The pronoun hON of v. 4 has KURIOS of v. 3 as its referent.
Nevertheless, there is a break at the beginning of v. 4 that introduces a
new metaphor as the editors of N27 indicate by leaving an extended space
between the two verses.
>2. How should the participle be best rendered, as a habitual action,
>or as an imperative like 1 Pet. 3:1? What is the significance of the
>middle voice here?
The present participle PROSERCOMENOI refers to the many who, at
different times, come to Christ; so it could be taken as continuing,
repeated action. The middle voice fits with the idea that those who draw
near to the Lord receive benefits that come with that action. So their
action may be seen as for themselves.
>3. Is LIQON here an accusative absolute? If not, then how does it
>relate grammatically to the rest of the sentence?
Your suggestion seems correct to me.
>4. What is the force of the perfect participle? Is it reasonable to
>go with something forceful like, "having been completely rejected"?
I think the idea is one of continuing result. It is a definitive
rejection that is being referred to. This is in contrast to God's choosing
and the value that Christ has in God's eyes.
In Him,
David L. Moore Director
Miami, Florida, USA Department of Education
dvdmoore@ix.netcom.com Southeastern Spanish District
http://members.aol.com/dvdmoore of the Assemblies of God