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gmark - Fw: Plural Reference of "us" in Mk 1.24

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Subject: Kata Markon

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  • From: "Joe A. Friberg" <JoeFriberg AT email.msn.com>
  • To: "Kata Markon" <gmark AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>, "Mark Proctor" <proctor AT icct.net>
  • Subject: Fw: Plural Reference of "us" in Mk 1.24
  • Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 14:20:57 -0600


The following is the forward of the message promissed in my immediately
previous posting on this topic.
Joe Friberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Proctor <proctor AT icct.net>
To: Joe A. Friberg <JoeFriberg AT email.msn.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 1999 9:47 PM
Subject: Re: Is it a question or not Mk 1.24b


> For what it's worth, I am of the opinion that the demoniac is speaking as
a
> representative of Capernaum. Jesus is out of his element, and is
> essentially a foreigner in a strange land. Note that the demoniac uses
the
> proper name "Jesus of Nazareth" to end his question (a geographical
> reference of some significance). I understand the demoniac's statement as
a
> rhetorical question, the purpose of which is to point out that Jesus, as a
> resident of Nazareth, has "nothing in common" with the people gathered
> together in the synagogue at Capernaum. To me, this is the most logical
way
> to interpret the passage, yet one that few mention as an alternative.
> Usually, there is some vague reference to the demoniac as a representative
> of the "demonic host." Given Mark's apparent intention (!) in the rest of
> chap. 1 to illustrate the rapid growth of Jesus' reputation as a teacher
and
> miracle worker, the "geographical" interpretation of 1:24b seems to make
the
> best sense of all the data.
>
> Mark Proctor
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Joe A. Friberg <JoeFriberg AT email.msn.com>
> To: Biblical Greek <b-greek AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 10:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Is it a question or not Mk 1.24b
>
>
> > I truly acknowledge the *possibility* of "us" refering to man + demon,
but
> > doubt the probability of this reference. I doubt that this is the
*usual*
> > form of reference by a demoniac. One might compare the "we" of Mk 5.9,
> but
> > that represents a third option: pluarality of demons. While you have
> > presented references and arguments puported to support the possibility
of
> > "us" refering to man + demon (or man + Spirit as the case may be), do
you
> > have any *examples* of such? (There may be some, but I can't think of
> > them.)
> >
> > I see nothing in the current context that necessitates the reading man +
> > demon: the introduction of the character is singular in v.23; I would
> fully
> > expect the congregation heard "us" and included themselves as opposed to
> > this outsider Jesus, for I do not think they would stop to ponder, 'O,
> this
> > man must be demonized since he is acting this way, therefore the demon
> must
> > be speaking and including just himself/itself and the man in "us"'; I
also
> > expect the demon was speaking more for the ears of the congregation
rather
> > than to dialogue with Jesus.
> >
> > This passage in Mark is high drama, not a theological treatise on
> > demonology!
> >
> > God Bless!
> > Joe Friberg
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Jeffrey White <jbwwhite AT sprynet.com>
> >
> >
> > > Since the demon was speaking through the man, 'us' logically refers to
> the
> > > man and the demon speaking together much as one might speak by the
> Spirit
> > of
> > > God referring to himself/herself and the Spirit when there is
agreement
> > > between them. In Ephesians 2:2, it says 'tou pneumatos tou nun
> energountos
> > > en tois uiois ths apeiqeias'. Mark 1:24 certainly presents a man
having
> a
> > > demon 'inworking' within him. James 2:19 says, 'ta daimwnia
pisteuousin
> > kai
> > > frissousin'. Thus the demon and the man speaking together express
> > something
> > > from a belief characterized by an expectation of destruction by the
> Lord.
> > >
> > > Jeffrey White
> > > jbwwhite AT sprynet.com
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Joe A. Friberg <JoeFriberg AT email.msn.com>
> >
> > > >Finally, does it make much difference which way it is taken?? In any
> > > event,
> > > >a demonized man has simply raised the issue of whether Jesus has come
> to
> > > >destroy "us". Whether he raised the issue as his belief in its
> > facticity,
> > > >as a question to find out if his suspicion was true, or as a taunt to
> > turn
> > > >the people against Jesus, does not really matter. Other questions
> could
> > be
> > > >raised about this outburst, such as: who is "us"--the man and the
> demon,
> > or
> > > >the congregation in the synagogue?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> > B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek
> > You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: proctor AT icct.net
> > To unsubscribe, forward this message to
> leave-b-greek-92915O AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
> > To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
> >
> >
> >
>







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