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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
The Origin of the Date of Pascha: A Historical and Theological Examination
The determination of the date of Pascha—known as Easter in English-speaking countries—has been one of the most historically significant and controversial issues in Christian liturgical history. Despite its centrality in Christian faith—as the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah—Christians around the world often celebrate this foundational feast on different days. This article explores the origin of the Paschal date, the divergent calendars and calculations of Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches, and how these differences emerged and persist to this day. Finally, we reflect on the profound spiritual message of unity found in the Greek text of Ephesians 4:3.… Learn Koine Greek
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Forgiveness Amid Cruelty in Luke 23:34: Imperatives, Ignorance, and Irony in Crucifixion Greek
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγε· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι. διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον κλῆρον.
Imperfective Prayer of the Crucified: ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγε– ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς: Nominative with article—”but Jesus.” – δὲ: Coordinating conjunction, continuing narrative with mild contrast. – ἔλεγε: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular of λέγω, “he was saying.” – The imperfect tense here suggests ongoing or repeated action—Jesus may have uttered this more than once. – This phrase introduces a statement of immense theological and emotional weight.
Cruciform Intercession: Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς– Πάτερ: Vocative singular—”Father.” – Intimate address to God, echoing Jesus’ consistent filial relationship.… Learn Koine Greek
Good Friday: Matthew 27:46, Greek Grammar, Calendar Calculations, and Historical Coincidences
Good Friday is the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It marks the culmination of Jesus’s passion, occurring during the Jewish festival of Passover. In the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, one of the most striking moments is captured in Matthew 27:46, when Jesus cries out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This article examines the significance of that cry – including its original language and grammar – and explores how the date of the first Good Friday is determined (considering Gregorian vs. Julian calendar calculations) as well as several remarkable historical coincidences associated with that day.… Learn Koine Greek
Sharing in the Gospel: Grammatical Partnership and Ecclesial Generosity in Philippians 4:15
Fellowship in Giving and Receiving: Literary and Theological Context of Philippians 4:15
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, (“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.”)
This 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
The Coppersmith’s Harm: Literary and Theological Context of 2 Timothy 4:14
2 Timothy 4:14 — Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο· ἀποδῴη αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· (“Alexander the coppersmith showed me many evils; may the Lord repay him according to his works.”)
This 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
Devotion to the Word: Literary and Theological Context of 1 Timothy 4:13
1 Timothy 4:13 — ἕως ἔρχομαι πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. (“Until I come, give attention to the public reading, to exhortation, to teaching.”)
In 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
Turning Point in Galilee: Literary and Theological Context of Matthew 4:12
Matthew 4:12 — Ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. (“Now when he heard that John had been handed over, he withdrew into Galilee.”)
This 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
Speaking Against and Judging the Law (James 4:11)
Introduction: Slander as Judgment of the Law
James issues a stark ethical and theological warning against slander among believers:
Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί… “Do not speak against one another, brothers…”
He then explains that slandering a brother is functionally equivalent to judging the law itself, a bold theological statement that reverses the moral posture of the speaker: from obedient doer to presumptuous judge.
Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί, ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ καὶ κρίνων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καταλαλεῖ νόμου καὶ κρίνει νόμον· εἰ δὲ νόμον κρίνεις, οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νόμου, ἀλλὰ κριτής. Morphological Breakdown Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε {mē katalaleíte} – Form: present active imperative, 2nd person plural; Verb: καταλαλέω = “to speak against, slander”; Usage: prohibitive imperative with μή: “Stop slandering one another” ὁ καταλαλῶν… καὶ κρίνων {ho katalalṓn… kai krínōn} – Form: nominative masculine singular present active participles; Translation: “the one who speaks against… and judges…” Function: subject of the main verbs that follow Notes: Both participles describe a single person engaging in both actions: verbal harm and moral judgment.… Learn Koine GreekIn This Name: Grammatical Testimony and Christological Boldness in Acts 4:10
Healing in the Name: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:10
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. (“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.”)
This 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
From Knowledge to Bondage: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:9
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; (“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?”)
This 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
