[b-greek] Re: 3 John 9

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 02 2000 - 06:16:00 EST


At 11:58 PM +0000 11/1/00, Mark Wilson wrote:
>3 John 9
>
>EGRAYA TI THi EKKLHSIA
>ALL' hO FILOPRWTEUWN AUTWN DIOTREFHS OUK EPIDECETAI hHMAS
>
>2 questions:
>
>1. TI
>
>How would you translate this? (It appears in my UBS3)
>
>It seems to mean something like "a certain thing" or "something." But, what
>purpose does such a vague expression serve? I almost seems to add absolutely
>nothing.

It is definitely the enclitic without accent of its own and must mean
"something." I'd be inclined to translate the phrase in this context as
"I've written a note to the congregation ... " I think that the point of
the use of TI is that it isn't important what the content of the message is
but rather the fact the Diotrephes refuses to acknowledge the author's
legitimacy as one with a message for the congregation.

>2. Could AUTWN possibly refer to other local, house-churches in the near
>vicinity?
>
>I think most commentaries take this to refer to the "members" of the
>aforementioned church. But I was just wondering if this could possibly be
>referring to other local churches in the vicinity.

I don't really see anything suggesting that, insofar as the message here
spoken of was addressed to a singular EKKLHSIA; even if Diotrephes has
authority over a larger grouping of congregations, the context here would
seem to be his authority over the members of the congregation to whom our
author wrote.

You must realize, of course, that my answers are every bit as speculative
as your questions. Understanding this letter must necessarily require, it
seems to me, some additional context context that is not provided by the
text of the letter itself.
--

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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