ad\u03c9\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/a> <\/em>elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Paul seemed aware of this when he characterized the behavior of the <i>false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ<\/i>:<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn3\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 <i>For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, <\/i>he wrote, <i>if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. (To my<\/i> <i>disgrace<\/i>, he wrote facetiously, <i>I must say that we were too weak <\/i>[\u1f20\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03ae\u03ba\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd, a form of \u1f00\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c9]<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u1f00\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c9\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a> <i>for that!)<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Paul\u2019s facetious use of \u1f20\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03ae\u03ba\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd here referred back to what some in Corinth were saying about him: <i>His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak<\/i> (\u1f00\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u1f74\u03c2)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u1f00\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd\u03ae\u03c2\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a> <i>and his speech is of no account<\/i>.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Apparently they mistook love, patience and kindness for weakness.<\/p>\n<p>Apostles were <i>empowered<\/i> however by the word of Christ to receive their necessary provisions, presumably from God through the <a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/11\/romans-part-47\/\">gift of contributing<\/a> to one or more of the people to whom they ministered; <i>the worker deserves his provisions<\/i>, the Lord said (Matthew 10:8-11 NET):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.\u00a0 Freely you received, freely give. \u00a0Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for the journey, or an extra tunic, or sandals or staff, for the worker deserves his provisions. \u00a0Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy there and stay with them until you leave.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The word translated <i>weight<\/i> in <i>although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ<\/i> is \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9, a form of \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9 was only used <a href=\"http:\/\/biblesuite.com\/greek\/barei_922.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">once<\/a>. \u00a0\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2, and another form \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b7, and their translations in the NET are listed below.<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"638\">These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship (\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2) and burning heat of the day.<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\">Matthew 20:12 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"638\">For it seemed best to the\u00a0Holy <a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2012\/07\/13\/the-jerusalem-council\/#sdfootnote33sym\">Spirit<\/a> and to us not to place any greater burden (\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2) on you than\u00a0these necessary rules\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\">Acts 15:28 (NET) <a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2012\/07\/13\/the-jerusalem-council\/#_Table12\">Table<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"638\">For our momentary, light\u00a0suffering is producing for us an eternal weight (\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2) of glory far beyond all comparison\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\">2 Corinthians 4:17 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"638\">Carry one another\u2019s\u00a0burdens (\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b7, another form of \u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2), and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\">Galatians 6:2 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"638\">But to the rest of you\u00a0in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called \u201cdeep secrets of Satan\u201d), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden (\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2) on you.<\/p>\n<p align=\"right\">Revelation 2:24 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Had the word been translated <i>hardship<\/i> or <i>burden<\/i> it would have hearkened back to Paul\u2019s more sarcastic and facetious remarks to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:13-15a NET):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For how were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden <em>(\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd\u03ac\u03c1\u03ba\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1, a form of \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c1\u03ba\u03ac\u03c9)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c1\u03ba\u03ac\u03c9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a> <\/em>to you?\u00a0 Forgive me this injustice! \u00a0Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden <em>(\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c1\u03ba\u03ae\u03c3\u03c9, another form of \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c1\u03ba\u03ac\u03c9)<\/em> to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. \u00a0For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. \u00a0Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Though the words are different, the concepts are quite similar.\u00a0 To the Corinthians Paul and his associates were parents who save up and spend for their children (\u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2, a form of \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd).<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 To the Thessalonians they were <i>like a nursing mother caring for her own children<\/i> (\u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1, another form of \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd), <i>with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us<\/i>.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn11\"><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 They treated the Thessalonians <i>as a father treats his own children<\/i> (\u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1, another form of \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd).<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn12\"><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>I have not burdened<\/i> (\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5\u03b2\u03ac\u03c1\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1, a form of \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c9)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c9\"><sup>[13]<\/sup><\/a> <i>you<\/i>, Paul continued to address the Corinthians in his second letter.