[B-Greek] QEOS and KURIOS : a strange choice of words?
Doug Hoxworth
dhoxworth at charter.net
Tue Sep 16 00:45:23 EDT 2003
forwarded on Ted's behalf
> ><Ted>
> >...the NT neither translates nor transliterates the
> Hebrew names of Deity.
>
> <doug>
> i wonder if the discussion has touched on what you were
> looking for.
Somewhat. What I meant, but didn't write because it's
awkward, is:
Imagine you are an early Christian, writing part of the
NT.
You have to decide what to call God (in writing). The
first things that come to mind are to use the same terms
that have been used in (1) speech and (2) the LXX.
So we take the question back a few centuries, from the NT
writers to the LXX translators.
What shall we use for the name of God? Is QEOS a good
match, or does its pagan usage render it unsatisfactory?
And for KURIOS: Is it sufficiently representative of
Deity,
or does it mainly suggest "master, sir"?
If we use existing Greek words by which to name God, we
must deal with the existing (mis)understanding people will
bring to those words. If we use Hebrew names, we will
automatically impose the Hebrew understanding attached to
those words.
But they didn't. Why not? Answers are speculative, of
course, but still instructive.
Thank you.
Ted Shoemaker
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