I have posted a few times on the use of demonstrative pronouns as personal pronouns, claiming that this usage is something more than “stylistic variation.” The demonstrative are used, either as substantives or as modifying adjectives, to signal something about the discourse status of the participant.
The near demonstrative οὗτος is used in narrative proper and in the epistles to indicate that “this referent” is the current center of attention. It can be used to update the current center of attention, or it can be used to indicate a switch from the expected one.
The far demonstrative ἐκεῖνος is used for something that is athematic, or not central to the story or argument. It sometimes refers to something or someone who makes a significant “cameo” appearance, one which is significant enough that it might be confused as a switch in the center of attention.
Using the near and far demonstratives in the same context allows a writer that might discuss potentially competing topics or entities while at the same time unambiguously marking the ongoing center of attention. The near/far distinction is used much more extensively in John, both in speeches and in narrative proper.
The near and far demonstratives are used to clarify the current center of attention, identifying which participant is thematically central. In most cases in the gospels, we would expect Jesus to be thematically central, but this is not always the case. In other words, there are instances there it is not “all about Jesus”. When writers do something potentially in conflict with expectations, they have the option of marking these entities as either thematically central or athematic (i.e. of passing interest) using demonstrative pronouns. The 
symbol marks thematic entities, and the 
marks the athematic ones.
The example for this post is taken from the gospel of Luke, where Jesus is presented in the temple. There is a shift from Jesus and his family being the center of attention to Simeon and Anna essentially playing significant “cameo” roles. They are the center of attention for this scene, but they quickly pass out of the story. Using the near demonstrative marks them as thematic from their introduction, as opposed to having them become central through ongoing involvement in the story. They do not remain the center of attention for long. The text is taken from the LDGNT.
Luke 2:25
Simeon is first introduced to the discourse in v. 25a. The second reference to him uses the near demonstrative modifying a noun phrase rather than as a personal pronoun.[1] The effect is to attract extra attention to his role in the discourse, which serves as confirmation of Jesus’ divine origins and role. Simeon does not play an ongoing role in the discourse, but he plays a significant role in this scene.
Demonstrative pronouns are used for much more than stylistic variation. They play a significant role in the discourse as thematic markers, helping the reader assign the proper status to entities in the discourse. For more on the thematic use of demonstratives, check out the series of posts that begin here, as well as the introduction to near/far distinctions. The explanation in this post (and the others) is drawn from a forthcoming discourse grammar.
Stay tuned for the usage with Anna in the next post. Isn’t “this” wonderful?
[1]Cf. Levinsohn (Discourse Features, 135ff.) for the significance of overencoded references to active participants.
[…] for the further of two things, or what is athematic. I did some posts on this issue which begin here. There are a bunch of others also. Let’s not forget temporal deixis, that which Rod Decker […]