The Historical Evidence for the Virgin BirthTaylor, Vincent
Religion
The Historical Evidence for the Virgin Birth
Taylor, Vincent
Bible. Gospels; Jesus Christ -- Nativity; Virgin birth
3. We have referred to δύναμις already,(63) and have said that while
frequent in Lk., it is too common a word to be important for our present
purpose. The case is otherwise with the phrase δύναμις Ὑψίστου. St. Luke
is fond of using δ. in composition with other words in the genitive. In
his Gospel, he employs it with τὸ πνεῦμα, ὁ θεός, Κύριος, οἱ οὐρανοί, and
ὁ ἐχθρός. In the Acts (viii. 10) we have ἡ Δύναμις τ. θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη
Μεγάλη. In Mt. we find this usage twice; in Mk. once; in the main epistles
of St. Paul it occurs 13 times; elsewhere in the New Testament 7 times.
That is to say, out of 29 instances in the New Testament (other than i.
35),(64) St. Luke has 6 (or 20 per cent.). We may therefore say that this
again is a marked characteristic of St. Luke’s usage, and though the
phrase δ. Ὕ. does not occur again in Lk. (it occurs nowhere else in the
NT.), it is thoroughly congruous with the Lukan style. We have also to
note the word Ὕψιστος. Out of 12 instances in the New Testament St. Luke
actually has 8, or 75 per cent. As, however, three of these occur in
chaps. i and ii, it might be argued that the interpolator has introduced
Ὕ. in verse 35 under the influence of these very chapters. That, however,
he should combine it with δ. is interesting. Indeed, on the theory of
interpolation, our interpolator has combined a distinctively Lukan word
(Ὕψιστος) with another word (δύναμις) which St. Luke often uses (24
times), to produce a characteristic Lukan phrase (δ. in composition with a
noun in the genitive)!
4. Διὸ καί. Elsewhere St. Luke uses διό 9 times (once in the Gospel and 8
times in the Acts). In this respect he may be compared with St. Paul, who
uses the word 25 times, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who
employs it 8 times. In the Catholic Epistles it appears 6 times. There is
but one instance in Mt. and a doubtful case in Mk. The results are also
interesting when we take διὸ καί. Out of 10 instances in the New
Testament, St. Luke has 2 (Ac. x. 29 and xxiv. 26), St. Paul has 6, and
Hebrews 2. There is not an instance in Mt. or Mk., or anywhere else in the
New Testament. We are far from suggesting that no one else could use διὸ
καί.(65) The point is that the supposed interpolator has introduced the
phrase into the work of a writer who, with St. Paul and the author of
Hebrews, alone among New Testament writers employs it!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account