Philippians 1 - παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, οἰκτιρμοί

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Jonathan Robie
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Philippians 1 - παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, οἰκτιρμοί

Post by Jonathan Robie »

Philippians 1 wrote:Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί
Can someone help me sort out the distinctions being made between παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, and οἰκτιρμοί in this verse?

Is παράκλησις 'encouragement' or 'exhortation' here? Are both equally likely?
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
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cwconrad
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Re: Philippians 1 - παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, οἰκτιρ

Post by cwconrad »

Jonathan Robie wrote:
Philippians 1 wrote:Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί
Can someone help me sort out the distinctions being made between παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, and οἰκτιρμοί in this verse?

Is παράκλησις 'encouragement' or 'exhortation' here? Are both equally likely?
I'm not convinced that what's being expressed in the text is deliberately nuanced; I think it's more-or-less synonymous notions collaborating for rhetorical impact: "comfort, consolation, compassion, pity." Together they say something like, "Unless you are altogether heartless, ... "
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Jonathan Robie
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Re: Philippians 1 - παράκλησις, παραμύθιον, σπλάγχνα, οἰκτιρ

Post by Jonathan Robie »

cwconrad wrote:I'm not convinced that what's being expressed in the text is deliberately nuanced; I think it's more-or-less synonymous notions collaborating for rhetorical impact: "comfort, consolation, compassion, pity." Together they say something like, "Unless you are altogether heartless, ... "
That's helpful. I'm more likely to over-analyze when I'm reading in Greek ...
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
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