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Lexica and "authenteo"

I have no particular ax to grind about the Kroegers' book, since I hold no 
religious beliefs, though I'm happy with their friendship.  

Regarding word meanings (a topic addressed here often before), scholars of 
any stripe need to determine word meanings from close study of the texts 
and their contexts,   * not *   from mere "glib" repetition of lexica.

This is particularly true for hapax legomena or for NT hapaxes.  Does 
anyone simply fall back on the lexica for Matthew's "epiousios", for 
example?  Is that ever considered sufficient scholarship?  The modern 
academy was born when it began questioning Aristotle and other authority 
documents (of course, Euripides was reviled for just such advice...see the 
quotation below).  The Kroegers question the lexica and the translations.  
I should think lexicographers and translators would be happy for any 
discussion of the cruxes they so often encounter in ancient texts.

This book also addresses a text involving significant dogma.  Any reviewer 
is likely to have an opinion on the doctrinal issues brought up by 1 Tim. 
2, and all readers of reviews of texts on matters of dogma should take that 
very fact into consideration.

And in defense of the Kroegers' effort--whatever their conclusions--I would 
take issue with any review that claimed their assertions were done "sans 
evidence".  It is one thing to say that they arrived at incorrect 
conclusions from their evidence or to say that the evidence presented was 
irrelevant...quite another to make statements about the book that are 
untrue, for there is a substantial amount of evidence.  I am not prepared 
to declare on its validity, but that is not what Baugh was said to have 
maintained.  I appreciate his expertise, but there was much more material 
than mere Asia Minor epigraphy in their book.

--David N. Wigtil.  Technical Assessment.  U. S. Department of Energy. 
Sophronos d' apistias
ouk estin ouden khresimoteron brotois.  (Euripides, "Helen" 1617-1618) 
(There's nothing more helpful for mortals than sensible disbelief.) 
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