Wallace_The Article II: Special Uses and non-uses of the article

Question 1

What is Colwell’s construction

Answer 1

an anarthrous preverbal predicate nominative

Question 2

A predicate nominative that is anarthrous and follows the copula is usually?

Answer 2

indefinite or qualitative

Question 3

What is Colwell’s rule

Answer 3

definite predicate nouns which precede the verb usually lack the article (must find out from context whether the noun is definite)

Question 4

How do people usually misunderstand Colwell’s rule?

Answer 4

1. they though he was asserting the converse of the rule
2. they thought, an anarthrous predicate nominative that precedes the verb is usually definite (this is not the rule)(If it is raining there must be clouds in the sky; and since there are clouds in the sky it must be raining)

Question 5

An anarthrous preverbal PN is typically what?

Answer 5

80% are qualitative

Question 6

What is the semantic range for preverbal and postverbal PN?

Answer 6

1. preverbal: mostly qualitative sometimes definite

2. postverbal: about equal between qualitative and indefinite

Question 7

What is a way to tell if a PN is qualitative or definite?

Answer 7

1. swap the subject with the predicate nominative
2. if the sentence makes the same sense, then the PN is definite since the construction involves a convertible proposition

Question 8

How does Colwell relate to John 1:1c?

Answer 8

1. It fits Colwell’s construction (it is anarthrous and comes before the verb)
2. but it might not fit the rule (context must decide if it definite)

Question 9

Why should we not take θεος in John 1:1c as indefinite?

Answer 9

1. Grammatically there is little chance that the preverbal anarthrous noun is indefinite; it is most likely qualitative
2. Contextually, John’s theology identifies Jesus as divine several times (5:23; 8:58; 10:30; 20:28)

Question 10

Why should we not take θεος in John 1:1c as definite?

Answer 10

1. the vast majority of definite anarthrous preverbal predicate nominatives are monadic, in genitive constructions, or are proper names, (none of which is true here)
2. in John 1:1b θεος is the Father and it says the λογος was with God
3. it would make no sense to say that the λογος was with the Father and in the next breath say that the λογος was the Father

Question 11

Why should we take θεος in John 1:1c as qualitative?

Answer 11

1. This is most likely the case grammatically, contextually, and theologically (see Wallace, 120)

Question 12

What is the Granville Sharp rule?

Answer 12

when an article-substantive-kai-substantive (TSKS) involves personal nouns that were singular and not proper names, they always refer to the same person

Question 13

Explain more the Granville sharp rule and some implications

Answer 13

1. when the two nouns are connected by a kai and the article precedes only the first noun
2. there is a close connection; indicating some sort of unity
3. may be equality, or possible same identity

Question 14

What are the three specifications that indicate the TSKS construction indicates exact identity?

Answer 14

1. neither is impersonal
2. neither is plural
3. neither is a proper name
   (most of the time the Granville Sharp rule is abused is because there is one of these specifications that are present in the text that were over looked)

Question 15

What are the semantic options that might be in view when the nouns in a TSKS construction are plural

Answer 15

1. distinct groups, though united
2. overlapping groups
3. first group subset of second
4. second group subset of first
5. both groups identical (this is most common [“those who have seen and believe”])

Question 16

What are the semantic options that might be in view when the nouns in a TSKS construction are impersonal?

Answer 16

1. Can be the same as the plural (ie distinct groups, overlapping, etc)
2. but the identical category is rare (only one clear example)