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Greek Lessons
- Vindicated at the Table: How Speech Condemns and Grammar Acquits
- Carried, Not Carrying: The Grammar That Topples Boasting
- Spliced into Abundance: The Grammar of Displacement and Participation in ἐνεκεντρίσθης
- When the Heart Expands Toward Ruin: The Grammar of Self-Watchfulness
- Living, Begetting, Dying: The Grammar of Time and Continuity
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Category
Category Archives: Exegesis
Scripture as a Wellspring of Hope: Endurance, Comfort, and Canonical Purpose
Ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν προεγράφη, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν. (Romans 15:4)
For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through the endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Exegetical AnalysisPaul begins with a generalizing relative clause: ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη — “For whatever was written beforehand.” The verb προεγράφη (aorist passive of προγράφω) occurs twice in the verse, stressing prior inscription — a deliberate record in sacred history. The repetition underscores Scripture’s enduring intentionality. These writings, though ancient, were not sealed off from the present.… Learn Koine Greek
Fruitful Grammar: Participles and Growth in Mark 4:8
Καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν ἓν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν. (Mark 4:8)
And another fell into the good soil and was giving fruit that grew up and increased, and it bore thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.
This verse, nestled within the Parable of the Sower, may appear simple in story, but it hides deep syntactic and theological riches. With participles describing spiritual process and coordinate clauses quantifying divine abundance, Mark 4:8 uses Greek grammar to proclaim the silent miracle of receptive hearts. Let’s trace the steps.… Learn Koine Greek
The Self-Condemned: When Correction Meets Resistance
Αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος. (Titus 3:10–11)
Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning, knowing that such a one has turned aside and is sinning, being self-condemned.
The Anatomy of DisciplineThe instruction begins with αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον, literally “a sectarian man” or “a man of division.” The adjective αἱρετικός stems from αἵρεσις, meaning “choice,” “party,” or “sect,” which in this context conveys willful separation from communal truth. The imperative παραιτοῦ (“reject” or “avoid”) marks a decisive pastoral boundary. Paul’s syntax—μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν—reveals a measured process: the first and second admonitions precede any rejection.… Learn Koine Greek
Divine Grammar: Unlocking the Sacred Syntax of the Greek New Testament
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. (John 1:1)
In this immersive study, we’ll explore the profound grammatical treasures hidden within this iconic verse—combining rigorous scholarship with spiritual reverence to reveal how grammar serves as the vessel of divine revelation.
The Logos and the Language: Unveiling the Syntax of the DivineJohn’s prologue isn’t merely profound theology—it’s a masterclass in Koine Greek construction. Let’s examine how form and meaning intertwine…
1. ὁ λόγος: A Case Study in DefinitenessThe article ὁ before λόγος performs theological heavy lifting—notice how its presence marks λόγος not as a concept, but as a personal and identifiable subject.… Learn Koine Greek
Faith That Works: Hearing Without Doing Is Self-Deception
Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ μὴ μόνον ἀκροαταὶ, παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς. (James 1:22)
But become doers of the word and not only hearers, deceiving yourselves.
Exegetical AnalysisThe imperative Γίνεσθε (“become”) is a present middle imperative, emphasizing an ongoing process of transformation rather than a one-time command. It pairs with the predicate nominative ποιηταὶ (“doers”) and the genitive λόγου (“of the word”), forming the phrase “become doers of the word.” The construction stresses identity and lifestyle, not merely action. The conjunction δὲ provides contrast or mild continuation from the prior verse. The phrase μὴ μόνον ἀκροαταὶ (“not only hearers”) sets up an antithesis with ποιηταὶ, placing mere listening in opposition to faithful response.… Learn Koine Greek
Written by My Own Hand: Emphasis and Intimacy in Galatians 6:11
Ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί (Galatians 6:11)
See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.
Galatians 6:11 marks a dramatic shift in tone and presentation. Paul, after dictating the letter through a scribe (as was common practice), now takes the stylus himself. The Greek draws attention to the act of writing and the form of the letters. It’s a moment of personal emphasis and visual signature, charged with apostolic authority and emotional urgency.
Grammatical FoundationsThe verse begins with the imperative Ἴδετε—“See!” or “Look!” It is a present active imperative, 2nd person plural from ὁράω, functioning as a direct call to attention.… Learn Koine Greek
“This Is the Man!”: Participles, Attributive Phrases, and the Shape of False Accusation
Κράζοντες· ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, βοηθεῖτε· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τούτου πάντας πανταχοῦ διδάσκων· ἔτι τε καὶ Ἕλληνας εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ κεκοίνωκε τὸν ἅγιον τόπον τοῦτον· (Acts 21:28)
Crying out: “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place; and furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”
A Tumult of AccusationActs 21:28 records a dramatic escalation in Jerusalem: the Jewish crowd turns violently against Paul. But it’s not just shouting—it’s a forensically crafted slander.… Learn Koine Greek
Traveling with Purpose: Participles and Presence in Acts 21:8
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐξελθόντες ἤλθομεν εἰς Καισάρειαν, καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, ὄντος ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ, ἐμείναμεν παρ’ αὐτῷ. (Acts 21:8)
And on the next day, having departed, we came to Caesarea; and having entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.
From Departure to Hospitality: A Journey in Greek GrammarThis verse narrates a transition, not just of location, but of community and continuity in early church leadership. The Greek provides a rich lesson in temporal and circumstantial participles, embedded identity, and the use of historical present in narrative flow.… Learn Koine Greek
Fear and Full Disclosure: Participles and Perfects in Mark 5:33
Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ, ἦλθε καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. (Mark 5:33)
But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell before him and told him the whole truth.
A Woman’s Confession Framed in Greek PrecisionMark 5:33 captures the pivotal moment when the woman healed by touching Jesus’ garment reveals herself. This verse is a cascade of participles, perfects, and finite verbs, narrating not only what she does but how she feels and what she knows. The Greek syntax is intensely personal, as it enfolds her inner state, her physical response, and her ultimate truth-telling into a single flowing structure.… Learn Koine Greek
No Word Powerless: The Future Tense and the Certainty of Divine Speech in Luke 1:37
Ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ῥῆμα. (Luke 1:37)
For nothing will be impossible with God.
The Unbreakable Word of GodLuke 1:37 is a declaration of invincible divine speech. Spoken by the angel Gabriel to Miryam (Mary), the statement is syntactically simple but theologically seismic: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Yet in Greek, the form and force of the words point us not merely to the general omnipotence of God, but to the unfailing efficacy of God’s ῥῆμα—His spoken word. This truth is not philosophical but grammatical: the key lies in a single future-tense verb and an absolute negation.… Learn Koine Greek
