Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics: Open Questions in Current Research, eds. Porter, Stanley E. and D. A. Carson. Biblical Studies: Bloomsbury Academic Collections (Bloomsbury, 2015), 217 pages.
This volume is important for the development of aspect theory in New Testament Greek and the application of modern linguistics to the New Testament corpus. These lectures were presented at the 1990 and 1991 annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in the Consultation on Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics. It was originally published in 1993 in the JSNT Supplement Series, but it has now been republished by Bloomsbury in the Biblical Studies segment of their Academic Collections series.
Verbal Aspect
The first section is devoted to aspect theory, specifically Porter and Fanning’s 1989 and 1990 landmark publications on the topic. D. A. Carson introduces the debate between Porter and Fanning, briefly explaining where they agree and disagree. Following this essay are one each by Porter and Fanning examining in more detail their similarities and differences, but also critiquing one another’s works and suggesting ways forward.
Daryl Schmidt’s essay evaluates Fanning’s and Porter’s books as exhibiting two different approaches to aspect. Fanning’s major flaw is his rather traditional acceptance of Aktionsart categories and his lack of translations for his Greek examples in each category. Porter’s use of stative aspect has some precedence, but is uncertain, he has no morphological significance for the augment (71), and his volume is incredibly dense and his glosses are helpful but sometimes comment on irrelevant details. The major significance of these two volumes is the distinction between aspect and Aktionsart, which Schmidt hopes will now be accepted as clearly established (72).
Moisés Silva’s essay gives a substantive critique of both Fanning and Porter. He appreciates the intensive work of both authors, claiming “our knowledge and understanding of the Greek verbal system has taken a quantum leap forward” (75). Nevertheless, he finds many faults. Neither properly distinguish between different types of approaches to the question, such as pure linguistics, pedagogical, translational, and interpretive (76). He lists six other critiques as follows. (1) Exegesis can still be sound without a complete understanding of aspect, just as in English we can understand one another without a full understanding of aspect in English. (2) The desire for a clear cut definition of aspect is probably misguided, since language is fluid. (3) Sometimes, aspectual choices are dictated by grammar, so the choice is not really a choice. (4) Idiolect needs to be given more attention. (5) Some verbs tend to occur in certain tense-forms more than others, which Fanning was more sensitive to than Porter, but neither dealt with this fact enough. (6) Neither author distinguished between the information conveyed by aspect itself and the information given by the context as a whole. Fanning and Porter’s opposite conclusions on a related matter lead Silva to conclude that “exegetes and pastors as well advised to say as little as possible about aspect” (82).
Applying Modern Linguistics to New Testament Greek
The second section applies modern linguistic methodologies to New Testament Greek to see if the methodologies will provide useful results. The first essay is by far the best and most practical as an application of discourse analysis. In this essay, Jeffrey Reed performs a discourse analysis on 1 Timothy to argue that “Timothy” (whoever that may be) is the intended recipient of the letter. This runs contrary to the view of many scholars who view Timothy as a device to authenticate Paul’s authenticity by a pseudepigrapher, with the letter actually being addressed to the church at Ephesus with all its ecclesiastical instruction. Reed argues well that Timothy is the unifying thread to the various aspects of the macrostructure. This macrostructure is exemplified in the stated purpose for the letter in 1 Tim 3:14-15, which is addressed to Timothy. The conclusion is that Timothy is the thread that holds together the macrostructure of the entire letter, and he is the focus of the purpose for sending the letter, in order that he might know how to behave in the church of God. If this is correct, scholars have been incorrect that Timothy is a literary ploy for the pseudepigrapher, but that he (whoever Timothy is) is the true recipient of the letter. Reed’s essay is an exemplary use of discourse analysis to solve issues lying in stalemate.
The rest of the essays are similarly important, but probably not as practical in their payoff. Paul Danove uses Construction Grammar to examine the difference between genitive and accusative objects of ἀκούω as well as the textual variant at 1 John 2:20. Next, Micheal Palmer discusses an important question: how to properly learn and teach a dead language. In the last essay, Mark Krause examines the finite verb and cognate participle and argues it is imitating the Semitic construction of finite verb + cognate infinitive accusative. Each of these essays show the value of applying modern linguistics to study issues that can use more clarity.
Importance
But the main value of this volume is the first section on aspect theory. No landmark studies have been published since Fanning and Porter published theirs, and these initial essays are necessary reading for understanding the state of the discussion today.
These essays are essential reading for understanding the discussion on Greek verbal aspect Share on XThe Studies in Biblical Greek (Peter Lang) series is churning out many important studies on verbal aspect, such as Verbal Aspect, the Indicative Mood, and Narrative: Soundings in the Greek of the New Testament and Verbal Aspect and Non-Indicative Verbs: Further Soundings in the Greek of the New Testament, both by Constantine Campbell. In order to properly enter into these works, one should have a firm grasp on the “Porter-Fanning” debate, on the critiques between the two of them, and on the comments made by Carson, Schmidt, and Silva. This is a wise starting place for research in this area.
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