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corpus-paul - Re: Offender or offenders? (2 Cor 2 & 7)

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  • From: Jeff Peterson <peterson AT austingrad.edu>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Offender or offenders? (2 Cor 2 & 7)
  • Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 21:36:52 -0500


I have a question for the list: Why must we assume that 2 Cor 2:5-10; 7:12 refers to just one offender?

Paul introduces him/them with "if anyone" and this surely suggests that more than one person is intended. There are about two dozen other instances where Paul uses "EI TIS", and in most of these cases it is clear that he was referring to a plurality of people. In no case is reference obviously to a single individual. EI TIS, it seams, introduces a literary device by which Paul refers to many people, but uses singular terms. 2 Cor 1:7,10 is one such example.

There is good reason why Paul might want to use this literary device in 2 Cor 2:5-10; 7:12. He is wanting to down-play the scale of the offence, so as to effect a reconciliation. By using singular terms he de-emphasizes the problem.

It's not conclusive, but I would think that the congregational action reflected in 2:5-11 was more likely administered to one member than to a group. Also, if the "one wronged" in 7:12 is Paul himself, then it's more natural to take "the wrongdoer" there as a reference to one individual; one would expect "the one wronged" to be balanced with the plural "those who wronged [me]" if it was in fact a group.

Jeff Peterson
--
Jeffrey Peterson
Associate Professor of New Testament
Austin Graduate School of Theology
Austin, Texas, USA




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