Lesson 01 Rhetorical Issues

Lesson 01
Col 1:1-2
Rhetorical Issues last revised: 1/27/05
To display the Greek text contained in this page, download and install the free BSTGreek True Type fonts from Bible Study Tools. The Greek text is based upon the United Bible Societies The Greek New Testament, fourth revised edition. By rhetorical issues is intended the internal literary scructure of the pericope, along with some attention to the literary setting of the pericope. The above hyperlink takes you to the page "Steps to a Literary Structural Analysis of the Greek Text," in which you will want to take note of the section "Semantic Diagraming" that grows out of the Block Diagram of the pericope. This provides the starting point for the consideration of rhetorical issues present in the pericope.Don't forget to use the online sources available in iPreach (above hyperlink) as important secondary sources.

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General Issues

1. How were ancient letters composed?
    This includes both internal and external aspects.
    By internal I mean the literary form "letter" in the ancient world.
    Begin your study with the NT Genre page at Cranfordville.com. See my discussion on Letters also. For further study see the Bibliography on Letters at Cranfordville.com

By external I mean the writng procedure for composing letters, including the use of a writing secretary.

2. How does Colossians come together as a letter? Identify the various aspects of an ancient letter inside the contents of the document.
Begin your study with Epistolary Division in the Letters of Paul at Cranfordville.com. Note: Underneath this general listing will be found a detailed presentation with text materials etc.

3. How does Colossians compare to the other letters of Paul?
Begin your study with Epistolary Division in the Letters of Paul at Cranfordville.com. Note: Underneath this general listing will be found a detailed presentation with text materials etc. For further study see the Bibliography on Letters at Cranfordville.com.

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Praescriptio
Col. 1:1-2

4. Identify the various segments of the Praescriptio in Col. 1:1-2.
Use my discussion on Praescriptio as a beginning point. For further study see the Bibliography on Letters at Cranfordville.com.

5. Evaluate from the translations, parsing and commentaries the issue of whether or not to take aJgivoi" in verse two as a substantival adjective or as an attributive adjective.

a) Translate verse 2a using both options.

b) Identify which translations adopt each option.

c) From commentaries assess the implications of each option.

d) Draw a conclusion as to the more preferred option, stating the reasons for this conclusion.

6. How does the Colossians Praescriptio compare to the same segment in the other letters of Paul?
Base your analysis on the Greek text of the Pauline Praescriptia, rather than an English translation.