John 20:23; Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 in the Light of the Greek Perfect Tenses

John 20:23; Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 In the Light of the Greek Perfect Tenses

WiLBBB T. Dayton

I certain men have been divinely author The Problem ized to forgive sins in behalf of God." The verses in the Authorized Ver Commenting on the Revised Stand sion in English read as follows: (In ard Version of the New Testament, parentheses the suggested corrections W- D. Chamberlain of Louisville Pres of tense are made.) byterian Seminary cites Matthew 16: 20:23� 19 as an example of an error which the John Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted revisers failed to correct. He (perfect tense: have been remitted) quotes unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they and comments as follows: are retained (perfect tense: have been retained).

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Matthew 16:19�And I will give unto thee the heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound (future earth shall be loosed in heaven." The words perfect tense: shall have been bound) in heaven; and 'bound' and 'loosed' in the original Greek are in whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be the future perfect tense and should be trans loosed (future perfect tense: shall have been lated 'shall have been bound' and 'shall have been loosed) in heaven. loosed.' The difference in the two meanings is of Matthew: 18:18� � I unto theological importance it is a question whether Verily say you, what soever ye shall bind on earth shall be Jesus means that Heaven determines the policy bound (fu ture perfect tense: shall have been for Christian ministers, or whether the ministers bound) in heaven; and whatsoever shall have authority over Heaven. I don't know ye loose on earth, shall be loosed whether the translators perpetuated this mistake (future perfect tense: shall have been loosed) in heaven. through ignorance or by choice.^

The importance of this reference is The problem of translation and seen in the fact that the authority interpretation involves the whole of man's back of one of the most prevalent and question place in the Divine Are most significant errors in Christendom Economy. the servants of God to is found in the current translation and act upon their own judgment and in- interpretation of the Greek future iative and bind Heaven to ratify their perfect tense in Matthew 16 :19 and own exclusions from, and inclusions 18:18 and the Greek perfect tense in in, the kingdom of heaven (as seems to John 20 :23. On this basis over half of be a fair interpretation of the im the professed Christians in the world plications of sacerdotalism as so com believe in sacerdotalism�that is, that monly jiracticcd by the Roman Cath olics and some other bodies) ? Or are ^ Louisville Courier Journal, Feb. 17, 1946. Quoted in The Union Seminary Review, May, ^J. R. Mantey: "The Mistranslation of the 1946 by P. Frank Price, "The 1946 version of Perfect Tense in John 20:23, Matthew 16:19 and the New Testament�from a Reader's Point of Matthew 18:18," Journal of Biblical Literature View," p. 209. LVni (1939), p. 243. SCRIPTURES .. . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 75 the ministers of God sent forth as am completion and has abiding results. bassadors who carry the terms of With Chamberlain, the writer does and � peace forgiveness doing what not fully understand why no revision God has authorized and has Himself has been made of the translation of done, and declaring what God has de these passages. The wonder is in clared? That is, are the men of God creased by the fact that at least three judges who decide the salvation or or four times this matter has been reprobation of their hearers or are called to the attention of the scholars. the ac- In they preachers, "proclaiming 1922, J. R. Mantey had an article ceptaible year of the Lord" and offer published in The Expositor in London ing salvation on Divine terms? under the title "Perfect Tense Ig Evangelical Protestantism has al nored in Matthew 16:19; 18:18, and ways held to the latter while sacer John 20:23."* Later he read before the dotalism has generally if not always Society of Biblical Literature and Ex involved the former the in through priest egesis America a paper entitled ly insistence upon selecting the recip "The Mistranslation of the Perfect ients of its saving sacraments. It Tense in John 20 :23, Matthew 16 :19 should be and said, however, that the Matthew 18:18." In 1939, this evangelical view need not be inter article was published in the Journal as the preted minimizing high calling of BihUoal Literature* In the same of issue a the Gospel ministry. What could be rebuttal appeared under the a title more exalted position than that of "The Meaning of John 20:23, an ambassador of Christ beseeching Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18."' men The in Christ's stead to be reconciled author was Henry J. Cadbury of to God and declaring the terms of rec Harvard University, a member of the Man's onciliation? function is neces newly selected committee on revision. sary and in a limited sense decisive. He expressed strong disagreement with But God trusts no human being to give Dr. Mantey at several crucial the ultimate verdict in any soul's sal points of the discussion. In 1941 vation. God Himself by the Holy W. p. Chamberlain produced An Ex- Spirit applies redemption personally. egetical Grammar of the Greek New Testament" Man is authorized only to carry the in which he commented on tidings and to intercede. That seems Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 in words to be the implications of the Greek similar to those already quoted.' He tenses. In all of the leading English agreed essentially with Mantey. Versions, at least, there is either con This difference of opinion that siderable ambiguity or the positive existed among these scholars and that implication of the opposite view: involved a member of the committee namely, that man, in God's stead, for on the new revision attracted the at gives sin and God ratifies the act, tention of a doctorate candidate who making it His own. was majoring in the field of New Tes Part of the confusion may lie in the tament at Northern Baptist Theolog fact that there is no exact equivalent ical Seminary. He continued the in English of the Greek perfect tense research in consultation with Profes and that at best one can only use an sor Mantey and compiled the results English tense and leave the untrans- in the dissertation which is beine lataible element to the commentators. writer's �Volume XXIII, pp. 470-2. But it was, in the opinion, * Volume LVIII, pp. 243-9. unfortunate to use a in ' rendering Ibid., pp. 251-4. these passages that makes no sugges 'Macmillan Company. ' tion of a past action that has come to Op. cit., p. 180. 7G WILBER T. DAYTON summarized in this article. The final successors of Peter, can forgive sins, versions copies were presented to the seminary but that it was in the Latin in May, 1945, and the conclusions were that erroneous translations appeared sent to Professor Cadbury. It was and that these errors have been found, however, that the work of re repeated in all languages up to the vision had already been officially ter present time. That is, of course, minated and the material had reached quite natural in view of the fact that the publisher. Hence no action was the perfect tense in Greek is far from taken�either favorable or adverse. identical with that in the Latin, Eng Briefly stated, the aim of the re lish, and modem European languages. search was to clarify the problems of Allen and Greenough point out the the controversy and, if possible, to find loss of the distinction between the two the correct translation and interpre uses in Latin (i.e., perfect definite and tation of the verses. More explicitly. the historical or aoristic perfect),' the pui*pose of the dissertation was to Goodwin and Gulick also state that, ascertain the basic meanings of the unlike the Latin and English perfects, Koine Greek perfect and future per the Greek Perfect is not properly a fect tenses and to determine the proper past tense, but rather represents a divergent meanings, and to bring this fixed condition in the present," That information to the translation of John this does not exclude a past reference 20:23, Matthew 16:19, and Matthew also is, however, clear in their further 18 :18 with a view to finding a correct statement that "the perfect represents re translation and interpretation and an action as finished at the time at moving the grounds for the erroneous which the present would represent it doctrines and corruj)t practices con as going on,''" Dana and Mantey add nected with sacerdotalism. With this that the "Greek aorist is much wider the work is naturallv a objective, in range than the English simple past, sequel to and extension of Mantev's while the Greek perfect is more re articles. stricted in use than the parallel Eng lish tense,"" They add that "the con II fusion arises from the effort to explain Preliminary Considerations the Greek in terms of our own idiom,"" To these perils confronting the collateral evidence As strong against translators must be added the uncer of these the common translations pas tainty that arises from the fact that in his articles sages Mantey points out ancient scholars did not adequately was not until the torch of learn that it use the inductive and historical meth from the ing and theology passed ods and were too little aware of the and Greek-speaking Greek-writing value of the study of comparative lan Ante-Nicene Fathers to the Latin- guages. It was not until the nineteenth Fathers that these writing passages centur-y, in the days of Winer and were used to such a doctrine support Bopp, that these methods reallv began as sacerdotalism. The inference is of

