NT Speech Act Classification¶

Speech act theory (Searle 1969) classifies NT utterances by illocutionary force:

Type	Greek cues	NT examples
Assertive	ἐγώ εἰμι, predicate nominal	"I am the way, the truth, and the life"
Directive	Imperative mood, μή + subj./imp.	Commands, prohibitions, exhortations
Commissive	ἐπαγγέλλω, δίδωμι + future	Promises, covenantal guarantees
Expressive	δοξάζω, εὐχαριστέω, κλαίω	Praise, thanksgiving, lament
Declarative	ἀφίημι, εὐλογέω, καλέω	Forgiveness, blessing, naming

Method: Rule-based classifier using MACULA mood and lemma data. This is an approximation; edge cases (rhetorical questions, indirect speech) are not handled.

References: Searle, Speech Acts (1969); Thiselton, New Horizons in Hermeneutics; BBG Chapter 33 (Imperative — directives).

In [ ]:

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '../../../src')

from bible_grammar import (
    SPEECH_ACT_TYPES,
    nt_speech_act_data, nt_speech_act_profile,
    nt_speech_act_comparison,
    print_nt_speech_act_profile, print_speech_act_comparison,
    speech_act_chart, speech_act_heatmap,
)
import pandas as pd

import sys sys.path.insert(0, '../../../src') from bible_grammar import ( SPEECH_ACT_TYPES, nt_speech_act_data, nt_speech_act_profile, nt_speech_act_comparison, print_nt_speech_act_profile, print_speech_act_comparison, speech_act_chart, speech_act_heatmap, ) import pandas as pd

1. Overview — Single Book Profile¶

In [ ]:

# Matthew — high directive density expected (Sermon on the Mount, Beatitudes)
print_nt_speech_act_profile('Mat')

# Matthew — high directive density expected (Sermon on the Mount, Beatitudes) print_nt_speech_act_profile('Mat')

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# John — ἐγώ εἰμι assertives prominent
print_nt_speech_act_profile('Jhn')

# John — ἐγώ εἰμι assertives prominent print_nt_speech_act_profile('Jhn')

In [ ]:

# Revelation — high expressive (praise/doxology) and declarative
print_nt_speech_act_profile('Rev')

# Revelation — high expressive (praise/doxology) and declarative print_nt_speech_act_profile('Rev')

2. Jesus's Speech Act Profile in Each Gospel¶

The Gospels record Jesus speaking in varied modes: declaratives ("your sins are forgiven"), directives (commands), assertives (I AM sayings), and commissives (promises to the disciples).

In [ ]:

# Synoptic comparison — book-level speech act profiles
print_speech_act_comparison(['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn'], lang='G')

# Synoptic comparison — book-level speech act profiles print_speech_act_comparison(['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn'], lang='G')

In [ ]:

speech_act_chart(['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn'], lang='G')

speech_act_chart(['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn'], lang='G')

3. Paul's Letters — Directive vs. Commissive¶

Paul's letters shift between theological argument (assertive), ethical exhortation (directive), and covenantal promise (commissive). The Pastoral Letters (1–2 Timothy, Titus) are primarily directive (church order); Romans and Galatians are more assertive (theological argument).

In [ ]:

pauline = ['Rom', '1Co', '2Co', 'Gal', 'Eph', 'Php', 'Col', '1Th', '1Ti', '2Ti', 'Tit']
print_speech_act_comparison(pauline, lang='G')

pauline = ['Rom', '1Co', '2Co', 'Gal', 'Eph', 'Php', 'Col', '1Th', '1Ti', '2Ti', 'Tit'] print_speech_act_comparison(pauline, lang='G')

In [ ]:

speech_act_chart(pauline, lang='G')

speech_act_chart(pauline, lang='G')

In [ ]:

speech_act_heatmap(pauline, lang='G')

speech_act_heatmap(pauline, lang='G')

4. Johannine ἐγώ εἰμι as Declarative Assertives¶

John's "I AM" sayings are assertives with a special declarative dimension — they claim ontological identity, not merely describe. The explicit-subject ἐγώ marker and εἰμί copula trigger the assertive classifier.

In [ ]:

# Verses in John classified as assertive
jhn_data = nt_speech_act_data('Jhn')
jhn_assertive = jhn_data[jhn_data['speech_act_type'] == 'assertive']
print(f"John assertive verses: {len(jhn_assertive)}")
jhn_assertive[['ref', 'chapter', 'verse']].head(25)

# Verses in John classified as assertive jhn_data = nt_speech_act_data('Jhn') jhn_assertive = jhn_data[jhn_data['speech_act_type'] == 'assertive'] print(f"John assertive verses: {len(jhn_assertive)}") jhn_assertive[['ref', 'chapter', 'verse']].head(25)

In [ ]:

# Compare John to Synoptics on assertive density
for book in ['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn']:
    data = nt_speech_act_data(book)
    total = len(data)
    assertive = (data['speech_act_type'] == 'assertive').sum()
    print(f"{book}: {assertive} assertive verses / {total} total = {assertive/total*100:.1f}%")

# Compare John to Synoptics on assertive density for book in ['Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn']: data = nt_speech_act_data(book) total = len(data) assertive = (data['speech_act_type'] == 'assertive').sum() print(f"{book}: {assertive} assertive verses / {total} total = {assertive/total*100:.1f}%")

5. Full NT Heatmap¶

In [ ]:

nt_sample = [
    'Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn', 'Act',
    'Rom', 'Gal', 'Eph', '1Ti',
    'Heb', 'Jas', '1Pe', '1Jn', 'Rev'
]
speech_act_heatmap(nt_sample, lang='G')

nt_sample = [ 'Mat', 'Mrk', 'Luk', 'Jhn', 'Act', 'Rom', 'Gal', 'Eph', '1Ti', 'Heb', 'Jas', '1Pe', '1Jn', 'Rev' ] speech_act_heatmap(nt_sample, lang='G')

6. Hebrews — Directive Exhortation and Commissive Promise¶

Hebrews alternates between theological exposition (assertive) and direct exhortation ("let us...", directive). Its 'Sit-Walk-Stand' structure should show up in the speech act profile.

In [ ]:

print_nt_speech_act_profile('Heb')

print_nt_speech_act_profile('Heb')

In [ ]:

# Hebrews chapter-by-chapter directive vs. assertive
heb_data = nt_speech_act_data('Heb')
heb_pivot = heb_data.groupby(['chapter', 'speech_act_type']).size().unstack(fill_value=0)
cols = [c for c in ['directive', 'assertive', 'commissive'] if c in heb_pivot.columns]
heb_pivot[cols]

# Hebrews chapter-by-chapter directive vs. assertive heb_data = nt_speech_act_data('Heb') heb_pivot = heb_data.groupby(['chapter', 'speech_act_type']).size().unstack(fill_value=0) cols = [c for c in ['directive', 'assertive', 'commissive'] if c in heb_pivot.columns] heb_pivot[cols]