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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
You Are the Light: Visibility and Vocation in Matthew 5:14
Matthew 5:14 is part of the Sermon on the Mount, immediately following the Beatitudes. In verses 13–16, Jesus uses metaphors to describe the disciples’ role in the world. After calling them the “salt of the earth,” he declares: “You are the light of the world.” This verse introduces the imagery of illumination, mission, and public witness. The second clause — about a city on a hill — intensifies the theme of visibility and influence.
Structural AnalysisὙμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη·
The verse contains two clauses: (1) a direct identification — “You are the light of the world” — with emphatic placement of ὑμεῖς, and (2) a proverbial truth — “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” — illustrating the inescapable visibility of such light.… Learn Koine Greek
Before the Law: The Logic of Sin in Romans 5:13
Romans 5:13 belongs to Paul’s broader argument in Romans 5:12–21, where he contrasts Adam and Christ. Verse 12 declares that sin entered the world through one man and death through sin. Verse 13 qualifies this claim by addressing the time before the Mosaic Law. Paul’s aim is to show that sin was a universal reality even before the Torah — thereby underscoring the necessity of Christ’s redemptive work.
Structural Analysisἄχρι γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ, ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται μὴ ὄντος νόμου·
The verse divides into two antithetical clauses: (1) an affirmation — “Sin was in the world until the Law”, and (2) a paradoxical negation — “but sin is not counted when there is no Law.”… Learn Koine Greek
Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Divine Sonship and Reconciliation in Matthew 5:9
Matthew 5:9 is the seventh of the Beatitudes that open the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–12). These declarations of blessing set the ethical and spiritual tone for Jesus’ teaching, describing the character of those who belong to the kingdom of heaven. In this verse, Jesus praises not passive peace-lovers but active peace-makers. The promise attached — that they will be called “sons of God” — is profound both theologically and eschatologically.
Structural Analysisμακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται.
The verse follows the typical Beatitude structure: μακάριοι (“blessed”) introduces the group, followed by the reason ὅτι… (“because…”). The nominative plural subject οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί is marked for emphasis.… Learn Koine Greek
When Darkness Cries Out: The Fear of Holiness in Mark 5:7
Mark 5:7 occurs in the account of Jesus’ confrontation with the Gerasene demoniac — a man possessed by a legion of unclean spirits (Mark 5:1–20). After running to Jesus and falling before Him, the possessed man (or rather the spirit within him) speaks. This verse captures the moment of spiritual tension where evil recognizes divine authority and recoils. It is a rare moment in the Gospels when a demon articulates theology with unsettling clarity.
Structural Analysisκαὶ κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγει· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου; ὁρκίζω σε τὸν Θεόν, μή με βασανίσῃς.
The verse contains three coordinated parts: (1) the possessed man’s scream and speech introduction, (2) a rhetorical question expressing dread and distance, and (3) a solemn adjuration begging Jesus not to torment him.… Learn Koine Greek
Nets at the Breaking Point: Obedience and Overflow in Luke 5:6
Luke 5:6 belongs to the account of the miraculous catch of fish — a pivotal moment in Jesus’ early Galilean ministry. After teaching from Simon’s boat, Jesus instructs him to let down the nets. Though the disciples had caught nothing all night, they obey — and the result is overwhelming. This verse describes the moment of divine abundance. It precedes Peter’s confession of unworthiness (v. 8) and the call to discipleship (v. 10). Thus, Luke 5:6 bridges the mundane world of labor with the inbreaking power of the kingdom.
Structural Analysisκαὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντες συνέκλεισαν πλῆθος ἰχθύων πολύ· διερρήγνυτο δὲ τὸ δίκτυον αὐτῶν.… Learn Koine Greek
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