' course that Greek-speaking theolo J. R. Mantey, "The Mistranslation of the Per gians would have known their own fect Tense in John 20:36, Matthew 16:19 and Journal Biblical language well enough to realize that 18:18," of Literature. LVIII (1939), p. 244, the Greek tenses would permit no such 'Latin Grammar, Article 279 (Note) p. 296. interpretation, "Greek Grammar, Article 735, p. 172. " Mantey further states that not only Op. cit.. Article 1273, p. 272. did some Latin Fathers quote these "Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testa ment, p. 201. passages to prove that priests, as "Ibid., p. 200. 77 SCRIPTURES . . . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES to come into their own." time of the leading verb. Finally, the Furthermore it ie known that by the general trend and tenor of the New time of Latin Christianity there was Testament was invoked as confirming already a marked tendency to shift the the conclusion that an accurate trans function of the ministry from the more lation of the perfect tenses precludes evangelistic and prophetic work to the the possibility of any sacerdotal teach more formal and liturgical. Simul ing in these words of Jesus. taneous with the resultant obscuring In the rebuttal, Cadbury grants that of Christian experience and the pass the perfect tenses usually indicate a ing of creeds from genuine confessions situation already existent at some time to mere symbols, there was a definite contemplated in the sentence but strengthening of the outward organiza denies that the time contemplated is tion of Christendom. This was accom necssarily that of the other verb in plished in part by increasing the these sentences. He argues that the authority of the clergy and assuming influence of the general conditions in that the priests were divinely author which these verbs occur makes it difli- ized to forgive sin. cult and unnecessary to limit them as If, then, the Greek-speaking Fathers to past, present, and future. Four did not support their ecclesiasticism verses are quoted which he considers and sacerdotal tendency by these proof that the perfect in the apodosis verses and the Latins did. the circum does not always indicate an action or stances being what they were, it would condition prior to the time in the pro seem reasonable to question the accur tasis." Various New Testament gram acy of the Latin translation and marians are cited to show that the application until it could be firmlv pei fects used are not regular but are established. The same would apply to variously termed futuristic fBlass- the subsequent translations into the Debrunner)," vivid use for event yet languages affected by the Latin friture (Moulton)," gnomic present tongue, traditions and theoloav. l�ertect (A. T. Robertson) and prolep- But the central argument against tical ( A. T. Robertson ) Cadbury lists the current translations is the fact John 20:2.'? Avith these and treats it that, as Mantey says, "according to similarly. the unanimous testimony of all Greek Permanency and certainty rather grammarians, the perfect tense pic than prior time seem to him to be the tures a past action, the result of which significance of the future perfect tense was present to the speaker or writer." as used in Matthew. He cites Good Regardless of which phase of meaning win'' and Stahl"" in confir-mation of his is dominant, he insists that the per opinion. In view of the difficulty of fect, tense always implies past action, rendering the Greek idiom adequately even though the emphasis is on the into English and because of the in continuance of the results. There are, fluence of the general condition, he he admits, a few rare usages where for feels that the future tense is as good rhetorical or dramatic effect a perfect "I be used to immediate fu John 2:5; James 2:10; Romans 14:23 and may imply Romans 13 :8. ture but he considers such an action, "6 Aufi 1931, Article 344. a most unsafe irregular translation "Prolegomena, p. 271. " foundation for a doctrine. The future Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 1914, perfect tense also, he argues, carries p. 897. the Moods and 1890, Ar the idea of action completed at the '"Syntax of Tenses, " ticle 77, 78, 79. A. T. Robertson, Greek Grammar in the Light Kritischhistorische Syntax des griechischen of Historical Research, pp. 3, 10. Verhums, 1907, p. 143f. 78 WILBER T. DAYTON a translation as any. necessary to examine^ classify, and Cadbury then seeks by the case of evaluate the alleged variations in rela the paralytic to clinch his rebuttal of tion to the basic meaning of the tense. Mantey's assertion that the perfect Finally, the findings are applied to tense would place the act of forgive John 20 :23 with the aim of estimating ness prior to the time of the condition the degree of probability or discover al clause. He points out that Jesus ing the certainty of the translation used the perfect tense in Luke 7:47 and interpretation that emerges. To and obviously meant "thy sins have check the results, brief reference is been hereby forgiven by me." He ob made to church history and theology. jects to allowing an authority to Jesus This same process is repeated with which we do not allow to his disciples the future perfect tenses in the Mat- and urges that for consistency the thean passages and the resultant ren cases must be treated alike. derings of all three verses are com 'He implies, finally, that Mantey pared with the sacerdotal system to stakes his whole argument against see if there is any real basis in Scrip priestly absolution on the past refer ture for the priestly claims. ence in the perfect tense and adds that the case for or against sacerdotalism Ill Basic Meaning op does not rest upon disputed points of the Phrpbct Greek grammar. Though there is some Tbnsb. truth in these last two statements, it is the writer's opinion that they do not A. T. Robertson declares that: do to Mantey or to the issue at justice Each tense has its specific idea. That idea is stake. normal and can be readily understood. Various modifications arise, due to the verb itself, the con Though many branches of knowl text, the imagination of the user of the tense. The result is a edge have something to contribute to a complex one, for which the tense is not wholly responsible." subject of this sort, the chief point in question here appears to be linguistic In this chapter it is our concern to and grammatical. Therefore the find this one specific idea of the Greek major emphasis in this investigation perfect tense. After it has been locat is placed upon this phase in an at ed, it is illustrated and confirmed by tempt to remove the seeming contra references from the classical and dictions the scholars concern among koine writings. ing the meaning of the perfect tenses. A survey of the opinions of scholars However, the linguistic findings on the basic meanings of the perfect should be and tested, substantiated, tense reyeals a general agreement on supplemented by facts from theologv certain essential there and church This is in har points, though history. be may considerable variety in expres mony with Mantey's example, and sion and application of the principle. even Cadbury went on record against In the writer's opinion, the advisability of deciding the matter Mantey's statement still stands that of sacerdotalism on srrammatical "According to the unanimous testimony grounds alone. of all Greek grammarians, the perfect tense The first step in the method of ap pictures a past action, the proach is to seek the basic meaning of result of which was present to the the perfect tense. This is done bv ref speaker or writer." The erence to the standard grammatical following serve as ex amples : works and by examination of the Greek texts, Then " themselves. it is Op. cit., p. 830. SC RIPTURES . . . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 79

