John 11:27

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An Exegetical Examination of Martha’s Confession in John 11:27: The Significance of the Perfect Tense and Emphatic Pronoun

This exegetical study of An Exegetical Examination of Martha’s Confession in John 11:27 is based on a b-greek discussion from February 20th, 2013. The initial inquiry observed a significant grammatical shift in John 11:25-27: Jesus poses a question to Martha using the present tense verb πιστεύεις (v. 26), asking if she believes. Martha, however, responds with the perfect tense verb πεπίστευκα (v. 27). This shift prompts an investigation into the precise function of the perfect tense in this context, particularly in contrast to the present tense question, and also considers the rhetorical implications of Martha’s explicit use of the pronoun ἐγώ in her confession.

The main exegetical issue centers on the semantic and pragmatic distinction between the present and perfect tenses of πιστεύω, and the rhetorical force conveyed by Martha’s grammatical choice and the inclusion of the first-person singular pronoun. Understanding whether πεπίστευκα functions as a target-state perfect (emphasizing a current state resulting from a past action) or an anterior/resultative perfect (emphasizing the ongoing validity or consequence of a past action), and how this relates to Martha’s emotional and theological context, is crucial for an accurate interpretation of her profound confession. Furthermore, the presence of ἐγώ suggests an emphatic personal declaration, warranting careful rhetorical analysis.

Greek text (Nestle 1904)
25 Εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή· ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται,
26 καὶ πᾶς ὁ ζῶν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Πιστεύεις τοῦτο;
27 Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ναί, κύριε· ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος.

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• Verse 26: Nestle 1904 uses a period (.) before Πιστεύεις τοῦτο;, whereas SBLGNT 2010 uses a raised dot (·). This is a minor punctuation variant and does not alter the meaning of the text.

Textual criticism (NA28): For John 11:25-27, the critical editions, including NA28, present a text that is remarkably stable regarding the verbal tenses and the explicit pronoun in question. There are no significant textual variants that would alter the form of πιστεύεις in v. 26 or πεπίστευκα and ἐγώ in v. 27. This textual stability underscores the reliability of the Greek text for analyzing the grammatical and rhetorical nuances of Martha’s confession.

Lexical notes:

• πιστεύω (BDAG): Primarily signifies “to believe, trust, have faith,” often implying intellectual assent, commitment, and reliance. In its perfect tense form, πεπίστευκα, it denotes a state of belief that has been established in the past and continues into the present, indicating a settled conviction rather than a momentary act.
• ἐγώ (BDAG): The first-person singular pronoun “I.” In Koine Greek, the subject pronoun is typically omitted when the verb’s ending clearly indicates the person and number. Its explicit inclusion, therefore, almost invariably serves to add emphasis, contrast, or assertion to the subject, highlighting the speaker’s personal agency or conviction.
• κύριος (KITTEL/BDAG): “Lord, master, owner.” While used as a respectful address (equivalent to “Sir”), in a theological context, especially after Jesus’s powerful statements and in light of Martha’s subsequent confession, it can carry the weight of a divine title, acknowledging Jesus’s authority and sovereignty.
• χριστὸς (KITTEL/BDAG): “Christ, Anointed One, Messiah.” This is a profoundly significant confessional title, identifying Jesus as the prophesied deliverer and king, central to Jewish eschatological hopes. Martha’s use signals her understanding of Jesus’s unique identity.
• υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (KITTEL/BDAG): “Son of God.” This title is explicitly divine, affirming Jesus’s unique relationship with God and his divine nature. Its inclusion in Martha’s confession places her belief at the highest Christological level.

Translation Variants

The contrast between Jesus’s present tense question, “Do you believe this?” (Πιστεύεις τοῦτο;), and Martha’s perfect tense response, “I have believed” (ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα), is central to the grammatical and rhetorical analysis. Jesus’s present tense invites an immediate affirmation of Martha’s current disposition, a “yes” or “no” to the proposition. Martha’s choice of the perfect tense, however, is semantically richer. The perfect tense in Greek describes a state that exists in the present as a result of a completed action in the past. Thus, πεπίστευκα does not merely affirm a present belief, but rather a settled conviction, a faith that has been established and endures up to the present moment. This resonates with academic discussions regarding the perfect as expressing a “target state” (Haug 2004) or a “resultative” aspect (Bybee et al. 1994), where the present state is the direct outcome of a prior act of believing.

Furthermore, the explicit inclusion of the pronoun ἐγώ (“I”) before πεπίστευκα carries significant rhetorical weight. In Koine Greek, subject pronouns are typically omitted unless emphasis, contrast, or assertion is intended. Martha’s declaration, therefore, is not a simple affirmation but a strong, personal assertion of her faith. Given the immediate context of her brother Lazarus’s death and her grief (John 11:21), this emphatic “I” underscores her unwavering conviction despite circumstances that might otherwise provoke doubt. Her confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world” is a profound Christological statement, positioning her faith as deep-seated and foundational to her identity, even in the face of profound personal loss. This suggests that her belief is not merely intellectual assent but a deeply held, continuing commitment.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The grammatical and rhetorical analysis of John 11:27 reveals Martha’s response to be a powerful and nuanced theological statement. Her use of the perfect tense πεπίστευκα, coupled with the emphatic pronoun ἐγώ, signals an abiding, deeply personal, and settled conviction in Jesus’s identity as the Messiah and Son of God. Her faith is presented not as a transient feeling but as an established reality that persists and defines her, even amidst grief and questioning. This understanding is vital for appreciating the depth of her confession in this pivotal moment of the narrative.

1. She says to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I myself have long believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.’
   This translation emphasizes the personal nature of her conviction (ἐγώ) and the established, ongoing duration of her belief (perfect tense).
2. She says to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I have come to believe, and still believe, that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.’
   This version explicitly highlights both the inception of her faith and its continuing validity, aligning with the resultative aspect of the perfect.
3. She says to him, ‘Yes, Lord; My unwavering conviction is that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.’
   This translation captures the settled, persistent state of belief conveyed by the perfect tense, and the emphatic nature of the pronoun, reframing it as a statement of deep, personal conviction.

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