Our Present Riches in Christ
Observations in 1 Cor. 1:4-7
(An Excerpt from a yet unpublished Commentary)
By Jonathan Mitchell
4. I always and progressively give thanks to (or: for) my God (or: experience gratitude in my God; express the ease of grace by my God; experience the happy fortune of abundant favor with my God; = observe my God's competent and prosperous grace) concerning you folks, upon the basis of God's grace (favorable influence) [which is] being given to you folks within and in union with Christ (or: [the] Anointed One,) Jesus,
The verb, in the present tense, has been normally rendered "give thanks," as my bold rendering offers. Now the term "God" is in the dative case, with no expressed preposition, so with this first option we have "give thanks TO God." Given the context of the letter, this was likely Paul's intent. But rather than "second-guessing" Paul, let us consider the other options. First of all, the verb: the Greek elements are eu- prefixed to the term charis (grace; favor) along with the verb ending. With this in mind, that our word "grace" is the stem of this verb, consider the expanded renderings together with the optional functions of
a) experience gratitude IN my God
b) express the ease of grace BY my God
c) experience the happy fortune of abundant favor WITH my God
d) = observe my God's competent and prosperous grace.
I have offered these options for the verb throughout my translation, since they make sense to the contexts. The phrase that follows, "concerning you folks," fits with all these options. The first clause means
1) that Paul is expressing thanks, or
2) experiencing gratitude, or
3) expressing grace in his thoughts or words, or
4) experiencing God's favor concerning the Corinthians, as God is experiencing it, or
5) is observing God's grace in action, with regard to them.
In all of these expressions, Paul is intimately involved with what God has done and is doing with the folks at Corinth.
Paul continues with his theme of "grace' (beginning with this term in vs. 3, but the content of the grace was given in vs. 2) with the phrase, "upon the basis of God's grace." He then reminds them that all this was "being given" to them WITHIN and IN UNION WITH Christ Jesus. All this is an expression of the "Good News." Verses 2 through 4 are a synopsis of the Gospel. We could share this short message with folks to impregnate them with the Love of God. But Paul continues on...
5. because in (or: that within the midst of) everything, and in union with all humanity, you folks are (or: were) made rich within, and in union with, Him* - within every thought (in the midst of all [the] Logos; centered in all reason and information; in every word, idea, expression, eloquence and message) and in all intimate, experiential knowledge and insight (gnosis) - [*, vs. 5, cf 2 Cor. 9:11]
Pause and ponder the first phrase. The conjunction can be read as "because," informing his listeners that what follows gives the reason for what he said in vs. 4, above. Or, it can be rendered as "that," in the sense of "for the fact that," which offers the explanation of what he was inferring in vs. 4 (cf Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians, in Hermeneia - A Critical and Historical Commentary of the Bible, Fortress Press, 1981 p 25 n 3). The form of the word pas ("everything," or, "all") that is used here (which is, panti) functions for both neuter (things) and masculine (people). They are "made rich within, and in union with, Him" - "within the midst of everything," i.e., in all their situations, experiences, etc., and, "in union with all humanity." You see, what had been given to them was also given to all humanity - by way of "the joining," referred to in vs. 3.
He goes on to explain that the realm and sphere of all their "riches" are "within every thought and in all intimate, experiential knowledge and insight." But let us look at the details of these two phrases. Here, the prepositions are expressed, and in both places it is the particle "in; within; in the midst of; centered in." The object of the first phrase is "every logos." The semantic range of this word includes, "thought, idea, reason, information, word, expression and message." Read the parenthetical expansion that offers the various meanings of the preposition, as well as of the noun. Notice that in one options I capitalized and transliterated the Greek word "Logos." This is to alert the reader to consider the "Christ" aspect (from Jn. 1:1ff, as well as in its frequent uses in the book of Acts and elsewhere in the NT), for this "idea" was in everything that was shared in the messages to people. It was all about Christ, as the Logos, becoming incarnate in the rest of humanity. But to consider other nuances of Paul's expression, consider the parenthetical expansion and the semantic range of "logos." They were rich in all of this: reason, information, word, idea, expression and message. From the translation by James W. Leitch and George W. MacRae, in Conzelmann (ibid pp 25, 27) I have also included the meaning "eloquence." This provides an added view of Paul's analysis and description of those in Corinth.
Paul speaks of their "riches" in 2 Cor. 9:11, but there it refers to another repository of wealth and of,
"being progressively enriched unto abundance within every person (or: in union with everything)."
