Re: Verses which need to be read in the Grk

From: Edward Hobbs (EHOBBS@WELLESLEY.EDU)
Date: Thu Dec 31 1998 - 12:08:57 EST


Colleagues:

Jason Rachels has asked an interesting question, which deserves some
helpful answers. My own suggestion would be all of Philemon, which is
25 verses (probably more than Jason wanted). David McKay has already
recommended parts of the letter. The amazing thing is that the ultimate
meaning of the entire letter is visible only in the Greek (unless one
produces a comentary explaining the Greek!).

The scholar who laid this out clearly was John Knox, in his original
doctoral dissertation at Chicago, then later in his little gem of a book,
_Philemon Among the Letters of Paul_, 1935 (rev. ed. 1959).

Above all, Paul's play on ambiguous words:

        ANAPAUW
        ANAPEMPW
        APECW
        GNWMH
        KOINWNIA
        PARAKALW
        PRESBUTHS

and on related words:

        ONHSIMOS -- ONAIMHN ---- ACRHSTOS -- EUCRHSTOS
        KOINWNIA -- KOINWNOS

and of course the shift into the singular 2nd person for the bulk of the
letter, now invisible in English (except in the South!).

Paul's REAL request, which he dare not make explicit, comes through as a
matter of repeated ambiguities, double-meanings, and implied significance.
He really wants the slave-owner (probably Archippus?) to set Onesimus
free and send him back to Paul, who awaits the owner's legal judgment
on the appeal which Paul has sent up to him (as to an appeals court--
is Archippus a judge?). That's an expensive request--like the price
of a new automobile today.

Taking English-only readers through this little letter, or (even better)
a class starting to read the GNT after reading only classical texts,
is a wonderful experience for a teacher. Lots of "Aha!"s for everyone!

----------Jason wrote---->>>>>>>>>.

For a course I will be teaching this winter I am looking for suggestions of
verses which truly lose a lot in the translation, verses which show the value
of being able to read the New Testament in Greek. Please suggest a verse or
two and explain why it needs to be read in the Greek. Thank you for your
help.

Jason Rachels
rachelsj@aol.com

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