Burton: The reference of the tenses is tkis feet of die, T�TeAeuTT]TrKev, "He has died (is double: it a implies past action and affirms an dead)" existing result.^^ In Lysias XII, 22 the perfect tense is used in : the statement that bad Davis The perfect indicative generally express they have done nothing es the present result of past action. It then has to or shameful to denote the guilt that would have do with the past and the present.** existed.^

Galatians 3:1�Jesus Christ was set forth as Moulton: The perfect action is a variety by crucified (perfect that he remains itself, denoting what began in the past and still tense, implying continues." a propitiation).

Goodwin and Gulick: action finished Perfect, Space does not permit one to multiply in time and so an present denoting accomplished but both action and state.'" examples, past present result are seen in each.

Kuhner : Das Perfect . . . nicht griechische This is a significant point because bloss eine gegenwartig vollendete Handling, son- it makes Mantey stand on the literal dern die vollendete Handling zugleich auch als basic use of the tense while in ihren Wirkungen und Folgen noch fortbeste- Cadbury

hend bezeichnet. The Greek Perfect . . . not is found championing a figurative or merely marks a present fulfilled act, but the com irregular usage. The latter may oc act also as in its and results pleted operations cupy his position by choice but by so continuing to exiat.** doing he must assume the burden of Blass : Das Perfecum (sammt dem Plusqu.) proof, for it is an accepted principle in sich Prasens und vercinight gliechsam Aorist, of hermeneutics that the literal mean indem es die Dauer des Voll'endeten ausdruckt. of a passage is the correct meaning The perfect (along with the plupf.) unites in it ing unless some necessity for a figurative self as it were present and aorist, in that it ex presses the duration (continuance) of the com interpretation can be found in modifi pleted act." cations arising due to the verb itself, the context, or the imagination of the of these instances there is a In all use]' of the tense. variety of expression but a single cen tral fact described harnioniouslv bv IV basic function all. It is clear that the Applications and Modifications both a of the tense is to picture past Of the ]\Ieaning of the Perfect A action and a result that is present. Tense word close observation of the 'present' It is in the study of the various would convince in these quotations applications and modifications of the one the mean in that grammarians basic idea of the perfect that the gram each case to the speaker or 'present marians express a great variety of several writers were writer.' In fact, opinions and multiply terms to ex in this detail. very explicit press their views. Here one meets are numerous in the Examples such expressions as extensive perfect, this Greek texts to substantiate prin intensive perfect, intensive present, ciple. perfect with present meaning, perfect of existing state, entered state, result, In the Anabasis 2.1,4 Bevier traiaslates the per- presents of resulting condition, aorist ^ Syntax df the Moods and Tenses in New Tes ic perfects, gnomic or empiric perfects, tament Greek, article 74, p. 37. iterative perfects, dated past action, " Grammar of the Greek New Tes Beginner's dramatic historic present perfects, pro- tament, article 368, p. 152. " vivid for future per Prolegomena, p. 109, leptical perfects, Greek Grammar, Article 1250c, p. 267. fect, futuristic present perfects, future ^ Ausfiihrliche Grammatik der griechischen action vividly expressed, permanent Sprache, article 384, pp. 146-7. state, and duration. " Grammatik d*s neutestamentlichen Griech- 194. " isch. p. C. D. Adams, Lysias, Selected Speeches, p. 78. 80 WiLP.l<:K T. DAYTOX

