• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Perpetual virginity (not a hate thread)

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Thekla

Guest
http://www.bibletruths.net/greek%20course/Lesson%20Five%20of%20Greek%20Course.htm

In the above verse, the context indicates that the continuous state is limited by the ending of the situation.
In the verse from Romans (cited by CJ) the context exhibits that the condition ends at death (noted in the verses which summarize what Paul has said).

At the time Luke 1:34 is stated by Mary, Mary is betrothed which is typically followed by marriage. Mary begins her statement with the future tense (shall) which covers her present condition and the future (shall). There is no other limiting in the context of the passage/s. The only context provided for her statement is "shall". Thus, the duration of the condition described by the present tense in this statement is the future; the "knowing not a man" is for the present and future. The condition is continuous.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican
You are mistaken.

YOU, not I, are the one that stated that the PVM was taught "FOR 1800 years." That's YOUR position; how can you now state that I'm mistaken for simply quoting you?

My question was: Since you insist that this view has been taught for 1800 years, that means some other view existed for 200 years before that. Why do you so easily dismiss that obvious reality (IF you are not mistaken in your point that the PVM has been taught for 1800 years)?





until modern day inventors of traditions of men started teaching something else around 200 years ago.


1. I don't know who invented the PVM 1800 years ago; do you?

2. Of the 50,000 denominations some CAtholics insist exist, or 100000 at least one Orthodox in this thread insist exists, we have TWO that have ANY position on Mary's ____ life after Jesus was born. You seem to keep forgetting that. And those TWO have it as a matter of highest importance, they are the CC and EO. Thus TWO need to substantiate their teaching to the highest level belongs belongs to, they are the CC and EO.

Once again, what's 'ya got?





.
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
23,761
14,204
59
Sydney, Straya
✟1,422,594.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Thekla,
I just want to make a point of thanking you for making clear through analysis of the Greek text, what I could only state as the obvious meaning of the text after 12 years of actually using the Greek language. Having been immersed in the Greek language for many years, I have internalised much of the grammar through using the language even though I have not spent a lot of time actually studying Greek grammar.

CaliforniaJosiah,
you come across as having nothing more than a textbook understanding of Greek. This makes you about as qualified to comment on the grammar as someone who has only read Gray's Anatomy would be qualified to perform surgery. You don't use the language so it is not possible for you to truly understand it. I'm not saying this to be mean spirited, just to state a fact. It would be just as true of a Brazilian with a textbook knowledge of German.

John
 
Upvote 0

Secundulus

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2007
10,065
849
✟14,425.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
YOU, not I, are the one that stated that the PVM was taught "FOR 1800 years." That's YOUR position; how can you now state that I'm mistaken for simply quoting you?
I posted a poorly written thought which I clarified some pages back. It was taught universally from the beginning until some people's lack of faith around 200 years ago caused them to start teaching something new. Thus it was believed universally throughout the Church for 1800 years.

When a johnny-come-lately comes up with a new theological idea contrary to the universal belief of the Church then it is his responsibility to provide incontrovertable proof of his theory. It is not the other way around.
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
23,761
14,204
59
Sydney, Straya
✟1,422,594.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
YOU, not I, are the one that stated that the PVM was taught "FOR 1800 years." That's YOUR position; how can you now state that I'm mistaken for simply quoting you?
Up until 200 years ago, no one (apart from a few heretics) taught that Mary was not ever virgin. That means that for approximately 1800 years, "ever virginity" was the only thing taught about Mary.

John
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican
.






THANK YOU!


So, you are now retracting your entire argument? Now you quote from some source that notes you have been wrong, the present active indictative does NOT mandate perpetuality! Your insistence that the verb tense REQUIRES that Mary be a PERPETUAL virgin is incorrect. That was the result of my research on the grammar, too.

Ah, so NOW you are saying that the verb tense in Luke 1:34 means that Mary is CURRENTLY in the state of virginity. It does NOT say, "is perpetually in the future a virgin."


Ah, NOW all makes sense. This is why I could find NOTHING to confirm you foundational apologetic. This is why I could not find even a Catholic Bible that translated the verse the way you insisted it MUST be according to koine Greek grammar, the way the grammar mandates. This is why I could not find a single scholar who made the apologetic you did. Because that's not what the grammar is. The PRESENT active indictive shows continuous action IN THE PRESENT - not for all perpetuity. It doesn't preclude that, but it doesn't mandate that. I was correct all along.

As the grammar book you quote notes from the example, the grammar does NOT mandate that we translate that verse, "The disciples of Jesus will for all perpetuity be perishing."


Okay, so after pages of your posts to the contrary, read the quoted post from me. We're right back where you entered the discussion. So, how does Luke 1:34 substantiate that Mary is a PERPETUAL virgin, that Mary had no _____ EVER? You know agree the grammar of the verb does not teach that, so since the grammar of the verb doesn't teach that, and the word doesn't teach that, and nothing in the text teaches that, then how does this verse teach that?









