Romans, Part 3

I want to consider παραδίδωμι as used by Paul in Romans and 1 Corinthians.  The wrath of Godrevealed from heaven against all ungodliness (ἀσέβειαν, a form of ἀσέβεια) and unrighteousness of people1 was revealed in three stages:

1) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity.

2) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

3) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind.

This usage of παραδίδωμι is virtually identical to that of Paul encouraging the Corinthians to turn over the man who had his father’s wife to Satan.

When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, turn this man over (παραδοῦναι, another form of παραδίδωμι) to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 5:4, 5 (NET) Table

Therefore God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity…

Romans 1:24 (NET) Table

For this reason God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

Romans 1:26a (NET)

God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind…

Romans 1:28b (NET)

I’ve already indicated that Paul’s reaction to this man seems disproportionate when compared with his reaction to the sin he addressed in his letter to the Galatians.  But if I accept Paul’s second explanation in 2 Corinthians as the more appropriate, then Paul was not reacting to this man’s sin as much as he was responding to the Corinthians’ reactions to it (2 Corinthians 2:9-11; 7:11, 12 NET):

For this reason also I wrote you: to test (δοκιμὴν, a form of δοκιμή) you to see if you are obedient (ὑπήκοοι, a form of ὑπήκοος) in everything.  If you forgive (χαρίζεσθε, a form of χαρίζομαι) anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (κεχάρισμαι, another form of χαρίζομαι) (if I have forgiven [κεχάρισμαι, another form of χαρίζομαι] anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ [Table], so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes)…
For see what this very thing, this sadness [e.g., caused by Paul’s original letter, cf. 2 Corinthians 7:8 (NET)] as God intended, has produced (κατειργάσατο, a form of κατεργάζομαι) in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment!  In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.  So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong (ἀδικήσαντος, a form of ἀδικέω), or on account of the one who was wronged (ἀδικηθέντος, a form of ἀδικέω), but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God [Table].

And Paul questioned their reaction right from the beginning: And you are proud!  Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you?2  In my opinion, yes, they should have been sorrowful, but whether they should have removed him from their midst or not is open to question by Paul’s own subsequent writings.

And knowing that Paul passed on (παρεδίδοσαν, another form of παραδίδωμι) the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey3 as he traveled on his second missionary journey, I have an even better idea why he called the man’s sin πορνεία.  If I examine the list of James’ abbreviated version of the law—abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from πορνείας (a form of πορνεία)4—it was the only thing left to Paul that even came close to describing the man’s sin.

All of this is based on my assumption that the man Paul encouraged the Corinthians to forgive in 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 was the same man he told them to turn over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5:4, 5.  It is not the only assumption I could make.  I might take Paul’s phrase, the destruction of the flesh, literally and assume that the man died, or that he simply left, or that he moved on to the Baptist church down the street.5  I know that Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral (πόρνοις, a form of πόρνος) people.6  The unspecified man in 2 Corinthians could be some other sinner Paul had the church shun in any number of unknown letters he wrote between 1 and 2 Corinthians.

For me it all comes down to my account (λόγον, a form of λόγος).7  Assuming the man is one and the same is an honest mistake (if that’s what it proves to be) that I can live with.  But if I stand before the Lord with all kinds of imaginary excuses—the first man died, left the church, moved on to the Baptist church down the street, and the second man was introduced in an imaginary letter I don’t have access to—all He has to say is, “What does it say, Dan?” and I have no λόγον to offer Him.  I can honestly say that I thought Paul was talking about the same man in both letters.  The Lord already knows better than anyone how bright I’m not.  I would like, by his grace, to keep the willful ignorance to a minimum from here on out.

