Corpus-Paul

[Jim West <jwest AT Highland.Net>]

At 11:45 AM 8/16/99 -0700, you wrote:

>      1.  Why did the NRSV translators go the route they did and revert to 
>the NA27 (Greek) numeration? (Or perhaps I should be asking the converse: 
>Why did all those other translators split the 12th verse in two, thereby 
>creating a fourteen verse 13th chapter?)

Becuase they decided to faithfully follow the Greek text instead of the
tradition of the KJV and its descendents.  (Of course the oldest mss of the
Greek text have no verse or chapter numbers anyway- so its all quite 
arbitrary.)

>
>      2. The practical question lurking behind all this is:  How do I cite 
>the words, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the 
>communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."? Should I call it 
>2Cor13.14, 2Cor13.13,  or am I forced forever hereafter to have to cite the 
>translation being used to avoid any confusion (as "2Cor13.13 [NRSV]", 
>"2Cor13.14 [REB]", etc.)

Cite the Greek text enumeration.
When I teach texts at Church to lay folk I always follow the Hebrew or Greek
citation numbers and explain to them that some English versions do their own
thing and divide some chapters differently- and that the oldest mss dont
have chapter and verse numbers anyway- so not to pay much attention to them
in interpreting.  Chapter and verse numbers are useful only in helping folk
find their place.  Nothing more.

>
>In most other cases of alternative verse numberings, there are at least 
>explanatory notes, especially in the NRSV, but I find no such help in any 
>of my versions in this case.
>
>Thanks for your diversion from serious matters to help a simple-mindedly 
>quizzical layman.

Serious matters?  So far as I am concerned there is nothing more serious or
more important than answering serious questions no matter how basic or
difficult they are.
The minutiae are what are a diversion from real matters.


Best,

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
email- jwest AT highland.net
web page-  http://web.infoave.net/~jwest