gengwall

Let’s look also at a couple of verses that seem a better fit both as an anarthrous reference and with 1 Timothy 2;11-15.

1 Timothy 3:1-2 (transliterated with clarifying additions):

[1] faithful [is] the saying, if anyone (singular and indefinate) supervision is craving, ideal work he-is-desiring. [2] Must then the supervisor (definately definate) irreprehensible be…

So, is “the supervisor” referring to a real, specific individual? No. It is definate pointing back to the indefinate “anyone”, so it is anaphoric, but the whole passage remains generic!

It seems anaphoric references aren’t as clear cut and rigid as we might hope. Context still determines if specific real people or generic representatives are being spoken of.

Now, of course, it is my task to find an example outside of our passage where a move from indefinate to definate is clearly also a move from generic to specific. I will endeavor to do so within scripture (Kristen has already adequately provided English examples from the business world).