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Greek Lessons
- The Question of Eternal Life: Syntax of Testing and Inquiry in Luke 10:25
- The Grammar of Astonishment and Difficulty
- The Urgency of Flight: Syntax, Eschatology, and the Grammar of Mission in Matthew 10:23
- Provoking the Lord: The Peril of Presumption
- The Great Priest Over God’s House: The Foundation of Confident Access
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Category
Author Archives: Advanced Greek Grammar
God as Witness: Oaths, Participles, and Verbal Force in 2 Corinthians 11:31
Ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι. (2 Corinthians 11:31)
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Paul’s Solemn AppealIn 2 Corinthians 11:31, Paul concludes a section of boasting in weakness with an oath before God. The verse reads: “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.” The syntax combines a solemn witness formula (οἶδεν), a relative clause identifying God (ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς), and a content clause (ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι) that affirms Paul’s truthfulness.… Learn Koine Greek
The Refusal of the Invited: A Study in Aspect and Rejection in Matthew 22:3
Καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν. (Matthew 22:3)
And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they did not want to come.
In the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14), Jesus crafts a narrative that is both deeply theological and profoundly human. At its heart lies a moment of refusal—simple in form, yet devastating in implication:
καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν.
“And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, but they were not willing to come.”… Learn Koine Greek
Resurrection and Possession: A Grammatical Riddle in Matthew 22:28
Ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει τίνος τῶν ἑπτὰ ἔσται ἡ γυνή; πάντες γὰρ ἔσχον αὐτήν. (Matthew 22:28)
In the resurrection, then, of which of the seven will the woman be? For all had her.
The Syntax of a Trick QuestionThis verse arises in the context of the Sadducees testing Jesus with a hypothetical scenario involving levirate marriage. The Greek sentence itself is deliberately constructed to reflect the rhetorical trap. The clause ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει (“in the resurrection, then”) is a prepositional phrase using ἐν + dative. The particle οὖν functions inferentially, pointing back to the elaborate scenario and introducing the logical consequence of their story.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions of the Present Age: Grammatical Grace in Titus 2:12
Παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι (Titus 2:12)
Training us so that, having denied ungodliness and worldly desires, we might live sensibly and justly and reverently in the present age.
Declension HighlightsTitus 2:12 is a powerhouse of theological transformation encapsulated in a single complex sentence. The verse contains a dense structure of participles, adverbs, and declinable nouns/adjectives that carry not only syntactic weight but deep ethical and eschatological implications. The focus of this declension study will be on the six declinable forms present:
ἡμᾶς – 1st person plural pronoun, accusative ἀσέβειαν – noun, 1st declension feminine accusative singular ἐπιθυμίας – noun, 1st declension feminine accusative plural τὴν, τὰς, τῷ – articles showing agreement with their respective nouns κοσμικὰς – adjective, 1st/2nd declension feminine accusative plural αἰῶνι – noun, 3rd declension masculine dative singularTogether, they form a network of grammatical instruction: the training of grace (from verse 11) leads to the denial of vices and the embrace of godly living, all set in the context of the present age.… Learn Koine Greek
The Grammar of Appeal: Conditional Particles and Rhetorical Force in Philippians 2:1
Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, (Philippians 2:1)
Paul’s Conditional Framework
Philippians 2:1 begins one of Paul’s most moving exhortations, where he appeals to the believers’ shared experience in Christ as the foundation for unity. The verse consists of four conditional clauses introduced by εἴ (“if”): Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί. These clauses pile up rhetorical “ifs,” not to express doubt but to remind the Philippians of realities they already know. In effect, the construction is equivalent to: “Since there is encouragement in Christ…”
Breaking Down the Clauses Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ — “If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ.”… Learn Koine GreekFootsteps and Spirit: Syntax and Rhetoric in Paul’s Defense
Παρεκάλεσα Τίτον καὶ συναπέστειλα τὸν ἀδελφόν· μήτι ἐπλεονέκτησεν ὑμᾶς Τίτος; οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι περιεπατήσαμεν; οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἴχνεσι; (2 Corinthians 12:18)
I urged Titus and sent the brother with him; surely Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? In the same footsteps?
Παρεκάλεσα…καὶ συναπέστειλα: Coordinated AoristsThe verse opens with two coordinated first person singular aorist active indicative verbs: παρεκάλεσα (“I urged”) and συναπέστειλα (“I sent together”). These aorists are used to refer to definite past actions, emphasizing Paul’s personal involvement in a decision he made at a particular moment in time.… Learn Koine Greek
Through the Cloud and the Sea: Greek Grammar as Sacred Memory
Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν πάντες ὑπὸ τὴν νεφέλην ἦσαν, καὶ πάντες διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης διῆλθον, (1 Corinthians 10:1)
Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
Οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν: Volition Meets InformationThe main clause opens with Οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, a construction frequently used by Paul to emphasize the importance of what follows. The verb θέλω (“I want”) is present active indicative, first person singular, expressing volition. The verb ἀγνοεῖν (“to be unaware, to not know”) is a present active infinitive, functioning as the complement of θέλω.… Learn Koine Greek
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Gentle Restoration: Syntax, Subjunctive Contingency, and Spiritual Vigilance in Galatians 6:1
Ἀδελφοί, ἐὰν καὶ προληφθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἔν τινι παραπτώματι, ὑμεῖς οἱ πνευματικοὶ καταρτίζετε τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐν πνεύματι πρᾳότητος σκοπῶν σεαυτόν, μὴ καὶ σὺ πειρασθῇς. (Galatians 6:1)
Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you also be tempted.
Conditional Compassion Through GrammarGalatians 6:1 opens Paul’s concluding ethical exhortations by urging believers to restore the fallen with gentleness. The verse is a rich example of how Koine Greek syntax combines conditional structure, participial reasoning, and reflexive admonition. A conditional sentence governs the whole thought, embedding within it a call to action and self-awareness.… Learn Koine Greek
Arrival Across the Sea: Narrative Precision and Geographical Framing in Mark 5:1
Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν. (Mark 5:1)
And they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gergesenes.
The Role of Transition in Mark’s NarrativeMark 5:1 introduces one of the most memorable episodes in the Gospel: the healing of the Gerasene demoniac. The verse is a short transitional sentence: Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν — “And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes/Gergesenes.” Although it looks simple, its grammar and vocabulary set the stage for a dramatic confrontation.… Learn Koine Greek
The Fellowship of Giving and Receiving: Declensions in Philippians 4:15
Οἴδατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, Φιλιππήσιοι, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ὅτε ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας, οὐδεμία μοι ἐκκλησία ἐκοινώνησεν εἰς λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήψεως εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς μόνοι (Philippians 4:15)
And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.
Declension HighlightsThis verse illustrates Paul’s masterful use of Greek declensions to frame his message of exclusive gospel partnership. There are 13 declinable forms, including nouns, adjectives, and pronouns, which span all three declension classes:
1st Declension: ἐκκλησία, ἀρχῇ, Μακεδονίας 2nd Declension: λόγον, εὐαγγελίου 3rd Declension: δόσεως, λήψεως Pronouns/Adjectives: ὑμεῖς (×2), οὐδεμία, μόνοιThese forms create a theological structure: Paul praises the Philippians’ exclusive participation in gospel support using emphatic plural subjects, a carefully constructed genitive phrase of financial reciprocity, and a dative temporal marker.… Learn Koine Greek
