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Greek Lessons
- Following the Teacher: Aorist Participles, Future Intentions, and Conditional Clauses
- Two Witnesses: Pronouns, Participles, and Present Tense in John 8:18
- Blind Minds and Hardened Hearts: Koine Simplicity versus Classical Subtlety
- The Witness Within: Spirit and Identity in Paul’s Koine Expression
- The Grammar of Good Ground: Parsing Luke 8:15
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Category
Category Archives: Theology
Test Everything, Hold Fast to the Good: Discernment in 1 Thessalonians 5:21
πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε
1 Thessalonians 5:21 is a brief but powerful call to spiritual discernment. Nestled in a series of rapid-fire exhortations, this verse balances openness with critical evaluation: believers are not to accept or reject blindly but are to test all things and cling to what is good. The Greek is elegant in its brevity, making each verb imperative and memorable.
Grammatical Foundationsπάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε—“But test everything.”
πάντα—accusative neuter plural of πᾶς, meaning “all things” or “everything.” It is the direct object of the verb. δὲ—a mild connective particle, often translated “but” or “and,” introducing a contrast or continuation.… Learn Koine GreekJohn 1:1 Grammatical and Christological Exegesis: A Balanced Study from Arian and Nicene Perspectives
Greek Text of John 1:1
ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟC ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΟΓΟC ΗΝ ΠΡΟC ΤΟΝ ΘΝ ΚΑΙ ΘC ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟC
Literal TranslationIN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH THE GOD AND GOD WAS THE WORD
1. Morphological and Grammatical Analysis Ἐν ἀρχῇ (en archē) – “In [the] beginning”. The preposition ἐν governs the dative noun ἀρχῇ. Echoes Genesis 1:1 in the Septuagint. Indicates that the Logos existed before creation. ἦν (ēn) – Imperfect active indicative of εἰμί (“to be”), 3rd person singular. Continuous existence in the past. Contrasts with ἐγένετο used of created things in John 1:3.… Learn Koine Greek
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The Future Passive and the Inheritance of the Earth
Few verses in the New Testament glow with the serene promise and grammatical richness of μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (Matthew 5:5). Nestled in the Beatitudes, this verse delivers its reward through a future indicative passive verb — κληρονομήσουσιν — that demands more attention than its soft rhythm might suggest. Beyond the comfort of divine blessing lies a grammatical nuance: the future indicative in Koine Greek can subtly encode both volition and divine appointment, often through passive forms that retain an active meaning. This phenomenon opens a door into the linguistic theology of the Gospel, where agency and passivity converge in sacred inheritance.… Learn Koine Greek
Why Have You Lied to God? Divine Ownership and Integrity in Acts 5:4
οὐχὶ μένον σοι ἔμενε καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχε; τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο; οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ
In this solemn confrontation from Acts 5:4, Peter rebukes Ananias for his deception—not merely against people, but against God. The Greek phrasing draws attention to both the freedom Ananias had and the severity of his decision to misrepresent his gift. This verse emphasizes personal responsibility, divine sovereignty, and the weight of spiritual hypocrisy.
Grammatical Foundationsοὐχὶ μένον σοι ἔμενε—“While it remained, did it not remain yours?”
οὐχὶ—emphatic form of οὐ, introducing a rhetorical question expecting a “yes.”… Learn Koine GreekAscending to Teach: Grammatical Setting and Theological Foreshadowing in Matthew 5:1
The Mountain Scene: Literary and Theological Context of Matthew 5:1
Matthew 5:1 — Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος· καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· (“And seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain; and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”)
This verse opens the famous Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), establishing both its setting and its theological significance. The grammar of Matthew 5:1—through participial sequencing, narrative aorists, and dative constructions—frames Jesus’ action in ways that recall Mosaic imagery, highlight his authoritative teaching role, and invite the reader into a scene of eschatological instruction.… Learn Koine Greek
Grant Boldness: Grammatical Petition and Apostolic Courage in Acts 4:29
Prayer Under Threat: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:29
Acts 4:29 — καὶ τὰ νῦν, Κύριε, ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου (“And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness.”)
This verse is part of the early church’s corporate prayer after Peter and John’s release from the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:23–31). The community does not pray for the threats to be removed, but for boldness to proclaim the word in the midst of opposition. The grammar—marked by imperatives of request, dative constructions, and adverbial phrases—reinforces the posture of humble petition combined with theological courage.… Learn Koine Greek
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Fury in the Synagogue: A Sudden Turn in Luke 4:28
καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες θυμοῦ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ ἀκούοντες ταῦτα
Luke 4:28 captures the dramatic moment when a congregation’s admiration turns into explosive anger. The Greek structure vividly portrays a collective emotional reaction, showing how swiftly hearts can harden when confronted with uncomfortable truths.
Grammatical Foundationsκαὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες θυμοῦ—”And all were filled with rage.”
ἐπλήσθησαν—aorist passive indicative, 3rd person plural from πίμπλημι, meaning “they were filled” or “became full.” πάντες—nominative masculine plural, “all,” emphasizing the totality of the crowd. θυμοῦ—genitive singular from θυμός, “wrath” or “rage,” functioning as a genitive of content (“filled with anger”).ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ—”in the synagogue.” A prepositional phrase indicating the location where the reaction took place.… Learn Koine Greek
Unseen Growth: The Mysterious Working of the Kingdom in Mark 4:27
καὶ καθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγείρηται νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, καὶ ὁ σπόρος βλαστάνῃ καὶ μηκύνηται ὡς οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτός
Mark 4:27 continues the parable of the seed, emphasizing the mystery of growth independent of human effort or understanding. The Greek flows with rhythmic balance, describing natural cycles and unseen processes that symbolize the quiet but unstoppable advance of the Kingdom of God.
Grammatical Foundationsκαθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγείρηται—“he sleeps and rises.” Both verbs are present subjunctives:
καθεύδῃ—present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular from καθεύδω, “he might sleep.” ἐγείρηται—present middle/passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular from ἐγείρω, “he might rise.”The repetition emphasizes the daily cycle of human life—sleeping and rising, night and day.… Learn Koine Greek
Unified Prayer to the Creator: A Confession of Sovereignty in Acts 4:24
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εἶπον· δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς
Acts 4:24 records the believers’ immediate response to persecution: unified, reverent, and theologically rich prayer. The Greek grammar powerfully captures corporate unity, divine address, and creation theology. The verse blends narrative with liturgy—what begins as historical report turns into doxology and affirmation of God’s sovereign identity.
Grammatical Foundationsοἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες—“And when they heard” or “but having heard”—is an aorist active participle, nominative masculine plural, from ἀκούω, functioning temporally. It refers to the community of believers who heard the report about Peter and John.… Learn Koine Greek
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Greek Grammatical and Syntactic Analysis of Luke 4:22
καὶ πάντες ἐμαρτύρουν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις τῆς χάριτος τοῖς ἐκπορευομένοις ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγον· οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσὴφ;
Coordinated Imperfect Verbs: ἐμαρτύρουν and ἐθαύμαζον
ἐμαρτύρουν: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural of μαρτυρέω, “they were bearing witness”
ἐθαύμαζον: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural of θαυμάζω, “they were marveling”
The use of the imperfect tense for both verbs expresses continuous or repeated action in the past. The verbs are coordinated by καὶ and have the common subject πάντες (“all”), indicating communal response.
Subject: πάντες πάντες: nominative masculine plural of πᾶς, “all (people)”This plural subject governs both imperfect verbs.… Learn Koine Greek