Therefore the task at hand is to Robertson classifies the ueri'ect of discover from a studv of the various existing result with the intensive per grammars which of the many uses of fect and defines the latter as "perfects the perfect tense are but suecific appli where the punctiliar idea is dropped cations of the basic meaning and and only the durative remains"" but which, if any, are distinct variations remarks that "it is questionable if the fi'om it. For the purposes of the pres difference does not lie in the nature of ent 1 taper the simple applications will the verb rather than in a suecial mod be called r.-gular or literal usages and ification of the tense.'""" the distinct variations will be called It becomes at times a bit diflScult to irregular or figurative. When the harmonize all of the statements of the more or less figurative uses have been same writers so that they are consist isolated, analyzed, classified, and ac ent with themselves, but if there is no counted for as well as possible, John sharp line between the two functions 20 :23 will be studied in the light of the and if it is not grammatical considera comparative frequency or scarcity of tions that eclipse the past reference the figurative use. and make these perfects "almost pure What A. T. Robertson calls the ex ly durative,"'" it would seem proper to tensive perfect presents no problem call these instances true perfects. That because it is the usual and most nat is, the reason for the use of the perfect ural use of the tenses.'" Because of the tense instead of present could be overlapping it is possible to group traced to the fact that tbe action together under the intensive perfects which was completed and which pro the perfect with present meaning, per duced the continuing result was not fects of existing state, presents of re Avholly lost from consideration. sulting condition, and perfects of en The grammars contain a number of tered state and result. These are com references in which the writers make paratively confusing if one tries to find very broad statements about the loss consistency in the grammars concern of the punctiliar force or past refer ing them. The same men freauently ence and then hasten to qualifv their come so near to conti-adictinar them- statements as did Burton and Robert selves that one must study closely to son. grasp the real meaning. Concerning verbs of senses, emotion, Burton says that no sharp line etc., timyth says "The intensive per exists between the perfect of complet fect apparently denotes an action rath ed action and the perfect of existing er than a state resulting from an state and adds : action, and is translated like a pres ent"'' But then he hastens to state To the latter head are to be assigned those in that "most if not all such verbs may be stances in which the past is practically dropped regarded as true from thought, and the attention is turned wholly perfects, i.e., they denote a mental or to the existing result.'" physical state re sulting from the accomplishment of He" also quotes Goodwin to the ef- the action; as TCE^piKa, 'j have shud f'ct that: dered and am now in a state of sliuddering'."" The perfect, although it implies the perform Moulton, in his edition of Winer's ance of the action in the past time, yet states only that it stands completed at the present time." " Op. cit., p. 894. '*Ibid. ''Op. cit., p. 893. " Ibid., p. 895. ''Op. cit., article 76, p. 38. "Op. cit., p. 288, article 1135. ''Ibid., p. 40, article 85. " ^- Ibid., p. 286. Moods and Tenses, p. 44. SCRIPTURES , . . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 81 work, states the issue clearly. He illustrates by the conative present �ays : TTEiGco "apply persuasion" with its intransitive early perfect TrE-rroiGa "I The perfect is used for the in so present, only trust"": It is worthy of note that far as the perfect denotes an action or a state the commencement and establishment of which Moulton accounted for the phenomena belong, as completed events to past time.** by other than grammatical means even in this verb which Thackeray Kuhner illustrates this use by remarks has "so much come to be ^'ich T�evr]Ka bin gestorben, und bin regarded as a present that a new first nun tot (I have died and am now aorist E-rrETTOiGriaa is formed fix>m it."" dead).""" Kuhner gives a list of forty-one In these uses it should be kept in verbs as not deriving the present mind, as Enslin points out, that meaning out of the concept of fulfilled though occasionally the emphasis is action in the usual sense.*' Many of almost wholly on the result, the action these have already been discussed which produced it is not overlooked. under other headings and one of them, It is actually more taken for granted oT6a, is used by Moulton to illustrate than consciously emphasized.'" the peculiar genius of the Greek per Again there are those instances fect tense. He translates it "I discov where the grammarians say that the ered (EiSov) and still enjoy the re past act is dropped from thought but sults," i.e., "I know."" by the very wording of their state In view of all of these considera ment they imply that there was such a tions it would not be presumptuous to past act in the background which was state that even though the intensive in some sense responsible for the perfect and the uses grouped with it occurrence of the tense. Burton men do emphasize the entered result in tions this phenomenon in relation to a stead of the past act, it is to be serious "few verbs which use the perfect in ly doubted that the influence of the this sense only."" He illustrates with past act is ever lost. And even if it yEypaiTTai, is written, stands written. should be lost, the nature of the verb Nunn illustrates the verbs in which would account for it instead of the "the past action of which it is the re significance of the tense itself. But in sult is left out of account by yeypair- any case, the verbs in ^latthew 16 :19 ; Tai, TtETTOiGa, oi6a, eyvcoKa and î�- 18':18, and John 20 :23 do not even fall jivrjâi.'" Smyth illustartes tJiose that in this marginal class of words. Hence may be properly translated by the a concession here, even if necessary, English present tense with KEKxriîai would not be damaging to Mantey's (I have acquired) possess, K�K\r|âi position. (have received a name) am called, Another usage of the tense is called etc." the aoristic perfect. In this use the Moulton refers to the perfects with emphasis is primarily on the punctil present meanings and accounts for iar force, and it is the durative force them on the basis of "the mode of that is in danger of eclipse. It might action belonging to the root, and on be said in passing that the aorist that exhibited in the present." He would normally have been used in stead if there had not been a subtle '�Section 40, pp. 340,1. ^ Grammatik, p. 148. " Ausfuhrliche Prolegomena, pp. 146, 7. Fourth "�"The Perfect Tense in the Gospel," Grammar of the Old Testament in Greek, Biblical LV p. 124. Journal of Literature, (1936), Vol. I, p. 287. " article 37. " Op. cit., 75, p. Op. cit., pp. 148, 9. " article 70. *' Op. cit., 96, p. Prolegomena, p. 109. *^0p. cit., article 1134, p. 286. 82 WILBER T. DAYTON recognition of the result of the act. be said to be due to grammatical con But whatever one concludes, the re siderations but rather to dramatic and sults are irrelevant since this paper is rhetorical demands of the context. As concerned only to note the preserva Kuhner says : tion of the past reference. The perfect, aiid to be sure in all forms, will Gnomic or empiric perfects appear with rhetorical stress be so used, that a not yet to sense instead of the past emphasize entered act will be anticipated as already ful but the past act may still be implied. filled." Smyth says that the empiric perfect "may set forth a general truth express He illustrates from Xen. Oi/r. 7. 5, ly based on a fact of experience."" If 23 (so that it is necessary that they so, there is nothing particularly irreg either flee swiftly from the houses or ular about this use of the perfect. At be swiftly burned up.) Here the per least, it is always safer to assume that fect is more forceful and dramatic there was a reason for usiufr the per than a simple future since it contem fect instead of the present tense. And plates not the beginning of the calam that reason would normally be some ity but its awful consummation as sort of pEist reference. completed. This is a use that can Iterative perfects express a broken hardly be denied. Nor is it denied in continuity, according to Robertson." the classical writings by Mantey.** The perfect of dated past action to Kuhner explains it as follows: which Smyth refers" clearly has past To the futuristic present cor references and so is irrelevant to the (article 382,5) responds consequently a futuristic perfect. The present study. connection of the future comes either out of the The existence of the dramatic his construction of the sentence or out of the whole torical present perfect is debated. Bur context of the speech before." ton says there are no certain New Tes tament instances and says of possible Robertson also remarks that since instances that "This idiom is perhaps the present tense is so often used in a rather rhetorical than strictly gram futuristic sense, it is not strange to matical."" Robertson defines this use find the present perfect so used also as to as one in which "an action completed equal the future perfect." in the past is conceived in terms of Cadbury is right that a few New present time for the sake of vivid Testament grammarians do cite in ness."" However the past reference is stances of a perfect implying future not completely lost whether for the action. Robertson and others do grant sake of vividness one by reflection a proleptical reference in a few pas throws himself back into the vivid past sages such as I John 2 :5, James 2 :10, Romans 14 :23 and 13 :8." or by imagination draws the past up to But Burton the vivid present. states concerning his example (James Proleptical perfects are also var 2:10) that "this is rather a rhetorical iously called prophetico-perfects. fu figure than a grammatical idiom."" turistic present perfects and futuristic While it would likely be going too far X)erfects. From the foregoing discus to deny the possibility of such oc sions it is obvious that this future ref currences of proleptic perfects, it is erence is rare and that it can hardly "Op. cit., article 384, p. 150. ^Journal article 287. Biblical Literature, op. cit., pp. 243ff. �O/'. cit., 1136, p. " 893. Op. cit., p. 150. '�0^ cit.. p. " Op. 898. "Op. cit., article 1137, p. 287. cit., p. "Op. cit., p. "Op. cit., p. 38ff. 898; Moulton, Prolegomena, p. 896. 271 ; Burton, op. cit., p. 23. ''Op. cit., p. " Op. cit., p. 23. SCRIPTURES . . . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 83

