DIAKRINW (emphasis on 1 Cor 11:31)

Jim West jwest at Highland.Net
Sat Aug 15 11:34:26 EDT 1998


At 04:14 PM 8/15/98 +0800, you wrote:
>We are working on our understanding of DIAKRINW as found in the New
>Testament.  One of the options that we are examining is the concept of
>balancing the pros and the cons, picking up on "evaluation".
>

OK- I'm gonna climb out on the limb I often occupy and offer my own
understanding of the significance of the preposition attached to krinw.

I think when the word is used without the preposition attached, it merely
means "decide, judge, discern".  When the preposition is added, however, the
meaning becomes "condemn".  That is, from a fairly neutral sense to the
negative sense of condemnation or damnation.

>I noticed that 1 Cor 11:31 has both DIAKRINW and KRINW:  EI DE EAUTOUS
>DIEKRINOMEN, OUK AN EKRINOMEQA. 
>
>It appears to me that the KRINW form emphasizes the punishment or
>sentencing part of the activity in this passage.  However, I realize
>that the word in general involves the entire legal activity including
>the hearing of the evidence.  How far off would we be to allow DIAKRINW
>to mean, in general, "through the activity of judging," thus picking up
>on the combination with the preposition?  As we looked at the other
>instances of this word in the New Testament, it appeared like most cases
>would allow for the word to refer to the activity of weighing or
>balancing out the positives and negatives of an action or case.
>

I'm with ya here.

>I'm willing to grab a towel if we're all wet.
>
>Paul

Stay dry- I think you're right.


Best,

Jim (on a limb)

++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Adjunct Professor of Bible
Quartz Hill School of Theology
jwest at highland.net
++++++++++++++++++++++++

"es ist Schuld und Verhängnis aller Kirchen, dass sie zu viel Dogmatik und
zu wenig Jüngerschaft praktizieren"      E. Käsemann




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