2. Speech Act Theory, Scripture And Theology

Abstract

Examples of multi-level speech acts are the speech acts performed by an author, the speech acts performed by the characters within that author's narrative, and the author's report of their speech acts. John 6:52–59, Rev 1:5b–6, and Rev 7:13–14 make good case studies for multi-level speech acts. A speech act approach also helps to identify the various speakers of a particular passage (e.g., John, the Judeans, and Jesus in John 6:52–59). A speech act analysis can help in the interpretive process by identifying how the biblical writers accessed familiar motifs to make sense of an emerging belief system concerning Jesus Christ. These distinctions make way for a broader interpretation of Christ's blood beyond his death to include the person and life of Jesus Christ as God incarnate—to consider that Christ's blood was superior not only because of what Christ did, but because of who Christ was. Keywords:Christ's blood; John 6:52–59; multi-level speech acts; Rev 1:5b–6; Rev 7:13–14