necessary to exercise due caution In conclusion, it may be said that against using this figurative interpre no conclusive proof has been found of tation more freely than the facts de any use of the perfect tense in Greek mand. Good hermeneutics demands where, due to grammatical considera that the literal translation be used if tions, the significance of past action practical before the figurative be con was lost. Consequently, so far as any sidered. To grant a figurative use in proof to the contrai'y is concerned, one situation for sufficient reasons every perfect is, fr-om a strictly gram does not mean that it would have to be matical standpoint, a true perfect. conceded elsewhere for insufficient That is, it looks at both ends of the reasons. action or at least bears the marks of Fur-thermore, a number of examples the influence of both the past act and cited fall short of certainty. Enslin existing result. Otherwise the present says of instances in the Fourth Gospel or aorist tense would have been used. that it is far simpler to call them theo And it is seriously doubted that even logical. That is, though the events the influence of the meaning of the had not taken place in the lifetime of verb itself, contextual elements, or the Jesus, they had for the later church.'" imagination of the writer ever com It should also be made clear that the pletely removes all traces of either the issue in the proleptical perfect is not past reference or the existing result whether they should be considered from the perfect tense. Modification simple futures in significance but is common but eclipse has not been whether or not they were used vividly proven. for future perfects which will be dis One might conclude that the literal cussed later. is never wholly lost even in the figur Finally there is the perfect of per ative but is simply modified under manent state or duration, which Cad varying influences. And there is a bury also emphasizes. This meaning point beyond which a tense cannot go in lies close to the genius of the tense as departure from its literal use and it has been described in this paper. still maintain even its symbolic value. If The only caution that needs to be ex it goes bfcyond that point it is use pressed is against so completely dis less even as a figure. Another tense sociating this permanent result from would have to be used. the past act which produced it and proceeding still farther to a figurative IV Perfect in future translation as Cadbury does."" Tense the Koine' Greek Permanence is not a substitute for the To verify the findings of the preced past act but rather a result of it. ing studies and to estimate more accur That the writers did not Scripture ately the comparative frequency of the mean simple future time seems Quite figurative and obscure uses, special obvious from the fact that thev did not attention was given to Colwell and use the future tense. At least simple Mantey's Hellenistic Greek Reader it should be assumed that thev used and Strabo's Geography, Vol. I. the tense consciously and liter perfect In the former volume the writer until adequate ground for a figur ally located some 258 examples of the uses ative translation can be found in of the perfect tense (exclusive of -plu either the verb the or itself, context, perfects and future perfects). After the ima^nation of the writer. those with quite obvious past refer ence were ��"The Perfect Tense in the Fourth Gospel," eliminated, 27 occurrences

