Perfectum greckie w służbie teologii

Abstract

Authors of the New Testament faced a challenge of expressing the mystery of Jesus Christ together with its consequences in one of the human languages. The Greek language in its common form of koine was chosen to do this. In this way the Greek grammar was engaged // involved in the presentation of the theological truth. Special attention should be paid to the so called Greek perfectum (perfectum graecum) in the New Testament texts. This form is used to express a completed action the effects of which are noticeable // lasting at the moment of speaking or writing about it. However it is different from the Polish completed past tense, that is why it is sometimes translated as praesens. In non-biblical texts Greek perfectum serves for the sake of variety in expressing the present tense, while in the New Testament it constitute the basis for further theological considerations. Confession of faith, the so called Corinthian Credo (1 Cor 15,3—4) and angel’s blessing at the annunciation to Mary (Luke 1,28) constitute examples the theology of which is connected with the form of perfectum used in them. Analysed excerpts show that the Greek perfectum influences the comprehension of the mystery of resurrection (evgh,gertai — resurrected // has risen from the dead and is still alive), and the words used by Gabriel to refer to Mary (kecaritwme,nh — “you who were changed by mercy” // you who have been changed by mercy), Thanks to the use of perfectum inspired authors could precisely express the richness, profundity and novelty of the described theological reality. As there is no such form reflecting the meaning of perfectum graecum in the Polish language, it is necessary to translate it in the descriptive way or with an additional comment.