After people were given over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonorable passions, and to a depraved mind by God, the rest of the occurrences of παραδίδωμι in Romans form a mini-Gospel lesson.  [Jesus] was given over (παρεδόθη, another form of παραδίδωμι) because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification (δικαίωσιν, a form of δικαίωσις).8  The word is used in a similar way in 1 Corinthians, If9 I give away everything I own, and if I give over (παραδῶ, another form of παραδίδωμι) my body in order to boast,10 but do not have love, I receive no benefit.11

The next step of the mini-Gospel lesson is, But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to (παρεδόθητε, another form of παραδίδωμι), and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.12  There is a similar reference to a message that was passed on and a similar theme in 1 Corinthians: For I passed on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures13

Another usage in 1 Corinthians corroborated this idea of a message that was passed on and introduced the related word παράδοσις which is that message.  I praise you14 because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions (παραδόσεις, a form of παράδοσις) just as I passed them on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you.15  And another usage of παραδίδωμι is both the idea of a message passed on and Jesus given over or given upFor I received from the Lord what I also passed on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed16 (παρεδίδετο, another form of παραδίδωμι) took bread17

In Romans the mini-Gospel lesson continued: Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?18 And I suppose the final occurrence in 1 Corinthians adds the finishing touch to this lesson: Then comes the end, when [Jesus] hands over (παραδιδῷ, another form of παραδίδωμι) the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.19

Below is a copy of this mini-Gospel lesson in tabular form.

Paul’s usage of παραδίδωμι in Romans / 1 Corinthians as a Mini-Gospel Lesson

Therefore God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity…

Romans 1:24 (NET)

For this reason God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

Romans 1:26a (NET)

God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind…

Romans 1:28b (NET)

[Jesus] was given over (παρεδόθη, another form of παραδίδωμι) because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.

Romans 4:25 (NET)

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to (παρεδόθητε, another form of παραδίδωμι), and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

Romans 6:17, 18 (NET)

Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32 (NET)

Then comes the end, when [Jesus] hands over (παραδιδῷ, another form of παραδίδωμι) the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:24 (NET)

Addendum: May 1, 2020
Tables comparing 1 Corinthians 13:3; 11:2; 11:23 and Acts 18:25 in the NET and KJV follow.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NET)

1 Corinthians 13:3 (KJV)

If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

κὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα μου |καὶ ἐὰν| παραδῶ τὸ σῶμα μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι και εαν ψωμισω παντα τα υπαρχοντα μου και εαν παραδω το σωμα μου ινα καυθησωμαι αγαπην δε μη εχω ουδεν ωφελουμαι και εαν ψωμισω παντα τα υπαρχοντα μου και εαν παραδω το σωμα μου ινα καυθησωμαι αγαπην δε μη εχω ουδεν ωφελουμαι

1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)

1 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV)

I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε καί, καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, τὰς παραδόσεις κατέχετε επαινω δε υμας αδελφοι οτι παντα μου μεμνησθε και καθως παρεδωκα υμιν τας παραδοσεις κατεχετε επαινω δε υμας αδελφοι οτι παντα μου μεμνησθε και καθως παρεδωκα υμιν τας παραδοσεις κατεχετε

1 Corinthians 11:23 (NET)

1 Corinthians 11:23 (KJV)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον εγω γαρ παρελαβον απο του κυριου ο και παρεδωκα υμιν οτι ο κυριος ιησους εν τη νυκτι η παρεδιδοτο ελαβεν αρτον εγω γαρ παρελαβον απο του κυριου ο και παρεδωκα υμιν οτι ο κυριος ιησους εν τη νυκτι η παρεδιδοτο ελαβεν αρτον
Acts 18:25 (NET) Acts 18:25 (KJV)
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
οὗτος ἦν κατηχημένος τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ζέων τῷ πνεύματι ἐλάλει καὶ ἐδίδασκεν ἀκριβῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐπιστάμενος μόνον τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ουτος ην κατηχημενος την οδον του κυριου και ζεων τω πνευματι ελαλει και εδιδασκεν ακριβως τα περι του κυριου επισταμενος μονον το βαπτισμα ιωαννου ουτος ην κατηχημενος την οδον του κυριου και ζεων τω πνευματι ελαλει και εδιδασκεν ακριβως τα περι του κυριου επισταμενος μονον το βαπτισμα ιωαννου

1 Romans 1:18 (NET)

2 1 Corinthians 5:2 (NET) Table

3 Acts 16:4 (NET) Table

4 Acts 15:29a (NET) Table

5 I’m only half joking.  As I consider Acts 18:24-28 it is not too hard to imagine others like Apollos who spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus (KJV: the Lord), although he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:25 NET).

