Subject: Rom 12:1-2

clayton stirling bartholomew c.s.bartholomew at worldnet.att.net
Tue Dec 22 14:33:28 EST 1998


Jurg,

I will only attempt a partial answer to question #1. 

Jürg Buchegger wrote:
> 
> 
> 1. What can be said about the function of the KAI in Rom 12:2, connecting
> V.1 and V.2. As far as I know, on the grammatical level there are the two
> main options: a) either KAI is a normal conjunction or b) the beginning of a
> new sentence (hebr. -waw). - A Conjunction is more likely. So what then is
> the relationship between the two propositions in the two verses? The options
> are:
>  - neutral, gleichwertig nebeneinander, parallel, ergänzend
>  - explanatory, erklärend
>  - folgernd, concluding??
> My main question with this is: Is there any hint on the gramm.-syntact.
> level to decide the two parts of this question, or is it definitely a
> decision which is made only on "inhaltlichen" (content?) grounds?
> 

I think that the main grounds for determining this issue is "content."
By this I mean that the analysis is primarily semantic and not
syntactical. Based on the semantic relationships between verse one and
two I would conclude that verse two is "explanatory." I would defiantly
reject the "neutral" option. 

There does seem to be a slight hint in the syntax of Rom 12:1-2. I think
that the construction:

KAI MH . . . ALLA 

gives us a hint about the relationship between 12:1 and 12:2. I would
suggest on that MH is both forward looking, with relation to ALLA and
backward looking in relation to 12:1. I would diagram the discourse:

Do this (12:1)

Don't do this (12:2 A)

But do this (12:2 B)

This is perhaps not strictly speaking an analysis of syntax. I looked at
half a dozen authorities (Cranfield, Sandy & Heldam . . .)  but these
sources did not discuss the relationship between these two verses in
syntactical terms. However Leon Morris did hint at this relationship in
his opening comment on Rom 12:2:

"With this positive attitude toward God [Rom 12:1]  Paul links a
negative attitude to the pattern of this world . . ." 

Leon Morris (Romans, Pillar 1988)

Morris does not make a case for this based on syntactical considerations.

-- 
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062



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