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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 Archives: Exegesis
Who Made You Judge? Participle and Aorist in the Voice of Rejection
Ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίον ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν εἰπών· τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ’ ἡμῶν; (Acts 7:27)
A Question of Authority: Echoes from Egypt in Stephen’s Defense
In Acts 7:27, Stephen recounts the moment when Moses’ attempt to mediate between two Israelites was met not with gratitude, but rejection. The Greek phrasing intensifies the drama, not just recounting events but embodying the resistance through the grammar of alienation. The use of a present participle, aorist verbs, and a pointed interrogative reflects a narrative of estrangement — both theological and grammatical.
The Participial Portrait: ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίονThis opening phrase introduces the antagonist with stark clarity:
ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίον “But the one doing wrong to his neighbor”
– ὁ ἀδικῶν is a present active participle, nominative masculine singular, from ἀδικέω (“to wrong, do injustice”).… Learn Koine Greek
“To Be Thus Is Good”: Verbal Infinitives and Temporal Crisis in 1 Corinthians 7:26
Νομίζω οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχειν διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, ὅτι καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ οὕτως εἶναι.
(1 Corinthians 7:26)
Paul’s Ethical Judgment in Light of Present Distress
In 1 Corinthians 7:26, Paul offers a pastoral judgment — not a universal law — rooted in situational wisdom. The verse is syntactically intricate, balancing infinitival clauses with causal subordination, and using repetition of the adjective καλὸν (“good”) to guide both logic and tone. Paul’s Greek here models a nuanced blend of reasoned opinion and theological caution.
Stating the Judgment: νομίζω τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχεινThe core statement begins:
νομίζω οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχειν “Therefore, I think this is good to be”
νομίζωThis is a present active indicative, 1st person singular of νομίζω, “I consider” or “I judge.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Coming One or Another? Participles, Pronouns, and Prophetic Tension
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος δύο τινὰς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔπεμψε πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν λέγων· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; (Luke 7:19)
The Prophet’s Inquiry: A Sentence of Sacred Hesitation
Luke 7:19 captures a moment of profound suspense: John the Baptist, once the confident forerunner, now sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus a direct and daring question. But this is no ordinary query. Its construction in the Greek reveals layers of theological nuance and grammatical precision that both preserve and portray the tension between expectation and revelation.
Background Action: Aorist Middle Participle in FocusThe verse opens with the participial phrase: Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος δύο τινὰς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ “And having called to himself two certain ones of his disciples”
The key participle προσκαλεσάμενος is parsed as:
Tense: Aorist — the action is completed and punctiliar.… Learn Koine GreekWalk as You Were Called: Divine Allotment and Apostolic Order in 1 Corinthians 7:17
Εἰ μὴ ἑκάστῳ ὡς ἐμέρισεν ὁ Θεός, ἕκαστον ὡς κέκληκεν ὁ κύριος, οὕτως περιπατείτω. καὶ οὕτως ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις πάσαις διατάσσομαι. (1 Corinthians 7:17)
Except that each one should walk as God has apportioned to him, each as the Lord has called him. And so I direct in all the churches.
The Grammar of Calling and DistributionPaul’s pastoral instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:17 unfolds a theological imperative grounded in divine sovereignty and ecclesial order. This single verse reveals a surprising depth through the use of two aorist verbs — ἐμέρισεν (“He has assigned”) and κέκληκεν (“He has called”) — alongside a present imperative, περιπατείτω (“let him walk”).… Learn Koine Greek
First Remove the Beam: The Greek Grammar of Moral Clarity in Matthew 7:5
ὑποκριτά, ἔκβαλε πρῶτον τὴν δοκὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σοῦ, καὶ τότε διαβλέψεις ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ κάρφος ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. (Matthew 7:5)
When Syntax Exposes the Soul
In Matthew 7:5, Jesus delivers a thunderous rebuke, not by shouting, but by weaving together imperatives, adverbs, and infinitives into a razor-sharp call for self-examination. The verse is both syntactically rich and spiritually piercing. i>It addresses the hypocrisy of judging others while ignoring one’s own faults — and it does so with a masterclass in Koine Greek grammar.
