[B-Greek] Matt. 28:19
AJBIRCH
AJBIRCH at terra.es
Mon Jan 17 08:01:10 EST 2005
Andrew (Rowell),
Just to summarise my response to yours:
(1) I don't think we can generalise this into a principle, although, obviously, there may be some other similar examples.
(2) I personally don't think we can read into MAQHTEUSATE the idea of some being willing and some not, because, literally, it just says, "...disciple all the nations" - the word "of" in the alternative rendering, "...make disciples of...", does not imply a kind of 'sub-set' within "all the nations".
(3) As Matthew could have written AUTA, instead of AUTOUS, I do think it's a legitimate inference from the Greek that he had people, rather than "nations" as such, in mind, as the objects of baptism.
(4) Personally, I think (most) other considerations move from the Greek, strictly speaking, to the area of Hermeneutics / Theology.
Andrew J. Birch
(Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
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