Direct / Indirect Speech

Jim Beale beale at uconect.net
Tue Nov 24 15:45:38 EST 1998


At 3:12 PM +0000 11/24/98, Jim West wrote:

>>Take for instance these two sentences.
>>
>>1. Many will come and say I am the Christ and decieve many.
>>2. Many will come and say: "I am the Christ"; and decieve many.
>
>I dont see any difference between these 2 sentences.

Jim,

I think Juan means to say:

1. Many will come and say I [meaning Jesus] am the Christ ...
2. Many will come and say I [meaning themselves] am the Christ ...

The differentiation between these two interpretations 
is made clear by the context.  It seems obvious that
Jesus is not warning us against those who come and
point to the true Messiah, doesn't it?  That would be
an outrageous interpretation of Jesus's words.

In Christ,
Jim

   The good man does not grieve that other people 
   do not recognize his merits.  His only anxiety 
   is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.
   -- Confucius





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