[B-Greek] 1 Cor 14:18: Observations on the discussion
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Sep 25 08:39:00 EDT 2003
After the dust has settled, the feathers smoothed, the fur swept up--or so
I hope--, I must say that I thought yesterday's discussion was useful and
informative. While others might not share my assessment, I personally
learned some things about the passage and the different ways in which it is
understood and consequently I have a better grasp of how people go about
sorting out the range of meanings that may be implicit in the Greek text.
It is now clear to me that there are at least three different views about
what Paul means by the phrase GLWSSHi/GLWSSAIS LALEIN--even a view that
LALEIN with the dative singular of GLWSSA means something different from
LALEIN with the dative plural of the same noun. While my own understanding
of 1 Cor 12-14 hasn't been significantly altered, I do have a better
appreciation of what the alternative understandings of these chapters are
about and how those who understand them that way think.
I want to be brief in stating these observations, but I'd like to preface
them by citing the single oldest item from our FAQ regarding "list
netiquette," one that was most carefully hammered out in BG-staff committee
discussions more than six years ago:
"Those who participate in the conference represent a wide range of
theological and denominational perspectives, perhaps even including some
whose interests are purely academic. Deep religious convictions surely
characterize many, perhaps most, of the list-participants, and some of
these convictions bear directly upon how the Biblical text is to be
understood. At the core of our discussion, however, is not what our
convictions are but what the Greek text may legitimately be understood to
mean. If discussion of this nature is to succeed, proper respect and
courtesy to other list members is important. While scholarly debate,
including disagreement, is encouraged as a goal of this conference, attacks
upon the character, intelligence, or faith of those participating are not
acceptable. Criticism must focus upon the arguments of others; it may not
be directed to the individual."
I don't mean to accuse ANY participant in this thread of any violation of
list-protocol, but I was somewhat disturbed by some assertions, however
casual or qualified, that were made in the course of the discussion to the
effect that positions stated regarding 1 Cor 14:18 had passed or were
passing beyond analysis of the Greek text to staking out theological
positions regarding LALEIN GLWSSHi/GLWSSAIS. Surely it's not necessary to
conclude that such statements are must be based upon theological stances of
posters rather than upon their honest analysis of what the Greek text is
saying. I wish that list-members would leave it to the moderators to
discern where protocol is being violated or in danger of being violated:
it's hard enough for us to do it even-handedly, and we'd really rather not
interfere in a thread unless or until we feel we must do so.
I am aware that there is a hermeneutical assumption held by many
list-members that there is only one legitimate interpretation of any given
Biblical text; while I myself would be very hesitant to suggest intentional
ambivalence of meaning in any particular Biblical text, I do think that
discussion in this forum is predicated on the assumption that whatever our
convictions and/or considered judgments regarding particular biblical texts
may be, we are open to alternative views--not LOOKING for alternatives or
anticipating that one's judgment regarding a particular text WILL be
changed by the discussion, but open to the possibility that an alternative
understanding of a text may be preferable to the one which we currently
hold. That's what I call "being open-minded without being empty-headed." I
think too that we need to bring to our analysis and discussion a readiness
to discern that others view the immediate and broader context of the text
in question differently from the way in which we views it ourselves. That
is to say: alternative analyses may arise from different ways of
understanding the context, and although theological stances may be involved
in those understandings of the context, they are not necessarily the
decisive factor. I learned yesterday that there are radically different
perceptions of Paul's context and of the central thrust of his argument in
1 Cor 12-14 (or at least of 1 Cor 14). If the question had been posed
directly, "What does Paul mean by GLWSSHi/GLWSSAIS LALEIN in 1 Cor 14:18?"
it's possible that discussion might have disclosed sooner and more
explicitly that there are fundamental disagreements over the right answer
to that question--and those disagreements need not be simply "theological"
and it may not be a matter of different hermeneutical methodologies,
although those may be involved; it may be just a cumulative judgment
arising from all one's experience and previous encounters with the written
word in all its variety.
All of which amounts, ultimately, to an exhortation to re-consider and pay
heed (AKOUW?) to that old paragraph from the FAQ on "list netiquette" cited
above.
--
Carl W. Conrad
Co-Chair, B-Greek List
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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