Peter Spitaler, «Doubting in Acts 10:27?», Vol. 20 (2007) 81-93
The verb diakri/nomai occurs twice in the Acts of the Apostles. Many contemporary interpreters assert it means «hesitate/doubt» in 10:20 –a meaning of the middle and passive voices that, according to opinio communis, first surfaces in NT texts– and «contest/dispute» in 11:2, its classical/Hellenistic meaning. In this article, I first discuss and critique the criteria that guide scholars to render diakri/nomai in Acts 10:20 with a meaning that diverges from extra-biblical Greek meaning categories. Next, I investigate the verse within its immediate (10:9-20) and larger literary contexts (10:1-11:18) to show that interpretations of the phrase mhde\n diakrino/menoj that rely on a «NT meaning» of diakri/nomai (i.e., «doubting nothing») have no support in the text. Rather, the placement of Acts 10:20 within its literary context supports a rendering of diakri/nomai in accordance with classical/Hellenistic Greek conventions.
81
“DOUBTING†IN ACTS 10:20?
PETER SPITALER
The verb διακÏίνομαι occurs twice in the Acts of the Apostles. Many con-
temporary interpreters assert it means “hesitate/doubt†in 10:20 –a meaning
of the middle and passive voices that, according to opinio communis, first
surfaces in NT texts– and “contest/dispute†in 11:2, its classical/Hellenistic
meaning. In this article, I first discuss and critique the criteria that guide
scholars to render διακÏίνομαι in Acts 10:20 with a meaning that diverges
from extra-biblical Greek meaning categories. Next, I investigate the verse
within its immediate (10:9-20) and larger literary contexts (10:1-11:18) to
show that interpretations of the phrase μηδὲν διακÏινόμενος that rely on a
“NT meaning†of διακÏίνομαι (i.e., “doubting nothingâ€) have no support in
the text. Rather, the placement of Acts 10:20 within its literary context sup-
ports a rendering of διακÏίνομαι in accordance with classical/Hellenistic
Greek conventions.
1. Critique of “NT meaning†approaches to διακÏίνομαι in Acts 10:20
In classical/Hellenistic Greek, the middle/passive διακÏίνομαι has a
wide range of meanings: “contestâ€; “come to a decisionâ€; “be separatedâ€1.
However, current publications on Acts suggest that διακÏίνομαι in 10:20
does not fit easily into classical/Hellenistic Greek meaning categories.
Contemporary scholars often understand διακÏίνομαι to be a middle
voice and render the verb “doubt/waver/hesitateâ€, arguing that this meaning
first occurs in the literature of the NT. According to this newly arisen mea-
ning, Peter, a Jew, is told by the spirit not to “doubt†the instruction to visit
a Gentile’s household2.
Cf. Walter Bauer, Griechisch deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testa-
1
ments und der frühchristlichen Literatur (Berlin – New York 61988) 370; Henry G. Liddell
and Robert Scott, A Greek – English Lexicon (Oxford 1968) 399.
Cf. Friedrich Büchsel, “κÏίνωâ€, in Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament
2
3: Q-K (Stuttgart 1938) 920-55, here 948; Charles K. Barrett, The Acts of the Apostles: A
Shorter Commentary (London – New York 2002) 150; Gerhard Dautzenberg, “διακÏίνωâ€, in
Exegetisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament: ἈαÏών – Ἐνώχ (Stuttgart – Berlin – Köln
1992) 732-38, here 735; Philip F. Esler, Community and Gospel in Luke-Acts. The Social
and Political Motivations of Lucan Theology (SNTMS 57; Cambridge 1987) 94; Beverly R.
Gaventa, The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon NT Commentaries; Nashville 2003) 167; Wil-
fried Haubeck and Heinrich von Siebenthal, Neuer Sprachlicher Schlüssel zum griechischen
Neuen Testament: Matthäus bis Apostelgeschichte (Gießen 1997) 710; Luke T. Johnson,
The Letter of James (AB 37a; New York etc. 1995) 180; Charles H. Talbert, Reading Acts.
A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (New York 1997) 107;
FilologÃa Neotestamentaria - Vol. XX - 2007, pp. 81-93
Facultad de FilosofÃa y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)
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