From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Sat Jan 20 2001 - 21:30:31 EST
At 4:45 PM -0500 1/20/01, "Jeff Nelson" <Once4AllNelson@aol.com> wrote:
>Looking for some help on a metaphor.
> Romans 13:14 "endusasthe". This word is also mentioned in Galatians 3:27,
>Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:12 .
> What does this metaphor mean?
> I understand that Paul is most likely refering to the toga praetexta and the
>toga virilis, which is known as coming of age or stepping over into maturity.
> I also understand that this word was used as an acting term meaning to act
>the part of or to put on certain characteristics and virtues . Does this
>mean that we step over into maturity by acting out these characteristics as
>an actor acts out a personality?
The metaphor of the actor makes considerable sense, inasmuch as Stoic
popular lecturing took the language of the stage and play-acting and it is
the source for some of the uses of PROSWPON (mask) and also of hUPOKRITHS
and cognates (hUPOKRITHS means 'actor'). But I think more probable is that
this language of clothing and disrobing has to do with initiation practice,
and very likely with Christian practice of baptism insofar as it means
dying and rising with Christ, entering the water as the PALAIOS ANQRWPOS
and emerging as a KAINOS ANQRWPOS, probably putting on a new suit of
clothes, and therewith a new life-style.
>Next question, synonyms.
> Does the word pneuma mean the same thing as nous?
>It is my understanding that these two terms do mean the same thing. This
>study has gotten me into alot of trouble with certain denominations because I
>believe that these terms do mean the same thing.
This is, I think, a bit dangerous; it's not altogether clear that these
psychological reference words are being used by every author--even every NT
author--in exactly the same sense. NOUS more commonly means something like
"rational intuition"--the clear vision of the mind that distinguishes
things that are conceptually different; I think that PNEUMA may include
NOUS but that it shouldn't be equated with it unless one is clear about the
particular context in which the word is found. In 1 Cor 14 Paul says he'd
rather speak 5 words with his NOUS than countless words in a "tongue" which
is generally thought to be a gift of the PNEUMA--and there he is talking
specifically about what is 'pneumatic' and what is not. So one ought not to
make too facile an equation of the two, in any case.
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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