[B-Greek] 2 Tim 2.15
George F Somsel
gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Tue Jul 7 00:45:33 EDT 2009
ὀρθοτομέω ORQOTOMEW
orthotomeō, to handle correctly
orthotomeō, S3718; TDNT8.111–112; EDNT2.531; NIDNTT3.351–352; MM456–457; L&N33.234; BDF§119(1); BAGD580
Timothy must dispense the word of truth correctly, orthotomounta ton logon tēs alētheias(2 Tim 2:15). Hodon temneinmeans to trace or follow a route (Herodotus 4.136; Josephus, Ag. Apion1.309); “Archelaus opened straight routes” (hodous eutheias eteme, Thucydides 2.100.2); and because “whatever is drawn with a straight ruler is necessarily straight,” the expression “make a path straight” took on a metaphorical sense (Prov 3:6; 11:5; 1 QH12.34). This is especially so in rhetoric, where orthon legeinmeans to express oneself correctly (Aristotle, Gen. Cor.1.3143; Iamblichus, Myst.1.3 = 7.13), with the nuance of the golden mean: “No matter which of us has spoken more correctly (orthoteron eirēken); everyone must follow a middle path (meson tina temnein)” (Plato, Leg.7.793 a); “to advance along the route that our present discussion has started out on” (tēn nyn ek tōn parontōn logōn tetmēmenēn hodon, ibid. 800 e;cf. Xenophon,
Oec.18.2, mesotomōn). For the rule in Greek dialectic is orthoepeia:expressing oneself with exactness and precision, without error or flaw, respecting the linguistic proprieties. Thus it is diametrically opposed to distortions and falsifications of the Word of God (2 Cor 2:17; 4:2) by bad exegetes who twist texts (2 Pet 3:16). The Vulgate translates well: “recte tractantem verbum veritatis.” As opposed to the mythologizing orators and fabulists who adulterate the revealed teaching, Timothy will be faithful to convey its traditional meaning (2 Tim 2:2, 8) and express it in adequate terms (cf. 1 Cor 2:13).
Spicq, C., & Ernest, J. D. (1994). Theological lexicon of the New Testament (2:595). Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson.
george
gfsomsel
… search for truth, hear truth,
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth,
defend the truth till death.
- Jan Hus
_________
________________________________
From: Mitch Larramore <mitchlarramore at yahoo.com>
To: B Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2009 9:13:18 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] 2 Tim 2.15
SPOUDASON SEAUTON DOKIMON PARASTHSAI TWi QEWi ERGATHN ANEPAISCUNTON, ORQOTOMOUNTA TON LOGON THS ALHQEIAS.
What does ORQOTOMOUNTA (rightly divide) mean? Is rightly dividing the word of truth something akin to Systematic Theology, namely, putting related passages together and then formulating one's theology. Finally, what would 'wrongly dividing' the word mean? Would it mean putting a particular passage in the wrong category of NT passages?
Mitch Larramore
Sugar Land, Texas
---
B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list