6 1 Corinthians 5:9 (NET)

8 Romans 4:25 (NET)

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κὰν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εαν (KJV: And though).

10 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καυχήσωμαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καυθησωμαι (KJV: to be burned).  See NET Note 1.

11 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NET)

12 Romans 6:17, 18 (NET)

13 1 Corinthians 15:3 (NET)

14 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αδελφοι (KJV: brethren) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

15 1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)

17 1 Corinthians 11:23 (NET)

18 Romans 8:32 (NET) Table

19 1 Corinthians 15:24 (NET) Table

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 3

To understand the relationship of sin (παράπτωμα) to sin (ἁμαρτία) I’ll spend some time considering Paul’s usage of the words in other writings.  Both words were used in Romans 5:12-15 (NET).

So then, just as sin (ἁμαρτία) entered the world through one man and death through sin (ἁμαρτίας, a form of ἁμαρτία), and so death spread to all people because all sinned (ἥμαρτον, a form of ἁμαρτάνω) – for before the law was given, sin (ἁμαρτία) was in the world, but there is no accounting (ἐλλογεῖται, a form of ἐλλογέω) for sin (ἁμαρτία) when there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses1 even over those who did not sin (ἁμαρτήσαντας, a form of ἁμαρτάνω) in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed (παραβάσεως, a form παράβασις).  But the gracious gift (χάρισμα) is not like the transgression (παράπτωμα).  For if the many died through the transgression (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα) of the one man, how much more did the grace (χάρις) of God and the gift (δωρεά) by the grace (χάριτι, a form of χάρις) of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!

Paul made a very specific differentiation between ἁμαρτία and παράπτωμα in this passage, but it is not one of greater or lesser degree.  Sin (ἁμαρτία) entered the world through one man’s παράβασις, that was Adam’s transgression of a specific command not to eat of a particular fruit.  Death entered the world through sin (ἁμαρτία).  Death spread to all people because all sinned (ἁμαρτάνω) despite the fact that not all sinned by breaking a specific commandment like Adam had.  The clause, For if the many died through the transgression (παράπτωμα) of the one man, links παράπτωμα to Adam’s παράβασις.  So sin (παράπτωμα) is the breaking of specific commandments after the law was given and an accounting (ἐλλογέω) must be rendered, as distinct from sin (ἁμαρτία) before the law was given.

I am not prepared to say that Paul maintained this technical differentiation every time he used the words.  But it is a strong indication that παράπτωμα was not less than ἁμαρτία in Paul’s mind.  He continued (Romans 5:16-21 NET):

And the gift is not like the one who sinned (ἁμαρτήσαντος, another form of ἁμαρτάνω).  For judgment (κρίμα), resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation (κατάκριμα), but the gracious gift (χάρισμα) from the many failures (παραπτωμάτων, another form of παράπτωμα) led to justification (δικαίωμα).  For if, by the transgression (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα) of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace (χάριτος, a form of χάρις) and of the gift (δωρεᾶς, a form of δωρεά) of righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as condemnation (κατάκριμα) for all people came through one transgression (παραπτώματος, another form of παράπτωμα), so too through the one righteous act (δικαιώματος, a form of δικαίωμα) came righteousness (δικαίωσιν, a form of δικαίωσις) leading to life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience (παρακοῆς, a form of παρακοή) of the one man many were made sinners (ἁμαρτωλοὶ, a form of ἁμαρτωλός), so also through the obedience (ὑπακοῆς, a form of ὑπακοή) of one man many will be made righteous (δίκαιοι, a form of δίκαιος).  Now the law came in so that the transgression (παράπτωμα) may increase, but where sin (ἁμαρτία) increased, grace (χάρις) multiplied all the more, so that just as sin (ἁμαρτία) reigned in death, so also grace (χάρις) will reign through righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The law came in so that παράπτωμα may increase, but where ἁμαρτία increased, grace (χάρις) multiplied all the more, seems more like synonymous usage of παράπτωμα and ἁμαρτία rather than any kind of differentiation at all.  Similarly in 1 Corinthians 15:3 (NET) and Romans 4:25 (NET):

