Present Imperative Active

Thursday, January 10. 2008

Present Imperative Active

Greek's imperative mood is used to issue a command, precisely in the same manner as the English imperative ("Do this or that"). In the active voice, it may indicate a command to do something in the future which involves continuous or repeated action.

In Mark 1:15, Jesus said "repent ye, and believe the gospel."

The word translated repent is metanoeo: to repent with regret accompanied by a true change of heart toward God. Metanoia, repentance, is retrospection as pronoia is foreknowledge. It signifies a change of mind consequent to retrospection, indicating regret for the course pursued and resulting in a wiser view of the past and future. Most important, it is distinguished from metamellomai, to regret because of the consequences of one's actions.

The word translated believe is pisteuo: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust.

The amazing thing is that both of these words are present imperative active. This suggests that Jesus was saying: "Begin and continue to regret the course you have pursued and seek a wiser course, and rely upon the proclamation of the grace and reconciliation of God manifest and pledged in Christ."

Posted by Ray in Truth at 13:13 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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