[B-Greek] Word order, prominence, and Acts 28:31
Iver Larsen
iver at larsen.dk
Thu Jun 30 14:19:10 EDT 2005
Hi again, Mike.
I don't think that you will be surprised that I have a different pragmatic
reading of this verse - and consequently a different translation. (I am
quite happy with the NLT here: proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all
boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop
him.)
> Acts 28:31
>
> KHRUSSWN THN BASILEIAN TOU QEOU KAI DIDASKWN TA PERI TOU KURIOU IHSOU
> CRISTOU META PASHS PARRHSIAS AKWLUTWS.
I think it is important that this is the closing verse of the book. In such
a closing, what receives prominence is a reference to the theme of the book.
And that theme is about "preaching the gospel" and "teaching the things
about Jesus Christ, the Lord."
In the opening to the book (1:3) Jesus is speaking to the disciples "about
the things of God's Kingdom". He had asked his disciples to spread those
news of the Kingdom.
In Acts 8:12 we have Philip "evangelizing about the Kingdom of God and the
name(character) of Jesus Christ".
In 19:8 Paul is "SPEAKING BOLDLY (in emphatic position here) for three
months, debating and persuading them about the kingdom of God."
In 20:25 Paul is remembering how he "went around proclaiming the Kingdom".
In 28:23 Paul is again "testifying to the Kingdom of God, (trying to)
persuade them about Jesus".
Because this preaching, testifying, persuading and teaching about the
Kingdom of God and the lordship of Jesus Christ is the main theme in Acts,
it is fitting that the two concepts should still be prominent in this
closing verse.
I am not saying that the last words about the boldness and unhinderedness
are not prominent, but I do think that preaching of the Kingdom is
*relatively* more prominent in order to keep the reader's mind on the
important theme of the book. Paul always spoke with boldness. The
unhinderedness supports the "two year period" in v. 30. I am not sure how
unexpected it is, but I don't think in terms of unexpected only.
Predictability is only one of several parameters. I am more interested in
what the author apparently intends to give prominence, and here it seems to
be the continued preaching of the Kingdom.
(Was Luke urging his readers to continue to have focus on such preaching?)
Iver Larsen
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