[b-greek] Re: Apoc 1:1 pronominal reference

From: Clwinbery@aol.com
Date: Sun Jan 06 2002 - 15:13:45 EST



In a message dated 1/6/02 1:12:56 AM, cc.constantine@worldnet.att.net writes:

>Rev. 1:1 APOKALUYIS IHSOU CRISTOU
>hHN EDWKEN AUTWi hO QEOS
>DEIXAI TOIS DOULOIS AUTOU hA DEI GENESQAI EN TACEI
>KAI ESHMANEN APOSTEILAS
>DIA TOU AGGELOU AUTOU TWi DOULWi AUTOU IWANNHi
>
>There are a number of problems in this passage with identifying the referent
>of the pronouns. Lets just look at one of them:
>
>DIA TOU AGGELOU AUTOU
>
>Who is the referent of AUTOU? Well at first glance there seem to be only
>two
>alternatives, IHSOU CRISTOU or hO QEOS. However, Peter R. Carrell* thinks
>there is a third alternative. He suggests, arguing in some detail, that
>both
>IHSOU CRISTOU and hO QEOS are the referent of AUTOU.
>
>Carrell's argument is long, complex and theological, thus off topic for
>this
>forum. My question is simply grammatical. How can AUTOU have two
>antecedents?
>
>Actually I don't think Carrell would consider this a substantive objection
>to his thesis since he is claiming that IHSOU CRISTOU and hO QEOS function
>here as a single referent, "a unity," but again that is for a different
>discussion group.
>
>My problem is that even if I am willing to accept Carrell's conclusion
>on
>the Christology question I don't see how it can hang together in terms
>of
>syntax. Even if the Apocalypse is rather famous for breaking rules and
>there
>are other instances of AUTOU in this verse which involve referential
>ambiguities, postulating multiple referents for this particular AUTOU seems
>to get us entangled with grammatical imponderables.
>
>Has Carrell gone off the deep end here?

Clay, I have not read Carrell's defense of the application of the sing. AUTOU
to both God and Jesus, but my work in the Apocalypse would say the normative
way to refer to both the Christ and God for the writer would be as it is in
6:16-17 where the one who sits on the throne and the lamb are referred back
to by the use of AUTWN in the plural.

hHMAS KAI KRUYATE hHMAS APO PROSWPOU TOU KAQHMENOU EPI TOU QRONOU KAI APO THS
ORGHS TOU ARNIOU, OTI HLQEN hH hHMERA hH MEGALH THS ORGHS *AUTWN.

I looked hastely at the occurances of AUTOU and could not find one that
referred to
God and the Christ. So I would take some convincing by something other than
theological arguments.

Carlton Winbery
Louisiana College

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