Współczesna a patrystyczna interpretacja Rz 8,19

Abstract

It is very difficult to decide w hat is the meaning of ktisis in Ro 8:19. Contemporary exegets attach different meanings to this word. In classical Greek and hellenistic and Biblical Greek this word was not synonymous and could have different meanings. That is why it is impossible to discover its exact sense on the basis of classical and hellenistic literature. It seems that a study of the texts of Fathers of Church could be useful in order to resolve this problem because they lived not long after the New Testament period and understood better these texts. The Apostolic Fathers wrote nothing directly regarding the text Ro 8:19. In other of their writings ktisis means: all creation, all people, all creation except the angel and the devil, rational beings, irrational beings, the angels and righteous people, the apostles and the doctors, all creation except the devil. Apologists were the first writers who were interested in the text Ro 8:19. They understood ktisis in the sense of: irrational beings or all creation. The Eastern Fathers of the Church were not in agreement as regards Ro 8:19. Most of them understood ktisis in the meaning of irrational beings or all creation. Others gave to this word the meaning of: all creation except the devil, all creation except the people and the devil, unliving beings. The "Western Fathers of the Church gave different meanings to this word as well. They understood ktisis in the sense of: all creation, irrational beings, all people, only righteous people. They were rather independent of the Eastern Fathers in their thoughts and arguments. Although the study of the texts of Fathers of Church does not definitely resolve the meaning of creature in Ro 8:19, it demonstrates that this substantive was understood by the Fathers of the Church mostly as irrational beings. It seems that this text of saint Paul should be understood as an announcement of the participation of all nature in the glory of mankind.