Hi Orontes – I think your explanation is wonderful and clear. I thought I would make a simple comment on 1 Peter 3:18 and the context of the various versions of this text in the many early Greek New Testaments.
The Greek of 1 Peter 3:18 is : Οτι Χριστος απαξ περι αμαρτιων υπερ ημων (1) επαθεν δικαιος υπερ αδικων ινα ημας προσαγαγη θεω (2) θανατωθεις μεν σαρκι ζωοποιηθεις δε ενπνευματι. 19 εν ω και τοις εν τω αδη / φθλακη κατα (κε)κλεισμενοις (3) πνευμασιν πορευθεις εκηρυξεν,...
“ For Christ died for our sins (1), once for all, the righteous for unrighteous, that we may approach God (2). Put to death in flesh but made alive spiritually, 19 in which also to those spirits in the locked prison below (3) he went [and] preached”
(1) At least 18 important ancient versions of early NT texts say “for our sins” (א2, A,C,K,L,33,81,614, 630, 945, 1739, al, t, vg, sy-hmg, Lt-lat, Cyp, Cyr, etc), rather than simply “for sin”. The difference is subtle, but the contextual shift is important. (for example, unrepented sin was not covered by the atonement in early Christian worldviews)
(2) The single greek word here is “Προσαγαγη”. It is often rendered in english by the phrase “bring us to God”. However, if the ancient intent was transitive, then it meant "to approach God” (i.e. the atonement allows us to "approach" God). In compounds, the word was used in the context of a circuit, meaning “to return to God”, (the completion of a circuit). That is “to bring back to” God. (i.e. in the manner of eccl 12:7 where "...the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it". The concept of leaving a pre-mortal existence with God and then returning to him are implied in multiple, similar, textual assumptions.
(3) At least three ancient greek versions of this New Testament phrase use “in [the] hades” (614, pc; ambst) and at least 5 ancient versions say “φυλακη κατα (κε)κλεισμενοις” (C al z vg.mss; Aug), or to those spirits "in the locked prison below…”. (the word order matters here). In any case, the early concept of hades being a place where spirits were locked and unable to rescue themselves but by the grace of Jesus who descends and opens the locked gates of hades and leads them out, is the theme also reflected in early Christian Literature and, obviously is the restorative model familiar to LDS.
If one compares such early New Testament descriptions with early Christian interpretations and descriptions such as the descent of Jesus into Hades as described in the Gospel of Nicodemus with restorational theology, the parallels are striking and frequent and profound. These repeating patterns tell us what early Christianity believed and importantly, what an authentic restoration of early Christianity will look like.
Thanks for your insight Orontes.
Clear
φυνετωφιω
The Greek of 1 Peter 3:18 is : Οτι Χριστος απαξ περι αμαρτιων υπερ ημων (1) επαθεν δικαιος υπερ αδικων ινα ημας προσαγαγη θεω (2) θανατωθεις μεν σαρκι ζωοποιηθεις δε ενπνευματι. 19 εν ω και τοις εν τω αδη / φθλακη κατα (κε)κλεισμενοις (3) πνευμασιν πορευθεις εκηρυξεν,...
“ For Christ died for our sins (1), once for all, the righteous for unrighteous, that we may approach God (2). Put to death in flesh but made alive spiritually, 19 in which also to those spirits in the locked prison below (3) he went [and] preached”
(1) At least 18 important ancient versions of early NT texts say “for our sins” (א2, A,C,K,L,33,81,614, 630, 945, 1739, al, t, vg, sy-hmg, Lt-lat, Cyp, Cyr, etc), rather than simply “for sin”. The difference is subtle, but the contextual shift is important. (for example, unrepented sin was not covered by the atonement in early Christian worldviews)
(2) The single greek word here is “Προσαγαγη”. It is often rendered in english by the phrase “bring us to God”. However, if the ancient intent was transitive, then it meant "to approach God” (i.e. the atonement allows us to "approach" God). In compounds, the word was used in the context of a circuit, meaning “to return to God”, (the completion of a circuit). That is “to bring back to” God. (i.e. in the manner of eccl 12:7 where "...the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it". The concept of leaving a pre-mortal existence with God and then returning to him are implied in multiple, similar, textual assumptions.
(3) At least three ancient greek versions of this New Testament phrase use “in [the] hades” (614, pc; ambst) and at least 5 ancient versions say “φυλακη κατα (κε)κλεισμενοις” (C al z vg.mss; Aug), or to those spirits "in the locked prison below…”. (the word order matters here). In any case, the early concept of hades being a place where spirits were locked and unable to rescue themselves but by the grace of Jesus who descends and opens the locked gates of hades and leads them out, is the theme also reflected in early Christian Literature and, obviously is the restorative model familiar to LDS.
If one compares such early New Testament descriptions with early Christian interpretations and descriptions such as the descent of Jesus into Hades as described in the Gospel of Nicodemus with restorational theology, the parallels are striking and frequent and profound. These repeating patterns tell us what early Christianity believed and importantly, what an authentic restoration of early Christianity will look like.
Thanks for your insight Orontes.
Clear
φυνετωφιω
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) Actually, that's what happened when my grandmother died. She and my grandfather had been married in the temple. He remarried, but not in the temple, to a woman who had been married to her deceased husband in the temple. So their marriage was just until one of them died. I think that's actually a much, much commoner scenario than the man being married to two women in the temple.
