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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: Theology
Come and Eat: Recognition and Reverence in John 21:12
λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· δεῦτε ἀριστήσατε. οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐτόλμα τῶν μαθητῶν ἐξετάσαι αὐτόν σὺ τίς εἶ, εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ κύριός ἐστιν
John 21:12 is a moment of quiet recognition after the resurrection. The Greek captures a gentle invitation, a reverent silence, and a certainty about Jesus’ identity without the need for words. The structure juxtaposes command and restraint, speech and silence, presence and awe.
Grammatical Foundationsλέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς—“Jesus says to them.” Present active indicative, 3rd person singular from λέγω, marking speech in narrative present. αὐτοῖς is dative plural: “to them.” The subject ὁ Ἰησοῦς appears after the verb, typical of Koine style.… Learn Koine Greek
Written by My Own Hand: Emphasis and Intimacy in Galatians 6:11
Ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί (Galatians 6:11)
See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.
Galatians 6:11 marks a dramatic shift in tone and presentation. Paul, after dictating the letter through a scribe (as was common practice), now takes the stylus himself. The Greek draws attention to the act of writing and the form of the letters. It’s a moment of personal emphasis and visual signature, charged with apostolic authority and emotional urgency.
Grammatical FoundationsThe verse begins with the imperative Ἴδετε—“See!” or “Look!” It is a present active imperative, 2nd person plural from ὁράω, functioning as a direct call to attention.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions in Divine Imitation: The Grammar of Christlike Welcome in Romans 15:7
Διὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ἡμᾶς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. (Romans 15:7)
Therefore welcome one another, just as also the Messiah welcomed us, for the glory of God.
Why Declensions Matter HereIn this compact verse, Paul commands imitation—not in abstract terms but in grammatical precision. The morphosyntactic alignment of subject, object, and preposition in the verse reinforces the mutuality of Christian love and the theocentric purpose behind it. From the middle imperative to the articular subject, each declinable element contributes to the theology of inclusion.
Detailed Declension Breakdown Greek Word Morphology Case & Syntactic Role Notes ἀλλήλους Reciprocal pronoun, accusative plural masculine Direct object of προσλαμβάνεσθε Mutuality emphasized: “one another” highlights equality and inclusion ὁ Χριστός 2nd declension masculine nominative singular noun with article Subject of προσελάβετο Emphatic by placement and article: the Messiah himself is the model ἡμᾶς 1st person plural personal pronoun, accusative Object of προσελάβετο Refers to believers—those formerly excluded but now received δόξαν 3rd declension feminine accusative singular noun Object of preposition εἰς Denotes goal or result: the entire movement aims toward “glory” Θεοῦ 2nd declension masculine genitive singular noun Genitive of possession Defines whose glory: not man’s glory, but God’s Case Functions that Reflect Theological Logic– The accusative ἀλλήλους reinforces mutual reception: both subject and object are the same collective body.… Learn Koine Greek
Arrival Across the Sea: Narrative Precision and Geographical Framing in Mark 5:1
Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν. (Mark 5:1)
And they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gergesenes.
The Role of Transition in Mark’s NarrativeMark 5:1 introduces one of the most memorable episodes in the Gospel: the healing of the Gerasene demoniac. The verse is a short transitional sentence: Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν — “And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes/Gergesenes.” Although it looks simple, its grammar and vocabulary set the stage for a dramatic confrontation.… Learn Koine Greek
The Fellowship of Giving and Receiving: Declensions 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 at 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.
Declension HighlightsThis verse illustrates Paul’s masterful use of Greek declensions to frame his message of exclusive gospel partnership. There are 13 declinable forms, including nouns, adjectives, and pronouns, which span all three declension classes:
1st Declension: ἐκκλησία, ἀρχῇ, Μακεδονίας 2nd Declension: λόγον, εὐαγγελίου 3rd Declension: δόσεως, λήψεως Pronouns/Adjectives: ὑμεῖς (×2), οὐδεμία, μόνοιThese forms create a theological structure: Paul praises the Philippians’ exclusive participation in gospel support using emphatic plural subjects, a carefully constructed genitive phrase of financial reciprocity, and a dative temporal marker.… Learn Koine Greek
Grace That Trains: Living Wisely in the Present Age — Titus 2:12
Παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, (Titus 2:12)
Training us, so that having denied ungodliness and worldly desires, we might live sensibly, justly, and reverently in the present age.
This verse from Titus 2:12 continues Paul’s description of the grace of God (v. 11) and reveals that grace is not merely forgiving, but formative. Grace “trains” believers to renounce what is corrupt and to pursue a distinctly godly lifestyle in the present age. The Greek structure is highly instructive and rhythmically arranged for both doctrine and ethical application.… Learn Koine Greek
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
Greek Grammar Lesson from 2 Peter 1:21
Οὐ γὰρ θελήματι ἀνθρώπου ἠνέχθη ποτὲ προφητεία, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι ἐλάλησαν ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι. (2 Peter 1:21)
For prophecy was never brought by human will, but men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Passive Voice and Dative of Agency vs. ὑπό + GenitiveThis verse contrasts human will with divine agency using distinct grammatical structures. It provides a compelling example of passive voice, prepositional agency, and subject placement to support theological claims about prophecy’s origin.
Passive Verb: ἠνέχθηἠνέχθη is the aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular of φέρω (“to bring, carry, bear”).… Learn Koine Greek
From Middle to Passive: The Evolution of Reception in 1 Corinthians 16:11
This article explores the rich grammatical texture of a passage from the New Testament — specifically 1 Corinthians 16:11. We examine how the verb ἐκδέχομαι, a middle-voice verb in Koine Greek, conveys agency and personal involvement — and how its evolution into Modern Greek reveals shifts in voice, syntax, and relational nuance.
Μὴ τις οὖν αὐτὸν ἐξουθενήσῃ· προπέμψατε δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρός με· ἐκδέχομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν. (1 Corinthians 16:11)Therefore let no one despise him; but send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I am expecting him with the brothers.… Learn Koine Greek
Missionary Initiative and Grammatical Identity in Acts 11:20: Syntax and Semantic Range in the Expansion of the Gospel
Ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Κύπριοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι, οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, ἐλάλουν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστάς, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν.
But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, having entered into Antioch, were speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. Acts 11:20 marks a decisive moment in the development of early Christian mission, describing the geographical and linguistic outreach beyond Judea. Grammatically, it contains significant constructions: periphrastic participles, prepositional phrases with directional focus, and a key debated noun—Ἑλληνιστάς. Each component of the Greek informs both the theology and the literary style of Luke’s narrative.… Learn Koine Greek
