392 David J. Armitage 2. Understanding Gal 1,8-9. Gal 1,8-9 may be translated as follows: “8Yet even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said already, also now again I say: if someone preaches a gospel to you contrary to what you received, let him be accursed.” In v. 8 Paul presents a hypothetical situation in which a false gospel is preached by his team or by a heavenly messenger, and presents the consequences of this: ajnavqema e[stw. By insisting that these conse- quences hold even for him, he forcefully argues for the applicability of the same dire consequences to real situations, thereby consolidating his point that the existence of an alternative gospel is unthinkable. In v. 9 the use of a first class conditional construction implicitly invites the Galatians to consider whether the situation alluded to in v. 8 is actually happening. The language of v. 8 is shown to be more than a rhetorical trick, and v. 9 serves to warn the Galatians not to follow the false teachers, by drawing attention to the cost of their behaviour. Use of conditional forms, rather than direct modes of expression, invites the Galatians into active engagement with what Paul writes. He refrains, even under these trying circumstances, from using pure authoritarian directives; instead he appeals to them. In v. 8, by using a hypothetical third class condition, he is able to apply his point even to himself. This demonstrates that his rebuke is rooted not in selfish ambition but in concern for the Galatians, and simultaneously indicates the seriousness of the problem in Galatia. Paul does not “lord it over” the Galatians (cf 2 Cor 2,14). His apostolic authority is, in his own estimation, only as good as his faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. Trinity College David J. ARMITAGE Stoke Hill Bristol BS9 1JP United Kingdom SUMMARY This paper explores various issues pertaining to the exegesis of Greek conditional clauses, using as a case study the pair of conditional statements found in Galatians 1,8-9. These conditional curse formulations are broadly similar with reference to content, whilst also showing significant differences, notably in terms of mood. These conditional statements are firstly examined from syntactic and semantic perspectives. Their function in the discourse is then analysed with reference to Speech Act Theory. An integrative approach to exegesis of conditional clauses is advocated.