Adelphoi,(nominative masculine plural; vocative masculine plural) and the words
adelphous (accusative masculine plural), adelphon (genitive masculine plural),
and adelphois (dative masculine plural) appear in the Greek New Testament
approximately 240 times. They are grammatical forms of the word adelphos which
is nominative masculine singular.
Adelphos has a relatively narrow range of meaning. It can be used to indicate a
male from the same womb as the person referenced. Hence, we read in John 1:41
that Andrew "first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the
Messiah (which is, being interpreted, the Anointed).' " It can also be used of one who
shares close affinity; brother in the sense of a fellow-member of the Lord's body,
congregation, or community. In Ephesians 6:23 Paul said, "Peace be to the brothers."
(ESV-2011) The plural form can also mean "brothers and sisters." That such is the
case seems conclusive in Luke 21:16, "But you will be delivered up even by parents,
and adelphon " ('brothers and sisters), and relatives and friends." A recurring footnote
in the ESV says, "The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated 'brothers') refers to
siblings in a family."
The older English versions use the word "brethren" to translate adelphoi. They
did this in recognition of the fact that siblings in a family are meant. In modern English
the word "brethren" is rarely used except in religious circles. It is an archaic word.
It can lend itself to confusion and inaccurate interpretation. Even the word "brothers"
when used in certain contexts can be confusing because it can appear to be speaking
to or about males, when this may not be the intent of the writer or speaker. In
1 Corinthians 1: 10 Paul wrote, "Now I appeal to you, adelphoi, through the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing..." Inasmuch as Paul is
addressing the whole congregation, adelphoi has to mean "brothers and sisters,"
and should be translated with that phrase. We know this because he said "you all
speak the same thing." The congregation in Corinth had both male and female believers.
Verse 11 names "Chloe and her people."
Many of the older Greek-English lexicons of the New Testament understood that
adelphoi included "brothers and sisters" in contexts where a mixed group was
addressed. Thayer's Lexicon, published more than a hundred years ago says on page
10, that adelphos includes sisters in (Matthew 12:46,47). He defines the word
as "a fellow-believer.." on page 11. Alexander Souter, in his Pocket Lexicon To The
Greek New Testament, published in 1916, says on page 6 that adelphos is "a member
of the same religious community, especially a fellow Christian (particularly in the
plural)." A Manual Greek Lexicon Of The New Testament by G. Abbott-Smith,
published in 1921/1923/1936 says on page 8, that adelphos can be used "of a
fellow-Christian." These sources are cited only to show that long before the so-called
women's liberation or feminist movement, it was understood that adelphos/adelphoi
could and did include females, hence it is acceptable to translate by using the phrase
"brothers and sisters."
When a group consisting of both males and females is addressed, as in the apostolic
letters, it is accurate to translate adelphoi with the phrase "brothers and
sisters" as in the NIV-2011. To do so is not in support of feministic theology. It is
designed to support accuracy in Bible translation.
R. Daly
Copyright 2013
adelphous (accusative masculine plural), adelphon (genitive masculine plural),
and adelphois (dative masculine plural) appear in the Greek New Testament
approximately 240 times. They are grammatical forms of the word adelphos which
is nominative masculine singular.
Adelphos has a relatively narrow range of meaning. It can be used to indicate a
male from the same womb as the person referenced. Hence, we read in John 1:41
that Andrew "first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the
Messiah (which is, being interpreted, the Anointed).' " It can also be used of one who
shares close affinity; brother in the sense of a fellow-member of the Lord's body,
congregation, or community. In Ephesians 6:23 Paul said, "Peace be to the brothers."
(ESV-2011) The plural form can also mean "brothers and sisters." That such is the
case seems conclusive in Luke 21:16, "But you will be delivered up even by parents,
and adelphon " ('brothers and sisters), and relatives and friends." A recurring footnote
in the ESV says, "The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated 'brothers') refers to
siblings in a family."
