Syntactical and Discourse Analysis

NT 400

10/14/04

Wagner

Greek Grammar

Use of Grammars

• example – dia pistews cristou
• “faith of Christ”
• grammar quickly moves to theology of Paul
• grammatical arguments are well-balanced
• help with meaning of prepositions
• help with verb tenses

hghmai / hgoumai

• perfect and present tense
• context – how they play off of each other
• over-emphasis on aorist tense (abused aorist, errant aorist intepretors)

Aorist abuse

• a-orist means not defined
• aspect – way speaker presents an action
• incorrect – “this is a once-for-all action”
• doesn’t describe anything in Philippians 2:6-7, just names it
• aorist is the default tense because it means nothing
• does not have to be “point action”
• to not use the aorist shows potential importance
• Romans 12:1 – present yourselves (aorist) – once for all
• aorist doesn’t say once for all OR daily – no aspect

Words have a sense

• some paraphrasing remove the specific sense
• amplified bible – illegitimate totality transfer

Interpretative Essay

• deductive
• state thesis
• show 3-4 ideas that back up the thesis
• inductive
• state thesis
• share 3-4 ideas that lead to the conclusion
• thesis – make specific statement (claim) based on text and referring back to the text
• idea – name, God giving name to Jesus that is above all names shows Jesus to be Lord (both God of Israel and all)
• interpreters – read them, enter into discussion
• acknowledge others who think differently on the idea
• acknowledge others who support idea
• what is the main claimer of this text on the reader?

Philippians – Parallel between Christ Jesus and Paul

Philippians 1:27-2:11 – Christ Jesus	Philippians 3:3-21 - Paul
Pre-existent glory of Christ Privilege	Pre-existent glory as Jew Privilege
Emptying	Empties himself – considers it a loss
Death	Death
Christ exalted	Upward call of God
Instruction followed by Example - live in a manner worthy of the gospel	Instruction followed by Example - live in a manner worthy of the gospel
Live as citizens	3:20 – our citizenship is in heaven
Like-mindedness – start	Like-mindedness (3:13) - one thing
Suffering – obedient to death	Suffering – becoming like him in his death
God-initiated	Upward call
1:6 –thing to be grasped	God’s work grasping –3:12 – grasped onto me

Overall

inclusio – citizenship on both sides

Differences

• Jesus returning to pre-existent glory / Paul does not return to being a Hebrew of Hebrews
• Paul in Christ as he moves up toward sharing in sufferings and resurrection

Idea

• God gives Jesus a new name at exaltation
• Would Paul get a new name at point of higher calling?
• What about a new name?
• Currently? Post-resurrection?
• relationship to bodily resurrection? new body, new name
• 3:20-21 – But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.