From: Armando Cottim (DSI) (armando.cottim@mundialconfianca.pt)
Date: Wed May 19 1999 - 09:22:10 EDT
Hi fellows and excuse me for entering this subject's discussion.
While appreciating the concerned showed by some, allow me to tell you that I
fail to see the point of questioning the way a person writes.
OK, I write English with mistakes, both ortograph and grammar. It happens to
me also in French and Spanish. My mother language is Portuguese and mistakes
in other languages are natural. My English would probably be considered
"poor" and, sometimes, "horrid". Hey ... it's life! :-)
Peter, John and the others used Greek much like I use English. As a second
(?) language! Errors are natural and strong words to qualify them are
natural, too.
Also, some individuals are more prone to use strong adjectives than others.
Jim seems to be one of these. So what?
I have to say that Jim's strong vocabulary doesn't bother me. Maybe because
English is just a second language. Perhaps we could overcome these cultural
and personality differences and dedicate ourselves to what we do best? I
love the Word. I've dedicated the best part of my life to study it and I'm
still trying to learn more. Jim's insight's are always welcome, even if he
uses strong wording.
This said ... please do not consider this as flaming or attacking somebody
else. I just would like to spare some of the members (it was Jim this time
but others before and after are also concerned) of the inconvenient of not
sending us their ideas because they fear flames or strong reactions.
Love and peace my friends.
Armando
Armando A. Cottim
armando.cottim@mundialconfianca.pt
<mailto:armando.cottim@mundialconfianca.pt>
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jim West [SMTP:jwest@highland.net]
Sent: Quarta-feira, 19 de Maio de 1999 15:50
To: Biblical Greek
Subject: Re: Bad Greek
At 09:30 AM 5/19/99 -0400, you wrote
>
>At 9:05 AM -0400 5/19/99, Randy Leedy wrote:
>>In closing, I must say that I am puzzled to know what drives Jim
West
>>to continue using the most pejorative possible terms to describe
the
>>grammar of Revelation. What does "horrid" help us to understand
more
>>clearly ABOUT THE TEXT than something like "solecistic" or even
>>"highly awkward" would? Jim, I hope you don't mind my probing a
little
>>here. Since you continue using such terminology, I don't think I'm
out
>>of place in continuing to seek a clearer explanation.
Randy et al,
I assure you, my intention was not to offend. I sincerely apologize
if
anyone, in fact, was offended. I tend to use rather straightforward
language (as listers are fairly well aware). I take the Biblical
texts with
more seriousness than most, I think, as I have devoted my life, my
money,
and my career to its explication and explanation. I am no mere
dilettante
who studies the Bible as a hobby. It is, again, my life. (Let me
hasten to
say that I have the utmost regard for those who study the Bible but
who are
not "professionals". My point here however is that I have invested
thousands and thousands of dollars in education and books, and
hundreds of
thousands of hours in study of the Bible. I have earned the right
to speak.)
As a serious student of the Bible I take it, itself, with utmost
seriousness. I take seriously the words, phrases, syntax, and
intertextual
relationships. And I take seriously the fact that it cannot be
"flattened"
into one boring plane of grammar, syntax, or vocabulary. The varous
authors
were not automatons who simply received a dictated Verbum Dei.
Rather, they
were real human beings who used their own real abilities (or lack
thereof)
to communicate what they firmly believed was God's Word to them.
Since the Biblical texts come to us in human words- it behooves us
to study
them diligently to glean all we can from them. If we observe, in
that
undertaking, that some writer's grammar is "not good" (or any other
adjectival phrase you choose) then it is, at worst, dishonest, to
gloss it
over and pretend that the emperor is wearing clothes when he is in
reality
quite naked. Is God honored by dishonesty?
In any event, you asked for an explanation of my phraseology, and I
have
given it (however briefly). The bottom line is this- my intention
is never
to offend; and my intention is always to be honest.
Best,
Jim
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
email- jwest@highland.net
web page- http://web.infoave.net/~jwest
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