From: Rob Haskell (haskellrob@home.com)
Date: Wed May 24 2000 - 02:00:22 EDT
BJ,
I suspect that you will not find the answer to your question in grammar or
lexicography. I think you may be looking for more meaning than the term
CARIS can divulge aside from questions of context and perhaps even theology.
The issue you allude to is tied up with the nature of the concept of grace
(which is not necessarily the same thing as CARIS), namely that the offering
of a gift does seem to imply a need on the part of the recipient. But the
semantic focus of CARIS is on the act of giving. It does not either imply
that the recipient is deserving or undeserving. It implies nothing.
> My search continues primarily because I do not yet see the
> connection between "forgiveness" and "undeserving." (For example,
> as a parent, I forgive my children often, but by this act I am
> not implying that they are unworthy of it.)
I think we should be careful not to equate CARIS with forgiveness or to
attach theological concepts to Greek words (one of the flaws of TDNT). The
issue of granting forgiveness seems simpler to me than the issue of grace:
Forgiveness is only granted to a moral breach, which means that it is never
deserved (opposite of justice). But that's theology...
My main thing is that Greek words usually mean less than we think, and that
we tend to read theological meaning that is arrived at through a broad
understanding of scripture into the definitions of biblical words.
With much respect and joy!
Rob Haskell
----- Original Message -----
From: B.J. Williamson <hellen_ic@hotmail.com>
To: Biblical Greek <b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 11:23 AM
Subject: The object of CARIS
> This question is directed toward those who have
> an interest in etymology...
>
> I wonder if someone might shed some light on
> the development of CARIS as it relates
> to the objects or recipients.
>
> I'm not exactly sure how to phrase my question,
> but in my studies I have found that CARIS
> refers to the disposition of the subject (the one
> extending grace), rather than the condition
> of the object (the one receiving grace).
>
> Can anyone help me understand to what extent the use
> of CARIS implies something about the
> condition of the recipient? It almost seems universally
> accepted that the recipients of CARIS are underserving
> or unworthy of it.
>
> I feel comfortable stating that originally CARIS
> only described the disposition of the subject.
> Somewhere in the development of this word, it seems
> that the recipient's condition was added.
>
> Dr. Wallace offered this comment regarding CARIS as it relates to the
> recipient's unworthy condition:
>
> "Perhaps the cognate, charizomai, sheds some light here, for it normally
has
> the force of 'forgive.'"
>
> My search continues primarily because I do not yet see the
> connection between "forgiveness" and "undeserving." (For example,
> as a parent, I forgive my children often, but by this act I am
> not implying that they are unworthy of it.)
>
> Respectfully,
>
> B. J. Williamson
>
>
>
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