Commenting on the New Testament usage of μιμνῄσκομαι mirroring the Old Testament usage of “as a reminder to God,” we read the following in EDNT:
While the remembering
of God plays an important role in the OT, it is seldom spoken of in the NT, and
even then usually represents an LXX idiom: μνησθῆναι ἐλέους (“to
remember [God’s] mercies”) in Luke 1:54 derives from Ps 97:3 LXX (ἐμνήσθη τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἱακωβ). The syntactic connection here is
loose. The meaning could be: “He remembers
the mercy that he had previously shown his people,” or (preferably) “He intends to show mercy as he had promised
to the fathers” (cf. Exod 32:13; Deut 9:27). In fact, Luke 1:72 amounts to the
same thing: “to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.” That God remembers his covenant with the fathers means that he will fulfill
his promise. The reverse is also true: he will remember the evil deeds of the Gentiles (cf. Rev 16:19: Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη ἐμνήσθη
ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, “God remembered great Babylon”).
Acts 10:31 displays a similar Semitism: “Your prayer has
been heard and your acts of mercy have
been remembered before God” (ἐμνήσθησαν
ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ). The expression suggests that the
angels literally bring the prayers before God and remind him of the deeds of human beings (Rev 8:3–5). Acts 10:4
corresponds even more closely to the Greek of the LXX (μνημόσυνον). The remaining passages
are quotations. Heb 8:12 and 10:17 are drawn from Jer 31:34. The forgiveness of
sins is here emphasized by the fact that God no longer remembers sin. In summary, the righteousness and faithfulness to
covenant are expressed by the “remembering” of God. (Horst Robert Balz and
Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 vols.
[Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–], 2:430)
Examples of μιμνῄσκομαι in
the Apostolic Fathers:
Let us, therefore, be humble-minded, brethren, putting
aside all arrogance and conceit and foolishness and wrath, and let us do that
which is written (for the Holy Spirit says, "Let not the wise man boast
himself in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in
his riches, but he that boasteth let him boast in the Lord, to seek him out and
to do judgment and righteousness"), especially remembering the
words of the Lord Jesus which he spoke when he was teaching gentleness and
longsuffering. (1 Clement 13:1)
Why do we divide and tear asunder the members of Christ,
and raise up strife against our own body, and reach such a pitch of madness as
to forget that we are members one of another? Remember the words of the
Lord Jesu. (1 Clement 46:7)
For it is written, "Enter into thy chambers for a
very little while, until my wrath and fury pass away, and I will remember
a good day, and will raise you up out of your graves." (1 Clement 50:4)
My child, thou shalt remember, day and night, him
who speaks the word of God to thee, and thou shalt honour him as the Lord, for
where the Lord's nature is spoken of, there is he present. (Didache 4:1)
Remember, Lord, thy Church,
to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in thy love, and gather it
together in its holiness from the four winds to thy kingdom which thou hast
prepared for it. For thine is the power and the glory for ever. (Didache 10:5)
If then besides this he remembered it also in the
case of Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge. What then does he
say to Abraham, when he alone was faithful, and it was counted him for
righteousness? "Behold I have made thee, Abraham, the father of the
Gentiles who believe in God in uncircumcision." (Epistle of Barnabas 13:7)
Thou shalt remember the day of judgment day and
night, and thou shalt seek each day the society of the saints, either labouring
by speech, and going out to exhort, and striving to save souls by the word, or
working with thine hands for the ransom of thy sins. (Epistle of Barnabas
19:10)
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