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins (ἁμαρτιῶν, a form of ἁμαρτία) according to the scriptures…

He was given over because of our transgressions (παραπτώματα, a form of παράπτωμα) and was raised for the sake of our justification (δικαίωσιν, a form of δικαίωσις).

It may seem at first glance that Paul meant two things in Ephesians 2:1 (NET):

And although you were dead in your2 transgressions (παραπτώμασιν, a form of παράπτωμα) and sins (ἁμαρτίαις, a form of ἁμαρτία)…

But if I consider the other occurrences of παράπτωμα in Ephesians and the fact that Paul only mentioned ἁμαρτία in 2:1, it seems to me that this was a matter of completeness rather than differentiation.  In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness (ἄφεσιν, a form of ἄφεσις) of our trespasses (παραπτωμάτων, a form of παράπτωμα), according to the riches3 of his grace (χάριτος, a form of χάρις).4  But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) with which he loved (ἠγάπησεν, a form of ἀγαπάω) us, even though we were dead in transgressions (παραπτώμασιν, a form of παράπτωμα), made us alive together with Christ – by grace (χάριτι, a form of χάρις) you are saved!5

I am fairly confident that Paul did not intend sin (παράπτωμα) in Galatians 6:1 to mean something less than sin (ἁμαρτία).  But what if my argument is a straw man?  What if the real issue is between sin, whether παράπτωμα or ἁμαρτία, and such πορνεία as is not so much as named among the Gentiles?6  What if the former is to be dealt with in a spirit of gentleness, and the latter is to be judged, condemned and shunned?  Do not even eat with such a person.7

 

 

Addendum: July 29, 2019
Tables  comparing Romans 5:14; Ephesians 2:1and 1:7 in the NET and KJV follow.

Romans 5:14 (NET)

Romans 5:14 (KJV)

Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

ἀλλὰ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ θάνατος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως Ἀδὰμ (ὅς ἐστιν τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος) αλλ εβασιλευσεν ο θανατος απο αδαμ μεχρι μωσεως και επι τους μη αμαρτησαντας επι τω ομοιωματι της παραβασεως αδαμ ος εστιν τυπος του μελλοντος αλλ εβασιλευσεν ο θανατος απο αδαμ μεχρι μωσεως και επι τους μη αμαρτησαντας επι τω ομοιωματι της παραβασεως αδαμ ος εστιν τυπος του μελλοντος

Ephesians 2:1 (NET)

Ephesians 2:1 (KJV)

And although you were dead in your offenses and sins, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν και υμας οντας νεκρους τοις παραπτωμασιν και ταις αμαρτιαις και υμας οντας νεκρους τοις παραπτωμασιν και ταις αμαρτιαις

Ephesians 1:7 (NET)

Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων, κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ εν ω εχομεν την απολυτρωσιν δια του αιματος αυτου την αφεσιν των παραπτωματων κατα τον πλουτον της χαριτος αυτου εν ω εχομεν την απολυτρωσιν δια του αιματος αυτου την αφεσιν των παραπτωματων κατα τον πλουτον της χαριτος αυτου

4 Ephesians 1:7 (NET)

5 Ephesians 2:4, 5 (NET)

6 1 Corinthians 5:1 (KJV) Table

7 1 Corinthians 5:11b (NET) Table