Re: Acts 2:38 -- umwn

From: Steven R. LoVullo (sundoulos1@netzero.net)
Date: Wed May 03 2000 - 16:01:40 EDT


Mike,

Please do not forget that an attitude of resistance to so called "Western
Individualism" (the modern root of all evil) is itself a prejudice that can
color how we read the text. I've seen some of the most bizarre
interpretations of scripture arise from an effort to deny any
individualistic thrust at all in the NT.

Steve Lo Villa

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Sangrey <mike@sojurn.lns.pa.us>
To: Biblical Greek <b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Cc: Carl W. Conrad <cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2000 8:47 AM
Subject: Re: Acts 2:38 -- umwn


>
> cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu said:
> > I don't know any name for this construction (other than "constructio
> > ad sensum" which means that the meaning required accounts for the
> > perhaps strange syntax), but I might call it, if I were in the
> > business of writing a new Greek NT grammar with as many new categories
> > for constructions as possible ;-)
>
> And you would call this grammar "Constructio ad absurdum" perhaps?
>
> cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu said:
> > Theoretically the command could have been expressed in a second person
> > plural imperative with an adverbial PANTES (BAPTISQHTE PANTES), but I
> > guess the immediately governing factor is that, although we can
> > conceive of mass marriages and mass burials and mass awards of
> > degrees, even if several are baptized at the same time, the baptism is
> > understood as a personal and individual commitment, and for that
> > reason the singular BAPTISQHTW hEKASTOS hUMWN seems the appropriate
> > phrasing. But note that when the verse resumes (after TWN hAMARTIWN
> > hUMWN), we shift into the second-person plural: ... KAI LHMYESQE THN
> > DWREAN TOU hAGIOU PNEUMATOS.
>
> Thanks Carl. I have often thought we too often tacitly instill into
> the plural pronouns the individualism of our day. It is nice to see
> an example where a koine writer of the 1st century believes he needs to
> make the individualism explicit. This should, at least to some degree,
> give us pause when we see a plural 'you' in thinking it is referring to
> 'each of you individually'. Perhaps, in those cases, it is referring
> to 'you as a community.' I think, FWIW, as exegetes and translators we
> should each be more conscious of our own cognitive environments and how
> we assume individualism, as difficult as that is.
>
> Isn't it interesting though, that it is in the practice of community
> that these cognitive environments are exposed?
>
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek
> You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: sundoulos1@netzero.net
> To unsubscribe, forward this message to
leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu
> To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu
>
>
>

_____________________________________________
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
Click here for FREE Internet Access and Email
http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html

---
B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek
You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com]
To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu
To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu




This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:36:24 EDT