We might also recall Paul's words to the Roman community,
"the riches (or: wealth) of His kind and gentle usefulness (sweetly-disposed benevolence; kindness)"
(2:4), and then in 11:33,
"O, the depth of [the] riches (wealth; resources) and wisdom and intimate, experiential knowledge and insight of God (or: from God; which are God)! How unsearchable (inscrutable) the effects of His decisions (results of the distinctive separations, judicial awards, judgments and evaluations from Him), and untrackable (untraceable) His ways (paths; roads)." Cf 3:21; 4:8, below; Mat. 11:27; Acts 17:24; 2 Cor. 7:11b; 8:7, 9, 16; 9:8, 11; and Phil. 4:19
This all was also "in (etc.) all intimate, experiential knowledge and insight" - which gives the central range of meaning for the word gnosis (which was a term that spawned an early form of Christianity, and had been a strain of Judaism, as well, in a variety of groups known as Gnostics). So, they were spiritually rich, because of union with Christ. They had the Logos together with intimate knowledge of Him. This was all because of grace (vs. 4). But there is more...
6. correspondingly, and in proportion, as Christ's witness (or: the testimony pertaining to and from the Anointed One; or: the evidence which is the Anointing) was made certain, stable and established on good footing (or: validated and confirmed) within, and among, you folks,
7. and as you people are not continuing trailing behind or constantly late, so as to be deficient or fall short - not even in one effect of grace (or: result of favor) - being ones habitually receiving and taking away into your hands from out of our Lord's [= Yahweh's, or Christ's] unveiling: Jesus Christ (or: from the midst of the uncovering and revelation of our Lord, Jesus [the] Anointed; or: forth from the disclosure from our Lord, which is Jesus Anointed).
Here, Paul gives further qualifications: all of the above (vss. 2-5) corresponded to how Christ's witness to them "was made stable within [them]." It was "made certain and established" on good footing among them, "in proportions as the testimony pertaining to and from the Anointed One" was given to them. The "evidence, which is the Anointing" that they had received was validated and confirmed IN them. In other words, they could trust what they had heard because of an inner, corresponding witness to the Truth of it. Also, the verb "was made certain, stable and established on good footing (or: validated and confirmed)" is in the passive voice, "the divine passive," indicating the God was the One who did this both within and among them. We find a corroborating witness of this in 2 Cor. 1:21,
"Now God [is] the One repeatedly placing us on good, firm footing (constantly stabilizing and establishing us; or: confirming, guaranteeing and validating us as possessed by a purchase) and completely (or: instantly, in one point in time) anointing us, together with you folks, into Christ."
We also want to point out that here, in vs. 7, it is NOT speaking about "gifts," but rather about the "effect of grace," or "the result of favor." This refers to "the actual condition of the community" (Conzelmann, ibid p 27). The Greek word is the dative form of the noun charis-ma. We've already seen the word charis, above. The -ma ending of the noun signifies that it is speaking of "the effect," or "the result" of the noun to which it is attached. We will encounter teaching about this word again, in chapter 12, below. However here, Paul is affirming and expanding what he had said in vs. 5, above. As to the conflated phrase,
"continuing trailing behind or constantly late, so as to be deficient or fall short,"
cf 2 Cor. 11:5, 9b and Phil. 4:12, for a contrast. These Corinthians, however, are rich in these things and have been given "everything," and 7b, here, explains how this supply of wealth continually comes to them...
In 7a Paul affirms their solid and reliable place "in the effect of grace," and "in the result of [God's] favor." Then 7b goes on to acknowledge what they were "habitually receiving and taking away [as] in their own hands." But what were they receiving? It was Jesus Christ, who they had been receiving "from out of our Lord's unveiling." Another way of rendering this is: "from the midst of the uncovering and revelation of our Lord, Jesus Christ." Or, it was "from the disclosure FROM our Lord, which is Jesus Anointed."
But you might say, Wait, my version of the NT says that they were "waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ!" Yes, this is what all the common versions say, but I strongly differ with this rendering of the present participle apekdechomenous. Note, first of all, that this word definitely does not mean "coming," as the old KJV rendered it. The verb is apekdechomai, which is dechomai (which means "to take and receive with the hands") which is prefixed with the preposition apek-, a contraction of apo, "from," and ek, "out of the midst of." This verb should not be translated "looking for," or "awaiting."
We find this same verb in Heb. 9:28, where I have rendered it the same way as here:
"so also, the Christ - being once borne (or: carried) close into the many (or: being offered once unto and for the many) to carry failures (errors; sins; mistakes; deviations; misses of the target) back up again - will continue being made visible (or: will be progressively seen) forth from out of the midst of the second [place (cf 9:3, 7 & 10:9; {comment: = the holy of holies})] - apart from failure (apart from sin; apart from a sin offering; apart from error in attempting to hit the target) - in those (or: by those; to those; for those) habitually receiving (or: progressively taking) from out of the midst of Him, [progressing] into a deliverance (or: [leading] into a rescue; with a view to health and wholeness; into the midst of salvation)."
