But Acts xxv. 26, ‘About whom I have nothing certain to write’ (γράψαι, aorist, to write off once for all).
See the Greek text of the 3rd Epistle of John v. 13—‘I had many (things or many times?) to write (γράφειν, ondoing shape), but I will not with pen and ink write (γράψαι) to thee’ (aorist, offdoing form).
An understanding of the difference between the aorist and ondoing shapes is of weight in the reading of the Gospel. ‘To make intercession, to intercede for them.’—Heb. vii. 25. To intercede once for all, at the doom-day? No. To intercede on always; for the word is not in the aorist shape, but in the present ondoing form, to be interceding.
Historic Time-wording.
A time-shape of a time-word used in an unwonted way for the telling of a string of deeds, as, in English, the present time-shape is so used for deeds of foretime, as ‘He opens the door, walks in, coolly takes a chair, sits down, and tells the maid he wishes to see me.’
So ‘Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him,’ &c.—John i. 45.
The Moods of Time-takings.
Mood.
The wording of the time-taking may be; as,
(1) Now or heretofore true, or hereafter sure, as ‘He is, or was, or will be’; ‘He sings, or sang, or will sing.’ The Truth Mood.