1 Corinthians 8:3

1 Corinthians 8:3 to.n qeo,n … u`pV auvtou/ {A}

The absence of to.n qeo,n from î⁴⁶ Clement was regarded by the Committee to be the result of formal assimilation to ver. 1 Corinthians 8:2. The phrase u`pV auvtou/ is absent from several witnesses, as though e;gnwstai were active voice. It was to be expected that î⁴⁶ Clement should omit the words since their antecedent (to.n qeo,n) is lacking in these witnesses. Their absence also from a* and 33 was regarded by the Committee as accidental, having arisen perhaps from the copyist’s expectation that Paul was going to say something like, “If anyone loves God, this man truly knows him.” The surprising turn of expression, however, is characteristically Pauline ( Galatians 4:9; cf. also 1 Corinthians 13:12).