Topic: Mary’s Perptual Virginity - Adelphos
Question:
Can you tell me why the writers of the NT did not use "suggenes"/"sungenis" instead of adelphos? McCarthy argues that they could have used that term had they not meant to include literal brothers and sisters.
Answer:
Luke 21:16: "You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death>"
Greek/English Interlinear (tr) NT) Luke 21:16 paradoqhsesqe <3860> (5701) de <1161> {BUT YE WILL BE DELIVERED UP} kai <2532> {EVEN} upo <5259> {BY} gonewn <1118> {PARENTS} kai <2532>{AND} adelfwn <80> {BRETHREN} kai <2532> {AND} suggenwn <4773> {RELATIONS} kai <2532> {AND} filwn <5384> {FRIENDS,} kai <2532> {AND} qanatwsousin <2289>(5692) {THEY WILL PUT TO DEATH [SOME]} ex <1537> {FROM AMONG} umwn <5216> {YOU,}
So looking at this, the Protestant says "see, there IS a distinction between sungenis and adelphos".
And I say, "just a moment, if you please"
#1 As my Rebuttal 9, Argument 3 in my paper The New Helvidius shows, in the Old Testament, I give a number of examples where the OT writers used the words INTERCHANGEABLY. Here, consider the one from Genesis I provided:
"When Abram heard that his kinsman [adelphos] had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan." (Genesis 14:14)
[Lot was the nephew of Abram (Cf. Genesis 11:27)]
"Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred [sungeneias] and your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)
Notice that sungenis is the GENERAL relation (kinsmen) and adelphos is the SPECIFIC relation (nephew). So using the SAME objection that the Protestant raises, why didn't Moses uses sungenis in both cases? Because the words are interchangeable!
So, he will say, etymology kicks in here in the NT. Well, he has to provide real proof for that, and he doesn't even come close. He tries to point to Luke 21:16 as "proof", but it's sham. Why? Simply because there is a CONTRAST introduced in Luke 21:16 so Luke had no choice but to use BOTH words to distinguish between a true brother and a mere relation. For instance, Luke writes:
"You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death
If he kept sungenis in both places, it would read:
"You will be betrayed even by parents, relatives, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death
That wouldn't make any sense, would it?
Just like I might say to an acquaintance: "My brother (Mario), and my friends Joe, Jack, and Jill are coming with me to the park."
But if I had a uterine brother(Peter) who was coming also, I would say: "My brother (Peter), my cousin (Mario), and my friends Joe, Jack, and Jill are coming with me to the park" in order to distinguish between my uterine brother and a near relation.
John Pacheco
The Catholic Legate
July 17, 2001