REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT PATRICK A. TILLER The purpose of this study is to answer two basic questions con- cerning reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in the New Testament: (1) What are the syntactic constraints on reflexives, that determine when they may be used? (2) What are the semantic constraints that deter- mine when in fact they are used? In answering the first question the author considers both reflexives and reciprocals and discuss the whole NT; for the second, the author attempts to suggest answers for third person reflexives and based only on the Pauline Epistles commonly rec- ognized as authentic. Introduction The purpose of this study is to answer two basic questions concerning reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in the New Testament. (1) What are the syntactic constraints on reflexives, that determine when they may be used? (2) What are the semantic constraints that determine when in fact they are used? In answering the first question, I will consider both reflex- ives and reciprocals and discuss the whole NT. The answer to the second question differs depending on (1) whether the pronoun is third person or one of the first two persons; (2) whether it is a reflexive or reciprocal that is being used; and (3) who the author is. Therefore, I will only attempt to suggest answers to the second question for third person reflexives and based only on the Pauline Epistles commonly recognized as authentic 1. This has the advantage that it gives a body of literature with a single author (and therefore a single ideolect) and minimal interference from Semitic syntax. In this study I will assume a crude, undemonstrated transformational model of grammar 2. I will not argue for or even explain the model assumed except where necessary for the argument. In addition, for con- venience, I will use the language of more traditional grammars to refer to the various parts of speech. 1 The epistles that I will include are Romans, 1,2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1Thessalonians, and Philemon. 2 The following abbreviations will be used: NP for noun phrase, VP for verb phrase, and PP for prepositional phrase. In addition, I will use the term «matrix clause» to refer to a main clause and «embedded clause» to refer to a subordinate clause. Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XIV - 2001, pp. 43-63 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de Córdoba (España)