[B-Greek] IOUDAIOS and metonymy

Arie Dirkzwager dirkzwager at pandora.be
Sat Jan 31 12:03:24 EST 2004


As far as I can see we have met different views concerning IOUDAIOS. They
all have theological implications or even presuppositions.
As far as B-Greek is concerned we can in my opinion concentrate on texts
where the meaning of IOUDAIOS is clear.

I think we have three positions (and mixed positions):

1 The classical one: IOUDAIOS means Jew and sometimes a special category of
Jews (e.g. the leaders).
Here we are looking for texts in which IOUDAIOS means something else than
Jew.

2 IOUDAIOS has a connection with the Roman province of Judaea and can
perhaps sometimes mean "Jew".
Here we are looking for texts in which IOUDAIOS must mean Jew or a category
of Jews.

3 IOUDAIOS has a connection with the former kingdom of Judah and is (also in
the NT) standing in opposition to Israel and Israelite as the word designing
the former kingdom of the 10 tribes that was rejected or lost contact with
the religion of the 2 tribes. In this opinion Paul did not bring the gospel
to the gentiles but to the 10 tribes, designed as TA EQNH.
Then the hELLHN in Romans must also design an Israelite from the 10 tribes.
Then it has to be explained why (if God did not want to bring the gospel to
the gentiles) in Church history the gospel reached many gentiles.
Here we have to find texts where hELLHN designes a gentile Greek or texts
where Israel or Israelite is standing in opposition to words designing
gentiles or where Israel or Israelite are synonymous with IOUDAIOS.

[This message is meant as a methodological reflexion, not as a judgment over
the discussion we have read and its results.

Arie




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




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