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Greek Lessons
- The Gift of Tongues as Known Languages: Witness of the Early Church Fathers
- From Jerusalem with Scrutiny: Fronting and Focus in Mark 7:1
- Speaking in Tongues in the Bible
- Grace Beyond Demand: Participles and Imperatives in a Kingdom Ethic
- Reverent Burial and Narrative Simplicity: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Mark 6:29
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Category
Category Archives: Exegesis
The One Who Denies the Incarnation: Grammar, Christology, and Heresy in 2 John 7
ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος. (2 John 1:7)
Entering the World as Deceivers
This verse forms a key doctrinal test in the Johannine epistles, especially regarding the incarnation. The grammar distinguishes true confession from heretical rejection through participial clauses, present tense markers, and emphatic identification. The verse is not only theological—it is grammatically designed to identify spiritual impostors.
ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον – For Many Deceivers Have Gone Out into the World ὅτι – causal conjunction, “for” or “because,” introducing the reason for the warning πολλοὶ πλάνοι – “many deceivers,” with πλάνοι functioning as a predicate nominative with strong emphasis εἰσῆλθον – aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural of εἰσέρχομαι, “have gone out,” completed action εἰς τὸν κόσμον – “into the world,” marking their sphere of influenceThe aorist verb signifies a historical reality—this is not a future threat, but a present and ongoing danger.… Learn Koine Greek
They Joined the Accusation: Affirming the Charges in Acts 24:9
Acts 24:9 is part of Paul’s trial before the Roman governor Felix. In verses 1–8, the high priest Ananias and the lawyer Tertullus present formal charges against Paul, accusing him of being a troublemaker and defiler of the temple. After Tertullus’ speech, verse 9 adds that the Jewish leaders present (οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι) joined in the accusations, affirming that the charges were true. This verse provides the public endorsement of the claims made by Tertullus, increasing the rhetorical weight of the prosecution.
Structural Analysisσυνεπέθεντο δὲ καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι φάσκοντες ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν.
The sentence has two main elements: (1) συνεπέθεντο… οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι — “the Jews also joined in” (literally, “were placing with”), and (2) a participial phrase φάσκοντες ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν — “asserting that these things were so.”… Learn Koine Greek
If God Is For Us: Rhetorical Questions and the Syntax of Assurance in Romans 8:31
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα; εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ’ ἡμῶν;
When Grammar Carries Confidence
Romans 8:31 is not merely a theological summary—it is a thunderclap of rhetorical defiance spoken in the syntax of salvation. Paul poses two rhetorical questions that are grammatically simple but spiritually seismic. Each question is structured to provoke faith, not furnish new information. Through a conditional construction and carefully ordered prepositions, this verse teaches believers how to stand in unshakable assurance: not by what they say, but by understanding what is already true because of who God is.
Grammatical Focus: First-Class Condition and Rhetorical InterrogativeThe central clause—εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν—uses a first-class conditional structure.… Learn Koine Greek
Gaining Christ, Counting Loss: Verbal Aspect and Theological Exchange in Philippians 3:8
ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου, δι’ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω. (Philippians 3:8)
The Grammar of Spiritual Recalculation
In Philippians 3:8, Paul intensifies his renunciation of all worldly credentials by placing them in stark contrast with “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.” The Greek text conveys a process of ongoing evaluation and completed loss through a powerful sequence of indicative and infinitive verbs, present and aorist forms, and purpose clauses. The result is not just an accounting metaphor—it is a grammar of spiritual exchange.… Learn Koine Greek
Crushed by the Crowd: Imperfect Verbs and the Press of Discipleship in Mark 5:24
καὶ ἀπῆλθε μετ’ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, καὶ συνέθλιβον αὐτόν. (Mark 5:24)
A Grammar of Movement and Pressure
This verse may seem like a narrative bridge, a mere transition between events. But in Mark’s Gospel, the grammar is never idle. Verbal aspect, voice, and the rhythm of coordination build a vivid scene of movement, pursuit, and crowd-induced compression.
In this verse, Mark uses a series of verbs—some aorist, some imperfect—to contrast completed decision with ongoing action. This tension conveys theological resonance: Jesus initiates direction, and the world presses in response.