� Journal of Biblical Literature, LV (1936), p. 129. were left less than ten and one-half 252. "Op. cit., p. per cent of the whole. These passages 84 WILBER T. DAYTON contained only 10 different verbs with normally be reckoned from the time of their compounds and were of the type the speaker. Thus a literal translation that has already been discussed at would seem to rule out the origination length. No reason was found to modi of the forgiveness in the human agent fy the previous conclusions. and demand that the forgiveness be an In Strabo's volume, 363 examples already accomplished fact (at least in of the perfect tense were studied. the Divine purpose) at the time to Here, if allowance l>e made for certain which Jesus referred. In other words. technical expressions such as the the human agent must treat as for words for torrid, frigid, etc., some 43 given none except those whom God instances were worthy of special atten had already forgiven. The forgiveness tion, or less than 12 per cent. 29 of would then be a divine act simply pro these uses involve only 4 common claimed by the human agent but not verbs and their compounds which have in any real sense accomplished by him, already l)een treated. Careful study Man's function would be that of inter only confirmed the former findings. preting and applying the will of God The marked absence of ])roleptical to man instead of intruding into the perfects in the volumes studied is sig mediatorial office of Christ and decid nificant, the only clear instances noted ing man's salvation. As Christian being in the imperative mood and scribes and interpreters they were hence on a very different basis from warned only to apply the divine will. the figurative use that would be need This literal use will stand unless ed to translate John 20 :2.T oroleotic- some reason for a figurative sense can ally. be found due to the verb itself, the Neither from the Greek grammars, context, or the imagination of the user nor the classical illustrations, nor the of the tense!" Koin6 studies has any reason been In the first place the verbs used here found to deny Mantey's statement that are not of the type that needed such "the perfect tense pictures a past ac full disposition because of a loss of tion, the result of which was present emphasis on the past act. Secondly, to the speaker or writer." there is nothing in the context or the inherent logic of the statement that V would make the literal translation im ttlanslation and interpretation probable. In fact, if one grants the Of John 20 :23 supernatural, as he must if he hopes to understand the Bible, it would be In the it has foregoing discussion, far more logical that God in His eter been shown that the normal amply nal purpose would, on the basis of His use of the tense is to perfect indicate foreknowledge of repentance, forgive a act with its result still past present the penitent than that He would leave to the or writer. And it has speaker the decision to fallible man. As it has that this implication of past been appeared said, "It is logical that the re action even in the various persisted mitting of sin and retaining of sin modifications and There applications. would, as prophetically ministerial it would be quite fore, presumptuous acts, rest upon corresponding acts of to insist on grounds that grammatical God, already accomplished in the one should leave this literal use of the Spirit,"" Or as Wesley says, "Are not tense and use a figurative ren perfect the sins of one who truly repents and that the prior past act. dering ignored unfeignedly believes in Christ, remit- Since the perfect tense is used, there T. is a past action implied that would ^A. Robertson, dp. cit., p. 830. "Lange, Commentary, John 20:23, SCRIPTURES . .. THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 85 ted without sacerdotal absolution? If relatives, participles and the like And are not the sins of one who does are also considered, the present writer not repent or believe, retained even has located 17 cases where the perfect with it?"" is so used besides the Johannine pas Thirdly, the imagination of the sage." In some of these examples it is writer, if we grant the Divine inspira not wise to assert dogmatically that tion of the writer and the consequent the action expr-essed by the perfect is theological consistency of the Scrip always necessarily past to the speaker tures, would support the literal use in or previous to the action of the pro stead of the figurative. Jesus constant tasis. Romans 6 :7 and 7 :2, in fact, ly warned against the assumptions seem to imply that the action of the and excesses of the Pharisees. How protasis makes a contribution to the unthinkable that he should now com completion of the act or state of the mission such extravagances. Romans apodosis. The action is of course past 8:28-30 seems to make it very clear from some point but sometimes in a that the idea of forgiveness is God's; general condition that seems to be a the purpose is God's; the knowledge moving point as it applies to each of is God's; the predestination is an act the particular cases on which the gen of God ; the pattern is God's ; justifica eralization was based. Thus these tion and glorification are acts of God. verses can be translated "For the one All is of God in a final sense though who died finds himself freed from edn" there are human conditions to be met. and "If the husband dies, she is. in a Man proclaims but God has final state of having been freed from the authority. It is God's gospel pro law of the husband." claimed by human beings, and as Mat The r-emaining 15 passages vary con thew Henry says, "God will never siderably, sometimes emphasizing the alter this rule of judgment, nor vary permanent state and sometimes exhib from it ; those whom the gospel acquits iting a proleptical tendency. But they shall be acquitted, and those whom are all true perfects. It simply is not the gospel condemns shall be con always possible, because of the nature demned."" of a general condition, to fix the point of the completion of the action as pre VI vious to the time of the speaker or of Objections Considered the protasis. However there is a new element It has been that these per objected that must be considered in John 20 :23. fect tenses stand in general conditions In the other cases only one agent had and hence are difficult to classify very to be considered and the nature of the as to time. One must concede that the construction often demanded that this is by this fact problem complicated sole agent aid in bringing about the and even be expressed surprise may result in the apodosis. However in that the tense should even oc perfect John we have a double agency. Both cur in these conditional sentences. But God and man are pictured as acting. the very fact that the perfect tense It is simply a question of who has did here displace the more regular priority. The literal use gives preced present is evidence that the writer had ence to God and the figurative to man. a reason. Might not the reason be the normal function of preserving a ref "Romans 2:25; 6:7; 7:2; 13:8; 14:23; John erence to prior acton? 3:18; 5:24; I Cor. 7:39; Jas. 2:10; I John 2:5: I Esdras 3:21; Xen: Anab. i, 8. 12; Xen: Mem. "John Wesley, Notes, John 20:23. i, 2, 21; Xen: Cyr. iv, 2, 26; Demosthenes 24, �* Commentary, John 20 :23. 139; Plato: Protagoras 328b; Thucydides 2. 45. 86 WILBER T. DAYTON

