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The Text in Question: Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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Have you ever noticed when Acts 2:38 is discussed here at CF, many individuals will comment the on phrase “for forgiveness of sins” really means “because of the forgiveness of sins” and at the same time, all major peer reviewed modern English Translations have “for the forgiveness of sins?”
There is a reason for this. Historically, it is in the Baptist DNA to affirm “because” instead of “for” not only because it fits their anti Sacramental theology but also two major Greek Scholars of their heritage with world reputations rocked the Biblical academic world with a new way of interpreting this passage of Scripture….allowing for “because of the forgiveness of sins” to be affirmed.
What then is the Causal Usage of εἰς? This subject matter is complex and certainly above my pay grade….but I will try. εἰς is a greek proposition found 1746 times in the NT and most of the time is translated into English as “for.” εἰς usage is always forwarding looking with the semantic meaning as “for the purpose of” or “in order that.” The casual usage of εἰς means sometimes, the meaning can be translated as “because.”
It was A.T. Robertson (1863-1934) who first set forth the thesis “for the forgiveness of sins” really means “because of the forgiveness of sins” with his argument concerning the Causal usage of εἰς in Word Pictures published in 1927. This caused quite a stir in the Biblical academia as no scholar prior to that point in time attributed the causal εἰς to any part of the NT lexicography. The causal usage of εἰς was only found in Hellenistic Greek and is exceeding rare.
As expected, Robertson’s findings were met with skepticism and dismissed. The criticism leveled at him was his theology, as a Baptist, took precedence over grammar….a fact that he himself acknowledged.
The controversy of the Causal Usage of εἰς becomes turbocharged when another highly respected Baptist American Greek scholar Julius Mantey reasserted Robertson’s claims in an article published in the Journal of Biblical Literature (1951). However, Mantey’s claims went further than Robertson’s and stated there was no fewer than nine Causal Usage of εἰς found in the NT!
Mantey’s timing of publishing this article could not have been worse. In 1937, The National Council of Churches decided to authorize a new translation of the English Bible called the Revised Standard Version. Greek scholars from all parts of America were involved in this huge 15 year project…set for release in September, 1952. Most of these American Greeks scholars who had grown close together during the translation process and knew of A.T. Robertson’s flawed claims some twenty years earlier. But with academic stature of someone like Mantey upping the ante on an issue that was thought to be settled…he got immediately noticed….and not surprisingly got pummeled from all sides.
Dr. Ralph Marcus of The University of Chicago and head of the Department of Hellenistic Studies debated him in a series are articles. The location of this debate blow by blow is listed below.
A few take-aways.
(1) The Causal Usage of εἰς is very rare at best in Hellenistic Greek and unsubstantiated in Koine Greek.
(2) Even if the Causal Usage of εἰς be granted in Acts 2:38, the text would still appear to say that the gift of the Spirit occurs through both repentance and baptism. This would create just as much difficulty for anti-sacramentalists as the phrase concerning forgiveness of sins.
(3) Nearly identical language is given in Matthew 26:28 and concerning Christ's blood of the covenant, indicates that blood is poured out "for the forgiveness of sins"… clearly denoting purpose.
(4) Causal Usage of εἰς argues for an exception to the rule based upon the English distinction between “for” and “because” rather than the Greek distinction in meaning between εἰς and διά.
Some seventy years later, Baptists continue to use the Causal Usage of εἰς though without textual support.
And here is the big distinction: Sacramentalists believe baptism is a means of grace and not a human work and the anti-sacramentalists believe baptism is a human work and not a means of grace….. and the debate goes on and on and on.
**********
Have you ever noticed when Acts 2:38 is discussed here at CF, many individuals will comment the on phrase “for forgiveness of sins” really means “because of the forgiveness of sins” and at the same time, all major peer reviewed modern English Translations have “for the forgiveness of sins?”
