Latest Articles by Sarah Canice Funke
Context: an IM conversation about whether language surrounding the body is coarse. In other words, are Christians too prudish? Here we are trying to find some original Greek in order to interpret Eph. 5:4. Screennames have been deleted to protect the innocent from spam, but the co-author of this conversation can be found at VanderHart (see sidebar for link)....
Me (10:37:49 PM): there is a strong's concordance online, too....
LV (10:38:37 PM): Yes... but to be honest, I find it more enlightening to use a secular greek translation. See, the people who make concordances and translate the bible are usually christians with very fixed theological views about what it said already...
LV (10:38:40 PM): Not to say they do a bad job.
LV (10:38:50 PM): But I find it more interesting to use a more objective dictionary.
Me (10:39:16 PM): more objective???? What kind of flaming Modernist are you????????
LV (10:39:42 PM): About 6'2", male, blue eyes, likes philosophy...
Me(10:39:49 PM): haha.
Me (10:40:12 PM): Don't play type/token confusion games with me, sir.
LV (10:40:25 PM): ok
LV (10:40:29 PM): I'll try not to.
Well, maybe it was more funny at 10:40PM. However, the context surrounding this segment raises some valuable points. So what is the verdict? How do we fit Eph. 5:4 in with a healthy theology of the body? How do we remain pure without becoming prudes? (We never came to a conclusion, because first, we are both philosophers, and second, the Greek lexicon refused to unleash its secrets before sleepiness necessitated the termination of the discussion. Thus, I open the debate here.)
And to save you all a trip to BibleGateway, here is Eph. 5:4....
"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."