[B-Greek] Caution Re: PNEUMA hAGION as a proper name

Steve Runge srunge at logos.com
Thu May 13 13:00:38 EDT 2010


Hi Blue,

There is a more recent treatment of these issues by Stephen Levinsohn that I think would inform the discussion. Here is the introduction to chapter 9 from his "Discourse Features of the Greek New Testament," (Dallas: SIL international, 2000), 160.

"Throughout the Greek New Testament, nouns whose referents are “known, particular” (BDF §252) are at times preceded by the article (they are said to be “articular or arthrous”—Porter 1992:104) and at times appear without it (they are said to be “anarthrous”). Wallace (1996:209) notes:

'The function of the article is not primarily to make something definite that would otherwise be indefinite... There are at least 10 ways in which a noun in Greek can be definite without the article. For example, proper names are definite even without the article Παῦλος means “Paul,” not “a Paul”). Yet, proper names sometimes take the article. Hence, when the article is used with them it must be for some other purpose.'

This chapter is concerned with one such purpose. It claims that, if the referent of an anarthrous noun phrase is known and particular (or, to be more exact, if the author assumes that the reader will be able to assign it unique referential identity—see sec. 9.1), this gives it prominence. It is marked as prominent because it is of particular importance.
	Thus, out of the cast of participants involved in events being described by an author, one (or, occasionally, two) may be marked as being most important because they are central to the story at that point. In other words, they are salient (sec. 8.2). Similarly, out of the constituents of a comment about a propositional topic, one or two may be marked as being most important because they are focal in the sentence. Anarthrous references to entities with unique referential identity have a part to play in identifying which participants or constituents are currently important.
	To illustrate this claim, I consider the presence versus the absence of the article in three situations: with proper names for people in the Gospels and Acts (sec. 9.2), with other substantives  (sec. 9.3) and, in particular, with points of departure (sec. 9.4). First, though, I briefly review some general characteristics of the article."

Hope this helps,

Steven E. Runge, DLitt
Scholar-in-Residence
Logos Bible Software
srunge at logos.com
www.logos.com
www.ntdiscourse.org





-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Blue Meeksbay
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 9:51 AM
To: Carl Conrad
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Caution Re: PNEUMA hAGION as a proper name

Thanks Dr. Conrad…I was afraid this thread was beginning to drift toward things not appropriate for B-Greek. I tried to stay on the proper side of the line by leaving out some of the things Middleton stated. In all likelihood, I think this thread probably has gone about as far as it can go without crossing that line of demarcation, and probably should be ended. Thanks again for your word of caution. 
 
Sincerely, 
Blue Harris




________________________________
From: Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
To: Blue Meeksbay <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com>
Cc: Rolf Furuli <furuli at online.no>; b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Thu, May 13, 2010 9:33:31 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] Caution Re: PNEUMA hAGION as a proper name

