The Lexicography of Ἐνίστημι and the Eschatology of 1 Corinthians 7 and 2 Thessalonians 2

There has been long-standing disagreement over the meaning of the perfect of ἐνίστημι. This might seem like an obscure technicality, but that meaning is central to two important eschatological passages in the New Testament: “Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is faithful. Therefore I consider this to be good διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην: it is good that a person remain as he is.” (1 Cor. 7.25-26) “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become quickly unsettled or alarmed by the opinion allegedly from us – whether by a spirit or word of mouth or by letter – ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου.” (2 Thess. 2.1-2) In the former, the question is of whether it is the imminence of the parousia which has implications for Paul’s view of marriage; in the latter, at issue is what the eschatological problem was in the letter. The central linguistic question is: does the perfect of ἐνίστημι have a present sense, or can it have either a present or an imminently future sense? This scholarly uncertainty has led to the divergent translations of these two passages. In the case of 1 Corinthians 7, does Paul take the view that it is good to remain as one is “in view of the impending crisis” (NRSV), or “because of the present crisis” (NIV)? In the case of 2 Thessalonians 2, is the misconception in Thessalonica that the day of the Lord “is at hand” (KJV) or that it “has come” (ESV)? Similarly, scholars can be found on both sides, but they tend to cite only a few parallels, especially those elsewhere in the New Testament.