Fri Jan 24 09:25:14 1997

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Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 08:24:17 -0700
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From: "Robert B. Waltz" 
Subject: Re: Post-modern textual criticism
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On Fri, 24 Jan 1997, Bart Ehrman  wrote:

[ ... ]

>   EVen if we did know the author, I would maintain that we couldn't know
>exactly what he meant, down to the slightest nuances.  The reason I think
>this has to do with the way language seems to work.

I think that this proves Bart Ehrman's point: None of us can figure out
what he's saying, or why. Therefore language has no meaning. :-)

Q.E.D.

Seriously, folks, while it's true that people interpret words
differently, there is at least enough common ground that we
generally manage to communicate.

Is there *really* anyone out there who doesn't know what "Jesus
wept" means? We may disagree about why, but surely we all agree
that tears were coming out of his eyes.

Or maybe not. I'm trained in math; maybe I have this strange
tendency to believe that the world makes sense. It's not
always good sense, but it's sense. :-)

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

                            Robert B. Waltz
                         waltzmn@skypoint.com

Want more loudmouthed opinions about textual criticism?
Try my web page: http://www.skypoint.com/~waltzmn
(A very rough draft of part of the Encyclopedia of NT Textual Criticism)

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