This article explores:
The aorist verb ἀπῆλθε and its narrative punch The imperfect verbs ἠκολούθει and συνέθλιβον as portrayals of relentless motion and pressure The role of ὄχλος πολύς as more than a crowd—it’s a character ἀπῆλθε μετ’ αὐτοῦ – The Deliberate DepartureThe verb ἀπῆλθε (“he went away”) comes from ἀπέρχομαι, meaning to depart or go away.… Learn Koine Greek
The Word on the Path: Participles, Aspect, and the Heart’s Soil in Matthew 13:19
παντὸς ἀκούοντος τὸν λόγον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ μὴ συνιέντος, ἔρχεται ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ αἴρει τὸ ἐσπαρμένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς. (Matthew 13:19)
Sowing, Hearing, and the Attack on Understanding
In Matthew 13:19, Jesus explains the first part of the parable of the sower—where the seed falls on the path and is snatched away. But the Greek is not merely explanatory; it’s strategic. It uses participles to frame human experience, perfects to show lasting condition, and presents to portray the activity of spiritual threat.
This article explores:
The genitive absolute construction παντὸς ἀκούοντος… καὶ μὴ συνιέντος The force of ἔρχεται and αἴρει as present active verbs describing evil agency The perfect participle ἐσπαρμένον and its implications The identification clause οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ… σπαρείς παντὸς ἀκούοντος… μὴ συνιέντος – The Genitive Absolute of Uncomprehending HearingThe verse begins with a genitive absolute construction:
Grammatical Breakdown: παντὸς ἀκούοντος – genitive masculine singular, present active participle of ἀκούω, “of everyone hearing” μὴ συνιέντος – genitive masculine singular, present active participle of συνίημι, “not understanding”This phrase sets the background condition: the parable applies to anyone who hears the word of the kingdom but does not grasp it.… Learn Koine Greek
If You Can Believe: Conditional Syntax and the Power of Faith in Mark 9:23
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι, πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι.
The Conditional That Shifts the World
In Mark 9:23, Jesus responds to a father’s desperate plea with a phrase that balances on a grammatical edge: τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι. The ambiguity here—intensified by the abrupt syntax and word placement—has sparked centuries of discussion. Is Jesus quoting the father’s doubtful words with irony, or offering a conditional statement full of promise? The answer lies in the Greek structure. And in that grammar, we hear a truth that echoes through every struggle: faith is the door through which divine power flows into human helplessness.… Learn Koine Greek
Of Greetings and Titles: The Craving for Honor in Matthew 23:7
Matthew 23:7 is part of Jesus’ powerful denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees — a chapter known for its “woes.” In the opening verses, Jesus exposes the gap between their public religious performance and their private hypocrisy. Verse 7 continues the list of behaviors that reveal their desire for prominence, focusing here on how they seek recognition both socially and religiously. The syntax is deceptively simple but rich with theological irony.
Structural Analysisκαὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ῥαββὶ ῥαββί.
This verse consists of two parallel desires: (1) τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς — “the greetings in the marketplaces” and (2) καλεῖσθαι…ῥαββὶ ῥαββί — “to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”… Learn Koine Greek
What Is Man? Interrogatives and Subjunctives in Hebrews 2:6
διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων· τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν; (Hebrews 2:6)
The Echo of Wonder in Precise Greek Form
In Hebrews 2:6, the author introduces a citation that carries both literary reverence and theological astonishment. The syntax is shaped by two rhetorical questions—quoted from Psalm 8—that explore the mystery of God’s mindfulness toward humanity. But this verse is not merely poetic; it is constructed with linguistic precision that frames divine condescension in Koine Greek elegance.
This article explores:
The impersonal introduction διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων The use of interrogative particles τί and conjunction ὅτι in embedded questions The significance of the subjunctive verbs μιμνήσκῃ and ἐπισκέπτῃ διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων – A Formal but Vague CitationThe phrase διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων introduces the quotation.… Learn Koine Greek
The One Who Opposes: Participles and Blasphemous Self-Exaltation in 2 Thessalonians 2:4
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καθίσαι, ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστι Θεός. (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
The Language of Rebellion and Deception
In 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Paul gives a vivid grammatical profile of the “man of lawlessness” (v.3), using a tight sequence of present participles, an ὥστε clause of result, and a climactic declaration of false divinity. The Greek builds a theological portrait through layered grammar—one that reveals both his opposition to God and his delusional exaltation above all things sacred.
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος – The One Opposing and Exalting Himself ὁ ἀντικείμενος – present middle/passive participle, nominative masculine singular from ἀντίκειμαι, “the one who opposes” (standing against) καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος – present middle participle from ὑπεραίρομαι, “exalting oneself, lifting oneself above”These participles serve as descriptive modifiers of the subject (the man of lawlessness), emphasizing continuous and deliberate opposition to everything divine and revered.… Learn Koine Greek