\u00a0 <i>Yet because I was a crafty person<\/i>, he wrote facetiously, <i>I took you in by deceit!\u00a0 I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you, have I?<\/i> he invited them to contradict him.\u00a0 <i>I urged Titus to visit you and I sent our brother along with him.\u00a0 Titus did not take advantage of you, did he?\u00a0 Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit?\u00a0 Did we not behave in the same way?<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn14\"><sup>[14]<\/sup><\/a><i><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>For you recall, brothers and sisters<\/i>, Paul continued to address the Thessalonians in his first letter, <i>our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden<\/i> (\u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u1fc6\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9, a form of \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c9)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c9\"><sup>[15]<\/sup><\/a> <i>on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.\u00a0 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe<\/i>.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn16\"><sup>[16]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Earlier Paul had written the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 9:4, 7-12 NET)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Do we not have the right to financial support?&#8230;Who ever serves in the army at his own expense?\u00a0 Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit?\u00a0 Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? \u00a0Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? \u00a0For it is written in the law of Moses, \u201c<b><i>Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain<\/i><\/b>.\u201d\u00a0 God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? \u00a0Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit?\u00a0 It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. \u00a0If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? \u00a0If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving?\u00a0 But we have not made use of this right.\u00a0 Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The translators of the NET probably know all of this as well, if not better, than I do.\u00a0 The problem comes, I think, from translating the conjunction \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 as <i>instead <\/i>in this instance, contrasting the two clauses: \u00a0<i>although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac\"><sup>[17]<\/sup><\/a> <i>we became little children among you<\/i>. \u00a0What possible contrast could <i>we became little children among you<\/i> provide to being a burden financially?<\/p>\n<p>Such a contrast makes little sense whether the disputed word \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 (a form of \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2\"><sup>[18]<\/sup><\/a> (<i>little children<\/i>, <i>infants<\/i>) or \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 (a form of <a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-dictionary-2\/#_\u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2\">\u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2<\/a>;<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn19\"><sup>[19]<\/sup><\/a> <i>gentle<\/i>) is selected.\u00a0 I do think the NET translators were right to prefer \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn20\"><sup>[20]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 And the mere possibility that one might tease the apostles throwing their weight around out of the Greek here sounds like double entendre.\u00a0 It alerts my ear to Paul\u2019s facetiousness and hyperbole.\u00a0 So I consider \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 to be magnifying or amplifying the prior clause (<i>yea<\/i>, <i>moreover<\/i>) rather than setting up a contrast.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/net.bible.org\/#!bible\/2+Corinthians+7:11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET)<\/a>, for instance, the Net translators either left \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 out of this kind of amplification or translated it <i>what<\/i>: <i>For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what defense of yourselves, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what indignation, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what alarm, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what longing, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what deep concern, <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> what punishment! \u00a0<\/i>If I apply something similar to 1 Thessalonians 2:7 I get a translation like, \u201cEmpowered to be burdensome as Christ\u2019s apostles, yea, we became infants<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn21\"><sup>[21]<\/sup><\/a> in your midst!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The actual contrast came next, not unlike the rebuttal of 2 Corinthians 12:16b\u2014<i>Yet <\/i>(\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70)<i> because I was a crafty person<\/i>, <i>I took you in by deceit!<\/i>\u2014in verse 17\u2014<i>I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you&#8230;<\/i>.\u00a0 Paul and his associates did not become infants suckling at the breast of the Thessalonian church; they were the nursing mother suckling the church, not because believers in Thessalonica were a burden, but because <i>with such affection for you\u00a0we were happy\u00a0to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us<\/i>.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn22\"><sup>[22]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Understood this way, the ordinary situation of the apostles of Christ is that <i>the worker deserves his provisions<\/i>, as Jesus put it, or to be a burden (\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd\u03ac\u03c1\u03ba\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1, a form of \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c9) on the church financially, as Paul implied.<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn23\"><sup>[23]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 The extraordinary circumstance by contrast was to preach the gospel <i>free of charge<\/i> (1 Corinthians 9:13-18 NET)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Don\u2019t you know that those who serve in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? \u00a0In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. \u00a0But I have not used any of these rights.\u00a0 And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me.\u00a0 In fact, it would be better for me to die than \u2013 no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! \u00a0For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this.\u00a0 Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! \u00a0For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward <em>(\u03bc\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u1f78\u03bd, a form of \u03bc\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u03cc\u03c2)<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/greek-concordance\/#_\u03bc\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u03cc\u03c2\"><sup>[24]<\/sup><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em> But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility. \u00a0What then is my reward <em>(\u03bc\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u03cc\u03c2)?