Mat 18:17 EKKLHSIA with def. article

Joshua840 at cs.com Joshua840 at cs.com
Thu Jan 11 20:38:54 EST 2001


Hello, Mr Roe,

In a message dated 1/11/01 5:42:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
d.roe at t-online.de writes:
>Dear B-Greekers,
>  
>"EKKLHSIA," it seems, can refer to a smaller or larger assembly or 
>even that body of all called-together ones (living and passed away). 
>  
>In Matthew 18:17 we read:
>  
>EAN DE PARAKOUSHi AUTWN, EIPE THi EKKLHSIA
>  
>I wonder, does EKKLHSIA here refer to a group within the local
>congregation called to assemble?  Or, as I think the use of the article
>implies, does it most likely here refer to the whole local assembly?

Well, here goes. ;-)

While the individualizing article distinguishes or identifies a particular 
object belonging to a larger calss, the generic article distinguishes one 
class from another. This is somewhat less frequent than the 
individualizing article (though it still occurs hundreds of times in the NT). 
It categorizes rather than particularizes.

Matt 18:17 estw soi wsper o eqnikoV kai o telwnhV 
Let him be [with reference] to you as the Gentiles [as a class] and 
the tax-collector [as a class].

That's my two cents.

In His Grace,

Michael R. Finney



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