Chapter 2:1 POREUTHENTES: As You Are Proceeding

2.1 Poreuthentes: Nom Pl Masc Part Aor 1.

πορευθέντες

Gender: Masculine

Is gender important?

We believe it is more important than the grammars often give it credit. See 9.1.1.5.1 Importance of Gender for a discussion on how important gender is in understanding and correctly applying the teaching in the text. One must note carefully, that the unexpressed subject of the sentence (obtained from parsing the verb matheteuo) does not indicate the gender. We get gender from this participle, and the two other participles in the sentence. Gender here is considered masculine, as opposed to feminine or neuter. Consequently, in the construction under examination, we would gather that the subjects are either masculine in sex or concrete or material in essential nature, as opposed to being feminine in sex or conceptual in essential nature. Consequently we would translate this as “(You)-masculine”

Case: Nominative.

This is identified with the (unexpressed) subject of the sentence—You-masculine.

Number: Plural.

This is consistent with the subject of the sentence—You-masculine-pl.

Participle:

Here the participle stands as a verbal noun, closely linked to and modifying the subject (as opposed to the verb with which an infinitive would associate) of the sentence, You-masc-pl.

Being a participle, it views its action as real (vs. potential as an infinite would).

Use of this Participle

This participle is used when the real object (the nations) of the governing verb (disciple) is a person (or thing) whose act or state is described by the participle. See 9.1.2.5 THE PARTICIPLE for a discussion of the nature of the participle.

Participle vs Infinitive:

See 9.1.2.5.2 Participle and Infinitive Compared for a comparison of participle with the infinitive.

Tense of Participle:

Since the main verb (disciple) is in the imperative mood, this will govern the tense of the participle, and only the KIND of action will be in view. Here the aorist tense indicates punctiliar action < ● >.

Further, we would be consistent with the context if we categorized this as an inceptive or ingressive aorist. This would be graphically represented by ● >-----. For more on tenses see 9.1.2.3 TENSE and in particular, 9.1.2.3.1 Participle Tenses.

Root meaning:

Poreuthentes literally means: To go; to pass from one place to another; to journey; to travel; to go or proceed in any way or course of life; to live in any manner.

Translation:

‘as you are going…’ or ‘while on your way through life…’ or ‘as you are proceeding in your chosen manner through life …’ you must be active, in fact you must be actively (at some point in time) proceeding through life on some course (apparently of your own determination).

Comment:

This would indicate you couldn’t make a disciple unless you are actively in some process of ‘proceeding’ through life. You cannot make disciples if you are sitting still (waiting for the spirit to move you). Passive people, waiting for the Spirit to move them, are not in view here.