Where the Rubber Meets the Road: An Analysis of the Use of Verbal Aspect Theory in Ciampa and Rosner’s Commentary on First Corinthians

Abstract

This article seeks to discern the actual benefits and liabilities of Verbal Aspect Theory (VAT) for NT exegesis by examining its application in Ciampa and Rosner’s Commentary on 1 Corinthians. They apply VAT to four primary areas: the explanation of Aktionsart, time and verb tense, present and aorist imperatives, and the perfect tense. The article concludes that a helpful nuance is gained by the use of VAT, though some need for consistency and clarity remains. On the other hand, VAT may at times result in a flattened interpretation of Greek verbs because in some areas VAT provides limited interpretive options that do not always best explain the data.