(Part 1)

JBTM Book Reviews
120
The genesis for the present work came from Campbell’s Greek students at Moore College
and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His intention was originally to introduce students
to the issues within contemporary Greek scholarship. After hearing testimony from
students, Campbell felt that the benefit they received could be passed on to others. His
purpose thus is to provide students, pastors, professors, and commentators with information
about current issues in New Testament Greek scholarship, which include linguistics,
lexicography, deponency, Aktionsart, idiolect, discourse analysis, pronunciation, and pedagogy.
His primary aim is to create an interest in these issues so that the reader will be more
equipped and competent to handle the Greek text.
Campbell begins with a brief history of Greek studies over the last 200 years. His survey
primarily focuses on issues related to biblical Greek and modern linguistic theory. The
purpose of this history is to provide context for understanding his discussion of topics
covered throughout the remainder of the book. Campbell first explores the need for linguistic
theory in New Testament Greek studies, as it has often been neglected, despite its
direct bearing on exegesis and translation. Recognizing such neglect, Campbell provides
the reader with a brief discussion of the various branches of linguistics, and then offers the
example of the well-known debate over verbal aspect, specifically whether or not temporal
reference is a constant feature of the indicative verb.
Campbell raises many important issues related to lexical semantics and lexicography.
He addresses the interrelationships between symbol, sense, and referent. He also discusses
the misuse of “synonymous” and deals with the all-important issue of context, including
literary and historical. Lexical choice of the author, lexical fields, and the different types of
ambiguity also are considered. The task of New Testament Greek lexicography is difficult,
as it is never finished, because receptor languages are continually changing. While New
Testament lexicons have improved and are better than their ancient Greek counterparts,
there are still dangers to avoid. Citing John A. L. Lee, Campbell humbly reminds us that
lexicons are often over reliant on glosses and on predecessors. They are also contaminated
by glosses found in standard translations, and they are unsystematic in their determination
of meaning.
Deponency and the middle voice is a familiar topic of discussion in Greek grammars
and is one that is close to Campbell’s heart. He reviews the history of the discussion from
Moulton in 1908 to the SBL conference in 2010, where he and others argued for the categorical
rejection of deponency. Campbell disagrees with others who reject the term “deponency,”
but have not offered an adequate alternative for the category the term represents.
He also disagrees with those who claim that verbs in middle form may be middle in meaning.
The issue is not wholly resolved, however, as mixed deponency and passive deponency
offer challenges. The middle voice must continue to be studied and understood. Voice also
may be the outworking of aspect, lexeme, and context in a way similar to Aktionsart.