.



 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
23,761
14,204
59
Sydney, Straya
✟1,422,594.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married

THANK YOU!
You just proved my point and destroyed yours.
No. You omitted where Thekla stated
"In the above verse, the context indicates that the continuous state is limited by the ending of the situation."​

John
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican

You missed where Thekla notes her point wrong.

She quotes from some source that shows her foundational argument was wrong, the Greek present active indicative does NOT mandate that the action continue for all perpetuity.

Let's look at the very example her source used:


We read, "And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish" (Matt. 8: 25). The verb translated "perish" is



So, the scholar says that the proper, full way to translate the verse to keep the meaning of the tense is this:

"We (disciples of Jesus) are presently in the process of perishing."

Thekla's apologetic, founded on her point of koine Greek Grammar, is that the present active indicative mandates future perpetuality, so that the verse would be REQUIRED to be translated thusly, "We (the disciples of Jesus) are perishing for all perpetuity."

Remember, our friends whole point, the entire apologetic, has been that the Greek grammar here confirmes the PERPETUAL virginity of Mary, not the simply the PRESENT state to virginity. I asked her - for pages - for some grammatical confirmation of this rule, but until this - my requests were ignored. I searched my grammar books and found that the present active indictative only means the state PRESENTLY exists - nothing about Thekla's foundational apologetical insistance that perpetuity is REQUIRED, MANDATED by the present active indicative. I search grammars, I search dozens of translations - NOTHING that confirmed her earlier insistance. NOW, finally, she quotes a source. And it entirely destroys her argument. The verb does NOT say Mary was a PERPETUAL virgin.




.
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican
.

When a johnny-come-lately comes up with a new theological idea contrary to the universal belief of the Church then it is his responsibility to provide incontrovertable proof of his theory. It is not the other way around.



Sorry, I don't understand your point at all.

Let's say Bob stresses as a point of highest importance that there are 16 people living on Earth's moon.

Jim doesn't say anything about that. In fact, no one before or other than Bob says or has said anything about people living on the Moon.

How is Jim "contrary" to Bob? How is Jim inventing a "new" idea? And to your point, why does Jim need to prove...... WHAT?



Friend, there are TWO with a position. 99,998 who don't. Who has the burden of proof for their position?





.
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
23,761
14,204
59
Sydney, Straya
✟1,422,594.00
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
She quotes from some source that shows her foundational argument was wrong, the Greek present active indicative does NOT mandate that the action continue for all perpetuity.
Strawman fallacy. She has never stated such.
You continue to misrepresent what she has actually claimed. I'll repeat what she posted
"In the above verse, the context indicates that the continuous state is limited by the ending of the situation."
If you continue to make these false accusations I am going to start reporting your posts.

John
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican
Strawman fallacy. She has never stated such.
You continue to misrepresent what she has actually claimed. I'll repeat what she posted
"In the above verse, the context indicates that the continuous state is limited by the ending of the situation."If you continue to make these false accusations I am going to start reporting your posts.


If you've been reading our exchange, the whole point has been that the greek grammar of the present active indictative is that perpetuality is mandated - thus the verse, correctly translated in keeping with the present active indicative would be: I WIIL for ALL PERPETUITY never know a man." Never mind that not a single translation (Catholic or otherwise) can be found that translates the way our friend INSISTS is the only possible way to do it, so perhaps no Greek scholar knows of the rule she is asserting here?

As for "context," originally the "context" she wanted to supply was her insistance that Mary had no ____ ever." Classic eisegesis. Then her assumptions about what Mary was thinking (I assume no mind reading ability was implied). Then the "shall." But "shall" doesn't imply perpetuity either, it simply implies future. We went round and round with that, with her position being that "shall" also mandates perpetuity. So that if I post, "I shall buy a car" this means that every day until I die, I will buy a car. It's neither grammatically correct or logical.

Let's look at the very example her source quotes: The disciples of Jesus state, "we are perishing." Thekla insisted this MUST - by grammatical mandate - be translated as, "We will forever more and perpetually be perishing until the day of our death" so that we may then establish a DOGMA that the Disciples of Jesus perished continually, perpetually. But as the Greek source noted, that's NOT what the tense means.

Either this source she quoted - FINALLY after all my numerous requests - doesn't support her point at all, or it actually contradicts her point.

Again, the point here is the PERPETUALITY of Mary's virginity, that Mary had no _____ EVER. And her insistance that Luke 1:34 proves this because of this verb in the present active indicative. Does it? Not that I can see, and not that she's been able to confirm from any Greek scholar, and not that ANY translation of the verse in ANY Bible (Catholic or Protestant) I can find confirms. Her apologetic falls flat.




.
 
Upvote 0
T

Thekla

Guest


I never stated that it mandated perpetuity. Please quote the post where I stated such a thing.

I stated that the duration of the action/condition described by the verb (present tense) is governed by context.

The future tense of "shall" is the context for the duration of the action/condition of the present tense verb "know".

