John 14:6 fronting

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Mon Sep 30 00:46:39 EDT 2002


> Iver and others
>
>
> LEGEI AUTWi [hO] IHSOUS, EGW EIMI hH hODOS KAI hH ALHQEIA KAI hH ZWH.
> OUDEIS ERCETAI PROS TON PATERA EI MH DI’ EMOU
>
> Of these three characteristics, could one argue that the most
> critical is ZWH? Is not Jesus saying that he is the way TO LIFE?
> In other words, the hODOS is the means to the end, ZWH. (I realize
> Jesus is saying he IS the way, and that he IS the truth, but these
> two characteristics seem in some sense subordinate to LIFE.)

One can always speculate, and if people continue to disagree with the basic
and simple principle that word order in Greek indicates relative
prominence - as Carl does, and he certainly has the right to do so - then
the field is open for anything and everything. It becomes extremely
subjective. I mean if the word order is very free and you can use both
fronting and the opposite to indicate emphasis, then you can argue from word
order for whatever you want.

My approach is to start with the hypothesis that the first items mentioned
in Greek are relatively more prominent. If that makes perfect sense of the
text, I am satisfied. If it doesn't, then I may need to revise my
hypothesis, or even abandon it. But I haven't yet seen convincing evidence
to that effect. Luke 23:43 is certainly not such evidence.

In the first sentence above, clearly the EGW is very emphatic. It is Jesus
and no one else who is the way to life. Jesus said about the scribes that
they were looking for life in the Scriptures, so looking for life is nothing
new. Jesus told them that they did not find that life in the Scriptures
because they did not recognize that the Scriptures talked about him as the
Messiah. So, the crucial bit is not the search for life, but where to find
it, and Jesus says that he is the way. And he is the true way, yes, the only
way.

The next sentence supports this in my opinion. There the focus is on NO ONE
COMES (is able to come) to the father by any other way. So, the key point is
really which is the only true way that leads to the Father. There is no
particular emphasis on "through me" in the second, because that point was
already made in the first sentence. It is merely a restatement. Of course, a
restatement adds prominence to the overall point, but that is a matter witch
is unrelated to word order.

The principle of "what comes first is more prominent" can also be formulated
as "unpredictable information first, predictable information last."

Iver Larsen




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