05_Biblica_Do_Layout 1 08/07/13 12:57 Pagina 417 05_B 417 peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou Second, to what exactly does peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou in 2d refer? Does it refer to the singular h` a`marti,a (“the collective or mutual sin- fulness” of the whole world) or the plural ai` a`marti,ai (“the sins” of the world) as does tw/n a`martiw/n in 2b? Further, the adjective o[loj can imply both the singular “completeness” and the plural “all things alto- gether” 9. It is possible that o[lou tou/ ko,smou could be rendered collec- tively or individually. It is surprising that John does not use a helping article and write, for example, peri. (thj or tw/n) o[lou tou/ ko,smou. An / article (either th/j or tw/n) after peri, could have eliminated ambiguity by rendering the text “concerning the sin(s) of the whole world”? For this reason, Plummer questions the omission of such an article: “The supposed ellipse [either th/j or tw/n] is neither necessary nor very prob- able” 10. Elsewhere in 1 John we may see examples of explicit uses of the article in places where it is not necessary, as in the following: peri. tou/ lo,gou th/j zwhj (1,1); h` koinwni,a de. h` hmetera (1,3); h` evntolh. h` / ` , palaia, (2,7); and to. fw/j to. alhqinon (2,8) 11. The possibility also v , exists that John is not talking about the “sin(s)” of the world in 2d. He may instead be focusing on the means of forgiving sin (considering the i`lasmo,j-expiation of 2a) 12. Moreover, considering John’s rather lengthy discussion about sin and its remission (1,6-10; 2,1-2; 2,3-6) 13, BDAG, s.v., o[loj, offers three different definitions: (a) pertaining to 9 being complete in extent (whole, entire, and complete); (b) pertaining to a degree of completeness (wholly and completely); and (c) everything that ex- ists (all things). Unless otherwise noted hereafter PLUMMER, Epistles of John, 36. 10 See also the following examples: evgw. de. e;cw th.n marturi,an mei,zw tou/ 11 VIwa,nnou (John 5,36); u`pe.r tw/n ivdi,wn a`martiw/n qusi,aj avnafe,rein e;peita tw/n tou/ laou/ (Heb 7,27); and ouv cwri.j ai[matoj( o] prosfe,rei u`pe.r e`autou/ kai. tw/n tou/ laou/ avgnohma,twn (Heb 9,7). WESTCOTT, Epistles of John, 45, gives the following example from Philo (de Monarch ii.6): “o` tw/n vIoudai,wn avrciereu.j ouv mo,non u`pe.r a[pantoj avnqrw,pwn ge,nouj avlla. kai. u`pe.r tw/n th/j fu,sewj gh/j”. (I quote Westcott obliquely without having found the Philo text to which he refers). In all cases, therefore, the articles tou/ (John 5,36) and tw/n (Heb 7,27; 9,7; and in Philo) are necessary for parallel expression. The possibility exists because, in 1 John 5,16-19, John discusses the 12 sins of the world and of everyone living in the world. However, the absence of a`marti,a or a`marti,ai in this context raises questions. See below. 1 John often speaks of sin in both plural and singular forms. For example, 13 in the case of pa,shj a`marti,aj (1,7); a`marti,an (1,8); and ta.j a`marti,aj (1,9 [2x]), the author is explicit in using either a verb or a noun to speak of “sin”. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati