[B-Greek] 1 Tim 4.13

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Feb 28 19:30:31 EST 2007


On Feb 28, 2007, at 6:28 PM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> I have three questions on this passage please.
>
> hEWS ERCOMAI PROSECE THi ANAGNWSEI, THi PARAKLHSEI,
> THi DIDASKALIAi
>
> Two questions have to do with AT Robertson's comments:
>
> 1. hEWS ERCOMAI: "While I am coming" not "till I come"
> (AT Robertson)
>
> "Till I come" didn't make lots of sense to me, as if,
> after I leave, you no longer need to follow this
> advice. But, "while I am coming" doesn't seem to
> explain what the command is all about either. Is the
> intent to do this only for X period of time, while or
> till?

I note that both ERCOMAI and PROSECE are in the present tense. My  
sense of the context here is, "I'm not there and it will be a while  
before I can get there -- what happens in the present is your full  
responsibility -- so -- while I am still on my way, YOU must continue  
to give  your attention to ... "

> 2. THi ANAGNWSEI, THi PARAKLHSEI, THi DIDASKALIAi
>
> "Probably Paul does not mean for the exhortation to
> precede the instruction, but the reverse in actual
> public work. Exhortation needs teaching to rest it
> upon, a hint for preachers today." (AT Robertson)
>
> So, why didn't Paul write it that way? Why would Dr.
> Robertson say that the order Paul wrote was not the
> order to follow. Which is to ask: I know word order in
> sentences is not critical in Greek, but a short list
> like this of actions to take would seem to follow some
> order. Any reason for this order?

I'm not convinced that there's any deliberate order in these items at  
all: "these are matters with which you should busy yourself: a, b,  
c." Why would the order HAVE to be deliberate and meaningful?

> 3. What does the word PARAKLHSEI mean in a context or
> list like this? Sounds like you read it, then exhort
> the hearers on what was read, then teach the doctrines
> therein contained.

Again, I have to say I don't think there's any intended sequence  
here. A pastor has a certain number of activities wherein his  
leadership is required -- routine, eveeryday tasks, all of them  
important. The pastor may have a routine to some extent, but must  
there be a definite sequence of performance? As for PARAKLHSIS, it  
may be encouragement or exhortation, but it could just as well be  
(BDAG #3) "lifting of another’s spirits, comfort, consolation" --  
i.e. visiting the sick and the sorrowing.

I am inclined to see this verse, as I indicated above, in terms of an  
admonition to "keep on keeping on." "While I'm on my way, don't  
neglect your responsibilities, e.g. public reading/lecture,  
exhortation/comforting, instruction(, etc.)."


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at ioa.com or cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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