\u00a0<\/em> That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Another consequence of viewing it this way, however, is that Paul might have taken another little gibe at Peter and James (implying that they were like suckling infants) similar to the gibe he took in his first letter to the Corinthians (though not so whiny): \u00a0<i>Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord\u2019s brothers and Cephas? \u00a0Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work?<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2013\/10\/30\/throwing-their-weight-around\/#_ftn25\"><sup>[25]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/2014\/02\/06\/fear-numbers-part-1\/\">Back to <em>Fear &#8211; Numbers, Part 1<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" \/>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn1\"><\/a><sup>[1]<\/sup> 1 Thessalonians 2:7a (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn3\"><\/a><sup>[3]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 11:13 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn5\"><\/a><sup>[5]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 11:20, 21a (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn7\"><\/a><sup>[7]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 10:10 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn11\"><\/a><sup>[11]<\/sup> 1 Thessalonians 2:7b, 8 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn12\"><\/a><sup>[12]<\/sup> 1 Thessalonians 2:11b (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn14\"><\/a><sup>[14]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 12:16-18 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn16\"><\/a><sup>[16]<\/sup> 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 10 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn19\"><\/a><sup>[19]<\/sup> <i>And the Lord\u2019s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind<\/i> (\u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, another form of \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2) <i>toward all, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness<\/i>. (2 Timothy 2:24, 25a NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn20\"><\/a><sup>[20]<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/net.bible.org\/#!bible\/1+Thessalonians+2:7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Note<\/a> from NET: \u201cThe variant \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 (hpioi, \u2018gentle\u2019) has fair support (\u05d0<sup>2 <\/sup>A C<sup>2 <\/sup>D<sup>2 <\/sup>\u03a8<sup>c <\/sup>0278 33 1739 1881 \u00cf), but \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 (nhpioi, \u2018little children\u2019) has significantly stronger backing (\u00cc<sup>65<\/sup> \u05d0* B C* D* F G I \u03a8* <i>pc <\/i>it bo). It is not insignificant that the earliest Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support of \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 are actually not Alexandrian or Western; they are the <i>second<\/i> correctors of Alexandrian and Western mss. Such correctors generally follow a Byzantine <i>Vorlage<\/i>. The reading \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 is thus superior externally. Further, \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 is much harder in this context, for Paul mixes his metaphors (\u201cwe became little children in your midst\u2026Like a nursing mother\u2026\u201d). Thus, the scribes would naturally alter this reading to the softer \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 (\u2018we became gentle\u2026\u2019). Paul is not known for his consistency of figures, however (cf., e.g., Gal 4:19); hence, the intrinsic evidence points to \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 as original. On the other hand, it is possible that \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 was caused by dittography with the preceding -\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd (-men). It is even possible that \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 was caused by an error of hearing right from the beginning: The amanuensis could have heard the apostle incorrectly. But such a supposition cuts both ways; further, Paul would no doubt have corrected the reading in the ms before it was sent out. If so, one would surely have expected both earlier witnesses on the side of \u1f24\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 and perhaps a few first correctors to have this reading. The reading \u2018little children\u2019 thus stands as most probably original. (For an extended discussion of this problem, see J. A. D. Weima, \u2018\u201cBut We Became Infants Among You\u201d: The Case for NHPIOI in 1 Thess 2.7,\u2019 <i>NTS<\/i> 46 [2000]: 547-64; T. B. Sailors, \u2018Wedding Textual and Rhetorical Criticism to Understand the Text of 1 Thessalonians 2.7,\u2019 <i>JSNT<\/i> 80 [2000]: 81-98.)\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn21\"><\/a><sup>[21]<\/sup> \u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9, the same word as, <i>I could<\/i><i> <\/i><i>not<\/i><i> <\/i><i>speak<\/i><i> <\/i><i>to you<\/i><i> <\/i><i>as<\/i><i> <\/i><i>spiritual<\/i><i> <\/i><i>people, but<\/i><i> <\/i><i>instead as<\/i><i> <\/i><i>people of the flesh<\/i><i>,<sup>\u00a0<\/sup> <\/i><i>as<\/i><i> <\/i><i>infants<\/i> (\u03bd\u03b7\u03c0\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2) <i>in<\/i><i> <\/i><i>Christ<\/i> (1 Corinthians 3:1 NET).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn22\"><\/a><sup>[22]<\/sup> 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn23\"><\/a><sup>[23]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 12:13 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a id=\"_ftn25\"><\/a><sup>[25]<\/sup> 1 Corinthians 9:5, 6 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While studying the gift of contributing I came across something in 1 Thessalonians that troubled me.\u00a0 I had to look into it further.\u00a0 The translation\u2014although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=2886\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2719],"tags":[1978,1975,1979,1976,1972,1961,1934,1977,1974,1964,1962,1963,1971,1973,1968,1967,1969,1950,1965,1966,1970],"class_list":["post-2886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-section-three","tag-1-corinthians-913-18","tag-1-corinthians-94","tag-1-corinthians-95-6","tag-1-corinthians-97-12","tag-1-thessalonians-211","tag-1-thessalonians-27","tag-1-thessalonians-27-8","tag-1-thessalonians-28","tag-1-thessalonians-29-10","tag-2-corinthians-1010","tag-2-corinthians-1113","tag-2-corinthians-1120-21","tag-2-corinthians-1213-15","tag-2-corinthians-1216-18","tag-2-corinthians-417","tag-acts-1528","tag-galatians-62","tag-mark-1238-39","tag-matthew-108-11","tag-matthew-2012","tag-revelation-224"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2886"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19862,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886\/revisions\/19862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}