Martyrdom of Polycarp, i.2a

περιεμενεν γαρ ινα παραδοθη, ως και ο κυριος, ινα μιμηται και ημεις αυτου γενωμεθα

English
And just like our Lord, Polycarp waited patiently to be handed over, as an example so that we too might become imitators of Christ

While translating the first portion of i.2, I ran into a little grammatical snag. The author used a little word, ινα, in a way I was not comfortable with. In the first Greek clause, περιεμενεν γαρ ινα παραδοθη, it took me a few days to work through what the author of the letter was trying to say. I was fighting through two possibilities: either "to be handed over" or "in order to be handed over."

When I first came to this clause in the Greek, my mind immediately translated it "in order to be handed over." ινα carries the meaning of intent, doing something so that or in order that something else may occur. Probably 99% of the time, the word introduces a subjunctive clause; meaning, this situation might happen, not something that will definitely happen.

So I stopped cold and reverted back to my "I can't read Greek!" cave where I tend to hide at the first sign of trouble. But my trouble was not, as I thought, with the Greek itself. My problem was with what I just read: Polycarp waited in order to be handed over. This consummate Christian, the disciple of so many years, student of John, friend of Ignatius, leader of the flock, feeder of the hungry, bullet proof and inventor of the internet, had done the detestable act of setting up his own capture so he could be martyred.

Say it ain't so! Say it ain't so!

Suffice it to say I did not stop there. I usually crawl out of my cave after a little bit and attack. First, there had to be something wrong with the translation. The rest of the letter gives ample evidence against Polycarp doing such a thing; a mere few paragraphs latter and we get to the whole Quintus fiasco. But what was the problem? I had a look at how the Holmes/Lightfoot translation read, and also how the ANF rendered this. Both had "to be" without the "in order." I was stuck. Second, I went back to my Lexicons, syntax books, and grammars. My perplexity was only compounded by the fact that there are very, very little resources out there on the grammar and Greek syntax of the Early Church Fathers. There is plenty for the New Testament, but language always changes and there are subtleties you might not catch if all you are reading is work for the NT. The BDAG would be great . . . if I had one. Yes, I am a student of the Early Church Fathers and I could never afford a copy of the most vital work a student of the Early Church Fathers could ever imagine. So sorry.

Moving on. I finally tracked down my problem (problemo en Spanish). My understanding of ινα was limited. ("Wha!!!???!!!" I know; I was shocked, too. Because we all know that is rare. Right.) While I was trapped in the tar pits of intent I missed the inclusion of "the result." ινα was introducing "being handed over" as an end result. Polycarp waited patiently with the result being he was handed over. You have to step back and look at this from a historical perspective. The author was writing after the martyrdom, recalling the whole tale. The beginning is an introduction, and in there he was giving us the picture of this patient leader who knew his time had come and wanted to give his fellow disciples an example of Christ.

Dilemma solved. Always good to learn something. It would be a lot easier if these ancient authors would stick to convention and the rules of grammar, but, where would be the fun in that?