The Greek of 2Cor. 5:19? "God was in Christ"?

[Trinity Apologetics]

" 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. " (2Cor. 5:19, NASB)

Hi brothers. I was just wondering if the word "en" in 2Cor. 5:19 is followed by the dative or genitive and whether or not the "en Christos" in "God was in Christ" is syntactically parallel to "en Christos" in Ephesians 4:32 and Romans 6:11?

Lastly, is "en" in Colossians 1:16 ("For by/in [en] Him all things were created") and Hebrews 1:2 "in/by [in] His Son" syntactically parallel too? In other words, do all four examples use the word "en" to mean by means of, or instrumentality?

I want to be as accurate as possible in my Youtube videos. God bless!

 

[Contra_Mundum]

"en" is always followed by the dative case.

Eph.4:32 is more of a syntactical parallel than Rom.6:11. In the first case, as in 2Cor.5:19, the main actor in the v is God (the Godhead), and "in Christ" refers to either the means of his work or the sphere of it. In Rom.6:11 the main actor in the v is the believer, and "in Christ" refers to the believer's considering, either the sphere of it (or his new life), or the means of it (see the KJV translation that uses the preposition "through"). Either way, "In Christ" fits better with the position of the believer rather than an intra-divine relation.

You do have slightly different nuances for "en" in your last two instances. Col.1:16 is probably better thought of in a directly causal way; as when you say the post was written by you. You are an instrument of sorts, for yourself; but instrumentally is more often an idea connected with another conceptual agent supplying original will to act. Plus, there are two other prepositions supplied in that v at the end one of which (dia) supplies a more directly instrumental sense.

Heb.1:2 (or v1, as the vv are variously divided) contains the instrumental "by his Son," with the Son being the instrument God's (the Father's or the Godhead's) will, by whom he revealed himself (spoke). Mention of creation is made as an inclusio (2nd of 2), and uses the preposition dia (through) once again.

Hope this is helpful to you.

 

[Trinity Apologetics]

Yes that helps a lot! Thank you pastor!!