[b-greek] Rom 14:20

From: Iver Larsen (alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org)
Date: Tue Dec 12 2000 - 05:18:31 EST


Dear Steve,

I appreciate your insights into Greek and some time in the future I expect that
you will diagram your way into chapter 14. Can you or others help me with 14:20?

Chapter 14 talks about some people who are "weak" and believe that it is wrong
to eat certain foods, while others are "strong" and believe they can eat
anything.

My question relates to the identification of those who eat in the following:

PANTA MEN KAQARA, ALLA KAKON TWi ANQRWPWi TWi DIA PROSKOMMATOS ESQIONTI.

The first clause indicates that everything is "clean" - that is fit for eating -
to the "strong". The contrastive clause says that an elliptical eating (that is,
somebody eating something) is bad to/for the person the-one-who through an
offence eats.

There seems to be two different understandings of the relationship between A=the
one who stumbles/is offended and B=the one who eats.

(1) It is bad for the "strong" to cause offence to the "weak" by eating
something that the "weak" considers it wrong to eat. In this case the-one-who
eats is the "strong" and he causes offence to the "weak". The stumbling would
then be a result of the eating or possibly a circumstance of it.

(2) It is bad for the "weak" who has been caused to stumble and has eaten
something that he considers it wrong to eat. In this case the-one-who eats is
the "weak" who through stumbling has come to eat something that he himself
considers bad to eat. The stumbling would then be a means resulting in the
eating or a circumstance of the eating.

Is there anything in the grammar that would tip the scales in favour of one of
these interpretations? Is it significant that DIA PROSKOMMATOS is inserted into
TWi ESQIONTI? For the first interpretation I would have expected something like
EIS PROSKOMMA (neuter accusative) following TWi ESQIONTI. What does the new DBAG
have to say under PROSKOMMA?

Thanks,

Iver Larsen
Kolding, Denmark
alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org


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