Re: TO TELION / Cor. 13:10

From: Kenneth Litwak (kenneth@sybase.com)
Date: Sun Nov 05 1995 - 23:11:15 EST


    I'd like to add just one point to Carl's post, with which I agree, I
hasten to add. I would like to suggest that as a hermeneutical principle,
it would not be reasonable to interpret Paul as describing something that
neither he (probably) nor his readers (certainly) would have known about.
I think it is fairly reasonable to argue that Paul would have known
nothing about a "New Testament" of 27 books, and certainly the
Corinthians would not have either. Therefore, it seems rather
improbable, IMO, to understand Paul as referring to that. His readers
most certainly would not have understood it, and I don't think I would
understand anything Paul has written as suggesting a new set of
Scriptures was coming from his hand. It's much like asking whether the
locusts in Revelation are really Phantom jets or Huey attack copters.
Given that John had no knowledge of such a thing, I think it's reasonable
to dismiss such ideas as not really possible in John's context. He's
describing what he sees, not trying to describe something totally
meaningless or non-existent in his situation.

Ken Litwak
GTU
Bezerkley, CA



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