[b-greek] 2 Cor 8:24

From: Iver Larsen (iver_larsen@sil.org)
Date: Tue Dec 11 2001 - 07:28:08 EST


Looking at this text I prefer an alternative analysis than what appears to
be the commonly accepted one. I would like some feedback whether such an
alternative is better or worse than the common one.

THN OUN ENDEIXIN THS AGAPHS hUMWN KAI hHMWN KAUCHSEWS hUPER hUMWN EIS AUTOIS
ENDEIKNUMENOI EIS PROSWPON TWN EKKLHSIWN

The background is that Paul is sending several co-workers to Corinth to help
them go ahead with the collection of money as a gift for the poor in
Jerusalem. As they arrive, Paul is urging the Corinthians to show their
love, in part by giving of their surplus to those who have less. Paul has
also been boasting about the Corinthians to Titus as shown in 7:14.

The question is what the last prepositional phrase - EIS PROSWPON TWN
EKKLHSIWN - is to be connected with. All the translations I have checked
seem to take it with THN ENDEIXIN ... ENDEIKNUMENOI "(be) displaying the
display of your love before the churches".
My alternative is to see two parallel objects (objective genitives) for
making a display, that is, there are two things Paul has said about them
that they need to demonstrate are true. One is the simple nounphrase THS
AGAPHS hUMWN. The other is a cluster of NPs: hHMWN KAUCHSEWS hUPER hUMWN EIS
AUTOIS EIS PROSWPON TWN EKKLHSIWN.
From the context I get the idea that Paul had been boasting about the
Corinthians "to them", i.e. to Titus and the other emissaries of the
churches (see v. 23) and he had been doing his boasting in front of the
church congregations. Therefore, it would be an even greater appeal to the
Corinthians not to let him down.
My main problem is the difficulty of seeing how they in Corinth could
demonstrate their love in front of the churches (which ones?). It seems more
likely that Paul has been demonstrating his boasting in front of those
churches he has visited and especially those who chose emissaries to take
care of the money collection. I find some support for this interpretation in
the following verses of 9:2-4 where Paul is anxious that his boasting to the
Macedonians might turn out to be "empty" KENWQHi and he as well as they
would then be humiliated - KATAISCUNQWMEN.

Any thoughts?
Iver Larsen


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