Fw: "In the beginning was the word" (Jn 1:1a)

Joe A. Friberg JoeFriberg at email.msn.com
Thu Feb 24 21:55:29 EST 2000


Thanks Wayne for the input.  Your suggestion of "the Expression" for LOGOS
is very natural.  It is, however, perhaps a bit too vague; also, expressions
are always expressions *of* some subject.  We might be tempted to supply
'God' as subject, but that's theology, so let's not go there  ;-) !
(Supplying 'of God' would also go against the grammatical context which, as
I have noted elsewhere, is noteably absent of any Genitival modifier such as
AUTOU or TOU QEOU.)  "The Great Expression" helps alleviate some of the
vagueness by pointing to the central or highest (best?) expression (but
retains the second problem).

Now let *me* work on *naturalness* on my suggestions!  Looking back, I
realize realize how stilted my options sound--they are good for
philosophical discourse, but not common communication!  John was writing
some very philosophical/theological thoughts, but in very common language,
so now I try again.

"The Revealing Theme" is an attempt revitalize/naturalize Revelatory-Theme;
but 'revealing' has an unintentional sense (due merely to the acuteness of
the observer) as well as an intentional sense (desired self-disclosure), the
latter being the desired sense, so the phrase contains unintended ambiguity.
To get around this problem, 'unfolding' is a close synonym for revealing,
which implies intended disclosure.

My choice (for now!) is "the Unfolding Theme".  (I might consider "Unfolding
Expression", but Expression is more personal while Theme is more cognitive;
my understanding of LOGOS is more on the cognitive end.)

In context let me try this out:

Jn 1.1-2  At first there was the Unfolding Theme.  Now this Theme was
present with God, and what's more, all that God was, the Theme was too.
This one called the Unfolding Theme was there at the very first, present
with God.


I would welcome any feedback, on or off-list.

Blessings to all!
Joe A. Friberg

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne Leman" <wleman at mcn.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 12:09 PM


> Joe, for LOGOS, how about "the Expression" or "the Great Expression"?
>
> >
> >But, one-word options can be rather limiting, so, let me try out several
> >phrases:
> >
> >'Communicative-Idea'
> >'Revelatory-Message'
> >'Revelatory-Plan'
> >'Revelatory-Theme'
> >
>
> Wayne
> Bible Translation discussion list: http://bibletranslation.listbot.com







More information about the B-Greek mailing list