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Greek Prep Index

Exegetical Considerations
Luke 15:1-10
15th Sunday after Pentecost/ September 12, 2004

1. What is the literary context of this text?

a. How does that context impact a reading of this text?

2. What is the structure of this text?

a. How does each parable in Luke 15 unfold in a broad parallel manner?

3. How does the action of the tax collectors and sinners
a. Recall 7:29?

b. Become an enactment of Jesus’ words at the very end of 14:35?

4. What is the significance of the periphrastic participle esan eggizontes and the imperfect deigogguzon in vv. 1-2?

5. In the 1st century world how does meal fellowship impact
a. Social identity?

b. Religious status?

c. Group solidarity?

6. What is the gist of the complaint by the religious leaders in v. 2?

a. How does this recall 7:30?

b. How does their grumbling (deigogguzon) recall Exod 15-17; Num 14-17?

7. What is the significance of Jesus’ asking an ou question in vv. 3-6?

8. How do vv. 3-7 recall Ezek 34?

9. What is the significance of the repetition of the following words
a. apolummi (vv. 4a,4b,6,8,9; also cf. 15:17,24,32?

b. hamarolos (vv. 1,2,7,10)?

c. chairo and its cognates chara and sugxairo (vv. 5,6,7,9,10; also cf. 32)?

d. sugkaleo (vv. 6,9)?

10. What is the significance of Jesus’ asking an ouchi question in vv. 7-9?

11. How do the wealthy shepherd and the improvised woman stand as a synkrisis of divine attitude and action?

a. Ultimately how is this text one about God?

b. Into what are we humans being invited by this text?

c. How is this good news?

d. Why might some find this to be bad news?