Adverbial Participles And Contours: The Interpretation of KATERTISMENA In Romans 9:22.

The interpretation of the participle κατηρτισμενα in Romans 9:22 has been the subject of controversy among biblical commentators for centuries. The form of the participle allows for three options: direct middle (‘fitted themselves for destruction’), divine passive (‘fitted [by God] for destruction’), and stative adjectival passive (‘fitted for destruction’). The middle is inconsistent with Paul's use of perfect participles. The following contours favor the stative adjectival interpretation: Paul consistently uses the perfect passive adjectivally; the participle is in the second predicate position; and the purpose for the passive is to deflect the emphasis from the agent to the patient. The evidence suggests that theologically significant passages can be interpreted without theological bias and that interpretation can be validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]