Re: exegetical significance

From: Carlton Winbery (winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net)
Date: Tue Aug 12 1997 - 06:19:01 EDT


Jonathan Robbie wrote;

>I think that most of us agree that a list of Greek elements is the wrong way
>to go about this. So what is the right way to go about it? I think that the
>best approach is often to try to learn what is exegetically significant
>about specific *passages* rather than to make a laundry list of grammatical
>elements. Here are some aids I find useful for this - I discuss this on my
>"Little Greek Home Page" at
>"http://www.mindspring.com/~jwrobie/littleGreek.html", but here are a few
>points worth repeating:
>
In defense of Jonathan and his earlier request, I would admit to having
looked for just such a list myself. However, I would second Carl Conrad's
comments on this request. Not only is no human inerrant, I doubt if
anything in human language can be inerrant either, but that's an old saw.
And yet in a way, there is nothing in the text that is totally
insignificant because the writer used it in the process of communication.

I am reminded of a sermon I read from Charles Davis in Canada. The title
was, "The Lust for Certitude." I'd love to get to the point that I could
say that I have found the only possible meaning for something in human
language. Then I would not have to live between heaven and earth by faith.

>I find grammatical commentaries very helpful, and they are reasonably
>accessible to beginning Greek exegetes. I have two, one written by a
>Catholic, and one written by a Southern Baptist: A Grammatical Analysis of
>the Greek New Testament, Max Zerwick and Mary Grosvenor. Rome: Biblical
>Institute Press, 1981. ISBN 88-7653-588-8, and Word Pictures in the New
>Testament, A.T.Robertson. Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist
>Convention, 1930. ISBN: 0-8010-7710. I rather think Zerwick and Robertson
>would have had wonderful conversations if they had met.
>
>2. Scriptural indexes in grammars
>
>I find it really helpful to look up passages in the indexes of my grammars
>and read the comments they make on specific points. Most of the really
>important exegetical points will be discussed in Robertson's Massive Yellow
>Tome (A Grammar of the New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, A.
>T. Robertson, Broadman-Holmann, 1934. ISBN: 0-8054-1308-1.)
>
>3. B-Greek
>
>If you *suspect* something may be significant, ask about it here. Hey, if
>some of the people who hang out here can't answer your question, you are
>going to have a hard time finding an answer in print! I find B-Greek a
>pretty amazing resource.
>
>4. Technical commentaries
>
>By this, I mean commentaries that discuss the way the Greek is being used.
>These are generally too expensive for me, and I rarely get down to the
>library to check them out, but they can be really helpful.
>
Now this is on the right track. Get all the help you can and pray.

Carlton L. Winbery
Fogleman Professor of Religion
Chair, Division of Religious Studies
winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net
winbery@andria.lacollege.edu
voice 318 487-7241
fax 318 442-4996



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