Since the literal makes sense, the fig preponderantly in favor of the literal urative is, from a grammatical stand translation "Whose soever sins ve point, highly improbable. remit, they have been remitted to Another question arises from the them ; whose soever sins ye retain, they words "ye remit.'' The clear implica have been retained" and the corres tion is that man has a part in the re- ponding interpretation that man's act mitssion. However, the logic of the was preceded by God's act and that situation would be satisfied bv the men were warned to avoid any scribal "prophetically ministerial'' act of pro or priestly assumptions and treat as claiming God's will and the conditions forgiven only those whom God has al of pardon. ready forgiven, Another question arises from the words "ye remit." The clear implica VII tion is that man has a part in the The Meaning of the Future remission. However, the logic of the Perfect Tense situation would be satisfied bv the In contrast to the abundance of ma "prophetically ministerial" act of pro terial on the tense there stand claiming God's will and the conditions perfect the few references to the of pardon. fragmentary future tense in Greek gram Then there remains Cadbury 's final perfect mars. One the impression from objection to allowing a "sacerdotal gains the and inadequate nature of ism" to Jesus that we do not allow to paucity the treatments that very little is his disciples. That is a theological known about question that must be answered theo the subject. This is quite natural in view of rare occurrence logically, in part. The present writer the of the feels that there is adequate evidence tense in literature. The can for the unique character and deitv of situation be more fully ap when it is realized Jesus Christ to warrant such a dis preciated that the writer examination of Strabo's tinction, but space does not permit upon Vol, Plutarch's l)rolonged doctrinal discussion. It can Geography, I; Lives, Vol, only be stated in passing that Jesus I; Philo's Works, Vol. I; the Hel in assuming the "sacerdotalism" of lenistic Greek Reader"'', Papyrus Read Greek in John forgiving sins was atteniDting to es er"'; Catalog of Papyri tablish his unique claim to Deity with Ry lands Library, and part of Plu all of its prerogatives. Nothing in the tarch's Lires, Vol, II for future per situation warrants the assumption fects, found only two clear cases of the use of the tense." that the divine prerogatives were However he shared by the apostles. Hence it is found 1100 examples of the perfect concluded that the literal interpreta tense in only the first volumes men tioned. tion is grammatically probable, logic As Robertson and Davis say, the ally reasonable and in harmony with "future perfect was always a rare the facts of the rest of the Scripture. tense and nearly extinct in the New For similar reasons it is held that Testament."" They attribute this to the fact that the figurative translation, as authoriz such a tense is not often ing priestly absolution, is from a necessary. The grammatical standpoint highly con present method is to studv the jectural, from logical considerations "Colwell and Mantey. from the of " preposterous, viewpoint Goodspeed and Colwell. and theological consistency impossible, "Plutarch's Lives, Vol. I, p. 66; Philo, Vol. I from the records of the apostolic prac of Omnia Opera, p. 358. tice historically untenable. '"A New Short Grammar of the Greek Testa ment, article 403b, 305. Therefore the evidence appears to be p. SCRIPTURES . . . THE GREEK PERFECT TENSES 87