There is a reason for this. Historically, it is in the Baptist DNA to affirm “because” instead of “for” not only because it fits their anti Sacramental theology but also two major Greek Scholars of their heritage with world reputations rocked the Biblical academic world with a new way of interpreting this passage of Scripture….allowing for “because of the forgiveness of sins” to be affirmed.
What then is the Causal Usage of εἰς? This subject matter is complex and certainly above my pay grade….but I will try. εἰς is a greek proposition found 1746 times in the NT and most of the time is translated into English as “for.” εἰς usage is always forwarding looking with the semantic meaning as “for the purpose of” or “in order that.” The casual usage of εἰς means sometimes, the meaning can be translated as “because.”
It was A.T. Robertson (1863-1934) who first set forth the thesis “for the forgiveness of sins” really means “because of the forgiveness of sins” with his argument concerning the Causal usage of εἰς in Word Pictures published in 1927. This caused quite a stir in the Biblical academia as no scholar prior to that point in time attributed the causal εἰς to any part of the NT lexicography. The causal usage of εἰς was only found in Hellenistic Greek and is exceeding rare.
As expected, Robertson’s findings were met with skepticism and dismissed. The criticism leveled at him was his theology, as a Baptist, took precedence over grammar….a fact that he himself acknowledged.
The controversy of the Causal Usage of εἰς becomes turbocharged when another highly respected Baptist American Greek scholar Julius Mantey reasserted Robertson’s claims in an article published in the Journal of Biblical Literature (1951). However, Mantey’s claims went further than Robertson’s and stated there was no fewer than nine Causal Usage of εἰς found in the NT!
Mantey’s timing of publishing this article could not have been worse. In 1937, The National Council of Churches decided to authorize a new translation of the English Bible called the Revised Standard Version. Greek scholars from all parts of America were involved in this huge 15 year project…set for release in September, 1952. Most of these American Greeks scholars who had grown close together during the translation process and knew of A.T. Robertson’s flawed claims some twenty years earlier. But with academic stature of someone like Mantey upping the ante on an issue that was thought to be settled…he got immediately noticed….and not surprisingly got pummeled from all sides.
Dr. Ralph Marcus of The University of Chicago and head of the Department of Hellenistic Studies debated him in a series are articles. The location of this debate blow by blow is listed below.
Mantey, J. R. (1951). “The Causal Use of eis in the New Testament” Journal of Biblical Literature 70(1): 45–8.
— (1951). “On Causal Eis Again” Journal of Biblical Literature 70(4): 309–11.
Marcus, R. (1951). “On Causal EIS” Journal of Biblical Literature 70(2): 129–30.
— (1952). “The Elusive Causal EIS Journal of Biblical Literature 71(1): 43–4.
— (1951). “On Causal Eis Again” Journal of Biblical Literature 70(4): 309–11.
Marcus, R. (1951). “On Causal EIS” Journal of Biblical Literature 70(2): 129–30.
— (1952). “The Elusive Causal EIS Journal of Biblical Literature 71(1): 43–4.
A few take-aways.
(1) The Causal Usage of εἰς is very rare at best in Hellenistic Greek and unsubstantiated in Koine Greek.
(2) Even if the Causal Usage of εἰς be granted in Acts 2:38, the text would still appear to say that the gift of the Spirit occurs through both repentance and baptism. This would create just as much difficulty for anti-sacramentalists as the phrase concerning forgiveness of sins.
(3) Nearly identical language is given in Matthew 26:28 and concerning Christ's blood of the covenant, indicates that blood is poured out "for the forgiveness of sins"… clearly denoting purpose.
(4) Causal Usage of εἰς argues for an exception to the rule based upon the English distinction between “for” and “because” rather than the Greek distinction in meaning between εἰς and διά.
Some seventy years later, Baptists continue to use the Causal Usage of εἰς though without textual support.
And here is the big distinction: Sacramentalists believe baptism is a means of grace and not a human work and the anti-sacramentalists believe baptism is a human work and not a means of grace….. and the debate goes on and on and on.
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