This Article Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Strelan, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A Note on (Luke 1.4)

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 4072 rick.strelan{at}uq.edu.au

The noun in Lk 1.4 is usually understood to refer to the certainty of the facts about Jesus that Luke wishes to convey to Theophilus through his Gospel. This article proposes another interpretation of this noun, namely that it refers to the sureness of the words and the soundness of their argument. It does so by noting the use of the noun and its cognates in Greek literature on style where it indicates balance, soundness and the assurance that an argument not be contradicted. Luke writes in a known and accepted literary style, using `sound' and `safe' words in order to shore up against potential contradiction and argument.

Key Words: asphaleia • certainty • literary style • Luke's Preface

Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 30, No. 2, 163-171 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0142064X07084774


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?