[B-Greek] 1 Tim 3 Singular and Plural

Arie Dirkzwager dirkzwager at pandora.be
Thu Dec 18 14:59:33 EST 2003


I think that Paul uses the singular EPISKOPOS because the part of the letter
concerning the EPISKOPOS starts in the singular with EI TIS (3: 1). It seems
that Paul is answering a question about a person who wants to become an
episkopos.
Having that person in his mind he writes all about the episkopos in the
singular.
Then he wants to be complete and adds the requirements for DIAKONOI and
GUNAIKES not having in mind a special person. Perhaps there wasn't any need
to appoint diakonoi. So he uses the plural.

In Titus 1: 5ff. Paul uses the singular again. There again it is urgent to
think about concrete cases of individual persons.

Arie

Dr. A. Dirkzwager
Hoeselt, Belgium
e-mail dirkzwager at pandora.be


----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: "Iver Larsen" <iver_larsen at sil.org>
Aan: "Doug Hoxworth" <dhoxworth at charter.net>; "B-Greek"
<B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Verzonden: donderdag 18 december 2003 19:37
Onderwerp: RE: [B-Greek] 1 Tim 3 Singular and Plural


> > >><Doug>
> > >>Can anyone tell me why EPISKOPON is singular while DIAKONOS is plural?
> > >
> > ><Carl>
> > >Could it be because the author expects one EPISKOPOS in a
> > congregation but more than one DIAKONOS?
>
> I wouldn't think so, because in Phil 1:1 the EPISKOPOI and DIAKONOI in the
> congregation in Philippi are mentioned side by side, both in plural.
>
> > <doug>
> > i just wondered whether there was some
> > grammatical reason why this might be done (perhaps
> > singular indicated higher importance or indicated that it
> > was directed at Timothy being more specific).
>
> Although I am not sure of the reason, my guess from NT usage is that the
> singular DIAKONOS normally is used in the general sense of a
> servant/minister. Paul often calls himself a DIAKONOS (or even DOULOS),
even
> though his church title is APOSTOLOS. The more specific sense of "deacon"
is
> only found in Phil 1:1 and 1 Tim 3 as far as I can see, and it is used in
> the plural. The "deaconess" in Rom 16:1 is a special case where the
singular
> is required. Whether the sense here is the technical "deaconess" or the
more
> general "servant" I am not sure.
> The word EPISKOPOS is far less common and in 4 out of its 5 occurrences it
> seems to have the rather technical sense of "overseer" as a church
function,
> whether in singular or plural.
>
> Iver Larsen
>
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