Let us explore this verse’s grammatical features:
Vocative case with biting personal address Aorist imperative expressing urgent personal responsibility Temporal sequencing with adverbs A future indicative followed by a complementary infinitive Repetition of identical grammatical structures for contrast 1.… Learn Koine Greek
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The Gift of Tongues as Known Languages: Witness of the Early Church Fathers
The testimony of the early Church Fathers confirms that the original understanding of “speaking in tongues” was the miraculous ability to speak real, intelligible human languages previously unknown to the speaker. Fathers such as Irenaeus, Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine clearly describe the gift as Spirit-empowered speech meant for evangelism and as a sign to unbelievers, not as ecstatic or incoherent utterance. While figures like Tertullian and Justin Martyr are less explicit or remain ambiguous, the broader patristic consensus aligns with the apostolic depiction found in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Tongues, in this view, were practical and missional—expressions of divine communication meant to spread the gospel across linguistic boundaries.… Learn Koine Greek
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Speaking in Tongues in the Bible
The biblical expression “speaking in tongues” refers to the miraculous use of real, known human languages rather than ecstatic or unintelligible speech. A close study of key Greek terms in passages like Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 shows that the speech involved recognizable dialects understood by listeners, with Paul emphasizing clarity and interpretability in church gatherings. Even when described as “new tongues,” the term indicates languages unfamiliar to the speaker but still meaningful. Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word γλῶσσα consistently denotes either the physical tongue or an actual language, never incoherent utterance, underscoring that the phenomenon served to communicate God’s message intelligibly and constructively.… Learn Koine Greek
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Grace Beyond Demand: Participles and Imperatives in a Kingdom Ethic
παντὶ δὲ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντος τὰ σὰ μὴ ἀπαίτει. (Luke 6:30)
Radical Commands in Simple Grammar
In Luke 6:30, Jesus delivers a stark command that forms part of His ethical teaching in the “Sermon on the Plain.” Despite its simplicity in form, the grammar of this verse introduces us to essential features of Koine participles, imperative verbs, and Greek prepositions — all working together to communicate a revolutionary ethic of self-giving grace. The structure underscores both individual obligation and unconditional generosity.
1. Indirect Object with a Definite Participle: παντὶ δὲ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε παντὶ – Dative singular of πᾶς, “to everyone” δὲ – Coordinating conjunction, “but” or “and” (softens the shift in emphasis) τῷ αἰτοῦντί – Dative singular masculine participle of αἰτέω, “the one asking” σε – Accusative singular pronoun, “you” (object of the participle)This phrase identifies the recipient of the action: “But to everyone who asks you…”
The participle αἰτοῦντι is in the dative case, functioning as the indirect object of the command that follows.… Learn Koine Greek
Sent with Purpose: Subjunctive Aims and Pastoral Comfort in Ephesians 6:22
Ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἵνα γνῶτε τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. (Ephesians 6:22)
Whom I sent to you for this very purpose: that you may know the things concerning us and that he may encourage your hearts.
A Messenger’s Mission, A Syntax of ConsolationPaul’s closing remarks in Ephesians reflect not only logistical information but deeply pastoral intent. The grammar conveys purpose through subjunctive clauses, purpose phrases, and a concise combination of aorist and present elements. In a single sentence, the apostle reveals his desire that his readers be both informed and comforted.
ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς – Whom I Sent to You ὃν – accusative masculine singular relative pronoun, referring to Tychicus (v.21) ἔπεμψα – aorist active indicative, 1st person singular from πέμπω, “I sent” πρὸς ὑμᾶς – prepositional phrase with accusative, “to you”The use of the aorist denotes a definite past action.… Learn Koine Greek
1700 Years Later: What the Nicene Creed Got Wrong? A Look Through Arian and Eunomian Eyes
Exactly seventeen centuries have passed since the First Council of Nicaea convened on May 20, A.D. 325 — a gathering that, by June 19, promulgated the Nicene Creed, a defining statement of Christian orthodoxy that proclaimed the Son of God to be “true God from true God” and homoousios (of one essence) with the Father. But what if we examine that landmark creed through the eyes of its earliest and most formidable critics? In the wake of Nicaea, two theologians in particular – Arius of Alexandria and, a generation later, Eunomius of Cyzicus – stood in staunch opposition to the Nicene formula.… Learn Koine Greek
