[B-Greek] 2 Peter 1:20 and context

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu May 27 07:21:57 EDT 2010


On May 27, 2010, at 1:21 AM, Iver Larsen wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
> To: "Oun Kwon" <kwonbbl at gmail.com>
> Cc: "B-Greek Lists" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: 27. maj 2010 07:57
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 2 Peter 1:20 and context
> 
> 
>> More or less, but why should one feel compelled to consider the latter before 
>> the former?
>> george
>> gfsomsel
>> 
> 
> Because cultures differ in how they organize their thought patterns and thinking 
> processes, see Robert B. Kaplan's research on thought patterns in intercultural 
> communication.
> It is common in the bible to give the explanation after the main point, but 
> because English thought pattern is linear, it is often easier to think of the 
> reason before the result, or the background explanation before the main point. 
> It is this English linear thought pattern that lead commentators, including 
> Mounce, to look at the verses before 20-21 in search of context, whereas the 
> most important context for v. 20 is v. 21.  I realize that modern English 
> literature and movies no long adhere to the linear sequence, but the linear 
> thinking is still the default patter in English.

I think this is valid; that's not to say the order is uniform or universal in any
culture. Greek may indicate a fact and then state an inference to be drawn
from it, but the explanatory GAR clause following upon an assertion seems
to be the standard form of an inferential proposition in Greek, as is the case
here in 2 Peter 1:20-21.

With regard to IDIAS EPILUSEWS OU GINETAI, however, --

Iver: "So, if we look at v. 20, IDIAS most likely refers to the person/prophet at any 
unspecified time, since these are the people that occur in v. 21.
The GINETAI refers to a prophecy "happening" or "coming into being" in parallel 
to FERW and LALEW.
Because of these parallels, EPILUSIS must have its basic meaning of "releasing", 
i.e. the prophet releases (speaks out or writes) the prophetic words he or she 
has received from God through the Holy Spirit." --

I really think that GINETAI is more a copula than a verb of generation, and I
think that IDIAS EPILUSEWS must be a predicate genitive: "isn't ever a
matter of personal resolution/interpretation." I don't think there's any parallel 
of GINETAI with FERW and LALEW and I don't think that IDIAS EPILUSEWS
as a genitive phrase without a preposition can have an instrumental sense. I just
don't think that IDIAS EPILUSEWS OU GINETAI is at all parallel to hUPO 
PNEUMATOS hAGIOU FEROMENOI ELALHSAN APO QEOU ANQRWPOI.

I think I must side with Yancy on this one. I would underscore yet once again,
however, that, however convinced each of us may be of the rightness of our
construal of the elements of a text like this, the Greek text itself is open to
more than one way of understanding it.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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