Let us consider other places where Paul spoke of this revelation, in reference to the Gospel:
"for I myself neither received it to my side from a human (or: from beside a person), nor was I taught [it], but to the contrary, [it came] through an unveiling of Jesus Christ (or: through an uncovering pertaining to Jesus [the Messiah]; through a revelation from Jesus Christ; by means of a disclosure which is [the] Anointed Jesus)." (Gal. 1:12).
Notice that Paul had already RECEIVED an unveiling from Jesus. Then we have a second witness of this in Eph. 3:2-3,
"Since indeed you folks heard the house-law (or: detailed plan; the dispensing within the household; the administration; management of the household; or: the distribution) of the grace of God - which is being given by me unto and into you folks - that, in accord with an unveiling (or: down from and in line with a revelation; in keeping with a disclosure), the secret (or: mystery) was made known to me - even as I before wrote (or: wrote aforetime), in brief."
They had all been receiving from out of this unveiling of Jesus as the Messiah. Cf Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 14:6, 26; 2 Cor. 12:1, 7; Rev. 1:1. All these verses speak of His revelation/unveiling/disclosure. We are not waiting for this to happen. We feed from it now. We find Paul using the verb apekdechomai (used here, in vs. 7, and as quoted above, in Heb. 9:28) repeatedly, in Rom. 8:
It is receiving from this unveiling and disclosure that imparts ongoing expectation to us, as well as transformations (cf 2 Cor. 3:18). And again, in Rom. 8:
23. Yet not only [this], but further, even we ourselves - constantly holding (or: having; possessing) the firstfruit of, and which is, the Spirit (or: the Firstfruit whose source is the Breath-effect; or: the first offering, or first portion, which is spirit and breath, and is from the Attitude) - we ourselves also continually sigh and groan within (in the center of) ourselves, continuously accepting and with our hands taking away from out of a placing in the condition of a son (or: [the] deposit of the Son; a setting in place which is the Son; a constituting as a son; a placing in the Son): the process of the release of our body from slavery (or: [and] the loosing from destruction pertaining to the [corporate, old covenant] body, which is us; or: = the unbinding and release of the body [of Adam; of humanity], which belongs to us)....
25. Yet since (or: even if) we continue expecting what we are not seeing (or: observing), we continue taking away and accepting from out of it through remaining under [our present situation and circumstances] (or: through patient, humble, persistent, supportive endurance).
Again, the continued expecting derives from continued accepting from out of it,
"through remaining under" our present circumstances in order to give support to others. He also used the same verb in Gal. 5:5, "For you see, in union with [the] Spirit (or: by [the] Breath-effect; with [the] Spirit; or: in spirit) - forth from out of faithfulness (or: [the] trust-faith-loyalty) - we, ourselves, continuously (or: progressively) receive by taking away, as with our hands, from out of [the] expectation which belongs to, comes from and which is [the] rightwising, eschatological deliverance within the Way pointed out (or: forth from the midst of [the] expected hope, which is the state of being liberated, pointed in the right direction, and included as a participant in the new covenant)."
And then, in Phil. 3:20,
"You see, our citizenship (result of living in a free city; or: commonwealth-effects; political realm) continues inherently existing (or: continues humbly ruling; continuously subsists; repeatedly has its under-beginning) resident within the midst of [the] atmospheres (or: heavens), from out of where (or: which place) we also continuously receive and take away in our hands from out of a Deliverer (a Savior; One restoring us to the health and wholeness of our original state and condition): [the] Lord (or: a Master), Jesus Christ."
Lastly, we find Peter using this verb in reference to the days of Noah,
"within [the] days of Noah, when (or: while) he was continuing to be receiving forth, and taking away from, out of God's state of emotional quietness (taking a long time before rushing or being in a heat of passion; long-enduring patience; putting anger far away) while [the] ark was progressively being prepared and equipped (constructed to readiness)..." (1 Pet. 3:20).
This was not something new. We read of this supply from God in Ps. 46:1,
"God is our Refuge and Strength, a very PRESENT Help in trouble" (ESV; caps mine).
2 Thes. 1:7 speaks of our
"relaxation (ease; a relaxing of a state of constriction; relief)... within the midst of the uncovering (the unveiling; the laying bare; the revelation; the disclosure) of the Lord Jesus from [our] atmosphere..."
For more on that passage see my, Peter, Paul & Jacob... comments on 2 Thes., et al, Harper Brown, 2012 pp 135-6.
Jonathan
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