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Re: List of participants in NT-GREEK



I am forwarding this note for the author:
David John Marotta, Medical Center Computing, Stacey Hall
Univ of Virginia (804) 982-3718 wrk INTERNET: djm5g@virginia.edu
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From: Dave Davis <ddavis@cass.ma02.bull.com>
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Subject: Re: List of participants in NT-GREEK
To: David John Marotta <djm5g%virginia.edu@dmt03.mcc.Virginia.EDU>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 11:26:49 EDT
In-Reply-To:  19920915.095012.djm5g@Virginia.EDU; from "David John Marotta" at
Sep 15, 92 9:50 am
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]


Hi David. Thank you for your list. My entry reads:

>	daved%westford.ccur.com@relay.cs.net>

Could you please update this to:

	ddavis@ma02.bull.com

(The 'daved' address still works, but I don't know for
how long).

Also, I recently tried to post a version of the note below to
no avail; have I the procedure wrong?

Thanks

Dave Davis

-----------
Subject: Relative dating of Parable versions

Hi all. Recently, I was looking at several of the parables given in the
Gospel_of_Thomas (from the Nag Hammadi library) that have canonical
parallels (logia #9, 20, and 64, for instance), and wondering,
what criteria do scholars use to rate the relative 'age' of
variants in the parables and other 'logia' ('sayings') of Jesus?

For instance, to take a canonical example, in
Matt 6:20 'no thief breaks/digs through' [Gr.'DIORUSSO'] while
in Luke 12:33 'no thief approaches' [Gr.'EGGIZO'], in generally equivalent
passages.  The Matt. phrasing might be seen as an older (closer to the
source) variant, based on its using the more concrete verb.

Well, after some head-scratching (and fruitless querying of some
net.boards, etc.) I did find what I was looking for, in J. Jeremias'
The_Parables_of_Jesus (2nd revised ed., 1970, Eng. trans. 1972).
He provides what I think is a useful list, so I'm offering it for
your collective perusal.

He calls these 'the laws of transformation', and lists them (on p. 113 of
the edition I'm using; abbrv. mine) in summing up the first part of
the book (which consists of looking at the argument for each of these
and providing examples):

	1. The translation of the parables into Greek involved an
	   inevitable change in their meaning.
	
	2. For the same reason representational material is
	   occasionally 'translated'.

	3. Pleasure in the embellishment of the parables is noticeable
	   at an early date.
	
	4. Occasionally passages of Scripture and folk-story themes
	   have influenced the shaping of the material.
	
	5. Parables which were originally addressed to opponents or
	   to the crowd have in many cases been applied by the primitive
	   Church to the Christian community
	
	6. This led to an increasing shift of emphasis to the
	   hortatory [dictionary def.: 'serving to encourage or urge to
	   good deeds' ] aspect, esp. from the eschatological to the
	   hortatory.

	7. The primitive Church related the parables to its own actual
	   situation, whose chief features were the missionary motive
	   & the delay of the 'Parousia'; it interpreted and expanded
	   them with these factors in view.

	8. To an increasing degree the primitive Church interpreted
	   the parables allegorically with a view to their hortatory use.

	9. The primitive Church made collections of parables, & occasionally
	   two parables were fused together.
	
	10.The primitive Church provided the parables with a setting, &
	   this often produced a change in the meaning; in particular,
	   by the addition of generalizing conclusions, many parables
	   acquired a universal meaning.
	
Jeremias also suggests some other lines for looking at relative dating
of the 'logia', such as Palestinian (vs Hellenistic or Roman) settings,
and Aramacisms ('Raca').

What criticisms can you offer of these 'laws'? What alternative
criteria are available? Thanks in advance for commentary and pointers.


Dave Davis, ddavis@ma30.bull.com
These are my opinions & activities alone

QOTD:

"Become as passers-by."
		Gospel_of_Thomas, attr. to Jesus