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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413 THROUGH ONE LORD ONLY 413
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather evk, eivj, and dia, de-
signate the unique functions of the one true Godhead within which
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are co-workers.
* *
*
There are several points which should be recalled here and
which can serve as concluding remarks.
1. Although the meaning of dia, with the genitive seems at first
sight to be evident (“through”), the nuances ascribed to it by dif-
ferent authors and in different contexts demand close investigation.
It seems that the attempt to burden particular prepositions with lim-
ited theological meaning is misleading. Concerning the prepositions
A.T. Robertson once pointed out that “the usual way of expressing
the agent in the N.T. is u`po, for the direct agent and dia, for the in-
termediate agent as in Mt. 1,22”; but, he added, “the usage [of
prepositions] varies greatly in the course of the centuries and in dif-
ferent regions, not to say in the vernacular and in the literary style.
Besides, each preposition has its own history and every writer his
own idiosyncrasies” 65.
2. The traditional rendering of dia, in 1 Cor 8,6 as an indication
of instrumentality contradicts the content of the verse and its con-
text (v. 5). Paul depicts the Lord’s functions as different from those
of God the Father, which makes Jesus Christ a distinct figure. Jesus
Christ’s opposition to other “lords” is shown in the same manner
as the opposition of God the Father to other “gods”. In other words,
according to v. 6 the universal process (both creation and salvation)
should be understood as the work of ei-j qeo.j o` path.r kai. [!] ei-j
ku,rioj VIhsou/j Cristo,j. One God the Father and one Lord Jesus
Christ are both the agents of this process.
3. The attempts to find in 1 Cor 8,6 an influence of philosophical
prepositional metaphysics fail. There are no exact textual parallels
65
A.T. ROBERTSON, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light
of Historical Research (Nashville, TN 1934) 534, 569. Cf. Waaler: “There is
a thin line between the interpretation of dia, as mediation or agency” (E.
WAALER, The Shema and the First Commandment in First Corinthians. An
Intertextual Approach to Paul’s Re-reading of Deuteronomy [WUNT II 253;
Tübingen 2008] 417).