116 Travis B. Williams more remote than had the third-class been employed17. Thus, for one attempting to describe the fourth-class condition, a simple designation might be, “a future, less probable contingency”. 3.2. Semantics of the Fourth-Class Condition in the Koine Period When it comes to the use of the fourth-class condition in the Koine period an important shift has taken place. With the optative on the decline, many of its duties began to be encroached upon and even taken over by the subjunctive18. In fact, one will look long and hard to find any examples of complete fourth-class conditions within this period19. In the NT, only partial fourth-class conditions appear (either the protasis or apodosis)20. This point is crucial for understanding the use of the fourth- class condition in Hellenistic Greek. If it is not taken into consideration, statistics will be misrepresented and semantics will be misunderstood21. With this in mind, we will begin with a look at the fourth-class condition in modern grammatical discussion. The decline of the optative and the resultant absence of any complete fourth-class conditions in the NT has caused some to re-evaluate how the form should be interpreted. In one of his numerous articles on NT Greek grammar appearing in Grace Theological Journal, James L. Boyer objects to the traditional distinction between third and fourth-class conditions (i.e., the former being considered a more probable and the 17 The admission of Smyth, Greek Grammar, 523 (who does not hold to a fulfillment/ non-fulfillment based system of classification), is revealing at this point: “ἐάν with the subjunctive and εἰ with the optative are rarely used in successive sentences. In most such cases the difference lies merely in the degree of distinctness and emphasis of the expression used; but where the speaker wishes to show that the conclusion is expected or desired, he [sic] uses ἐάν with the subjunctive rather than the other form” (emphasis added). 18 See A.N. Jannaris, A Historical Greek Grammar Chiefly of the Attic Dialect (London 1897) 450, 462. For a fuller discussion on the decline of the optative, see F.G. Allinson, “On Causes Contributory to the Loss of the Optative, etc. in Late Greek”, in Studies in Honor of Basil L. Gildersleeve (Baltimore 1902) 353-56; M.J. Higgins, “Why Another Optative Dissertation?”, Byzantion 15 (1940-41) 443-48; C. Sanspeur, “Le potentiel en grec”, Les Études Classiques 31 (1963) 43-51; K.L. MacKay, “The Declining Optative: Some Observations”, Antichthon 27 (1993) 21-30. 19 L. Radermacher, Neutestamentliche Grammatik: Das Griechisch des Neuen Testaments im Zusammenhang mit der Volkssprache (2nd ed.; Tübingen 1925) 165, was unable to find any examples of complete fourth-class conditions in Koine Greek. 20 Luke 1,62; Acts 5,24; 8,31; 17,18. 27; 20,16; 24,19; 27,12. 39; 1 Cor 14,10; 15,37; 1 Pet 3,14. 17. 21 Even with this fact in mind, there is something further that must be recognized: “The data must be handled with sensitivity both to contextual factors [contributing to the decline] and to the effects of artificial Atticising revival of the mood” (T.V. Evans, “The Comparative Optative: A Homeric Reminiscence in the Greek Pentateuch?”, VT 49 [1999] 489).