[B-Greek] "episemoi en tois apostolois"

Steven Lo Vullo slovullo at mac.com
Sat Aug 28 22:06:32 EDT 2004


On Aug 28, 2004, at 11:15 AM, CWestf5155 at aol.com wrote:

> Yes, I heard a paper given at ETS supporting this reading, where 
> Wallace was
> one of the co-authors (but not the reader).  I did't find it 
> convincing, since
> in Bencancon-Spencer's paper it was shown with repeated citations that
> occurrences of EN + dative do support "among" rather than "in the 
> presence of,
> particularly when the research included Hellenistic literature beyond 
> the NT and
> LXX.  There were at least several clear examples of the same 
> construction that
> meant "among". This must be the basis of any decision rather 
> concluding than EN
> + genetive meaning "among" in one occurence precludes the possibility 
> of EN +
> dative meaning "among" in any occurrence.
>
> I'd like to have both papers in my hands, but when the reader was 
> questioned,
> the position seemed more based on how the naked dative functions than 
> how EN
> + dative functioned.
>
> The distinct impression left was that the research and the call in the 
> Net
> Bible was results-driven.  I'd like to see that further tested.

This is a good point, Cindy. I think, though, that just as important as 
the syntactic question is the semantic question: What does APOSTOLOS 
mean here? Is it to be taken more strictly, as Paul seems to take the 
term APOSTOLOS in, say, 1 Cor 15.7 and 9, or more loosely, as he seems 
to take it in, say, 2 Cor 8.23 and Phil  2.25? Surely he does not mean 
the term in the same way in 2 Cor 8.23 and Phil 2.25 as he does 
elsewhere when he asserts his special authority. There seems to be a 
degree of authority in one use that does not coincide with the other. 
Indeed, it seems at that any authority on the part of the one is 
dependent on the other. I think that other evidence of this sort from 
other parts of the NT could be proffered. BDAG brings this distinction 
out well in definitions 1 and 2, s.v., APOSTOLOS:

1. of messengers without extraordinary status *delegate, envoy, 
messenger*

2. of messengers with extraordinary status, esp. of God's *messenger, 
envoy*

It is not hard for me to see a distinction between authoritative 
spokesmen for God on the one hand, and an identifiable cadre of 
messengers to the widespread churches on the other. In recent years 
there has been an acknowledgment that the early church, though 
separated geographically, was much more mobile and interconnected than 
previously thought. In this context these "messengers" would have 
served an important role--to keep the wider church informed of plans 
and developments crucial to the spiritual good and geographic spread of 
the faith.
============

Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI




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