Beyond Guthrie?: Text-linguistics and New Testament Studies MICHAEL A. RUDOLPH The promise of linguistics for biblical studies has not yet been realized. While the bulk of the biblical, scholarly community has remained aloof and unimpressed, others have pursued this field of study, struggling with unfamiliar and often ill-defined terminology, even as they sought to develop an effective and objective methodology. This paper examines the work of one “eclectic” approach, the “Cohesive Shift Analysis” of George H. Guthrie, acknowledging its contribution, yet also suggesting corrective refinements. Keywords: cohesion, Guthrie, Hebrews, text linguistics 1. INTRODUCTION Most people would agree that what is said does not necessarily entail all that is meant. Questions become statements, or even commands1. Words are used in a figurative sense. A noun, a verb, or even an entire sentence is left unsaid. Yet, successful communication in human interaction is the rule, not the exception. Such success is possible because the spoken word occurs within a social context that frequently alters its apparent meaning. In written communication as well, where non-verbal avenues of communication are unavailable, or at least muted, the writer is not hindered in conveying the content, tone, or purpose of his or her message. One need not resort to pedantic descriptions of private thoughts or personal feelings to affect the desired response, or to convey fully the intended meaning. One quickly perceives, for example, upon reading Gal 1,6-10, that the writer is greatly upset and disappointed with the recent decisions of this letter’s recipients. The author’s reaction to recent events is communicated clearly by his choice of words and the contrasts 1 For a discussion of skewing, see M.L. Larson, Meaning-Based Translation: A Guide to Cross-Language Equivalence (2d ed.; Lanham, Md. 1998) 257–63. Note also her discussion of irony in which “a speaker will say exactly opposite of what he means” (265). Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XXVI - 2013, pp. 27-47 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)