44 Adelbert Denaux of language and style which suggests influence, direct or indirect, of Aramaic or Hebrew upon the Greek”53, or should we rather think in terms of frequency (frequently occurring idioms that are not un-Greek as such)54? Secondly, the question of origin: what are the possible causes of those “semitic” idioms in the Greek of Lk-Acts: use of semitic sources55, conscious or unconscious imitation of the (translation) Greek of the Septuagint56, bilingualism of the author57, etc.? Finally, the question of its frequency and relevance: how important is this phenomenon (inventory of all items) and what is its relevance; is it only a question of style58, or is it also a question of language? D.B. Wallace sees style almost exclusively in connection with semitic influence: “It is our conviction that the language of the NT needs to be seen in light of three poles, not one: style, grammar, vocabulary. To a large degree, the style is Semitic59, the syntax is conversational/literary Koine (the descendant of Attic), and the vocabulary is vernacular Koine”60. As we stated before, semitisms can be explained as a phenomenon of Lukan style. Luke’s style, however, cannot be reduced to the question of semitisms61. 5. Style and Rhetoric Another question is whether Luke was acquainted, in one way or another, with classical rhetorics. Study of style, that is the way one has to speak and to write, was an integral part of rhetorical education. The task M. Wilcox, “Semiticisms”, ABD 4 (1992) 1081-86. 53 J.H. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek. Vol. 1. Prolegomena (Edinburgh 54 1906; 31908 [repr. 1955]) 10-11. E. Schweizer, “Eine hebraisierende Sonderquelle des Lukas?”, TZ 6 (1950) 161-85. 55 J.W. Voelz, “The Language of the New Testament”, in W. Haase (ed.), Religion 56 (Vorkonstantinisches Christentum: Leben und Umwelt Jesu; Neues Testament, Forts. [kanonische Schriften und Apokryphen]) (ANRW, II, 25/2; Berlin-New York 1984) 893-977. M. Silva, “Bilingualism and the Character of New Testament Greek”, Biblica 61 57 (1980) 198-219. Silva, “Bilingualism”. 58 D.B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basis. An Exegetical Syntax of the New 59 Testament. With Scripture, Subject, and Greek Word Indexes (Grand Rapids, MI 1996) 27: “Its style, on the other hand, is largely Semitic – that is, since almost all of the writers of the NT books are Jews, their style of writing is shaped both by their religious heritage and by their linguistic background”. D.B. Wallace, Grammar, 27-28. 60 This is the deficiency of N. Turner, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (by J.H. 61 Moulton), Vol. IV. Style (Edinburgh 1976), who reduces “The Style of Luke-Acts” almost exclusively to the issue of the Semitic character of his language.