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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
Category Archives: Exegesis
In the Beginning Was the Verb: A Deep Dive into John 1:1c
καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
Let us begin with a phrase that has echoed through centuries of theological discourse, a sentence that is deceptively simple in form yet astonishingly rich in grammatical nuance and doctrinal weight:
> John 1:1c: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
This final clause of the prologue to the Gospel of John—“and the Word was God”—has been at the heart of Christological debates since antiquity. Yet beneath its surface lies a grammatical structure that is both subtle and instructive: the subject-predicate nominative construction with the verb ἦν, the imperfect tense of εἰμί (“to be”).
In this lesson, we will explore how the syntax of this clause functions within the broader framework of Koine Greek grammar, especially focusing on the predicative use of the nominative case without the article, and what this reveals about the identity of the λόγος (Word) as presented by the evangelist.… Learn Koine Greek
The Unchangeable Gospel and the Weight of Anathema
Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ’ ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. (Galatians 1:8)
But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim good news to you contrary to what we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed.
The Gospel’s Inviolability DeclaredIn Galatians 1:8, Paul utters one of the most thunderous warnings in the New Testament. The sentence begins with ἀλλὰ καὶ – a strong adversative conjunction meaning “but even,” intensifying the contrast with the previous context. What follows is a startling hypothetical: ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, “if we or an angel from heaven.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Unbreakable Scripture and the Word Addressed to Humanity
Εἰ ἐκείνους εἶπε θεοὺς, πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ οὐ δύναται λυθῆναι ἡ γραφή, (John 10:35)
If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken,
Divine Speech to MortalsIn John 10:35, Jesus appeals to a moment in Scripture where certain individuals were referred to as θεοὺς (“gods”). The structure begins with a first-class conditional clause: εἰ ἐκείνους εἶπε θεοὺς—“if He called them gods.” The referent of ἐκείνους is drawn from Psalm 82:6, where human judges or rulers are metaphorically called “gods” due to their function as representatives of divine justice.… Learn Koine Greek
When He Comes in Glory: Glorification and Amazement in 2 Thessalonians 1:10
Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐνδοξασθῆναι ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμασθῆναι ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύσασιν, ὅτι ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.
This rich eschatological sentence from 2 Thessalonians 1:10 paints the day of the Lord’s return in stunning theological and grammatical detail. The Greek sets the moment in future expectation, marking a time when Jesus will be glorified among the saints and marveled at by believers. The structure balances temporal anticipation, passive voice theology, and a reminder of the reliability of the apostolic witness.
Grammatical FoundationsThe main temporal clause begins with ὅταν ἔλθῃ—“when he comes.” ὅταν introduces a future-looking time clause and governs the aorist subjunctive ἔλθῃ (from ἔρχομαι, 3rd person singular): “whenever he comes.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Sacred Trust and the Battle of Words
Ὦ Τιμόθεε, τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον, ἐκτρεπόμενος τὰς βεβήλους κενοφωνίας καὶ ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως, (1 Timothy 6:20)
O Timothy, guard the deposit, turning away from profane empty sounds and oppositions of falsely-named knowledge.
A Personal Plea in a Pastoral EpistleThe verse begins with a rare and deeply personal vocative: Ὦ Τιμόθεε. This direct address, marked by the interjection Ὦ, conveys intensity, affection, and solemnity. It is the voice of a spiritual father appealing to his beloved son in the faith. What follows is not casual advice but an urgent commission. The imperative φύλαξον (aorist active imperative) commands Timothy to “guard” something specific: τὴν παραθήκην — “the deposit.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Astonishment of the Familiar: Questions, Aspect, and Divine Wisdom in Mark 6:2
Καὶ γενομένου σαββάτου ἤρξατο ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ διδάσκειν· καὶ πολλοὶ ἀκούοντες ἐξεπλήσσοντο λέγοντες· Πόθεν τούτῳ ταῦτα; καὶ τίς ἡ σοφία ἡ δοθεῖσα αὐτῷ, καὶ δυνάμεις τοιαῦται διὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ γίνονται; (Mark 6:2)
And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? And what is the wisdom that has been given to him, and such mighty works being done through his hands?”
When the Hometown Is ShockedMark 6:2 opens the scene in the Nazareth synagogue where Jesus, the carpenter’s son, teaches with divine authority.… Learn Koine Greek
The Fellowship of the Journey: A Missionary Team in Acts 20:4
Acts 20:4 lists the companions of Paul as he journeys through Macedonia and prepares to return to Asia. This verse comes after Paul has encouraged believers in the region and is heading toward Jerusalem with the collection for the saints. The travel narrative subtly underscores the unity and diversity of Paul’s ministry partners, drawing from different churches and regions — a living portrait of the universal Church.
Structural Analysisσυνείπετο δὲ αὐτῷ ἄχρι τῆς Ἀσίας Σώπατρος Βεροιαῖος, Θεσσαλονικέων δὲ Ἀρίσταρχος καὶ Σεκοῦνδος, καὶ Γάϊος Δερβαῖος καὶ Τιμόθεος, Ἀσιανοὶ δὲ Τυχικὸς καὶ Τρόφιμος.
The main verb συνείπετο (“was accompanying”) governs the whole verse.… Learn Koine Greek
Beyond What Is Written: The Humility of Apostolic Restraint
Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί, μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ δι’ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τὸ μὴ ὑπὲρ ὃ γέγραπται φρονεῖν, ἵνα μὴ εἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑνὸς φυσιοῦσθε κατὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου. (1 Corinthians 4:6)
Now these things, brothers, I have applied to myself and to Apollos for your sake, so that in us you may learn not to think beyond what has been written, so that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
The Rhetoric of Self-ApplicationThe opening phrase Ταῦτα δέ, ἀδελφοί (“Now these things, brothers”) introduces a shift of tone from argument to pastoral appeal.… Learn Koine Greek
The Stirred Waters: Imperfects, Participles, and the Rhythm of Healing
Ἄγγελος γὰρ κατὰ καιρὸν κατέβαινεν ἐν τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, καὶ ἐταράσσετο τὸ ὕδωρ· ὁ οὖν πρῶτος ἐμβὰς μετὰ τὴν ταραχὴν τοῦ ὕδατος ὑγιὴς ἐγίνετο ᾧ δήποτε κατείχετο νοσήματι. (John 5:4)
For an angel would come down at a certain time into the pool, and the water would be stirred. Then the first who stepped in after the stirring of the water would become healthy, whatever disease he was held by.
A Verse in QuestionJohn 5:4, though absent from the earliest manuscripts, reflects a well-known tradition about the pool of Bethesda: an angel would periodically descend, stir the waters, and the first person to enter would be healed.… Learn Koine Greek
Renunciation and Revelation: The Apostle’s Model of Transparent Ministry
Ἀλλ’ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες ἐν πανουργίᾳ μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. (2 Corinthians 4:2)
But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor falsifying the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of people before God.
Turning from Darkness to LightIn 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul opens with a bold declaration of moral and ministerial integrity. The aorist verb ἀπειπάμεθα (“we have renounced”) signals a decisive and completed rejection, not a gradual distancing.… Learn Koine Greek
