ὁ δὲ κατεργασάμενος ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο Θεός, ὁ καὶ δοὺς ἡμῖν τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ Πνεύματος. (2 Corinthians 5:5)
Now the one who prepared us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the pledge of the Spirit.
Theological Movement Through Morphology
This compact verse moves from divine action in the past to divine guarantee in the present. Every element of the verse is wrapped in rich declension: nominatives identify the divine agent, accusatives mark the recipients, and genitives clarify possession. This is Pauline grammar in service of pneumatological assurance.
Declension Analysis Table
| Greek Word | Morphology | Case & Syntactic Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ…Θεός | 2nd declension masculine nominative singular with article | Subject of main clause | The divine actor, named explicitly; repeated articular structure reinforces identity |
| κατεργασάμενος | Aorist middle participle, nominative masculine singular | Modifies ὁ…Θεός | “The one who prepared us” — expresses purposeful divine action |
| ἡμᾶς | 1st person plural personal pronoun, accusative | Object of participle κατεργασάμενος | Refers to believers as the object of divine preparation |
| εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο | Preposition εἰς + accusative neuter demonstrative pronoun | Accusative of purpose or result | “For this very thing” — likely referring to eternal life or resurrection (contextually) |
| ὁ…δούς | Aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular with article | Appositional participle referring to Θεός | “Who also gave…” — adds a second divine action: giving the Spirit |
| ἡμῖν | 1st person plural personal pronoun, dative | Indirect object of δούς | Believers again in focus — the recipients of the gift |
| τὸν ἀρραβῶνα | 2nd declension masculine accusative singular with article | Direct object of δούς | “The pledge” — referring to the Holy Spirit as a down payment or guarantee |
| τοῦ Πνεύματος | 3rd declension neuter genitive singular noun with article | Genitive of specification or possession | Defines the nature of the pledge — it is “of the Spirit” |
Article-Noun Coordination and Identity
– The repetition of the article ὁ before both participles (κατεργασάμενος, δούς) identifies the same God as the source of both preparation and gifting.
– τὸν ἀρραβῶνα: The use of the article specifies that this is not any generic gift—it is the pledge, already known in Pauline theology (cf. 2 Cor 1:22 in English).
– τοῦ Πνεύματος: The genitive construction shows both origin and content — the Spirit is not only given by God, but is Himself the pledge.
Semantic Tension in Case Usage
– Accusative ἡμᾶς and dative ἡμῖν highlight God’s dual roles: the one forming us and the one gifting us.
– Genitive τοῦ Πνεύματος explains the gift’s substance: the Spirit is the guarantee of what is to come.
– Accusative phrase εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο points to telos—divine intentionality wrapped in prepositional grammar.
Declensions That Guarantee the Future
The verse’s theological weight hangs on its declensions. The participial forms identify God’s personal actions, while accusative and dative pronouns localize His benefits to us. The genitive construction explains the nature of what we’ve received: not a symbolic promise, but the Spirit Himself. In this grammar, God is both artisan and guarantor—and believers are the shaped and the sealed.
