71 IS THE WORD OF GOD INCOMPLETE? The referent of o[ in 1,29 is much less clear. It could refer back to the last final clause: “so that we may present everyone mature (perfect) in Christ. For this (purpose) I labor […]” (NRS). It is also possible to consider the whole section as a result: “And it is for these reasons that I labor […]” (NJB). An insightful reading relates the relative here to the last singular neuter noun of the section, i.e. the musth,rion (1,27) and its expanded contents (1,27b-28) 25. This exegetical option will be corroborated by the semantic reversal of the textual unity. The rhetorical technique of accumulation also involves the par- ticipial phrases. See, for example, the attributive participles in 1,25 (thn doqei/san); 1,26 (to. avpokekrumme,non); 1,29 (th.n evnergoume,nhn). . One must notice also the adverbial function of the circumstantial – modal participles in 1,28 (nouqetou/ntej and dida,skontej) and 1,29 (avgwnizo,menoj) 26. Such evidence raises the question of the aim of accumulation 27. The last remark concerning the syntax of participles offers a partial answer. All attributive participles in this section are appositional, expanding the semantics of the respective nouns. The adverbial par- ticiples perform a similar function. They enhance and explain the modality of their leading verbs. Accumulation functions in the sec- tion as a technique of semantic development, i.e. increasing mean- ings and expanding their contents. ALETTI, Lettera ai Colossesi, 134. 25 The circumstantial participle (coniunctum) agrees with the subject of 26 the leading verb in gender, number and case. F. BLASS – A. DEBRUNNER – W. FUNK, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Cambridge 1961) §§ 418, 421; H.W. SMYTH, Greek Grammar (Revised by G.M. MESSING) (Cambridge, MA 1984) § 2056. H. Lausberg distinguishes between coordinating, subordinating accu- 27 mulation and polysyndeton. The first is the addition of phrases that are syn- tactically and semantically co-ordinated with one of the phrases set in act (§ 666) (for example, enumeration and distribution). The second is an attributive addition (adjective, substantive and periphrastic appositions) to a substantive, generally designated as epithet (§ 676). Polysyndeton is characterized by re- petition of the same conjunction or accumulation of several conjunctions (§ 686). See H. LAUSBERG, Handbook of Literary Rhetoric. A Foundation for Literary Study (ed. D.E. ORTON – R.D. ANDERSON) (Leiden 1998) §§ 665- 687. Accumulation in Col 1,24-29 does not seem to function as simple repe- tition of synonyms, but as syntactic and semantic enrichment. In this sense, it makes use of subordinating accumulation rather than coordinating. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati