Default aorist, non-hypothetical example

KEN LITWAK (KDLITWAK@concentric.net)
Wed, 30 Oct 1996 08:44:04 -0800

I decided to try a real example, taken from 1 COr 15:
15:1 EUHGGELISAMHN
PARALABETE
15:3 PAREDWKA
Taking what I think Porter is saying (and I could be mistaken) and what
has been discussed here recently, what can I say about Paul's aorist
here? Can I at least say they happened in the past? Since they are
plain aorists, without modifiers, like adverbs, I assume I cannot
determine from them one way or another whether Paul showed up one day
and preached one time and the Corinthians received it that one time or
whether Paul preached a lot, many times, and in the course of that, the
Corinthians received it? Did Paul deliver tradition to them at one
time, or over time? Can the text here tell us semantically?

Or, for an action wholly?? in thepast, how about
Romans 6:3 EBAPTISQHMEN
Paul uses the aorist and I don't see anything to clarify his meaning.
So what does this aorist mean? We were once baptized in the past? We
have the status of being baptized at some unknown point? Is the baptism
completeed?
Or what about Eph 1:8
EPERISEUSSEN
Did this happen once in the past, over an unknown period in the past, in
the past at all? How can we decide?

Yes, Mari, I do have your dissertation and still owe you money for
duplication and postage.
Ken Litwak
GTU
Berserkely, CA

Now that I think abuot the title for this, maybe non-hypothetical
isn't a word. If it's not on the GRE, canit be real?