Parts of the Sentence - Predicate Nominative
A predicate nominative or predicate noun completes a linking verb and renames the subject. It is a complement or completer because it completes the verb. Predicate nominatives complete only linking verbs. The linking verbs include the following: the helping verbs is, am, are, was, were, be, being, and been; the sense verbs look, taste, smell, feel, and sound; and verbs like become, seem, appear, grow, continue, stay, and turn.
The verb in a sentence having a predicate nominative can always be replaced by the word equals. Examples: Mr. Johanson is a teacher. Mr. Johanson equals a teacher. Mr. Johanson is a father. Mr. Johanson equals a father. Mr. Johanson is my neighbor. Mr. Johanson equals my neighbor.
I find this inetesting because the Collect for Sunday starts out with, "Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life" Now if my eighth grade grammar is right (which is doubtful) then one could infer the following theological statement from this Collect.
Knowing God equals everlasting life
Notice what it does not say - knowing God brings/gives/offers/makes possible everlasting life - but instead knowing God equals everlasting life.
This has huge ramifications for the saved for a future time and place theology that is rampant in American Christianity today. It means that if we know God then we living in the midst of everlasting life right here, right now despite all the ugliness, messiness, hurt, sin, etc. that still exists. It means that God's Creation is still good and it is possible even in this sinful flesh to live as a part of the Kingdom of God.
Life may change and our perception of the life everlasting will most certainly be altered upon death, but though it is changed, it does not end.
The question is, am I living into the everlasting life? Or am I existing in the life of scarcity ignoring the gifts of God that are all around?
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