Re: Luke 1:2

From: James P. Ware (jw44@evansville.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 05 1999 - 12:12:56 EST


Dear B-Greekers:

I sent this inquiry just before Christmas, but didn't get any replies,
either because everyone found the question entirely uninteresting, or
because they missed it due to the holiday. I thought I would send it
again and find out which!

On Wed, 23 Dec 1998, James P. Ware wrote:

>
> I think with Christmas coming, a question on Luke 1-2 might be
> appropriate!
>
> In Luke 1:2, most interpreters recognize the presence of but one article
> governing two nouns connected by KAI as indicating that "the eyewitnesses
> and servants of the word" refers not to two distinct groups, but to one
> group described under a twofold aspect. (If any one would question this,
> that would be additional fodder for discussion, besides the question I
> pose below). Most thus seem to understand the two aspects as 1)
> eyewitnesses, and 2) servants of the word, construing TOU LOGOU with
> "servants" but not with "eyewitnesses." Indeed, if TOU LOGOU be construed
> with both nouns, this would seem to require a more pregnant sense for
> LOGOS here, one with affinities to the use of LOGOS in John's prologue
> as a designation for the eternal and incarnate Word, Jesus Christ (1:1,
> 1:14). In looking into this question, I have been somewhat surprised to
> discover that, in every instance which I have examined of a genitive
> preceding or following two or more nouns connected by KAI, whether these
> nouns are anarthrous or connected by one article, the genitive seems to
> construe with BOTH nouns (e.g. Phil 4:20; Jude 4; Phil 1:7; 1:11; 4:1; 1
> Thess 2:12; Col 2:2; 1 Pet 2:25; Rom 1:26; Lk 14:21). So I will state a
> tentative hypothesis as a basis for discussion: when a genitive precedes
> or follows a group or two or more nouns, whether connnected by KAI or
> anrthrous, the genitive modifies BOTH nouns; therefore TOU LOGOU in Luke
> 1:2 modifies both nouns--they are both servants of the word and
> eyewitnesses of the word (Word?). Can anyone share evidence for or
> against this hypothesis?
>
>
> Merry Christmas!
>
>
> Jim Ware
>
>

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