Daniel and Tonya have requested that I make some posts that have to do with Greek. I am currently in the midst of writing an exegesis paper on John 1.1-5. From a text critical perspective the pericope is fairly straightforward. However, there is a punctuation issue in John 1.3-4 that has been causing me some difficulties. John 1.3-4 read as follows:
παντα δι αὐτου ἐγενετο, και χωρις αὐτου εγενετο οὐδε ἑν ὁ γεγονεν ἐν αὐτῳ ζωη ἠν, και ἡ ζωη ἠν το φως των ανθρωπων
The question is whether or not ὁ γεγονεν should be taken as part of verse three, or as part of the phrase which begins verse four. Most modern translations place it with verse three, translating, “All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being which has come into being. In him was life…” This rendering is somewhat tautological, but the Prologue has a tendency towards repetition. The alternative way of taking the verse is to associate ὁ γεγονεν with verse four, and translate “All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being. That which has come into being in him was life…”
The second way of understanding the association of ὁ γεγονεν with its surroundings is supported by the oldest manuscripts (with punctuation) and by all the ante-Nicene fathers (orthodox and heretical). It is the reading adopted in the NA27. However, I can’t make heads or tails of what it means. I can translate it just fine, but trying to figure out what is being said when the remainder of verse four, and all of verse five, is taken into account is truly mind boggling. It seems to me that taking it as part of verse three, although it ruins many attempts at structuring the passage and goes against the oldest known understanding of the way to separate the text, lines up better with Johannine theology (particularly John 5.26). In addition, it seems to be the more natural way to read the text–but that could be my own relative inexperience with Greek showing through.
Having said this, I’m looking for opinions on the text. Should I take ὁ γεγονεν as part of verse three (with Barrett, Borchert, Schnackenburg, and most modern translations) or as part of verse four (with NA27, Brown, Bultmann, and Beasley-Murray)?