Andrey Romanov, «Through One Lord Only: Theological Interpretation of the Meaning of 'dia', in 1 Cor 8,6», Vol. 96 (2015) 391-415
The present study attempts to clarify the theological meaning of dia, in 1 Cor 8,6. Traditionally the preposition is understood as an indication of a contrast between God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus' role is described as either instrumental or analogous to the role of Jewish Wisdom. The present study questions these interpretations on the basis of the analysis of the structure of the verse. In this author's opinion, dia, here indicates the unique functions of Jesus Christ which make him the co-worker of God the Father in both creation and salvation.
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2. The second dia,
It is logical to assume that in accordance with the parallelism of
the clauses in 1 Cor 8,6 the meaning of the second dia, should be
interpreted in the same way as the meaning of the first dia,. As far
as the meaning of the first dia, indicates the Lord’s personal par-
ticipation in creation (as God’s co-worker), one can expect that the
second dia, indicates the similar role of the Lord in the act of final
salvation. There are, however, some translations of the verse in
which the significance of Christ’s role in salvation is reduced (in-
tentionally or unintentionally). For instance, H. Lietzmann inter-
prets the verse as “Gott ist letzter Urgrund und Zweck, Christus
Vermittler des Weltgeschehens wie des Christenlebens” 41. Also
C.K. Barrett translates the part with the Lord as “one Lord Jesus
Christ, through… whom all things, including ourselves, come into
being”, that is, without any reference to his role in coming events 42.
If we continue these interpretations logically, the final act of salva-
tion appears to involve the relationship between h`mei//j and God
only. Through Christ, then, “we” have merely been created, whereas
the mission of Christ in “our” final attainment of God is of secondary
importance, if any.
This reduction of the Lord’s eschatological role not only con-
tradicts the meaning of the wording of 1 Cor 8,6 but also finds no
support in Paul’s eschatological scheme depicted in some other
places of the letter. The eschatological significance of Jesus Christ
is stressed from the very beginning till the very end of 1 Corinthi-
ans. In 1 Cor 1,8 Paul uses the formula “the day of the Lord” ap-
plying it to Jesus Christ; this is an explicit allusion to the Jewish
theme of God’s judgment expressed in the OT 43. The importance
of this day for the Corinthians is that they are expected to be
“blameless” (avne,gklhtoi); in other words, they will be somehow
tested in this eschatological “day”. Paul uses in 1,8 to. te,loj as an
indication of the eschatological motif; the same word is used in
15,24-28 where the eschatological relations between Jesus Christ
41
H. LIETZMANN, An die Korinther I/II (HNT 9; Tübingen 51969) 37.
42
C.K. BARRETT, A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians
(Black’s New Testament Commentaries; London 1968) 192.
43
See the direct references to the “day of the Lord” as the act of God’s
judgment in Isa 2,12-13; 13,6-7; Joel 2,31-32; Amos 5,18-19; Zeph 1,18.