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Back | 200 | Next This statement itself is enthymemic, evoking a premise about God forgiving people who do not know what they are doing. [Rule. The Father forgives people who do not know what they are doing.] Case. They do not know what they are doing. Result. Father, forgive them. For our purposes here, it is instructive to observe that Jesus' statement has a relation to the "case" in the cycle of enthymemic reasoning established by 11:4 ("We forgive every one indebted to us..."). Since Jesus' action in 23:34 exhibits an enactment (an example or paradigm) of a generalized form of the principle, it can be helpful to display the reasoning in an inductive (case + result = rule) rather than deductive syllogism.28 Deductive Inductive Enthymemic Enactment Deductive [Rule. People should imitate the actions of God.] Case. The Most High is kind to the grateful and the selfish (6:35). [Result/Rule. People should be kind to the grateful and selfish.] [Rule. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37).] Case. They do not know what they are doing. [Case. Praying for someone who engages in negative actions (e.g., abuses you) is a form of kindness.] [Case. Loving one's enemies is a form of kindness.] Case. We forgive every one who is indebted to us. Result. Father, forgive them (23:24). Result. Pray for those who abuse you (6:28). Result. Love your enemies (6:35). Result. Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4). [Rule. A person should pray to Father God to ask him to forgive people who do not know what they are doing.] cf. Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel (New York: Crossroad, 1982) 219-20; and Vernon K. Robbins, "The Crucifixion and the Speech of Jesus," Forum 4/1 (1988): 40. Back 28See Lanigan, "From Enthymeme to Abduction," 53, 58, 62. Back Back | 200 | Next