opinions of the various erammarians 50Gc "You will have been enrolled as and also to make a first-hand analysis the greatest benefactor"" and Dem. 14, of the sources used by these writers - "All the present fear will have been ' together with such other examples as dispelled." can be found in the texts themselves. However, as there were specialized Kuhner that the says Greek "futur- and figurative uses of the perfect, so um exactum" marks an action which there aie of the future perfect. Good is fulfilled in the future and lasts on win says that "when the 7>er-fect is in its effects so that it is the future of used in the sense of a present, the fu the He one perfect.'" is of the few to ture perfect is used as a regular treat the matter with anv degree of future; e.g. K�KXr|ao[iai, ^le^ivriaoiiai, His * thoroughness. 45 illustrations dcpEaiTi^co." But for the same reasons far the comprised by longest list of that the perfect tense was used instead future perfects that the writer had of the present, the future perfect is seen prior to his own list of 95 which used instead of the future. That rea incorporated Kuhner's work. son must be found in some vestige of Whereas the perfect tense contem the idea of completed action of which an action plates that is complete at the existing state is a result. Hence the time of the speaker, the future it would be difficult to deny that they perfect simply projects the whole unit are futures of true perfects even into the future and conceives an act though the desire for rhetorical or which will have been completed at the dramatic effect has modified them con time contemplated in the future and siderably. Likewise there are inten of which the results will abide. If the sive futu]-e perfects that correspond to analogy of the perfect can be followed intensive perfects. They express the in this manner, a way has been found same idea in the future time. to compensate for the paucity of illus It can then with fairness be con trations. Thus the hypothesis is sug cluded that there is no necessitv of gested that the future perfect will not intei-preting the scliolais as totally likely completely lose its implication excluding all implication of completed of completed action or its reference to action from the future perfect tense results more than the abiding any per any more than from the perfect tense. fect tense did. However this must l>e tested. VIII As fai- as the basic, literal use of the The 95 Exa:\[ples tense is concerned, at least the gram marians seem to agree with Kuhner The writei- is of the ()])inion that of and with this hypothesis. And there the 95 examples of the future perfect appears to be no necessity of assuming which he has examined, the literal sig that Goodwin and Gulick are contra nificance of an act already completed dicting these views when they speak of in the future with enduring results is the permanent state depicted in the quite clear in 58 instances. In 16 more future perfect tense." As in the per cases it seems necessary for one rea fect tense, the permanent state is son or another to reckon with an in simply the result of the completed tensive element. And in the remaining action. 21 usages there are problems that de Examples include Plato, Oorgias, served special consideration. These include such matters as threats, point- "Anthon, A Grammar of the Greek Language, Bevier. Goodwin, " p. 230; op. cit., p. 48; Syntax Goodwin, p. cit., p. 43. the Moods and Tenses the Greek Verb, p. of of "Bevier, p. cit.. p. 48. 43. " Op. cit.. p. 44. " Op. cit., p. 172. 8S WILBER T. DAYTON ed warnings, strong affirmations of translation would be highly conjec certainty and other decisive sayings tural from a grammatical standpoint. where the dramatic and rhetorical demands make a figuratiye use either IX possible or probable. However that is The Translation and Interpreta not the same as proving that the basic tion OF Matthew 16 :19 and 18 :18 significance of the tense is lost. wholly The literal rendering of the Mat- The regular fntui-e [)erfects have thean i>assages would then be "what already been illustrated. The figura ever you bind on earth shall have been tive is seen in such passages as Aris bound in heaven, and whatever you 1027 and it tophanes, Phitus, "Speak loose on earth shall have been loosed shall have been accomplished" (or in heaven." And as has been indicated, shall be fully achieved at once), and the literal translation ought, from a Iliad B, 257, "and this word shall have grammatical standpoint, to be used been brought to pass (shall verily be unless it is shown to be awkward or to brought pass)." impossible. The periphrastic problem was also The meaning of the passages, then, investigated and 33! of the 95 were so would be that the apostles were classified besides 8 more that were elevated to the same rank and priv comx)ound non-periphrastics. The other ileges which the scribes enioved, but 54 were simple forms. It was ob they were cautioned against the abuses served that these were distributed common to the scribes." Thev were somewhat evenly between the figura not to exceed their authority but were tive and literal passages. Though there to forbid what Ood would have al are interesting trends;^ observable in ready forbidden and permit what God such a study there appears to be noth would have already permitted. They ing about the j>eriphrastic idea, per were to be heralds, preachers, ambas se, that would determine the transla sadors�not priests with authority to tion of a given passage as figurative, bind God by their acts of ab it increase -priestly though might conceivably solution. the likelihood of such a use. In anv As in the case of the perfects in case the figurative interpretation is John 20:23, the future perfects of the dangerous unless necessarv. And if Matthean passages occur in general necessary, the context will noint the conditions. The same problems and it from wild arise way safeguard specu with the future in these con lation. perfects ditions as were considered in connec Thus it appears that the literal use tion with the perfect tense, and the of the future tense is as a fu perfect same methodology finds similar an ture of a true perfect to express an act swers. Though contextual and that will be already completed at the logical demands do in some cases force time contemplated in the future and one to grant that the action described that will have abiding results. Since by a perfect or future perfect tense in the this use appears to outnumber the fig apodosis is not always prior to that of urative by a safe margin, since some of the protasis in a general the figurative uses are granted on such condition, there is no such necessity in these uncertain grounds, since even the fig pas sages. The double agency of God and urative examples maintain a solid man relieves any that ground of literal fact to support the pressure might otherwise occur. And since there is no analogy, and since the periphrastic emergency that demands a figurative construction does not materially " the translation, a R. change figurative J. Mantey, dp. cit., p. 246. SCRIPTURES . . . THE GREEK PERFECT TEXSP:s 89 use, it is unsafe to depart from the lit highly conjectuial giammatically, pre eral. At least any doctrine that is posterous logically, impossible theo based on such a translation has a logically and untenable historically. foundation of sand. Priestly absolution must have grown Since all three passages are parallel up without Sci-iptural sanction until in meaning, the same logical, theo it found a good hiding place in a mis logical and historical arguments apply leading translation of these oassages. in favor of the literal translation and If that is so, it is regrettable that no against the figurative. Therefore it way has been found in the recent can be concluded that sacerdotalism, translation of the Xew Testament to as based on these three passages, is improve the rendering.