[B-Greek] Force of KAI in 1 Cor 11:23?

Mark Goodacre goodacre at duke.edu
Thu Feb 17 10:32:20 EST 2011


On 17 February 2011 09:13, Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com> wrote:

> This is an interesting question. After giving it a bit of thought, I'm
> thinking that the context in which he presents this 'traditiona" account
> of the last supper -- as a basis for scolding the Corinthian believers for
> abusing the ritual -- doesn't figure heavily in this "parenthetical"
> formulation: that is, he wants them to acknowledge that this is not
> something they haven't known about.
>
> If that's right, then the implicit sense of the hO KAI might be
> conveyed as, "This tradition is one that came to ME from the Lord --
> and I DID pass it on to YOU" -- i.e. "you have no excuse for
> not knowing it."

One of the difficulties here is the terse nature of  Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον
ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου (EGW GAR PARELABON APO TOU KURIOU) which appears
counter-intuitive given the extreme unlikelihood that Paul was present
"on the night he was handed over".  I am wondering if ὃ καί (hO KAI)
actually helps us to unpack some of that terse first clause.  If Paul
is saying "that which I too passed on to you", then what we are seeing
is the implicit presence of the "passing on" also in the first clause.
 In other words, the sense is "I received from the Lord (when it was
passed on to me) what I *also* passed on to you".

I think 1 Cor. 15.1,3, which is closely parallel, and deals with the
same kind of thing -- conveying of Jesus tradition to the Corinthians
-- might help us out:

Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ
παρελάβετε . . .

GNWRIZW DE hUMIN, ADELFOI, TO EUAGGELION hO EUHGGELISAMHN hUMIN, hO
KAI PARELABETE . . .

Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν . . .

PAREDWKA GAR hUMIN EN PRWTOIS, hO KAI PARELABON, hOTI CRISTOS APEQANEN . . .

In each case the ὃ καί (hO KAI) unpacks and emphasizes what is
implicit in the previous clause, so Paul in 1 Cor. 15.3 also received
the tradition that he had handed on to the Corinthians and which they
too had, of course, received.  "For I passed on to you as of first
importance (implicity: and which you received), that which I *also*
received, that Christ died . . ."

In other words, it looks to me like Paul uses the KAI to build on what
is implicit in the previous clause.

Mark
-- 
Mark Goodacre
Duke University
Department of Religion
Gray Building / Box 90964
Durham, NC 27708-0964    USA
Phone: 919-660-3503        Fax: 919-660-3530

http://www.markgoodacre.org



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