Re: On the interpretation of the New Testament

From: Edgar M. Krentz (emkrentz@mcs.com)
Date: Thu Dec 25 1997 - 15:41:54 EST


I like your question. And, YES, native speakers of Koine Greek spoke and
understood it the way you do a foreign language or your own. I do not parse
German sentences, I read them. I usually do not stop to parse a Greek
sentence in the NT after atudying and reading clasical and Koine Greek for
54 years.

Prof. Ernst Kaesemann once remarked that "die Hermeneutik ist nur eine
Nothilfe." (Hermeneutics is only used when you have a problem, a very free
translation.)

That's the way it is with discussions on b-greek. If someone asks a
question about a particular Greek term or syntactical relationship, then I
have to stop and bring to expression the underlying, unexpressed thoughts
that lead me to a particular interpretation. It is when I have a question
arise about a term or phrase that I have recourse to syntax, lexicon,
parallel passages, etc.

I hope this addresses your question somewhat.

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Edgar Krentz
Professor of New Testament
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Telephone: (773) 256-0752
e-mail: Office: ekrentz@lstc.edu;
Home: emkrentz@mcs.com
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