The Trouble with IF

The Trouble with IF

In addition to the “if’s” in Romans 8, the “if” in Colossians 1:23 caused me great trouble for many years.

This is a situation in which we find English inferior to Greek in terms of expressing things. If the translators were to have dealt with this well, they would have been accused of adding to the text. Treating it as they have is the best answer, but help is needed for many of us.

Greek has four “condition classes.
The first-class condition is the condition of fact. It assumes the test to be true.
The second-class condition is contrary to fact. It assumes the test to be false.
The third-class condition presents a test that is more probably true.
The fourth-class condition indicates that the test is more probably false.

We can tell which condition class is intended by the “protasis,” the word used for “if” (is it ‘εἰ’ or ‘an’ in Greek?), the grammatical form of the verb upon which the test is hinged, and the form used for the “then” clause, or “apodosis.”

In the interest of brevity (and a desire that you not fall asleep) I’ll only present the rule for a first-class condition.

A conditional statement in Greek is in the first-class (assumed true, factual) if the condition is expressed as εἰ, the verb involved is in the indicative and the “then” part is in any mood or tense. So, essentially the use of εἰ with a verb in the indicative.

This condition is the one used for all the “if’s” in Romans 8:9-11 as well as the troublesome one in Colossians 1:23. The condition is considered fact, true. Paul is indicating that his hearers are indeed saved and he is speaking to them as such.

Grace and peace to you.

Larry