On May 13, 2010, at 12:00 PM, Blue Meeksbay wrote:
> Dear Rolf:
>  
> Thanks so much for your thoughts. This seems like an excellent book. I have begun reading it, having found it at http://books.google.com/books?id=zCctAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=doctrine+of+the+greek+article+inauthor:middleton&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false
>  His section is really interesting on how the article came to be associated with proper names, as seen in Homer, especially when he says, *Nothing can be more certain than that the Article, so far as ever being intended to define the name, as most writers take for granted, is rather defined by the name.* (pg. 77)
> Getting back to the question at hand, you wrote: <But the 
> lack of article may also indicate that the entity 
> in question is an "it" and not a "he" or "she," 
> as Middleton implied. If we follow this line of 
> reasoning-and I speak on the basis of linguistics 
> and not on the basis of theology- I ask: If 
> Middleton is correct and the lack of article 
> indicates that PNEUMA hAGION in these instances 
> is an "it" (influence or function), could not the 
> same be true in the other instances where the 
> article is found, to the point where PNEUMA 
> hAGION always is an "it" and not a "he"?>
>  
> I am not sure if I agree. It seems that one of the problems with the GNT is that sometimes it is difficult to ascertain just what was in the mind of the writer. He is not here for us to ask, *Just what did you mean by that phrase?* so we are sometimes thrown upon the wider body of writing – to others who supposedly held similar opinions. Sometimes this seems to be the only way to obtain a reasonable conclusion. Obviously, the ones closer to the time of the writer are a better source for comparison. 
>  
> When we do this I think it is reasonable to see what the writer of the Gospel of John believed regarding the Holy Spirit. I think one will see he believed the Spirit was more than just an influence or function, but understood him as a Person..
>  
> JOHN 16:13 hOTAN DE ELQHi EKEINOS, TO PNEUMA THS ALHQEIAS, hODHGHSEI hUMAS EN THi ALHQEIAi PASHi• OU GAR LALHSEI AF᾽ hEAUTOU, ALL᾽ hOSA AKOUSEI LALHSEI KAI TA ERCOMENA ANAGGELEI hUMIN.
>  
> *But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth…*
> Here we have the masculine pronoun EKEINOSjoined with the neuter PNEUMA in apposition, thereby showing the Spirit is more than just a function, at least in the mind of John. He repeatedly uses EKEINOSas is seen below.
>  
> JOHN 14:26 hO DE PARAKLHTOS, TO PNEUMA TO hAGION, hO PEMYEI hO PATHR EN TWi ONOMATI MOU, EKEINOS hUMAS DIDAXEI PANTA KAI hUPOMNHSEI hUMAS PANTA hA EIPON hUMIN [EGW]. 
>  
> JOHN 15:26 hOTAN ELQHi hO PARAKLHTOS hON EGW PEMYW hUMIN PARA TOU PATROS, TO PNEUMA THS ALHQEIAS hO PARA TOU PATROS EKPOREUETAI, EKEINOS MARTURHSEI PERI EMOU•
>  
> JOHN 16:8 KAI ELQWN EKEINOS ELEGXEI TON KOSMON PERI hAMARTIAS KAI PERI DIKAIOSUNHS KAI PERI KRISEWS•
>  
> JOHN 16:13 hOTAN DE ELQHi EKEINOS, TO PNEUMA THS ALHQEIAS, hODHGHSEI hUMAS EN THi ALHQEIAi PASHi• OU GAR LALHSEI AF᾽ hEAUTOU, ALL᾽ hOSA AKOUSEI LALHSEI KAI TA ERCOMENA ANAGGELEI hUMIN.
>  
> JOHN 16:14 EKEINOS EME DOXASEI, hOTI EK TOU EMOU LHMYETAI KAI ANAGGELEI hUMIN.
>  
> In addition, I think it is interesting to consider the writer of the epistle to Ephesians. He mentions that we should not grieve the Holy Spirit. This seems to indicate a Person and not just a function, for how could a *function* be grieved?
>  
> EPHESIANS 4:30 KAI MH LUPEITE TO PNEUMA TO hAGION TOU QEOU, EN hWi ESFRAGISQHTE EIS hHMERAN APOLUTRWSEWS.
>  
> Therefore, I do not think I would conclude that PNEUMA hAGIONorTO PNEUMA TO hAGION is just an *influence or function,* but rather was considered a Person by the writers of the GNT, although, I would agree with you that the Person of the Holy Spirit has specific *influences and functions.*
>  
> I guess we just have different opinions on this point, which is not an unusual phenomenon on B-Greek. I guess everyone will just have to decide for themselves.


It's good that you acknowledge and accept difference of opinions on this point (and presumably on several others). Everyone will indeed "just have to decide for themselves."
That is precisely why our FAQ (http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/faq.html) declares:

"B-Greek is not a forum for general Bible issues, except insofar as they may bear specifically upon interpretation of a particular Greek text, Neither is it a forum for general or specific hermeneutical or theological issues."

The matter of "the personhood of the Holy Spirit" falls into the category of "general or specific hermeneutical or theological issues."

Carl W. Conrad
Co-Chair, B-Greek List
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)


      
---
B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek


More information about the B-Greek mailing list