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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
The Parable Begins: Greek Imagery and Eschatological Invitation in Matthew 25:1
Matthew 25:1 opens the final block of Jesus’ eschatological discourse in the Gospel of Matthew, often called the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25). The verse introduces the parable of the ten virgins — a narrative exclusive to Matthew — which follows warnings about the suddenness and unpredictability of the Son of Man’s return. The language of likeness, preparedness, and meeting the bridegroom in this verse sets the thematic and theological tone for the parable that follows.
Structural AnalysisΤότε ὁμοιωθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν δέκα παρθένοις, αἵτινες λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας ἑαυτῶν ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ νυμφίου.
The subject is ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (“the kingdom of heaven”), and the verb ὁμοιωθήσεται (“will be likened”) introduces a comparison.… Learn Koine Greek
Sharing in the Gospel: Grammatical Partnership and Ecclesial Generosity 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 in 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.
Fellowship in Giving and Receiving: Literary and Theological Context of Philippians 4:15This verse appears within Paul’s expression of gratitude for the Philippians’ financial support. More than a simple thank-you, it is a deeply theological reflection on partnership in the gospel.… Learn Koine Greek
Justice and the Lord: Grammatical Petition and Retributive Theology in 2 Timothy 4:14
Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο· ἀποδῴη αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· (2 Timothy 4:14)
Alexander the coppersmith showed me many evils; may the Lord repay him according to his works.
The Coppersmith’s Harm: Literary and Theological Context of 2 Timothy 4:14This verse appears in the closing section of 2 Timothy, a letter filled with Paul’s final reflections, warnings, and exhortations. Here, he names Alexander the coppersmith as one who actively opposed him, doing “much evil.” The verse has two clauses: a narrative report of harm and an optative wish for divine justice. The grammar shifts from indicative to optative, indicating a move from recollection to petition for divine retribution.… Learn Koine Greek
Until I Come: Grammatical Imperatives and Ministerial Priorities in 1 Timothy 4:13
Ἕως ἔρχομαι πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. (1 Timothy 4:13)
Until I come, give attention to the public reading, to exhortation, to teaching.
Devotion to the Word: Literary and Theological Context of 1 Timothy 4:13In this pastoral instruction to Timothy, Paul sets forth the core duties of a young church leader in the interim before his own return. This brief verse contains a temporal clause and three coordinated datives governed by a present imperative verb, forming a triad of ministerial priorities centered on Scripture. The syntax is simple, yet packed with ecclesial and theological significance, offering a clear apostolic vision for public ministry.… Learn Koine Greek
Withdrawal and Mission: Temporal Syntax and Theological Momentum in Matthew 4:12
Ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. (Matthew 4:12)
Now when he heard that John had been handed over, he withdrew into Galilee.
Turning Point in Galilee: Literary and Theological Context of Matthew 4:12This verse marks a pivotal transition in Matthew’s Gospel. Following the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the narrative now shifts into the beginning of his public ministry. The arrest of John the Baptist becomes a chronological and theological signal, prompting Jesus’ movement toward Galilee. The grammar of the verse—especially the aorist participle ἀκούσας and the main verb ἀνεχώρησεν—constructs a temporal and causal link that drives the narrative forward.… Learn Koine Greek
In Vain? Apostolic Anxiety and Grammatical Tension in Galatians 4:11
Φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μήπως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. (Galatians 4:11)
I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored in vain for you.
Labor in Doubt: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:11This terse yet potent verse reveals the emotional undercurrent of Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians. Following his astonishment at their regression to “weak and beggarly elements” (Gal. 4:9), Paul now expresses fear—not for his own reputation, but for the possibility that his labor among them has been rendered fruitless. The Greek syntax captures Paul’s pastoral anxiety through verbal aspect, particles of uncertainty, and final prepositional phrasing. Galatians 4:11 thus embodies not only theological concern, but rhetorical urgency encoded in grammar.… Learn Koine Greek
Striving to Enter: Grammatical Urgency and Covenantal Warning in Hebrews 4:11
Σπουδάσωμεν οὖν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τις ὑποδείγματι πέσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας. (Hebrews 4:11)
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
Let Us Strive: Literary and Theological Context of Hebrews 4:11This verse brings to a close a major exhortation in Hebrews 3–4 concerning God’s rest, drawing on Psalm 95 to warn believers against the hardening of heart and failure to enter the promised rest. The grammar intensifies this exhortation with a strong hortatory subjunctive, purpose clause, and vivid reference to Israel’s historical failure.… Learn Koine Greek
In This Name: Grammatical Testimony and Christological Boldness in Acts 4:10
Γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής. (Acts 4:10)
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—in this name this man stands before you healthy.
Healing in the Name: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:10This verse constitutes the theological climax of Peter’s defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, immediately following the healing of the lame man and the questioning of the apostles’ authority (Acts 4:7–9).… Learn Koine Greek
Known by God: Grammatical Emphasis and Theological Identity in Galatians 4:9
Νῦν δὲ γνόντες Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεύειν θέλετε; (Galatians 4:9)
But now that you have come to know God—or rather to be known by God—how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and miserable elemental things, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?
From Knowledge to Bondage: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:9This verse is situated in Paul’s passionate theological appeal to the Galatians to resist turning back to the Law after having received the gospel of grace.… Learn Koine Greek
Interrogated for a Healing: Grammatical Irony and Theological Clarity in Acts 4:9
Εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσῳσται, (Acts 4:9)
If we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man, by what means this one has been healed,
Standing Trial for Kindness: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:9This verse opens Peter’s response before the Sanhedrin following the miraculous healing of a lame man (Acts 3:1–10). The leaders’ interrogation (Acts 4:7) prompts a Spirit-filled answer (v. 8) that reframes the legal proceedings as a trial of divine goodness. The syntax of Acts 4:9 uses a conditional clause and a rhetorical question to create both irony and theological setup.… Learn Koine Greek