Please provide evidence from scripture that there is any contextual limiting other than "shall".
Ah, so NOW you are saying that the verb tense in Luke 1:34 means that Mary is CURRENTLY in the state of virginity. It does NOT say, "is perpetually in the future a virgin."

The grammar states that the action/condition of the present tense is continuous unless limited by context. The context in verse 34 is "future/shall". There is no other contextual determinant in the surrounding verses. If I have missed a contextual determinant in the scripture, please provide it.



What limits the duration is the context. Provide the scriptural context that limits the duration of "knowing".

Or do you mean to argue that if we follow Christ for ten minutes and then deny Him, we are still "saved" ?

As the grammar book you quote notes from the example, the grammar does NOT mandate that we translate that verse, "The disciples of Jesus will for all perpetuity be perishing."

Context.



You have repeatedly claimed to speak for me. You are not welcome to do so. Further, I consider your doing so to be demonstrable misrepresentation and the insistence on continuing to do so at the very least condescending.


The duration of the continuous action/state described by the present tense verb is determined by the context. The duration of the condition of "know" is governed by "shall".

The grammar I cited points to the context which limits the duration of the continuous state described. If you are correct you will be able to provide the scriptural context which limits the duration of "know".


You might want to consider the definition of continuous and apply logic instead of bluster to your thinking.





.



[/quote]
 
Upvote 0
T

Thekla

Guest

(I have quoted post #832)

You continue to misrepresent what I have stated.Please quote my post/s where I have stated that the present tense mandates perpetuity. I have repeatedly asked you to quote the post/s where I state this, as you are misrepresenting what I said. Please provide evidence or withdraw your statement.
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,496
1,568
✟229,195.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican



WHAT? It's been your entire point!


Do you know the topic of this thread (read the title for help there)?
Do you know the context of our conversation (that Luke 1:34 proves the PERPETUAL virginity of Mary)?



AGAIN.....


1. The topic of our discussion is the PERPETUAL virginity of Mary (read the title of the thread). That Mary had no _____ EVER. That IS the subject of our conversation.

2. Our Orthodox sister stated that the dogma of the PERPETUAL virginity is confirmed and taught in the Bible.

3. I asked her for those Scriptures.

4. She gave one, Luke 1:34.

5. I noted it does not teach what she claimed.

6. YOU jumped into the discussion, taking the ball for her, insisting that the grammar of the present active indictative requires this.

7. If you are now backing off, and claiming that the verse does NOT mandate the PERPETUAL virginity of Mary, then what in the world have you been doing for all these pages? You kept claiming that the GRAMMAR proves the point (and what is that point? The PERPETUALITY of Her virginity, that She had no _____ EVER!). Now that you have FINALLY given something to try to support that, but that actually indicates such is NOT the case, you seem to be backing off.

Friend, if you want to NOW say that actually the grammar does NOT mandate the PERPETUAL virginity of Mary - fine. I don't mind all the time spent on this, we all learn and that's a good thing. If you STILL (even after the quote you gave from the Greek grammar) want to insist that PERPETUALITY is MANDATED by the grammar, then I'm at a loss why you quoted as your supportive source something that reveals you wrong; you need to find something that shows your position correct.

Now, lest you think I'm missing something, we've been all over your "context" point. But I reject your eisegesis of imposing your assumption and then using THAT as the context, noting that you agree with yourself. The TEXT doesn't have that context. There's NOTHING in the text about perpetuity (including the verb - if you are now admitting that). And if the context is your assumptions about what Mary might have been thinking, again, that's not the textual context, that's just YOU imposing YOUR context. And if the context is the verb "shall" such does not mandate perpetuality - and thus your whole argument falls. And note: according to the verse example, you'd need to disagree with the scholar about the proper translation of that verse so that it would read, "We (the disciples of Jesus) will be perishing for all perpetuity" and the scholar you quote disagrees.





.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
T

Thekla

Guest
WHAT? It's been your entire point!

Please provide evidence by quoting my posts and providing post #s that you are accurately represented what I said.

I am formally requesting that you provide evidence or desist from making the claim.

If you pretend to speak for me, why do you need to converse with me at all ?
 
Upvote 0

Standing Up

On and on
Sep 3, 2008
25,360
2,757
Around about
✟73,735.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Bump


To add Thayer's Lexicon also says sister is sister (physical or spiritual).
 
Upvote 0
T

Thekla

Guest
The duration of the condition/action described by the present tense verb is governed by the context.

Gabriel announces a future conception ("shall").
Mary is betrothed, which is typically followed by marriage.
Mary responds by asking how this future conception (shall) can take place as she does "know not man". Thus, the duration of the condition "know not man" is governed by "shall/future" which includes all of the future if not limited by context (including statement). There is no limit provided by context.
Thus, per Hellenistic grammar the duration of "know not man" is continuous.
The "active" in present active indicative denotes that this is decided and acted on by Mary (she is the actor). This is her decision.
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.