Comienza la crisis del Gobierno provisional La Conferencia de Abril del Partido bolshevique.

Before plunging ourselves immediately into the various interpretations of 2 Cor 5:17, an issue needs to be addressedbriefly, namely the practice, practically universal amongst scholars, of inserting implied verbs into the text during the translation process.

This is not necessarily an unusual occurrence during the translation of ancient texts. Furthermore, of the four units that comprise the verse, the first two are taken to be obviously elliptical:263 ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ καινὴ κτίσις· Accordingly, it is not regarded as a

significant issue, certainly not a violation, to supply the implied verbs –especially the verb ‘to be’.264

If that is so, why is it being raised as an issue in this instance?

It is an issue because not only do virtually all translators of the Greek text of 2 Cor 5:17 into English compensate for implied verbs by inserting them, but, as will become evident, scholars who have, as it were, made up their minds upon a particular interpretation based less on the text itself but on other considerations (e.g., the influence of Apocalyptic Judaism upon Paul’s thinking) or the desire to ‘square the circle’ of conflicting interpretations, translate the text to reflect this perspective.265 That does not inherently render the resultant interpretation and translation incorrect but it can circumscribe the scope of possible interpretations. As already mentioned, such a conundrum is not, of course, unique to this particular text, and, as Ratzinger has pointed out, may indeed be unavoidable in certain instances.266

In what follows, (a) the new creation text is first quoted within its immediate context of 2 Cor 5:16-19, using the NRSV translation. (b) Then the Greek text from the UBS version is shown (with the literal wording in English underneath it). (c) This is followed by the Greek- English interlinear as given by the UBS interlinear. (d) Then, twelve translated versions of 2 Cor 5:17 are given, all of which are in English. These are followed by the Latin Vulgate version accompanied by English translations of that Latin text.

263 _{Harris 2005: 430. Thrall 1994: 424, attributes the literary construction to ‘Paul’s elliptical style’.}

264 _{Indeed it is recognised that “implied verbs” are part of Greek literature (also Koine). As we shall see in what} follows it is the question of which verb is implied; understandably, different interpretations will result in different verb choices.

265 _{As indicated below, in the case of the diverse variety of implied second verbs which is inserted into the text} of 2 Cor 5:17.

266 _{In 1977, in the last book of his to be published prior to being consecrated bishop, Eschatology – Death and}

Eternal life, the then fifty year-old Joseph Ratzinger with regard to Luke 17:20-21readily admitted that the

statement in question was so hard to translate that every translation had to be an interpretation. Ratzinger 1988: 32.

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Editorial note 1: Because of the technical nature of what follows in this section, particularly

the role played by interlinear text, the word-formatting, including font size, has been intentionally adjusted for readability purposes in parts of this chapter.

Editorial note 2: As previously mentioned, the default NT version deployed throughout this

thesis is that of the NRSV, and consequently the source of the text of a passage of Scripture will only be shown if different from that of the NRSV. Here in this present chapter (and in its Galatians parallel chapter 4.3) given the very purpose of this chapter, the contrasting versions are being quoted.

(a) 2 Cor 5:17 (In its immediate context, 2 Cor 5:16-19)

16

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

(b) 2 Cor 5:17 (The original Greek text with the literal English wording underneath it)

ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά.267 so that if anyone in Christ a new creation the old things passed away behold has become new

The Greek text shown here is as per the UBS Greek New Testament version, with its included punctuation – commas after Χριστῷ and παρῆλθεν and a terminating full stop after καινά. The original Greek manuscript text has no punctuation.268 It is worth pointing out that the UBS apparatus does indicate four possible versions of the Greek text of verse 17 based upon different original ancient manuscripts. With a confidence factor of {B}, UBS favours the one shown. This is hardly surprising given that included amongst its manuscript sources are P46, Codex Sinaiticus (א) and Codex Vaticanus (B). No supposedly implied verbs are reflected in any of these four original Greek language

manuscripts, the only difference being that the other three manuscripts add a word alongside the second occurrence of the adjective new (καινός) at the end of the verse (καινά), namely the word παντα269

[πᾶς], (all or all things or everything thing) in three slightly different grammatical

constructs.270 That said, it will be evident from what is shown below that many translations do include the words ‘everything has become new’. This does not necessarily mean that such translators are endorsing the alternative manuscript sources; the point is simply that the verb γέγονεν (third person,

267 _{2 Co 5:17. UBS 1983.}

268 _{See, for example, the Sinaiticus version - http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/, Quire 83, Folio 7.} 269_{παντα – adjective, nominative, plural, neuter of πᾶς.}

270

Thrall 1994: 424, FN 1634 summarises in a succinct note, why the shorter version (i.e., the UBS preferred version) has better attestation than those which add the παντα.

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perfect, singular) requires a noun as subject. Some translators opt to see καινά in this role (the new has come) which I think works quite well; amongst the latter some scholars introduce an extra word (the new order has come). Other options available are ‘he (she), it, or everything (referencing τὰ ἀρχαῖα) has become new’; some translators in so referencing even translate the singular verb γέγονεν with the plural ‘all things have passed away’. All of these will be found amongst the translations below.

(c) 2 Cor 5:17 (The Greek-English UBS Interlinear)

ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις·τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά.

so that if anyone [is] in Christ [he is] a new creation; the old things passed away, behold he has become new

The UBS Interlinear translation shown here inserts an implied verb, the [is] bracketed as shown – ‘if anyone [is] in Christ’. All English translators insert this verb ‘is’, and is not an insertion challenged in this thesis, nor will it be commented upon any further.

(d) Various English translations, all of which insert one or more verbs and other words that are not in the Greek text:

As shown below, some of the translations indicate by means of italics where some of their insertions have been made; others do not.

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has

become new! NRSV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things

have become new. NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the271 new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! NIV 2011 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

NIV 1984 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; new things have come.

NAB Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things

are become new. KJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has

come. ESV

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things

have come. NASB

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So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order has passed away; see, a new order has

begun Harris272

So that if anyone (is) in Christ, (that one is) a new creation: the old passed away, behold the new has

come Lambrecht 273

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation Furnish274 Consequently, if anyone is in Christ, there is a newly-created being: the old has passed away, behold

the new has come. Thrall275

The Latin Vulgate reads as follows with English translations of the Latin beneath it: Si qua ergo in Christo nova creatura, vetera transierunt: ecce facta sunt omnia nova.

Lambrecht 276 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away. Behold all things are made

new. The Douay-Rheims translation277

If [there is] in Christ a new creature, [then] the old [things] have passed away: behold all [things] have

been made new. Translation of the Latin by Lambrecht 278

So, if any new creature is in Christ, old things have passed away: look! Everything has become new. Translation of the Latin by Harris279 Clearly, as we proceed with the interpretations the diversity of interpretation is already very evident. 272 _{Harris 2005: 430.} 273 Lambrecht 1999: 96-97. 274 _{Furnish 1984: 332.} 275 _{Thrall 1994: 400.} 276 _{Lambrecht 1999: 96.}

277 _{New Advent Multilingual Bible.} 278

Lambrecht 1999: 96. 279 _{Harris 2005: 430.}

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3.4 Interpretations of 2 Cor 5:17 as reflected in the prevailing translations