Acts 15:20, 29

Numberup at worldnet.att.net Numberup at worldnet.att.net
Wed Apr 14 13:15:36 EDT 1999


Carl W. Conrad wrote:

> At 7:38 AM -0400 4/14/99, Numberup at worldnet.att.net wrote:
>
> >Is there any significance to the use of the infinitive middle,
> >APECESQAI, at Acts 15:20 and 29, rather than the imperative?Ý
> >Grammatically speaking, is it because these verses are reporting a
> >command given, rather than giving a command?
>
> In effect, yes. In both instances the infinitive depends upon a governing
> structure. In Acts 15:20 that governing structure is EPISTEILAI AUTOIS,
> "instruct them ..." which calls for an infinitive; in 15:29 the major
> governing structure is EDOXEN GAR TWi PNEUMATI TWi hAGIWi KAI hHMIN, but
> that is completed with the infinitive structure MHDEN PLEON EPITIQESQAI
> hUMIN BAROS PLHN TOUTWN TWN EPANAGKES--and finally, I think, the infinitive
> APECESQAI with its complementary genitives is in apposition to BAROS with
> its sense of "burdensome responsibility"--"It has seemed right to the Holy
> Spirit and to us to impose no additional imperative burden of
> responsibility upon you than these items, namely, to abstain from ...."
>
> Carl W. Conrad

Thank you very much for so quick and so thorough a reply!  Your assistance is greatly
appreciated.  I have learned much from this forum already, since I have been merely
observing for a week or so before posting my question.  This is truly a fine resource
for deeper insight on the scriptural text.

Solomon Landers
Memra Institute for Biblical Research
Clinton, Maryland
http://www.memrain.org
 

--
MZ
 




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