The SWORD or the SPIRIT?

[Paidion]

I can recall that during the year I spent at a Bible institute at age 20-21, students made comments such as "I'll just go get out my sword." At Sunday schools, I have observed superintendants have "sword drills" with the older children.

Referring to the Bible as one's "sword" seems to have had its origin in Ephesians 6:17

...and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. (Eph 6:27)

However, the Greek clearly reveals that it is not the sword which is the Word of God, but the Spirit.

The Greek word translated "which" is "ὁ" (which means either "which" or "who"). In this verse it is neuter in gender. It always agrees in gender with its referent. The word translated as "sword" is feminine, and the word translated as "Spirit" in neuter. Therefore it is not "the sword" which is "the word of God", but "the Spirit". I know of only one translation which brings this out:

And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God. (Recovery Version)

At this point one may well ask, "In what sense is the Spirit the word of God?" or "the living voice ( hrāma) of God"? It is the Spirit that convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment. So the Spirit can truly be represented as "a sword."

[Apollos]

I like to read the posts on here from time to time but I don't post much on here these days. I did just want to point out, however, that it is quite common in Greek for the gender of the relative to take the gender of the thing predicated. Smyth deals with this, saying: "The relative may agree in gender and number, not with the antecedent but with a following predicate noun." Smyth, A Greek Grammar, 563. The word 'word' used here as a predicate noun is neuter in Greek.

[Paidion]

Probably William D. Mounce is presently considered to be the prime modern authority on the Greek Grammar of the New Testament.

The number and gender of a relative pronoun are the same as its antecedent, just like αὐτος. (Basics of Biblical Greek, p.111)

Mounce says nothing about the relative pronoun sometimes agreeing with the following predicate noun.

I have been unable to find the Smyth quote to which you referred, but I did find this in Smyth's Greek Grammar, sec. 338 (available online)

The enclitic particle -περ may be added to a relative pronoun (or adverb) to emphasize the connection between the relative and its antecedent.

http://www.ccel.org/s/smyth/grammar/htm ... ni.htm#335

This seems to indicate that since Smyth recognized the "connection" between the relative and its antecedent, he probably noticed that the number and gender of a relative pronoun are the same as its antecedent. In this section entitled "Relative Pronouns, Smyth also said nothing about the relative pronoun sometimes agreeing with the following predicate noun.

Can you give me some example in the New Testament where a relative pronoun clearly agrees with the following predicate noun and NOT with its antecedent?

[Apollos]

I should have made clear that this was the page number for Smyth, not the section number.

I would imagine that Mounce doesn't address it because his is a beginning text, but it's something one quickly encounters when reading Greek literature. In fact there are various reasons for the relative not agreeing with the antecedent in gender. You can read further either in Smyth, or in Dan Wallace if you would prefer a seminary text (page 337 ff in his Greek Grammar). You'll also find a number of examples from the NT in Wallace's book. In fact, he uses Eph. 6:17 as a clear example of 'attraction to the gender of the predicate nom.' (on page 338).

[Paidion]

But Eph. 6:17 is not a clear example. It may follow the regular rule and agree with its antecedent in gender and number, namely πνευματος, if that is indeed the antecedent, as I have proposed.

If "it is quite common in Greek for the gender of the relative to take the gender of the thing predicated," as you have stated, it should be easy to find a clear, unambiguous example.

[Apollos]

As mentioned, Wallace provides a number of examples. Please look him up. And Smyth. One of the examples Wallace gives is 1 Tim. 3:15.

[Paidion]

Thank you. 1 Tim. 3:15 is a clear example.