1.7 CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION I have sought to demonstrate that the syntax of the article-noun- kai<-noun plural construction has been largely misunderstood. It does 68 The ramifications of 5:2 and 10:26 for the doctrines of salvation and sanctifi- cation are manifold. Not only has God forgiven our waywardness, but he forgives it still.
69 See n. I.
70 See n. I.
71 See Malphurs, "Pastors and Teachers," 46-53.
72 Ibid., 52-53. Of course, that an elder should be able to teach does not necessarily indicate that he had the gift of teaching.
73 Ibid., 41-46.
84 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL not fit the Granville Sharp rule since the nouns are plural. Nor is its semantic range shut up to absolute distinction or absolute identity. By an exhaustive treatment of the construction in the NT, we discovered that there are three other semantic possibilities, in par- ticular the first noun could be a part of the second. A proper semantic grid has helped us in seeing possibilities in certain texts which have hitherto gone unnoticed and in omitting certain options on the basis of syntax which have been assumed true. Further exegetical work still needs to be done in many passages which have this construction, but it cannot proceed unless the starting point is a proper understanding of the semantic range of this construction in the NT. This material is cited with gracious permission from:
Grace Theological Seminary 200 Seminary Dr. Winona Lake, IN 46590 <www.grace.edu>
Please report any errors to Ted Hildebrandt at: thildebrandt@gordon.edu