The older English versions use the word "brethren" to translate adelphoi. They
did this in recognition of the fact that siblings in a family are meant. In modern English
the word "brethren" is rarely used except in religious circles. It is an archaic word.
It can lend itself to confusion and inaccurate interpretation. Even the word "brothers"
when used in certain contexts can be confusing because it can appear to be speaking
to or about males, when this may not be the intent of the writer or speaker. In
1 Corinthians 1: 10 Paul wrote, "Now I appeal to you, adelphoi, through the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing..." Inasmuch as Paul is
addressing the whole congregation, adelphoi has to mean "brothers and sisters,"
and should be translated with that phrase. We know this because he said "you all
speak the same thing." The congregation in Corinth had both male and female believers.
Verse 11 names "Chloe and her people."
Many of the older Greek-English lexicons of the New Testament understood that
adelphoi included "brothers and sisters" in contexts where a mixed group was
addressed. Thayer's Lexicon, published more than a hundred years ago says on page
10, that adelphos includes sisters in (Matthew 12:46,47). He defines the word
as "a fellow-believer.." on page 11. Alexander Souter, in his Pocket Lexicon To The
Greek New Testament, published in 1916, says on page 6 that adelphos is "a member
of the same religious community, especially a fellow Christian (particularly in the
plural)." A Manual Greek Lexicon Of The New Testament by G. Abbott-Smith,
published in 1921/1923/1936 says on page 8, that adelphos can be used "of a
fellow-Christian." These sources are cited only to show that long before the so-called
women's liberation or feminist movement, it was understood that adelphos/adelphoi
could and did include females, hence it is acceptable to translate by using the phrase
"brothers and sisters."
When a group consisting of both males and females is addressed, as in the apostolic
letters, it is accurate to translate adelphoi with the phrase "brothers and
sisters" as in the NIV-2011. To do so is not in support of feministic theology. It is
designed to support accuracy in Bible translation.
R. Daly
Copyright 2013
Paul wrote to the brethren meaning men only. It's clear from context. Moreover, when you say "has to": you may be properly thinking that the Holy Spirit would address both men and women. Unfortunately, Paul is a gnostic. Paul declares that men are the image and glory of God; but women are the glory of men. That is gnosticism. Paul is very consistent. Gnosticism holds that Adam was created as a God and Christ. That Adam received the Spirit of God. Eve was created to worship Adam as her God (head) having no direct personal relationship with God her Creator. Woman created, quite basically, as a bodily appendage sex slave worshipper of Adam. That is Paul's "headship" doctrine: gnosticism.
ReplyDeletePaul fully denies throughout that women could possibly have the same gnostic salvation as men. Consistently stating the subordinate inferiority of women; and that a man is a"head" a woman submits to as God.
The fact that he states there is no male or female in Christ does not make a woman "equal" but rather fully objectified as part of a man's own body. That she has no existence apart from man her head: they are one body.
To project onto Paul what "must be right" is to deny what he says as a gnostic. Paul never regards a woman as a human being as a man is a human being. A woman is a bodily appendage sex slave worshipper of man who is to submit to and worship her husband as her God; and to be fully subject to him. And to accept and acknowledge that she has no direct personal access to or relationship with Jesus: but a man is her God and Savior as Head.
He's a gnostic.
He never preaches the true Jesus or born again salvation.
He just says that Christ is in every man, all men are the offspring of God, and they just need to awaken to the realization that Jesus is the Gnostic Christ who makes men God's, Christ's, and Heads. Restoring the Godhood of men in relation to silenced women commanded to fully subject to men as objects and things created for men.
You can't "Christianize" what a gnostic apostle of the Gnostic false Jesus says: just to make it right.
It's not right.
Paul is a gnostic who wrote all his letters exclusively to men: and who views women as objects to be subjugated to worship men their Gods.
Women can only pray with heads covered: because that is how women "go through men" to pray: having no direct personal access to his false Jesus themselves.
These are gnostic false epistles. They don't "fit".