[B-Greek] KAQWS GEGRAPTAI

George F Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Sat Jun 11 15:05:24 EDT 2005


On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 12:43:30 -0400 Richard Richmond <rickr2889 at yahoo.com>
writes:
> 
> ====================================================================
> IDOU EGW APOSTELLO TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU
> Mark's use of the imperative here, direct address (as I argue) is 
> due  
> to the fact that the document - except for the part designations  
> (Chorus, Leader, first,and second actors etc.) has the exact form of 
>  
> a trilogy of plays like those entered in competition at Greek  
> Theaters during the period. This is not the forum to discuss this so 
>  
> I will address the issue from the point of the Greek text.
> 
> Mark is aware of the passages associated with his direct address in  
> 
> the Exodus text, in Malachi and in Isaiah (all are presented here).  
>  
> I am sure he has them in mind but his structure indicates that he  
> intends to use the statement about sending his messenger as though 
> he  
> were announcing the beginning of a play or advance of his document 
> to  
> a intended recipient. Performed or in written form, his document 
> will  
> be sent to the angel of each of the other churches. Angel being the  
> 
> one who can read and write.The same use of AGGELON can be found in  
> 
> the opening chapter of Revelation.
> 
> He refers to his written message as his angel (messenger) which he 
> is  
> sending or (being performed in play format) PROSWPOU before the face 
>  
> of his reader or audience.  PROSWPOU  is a clue to the nature of the 
>  
> document. It is the exact word for the mask the actors would wear in 
>  
> the play.  We can verify Mark’s understanding of this word by the  
> fact that he makes use of the antonym in a powerful way in his text; 
>  
> that being OPISW. This word was used in Greek Theater to indicate 
> the  
> face behind the mask. The text in question when seen as direct  
> address functions effectively either in text or play form, On the 
> one  
> hand it would be before the face of the reader in the community on  
> 
> the other hand it will be before the face of his audience.
>
========================================================================

This is not the first time that I have encountered a suggestion of
dramatic composition in regard to some writing of the NT.  Such has also
been suggested for the Apocalypse.  I believe, if my recollection is
accurate that it has even been suggested for Isaiah in the OT.  I haven't
found these suggestions to be particularly compelling.  The fact that Mk
uses both PROSWPON and OPISW don't require the conclusion that this is a
dramatic composition or that he is using the words in the sense in which
they were used in drama.  In Mk OPISW occurs in six passages.  

1. ERXETAI hO ISXUROTEROS MOU OPISW MOU used by Jn Bpt. of Christ in 1.7
2. DEUTE OPISW MOU in the Markan acct of Simon & Andrew in 1.17
3. KAI AFENTES . . . APHLQON OPISW AUTOU in the continuation of the above
1.20
4. EPETIMHSEN PETRWi KAI LEGEI, hUPAGE OPISW MOU, SATANA Does this need
comment? 8.33
5. EI TIS QELEI OPISW MOU AKOLOUQEIN . . . a statement of Christ
regarding the prerequisites of discipleship 8.34
6. KAI hO EIS TON AGRON MH EPISTREYATW EIS TA OPISW a warning to not
return to recover property in the cataclism -- 13.16.

None of these usages corresponds to the dramatic use of OPISW.  I would
therefore contend that neither should PROSWPOU.
 
george
gfsomsel
___________


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