Good Friday: Matthew 27:46, Greek Grammar, Calendar Calculations, and Historical Coincidences

Posted on April 18, 2025 by New Testament Greek

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

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Manipulative Zeal and Paul’s Rebuke in Galatians 4:17

Posted on April 17, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Introduction: When Zeal Turns Toxic

Paul warns the Galatians about those who seek to manipulate their devotion:

ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε “They are zealous for you, not in a good way, but they want to exclude you, so that you might be zealous for them.”

This verse uses present indicatives, a purpose clause, and an infinitive of result/purpose. It’s a masterclass in ironic exposure—the Judaizers appear “passionately concerned,” but their aim is control.

ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε Morphological Breakdown ζηλοῦσιν {zēloûsin} – Root: ζηλόω {zēlóō}; Form: present active indicative, 3rd person plural; Meaning: “they are zealous for,” “they court,” “they are passionately interested in (you)”; Notes: Can be positive or negative depending on context.… Learn Koine Greek
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From Whom the Whole Body Grows: Unity and Function in Ephesians 4:16

Posted on April 16, 2025 by New Testament Greek
The Verse in Focus (Ephesians 4:16)

ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα συναρμολογούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας κατ’ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ

ἐξ οὗ: The Source of Growth

The phrase ἐξ οὗ (“from whom”) points back to Christ, the immediate antecedent in the previous verse. The preposition ἐκ with the genitive indicates origin or source. All that follows flows from Christ — the head from whom the body derives coordination, support, and growth.

πᾶν τὸ σῶμα: The Unified Whole

– πᾶν — “every” or “the whole.” – τὸ σῶμα — “the body.”… Learn Koine Greek

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The Custom of the Sabbath: A Greek Look at Luke 4:16

Posted on April 16, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Luke 4:16

Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέτ, οὗ ἦν τεθραμμένος, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν, καὶ ἀνέστη ἀναγνῶναι.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and according to his custom he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

A Return Home with Purpose Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέτ – “And he came to Nazareth.” The aorist ἦλθεν from ἔρχομαι signals a completed journey. Ναζαρέτ is used without an article, functioning like a proper noun. The setting marks a return to familiarity, but as the narrative continues, it becomes a place of rejection.… Learn Koine Greek
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Sharing in the Gospel: Grammatical Partnership and Ecclesial Generosity in Philippians 4:15

Posted on April 15, 2025 by New Testament Greek
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

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Justice and the Lord: Grammatical Petition and Retributive Theology in 2 Timothy 4:14

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Biblical Greek
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

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Until I Come: Grammatical Imperatives and Ministerial Priorities in 1 Timothy 4:13

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Biblical Greek
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

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Withdrawal and Mission: Temporal Syntax and Theological Momentum in Matthew 4:12

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Biblical Greek
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

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Learning Contentment: The Grammar of Sufficiency in Philippians 4:11

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Biblical Greek
The Verse in Focus (Philippians 4:11)

οὐχ ὅτι καθ’ ὑστέρησιν λέγω· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμι αὐτάρκης εἶναι

οὐχ ὅτι… λέγω: Clarifying Motive

Paul opens this sentence with a familiar construction:

– οὐχ ὅτι — literally “not that…” This is an idiom used to deny a misunderstanding of what was just said. – καθ’ ὑστέρησιν — “according to need” or “from a place of lack.” The preposition κατά with the accusative implies cause or standard. – λέγω — “I say” (present active indicative of λέγω).

Together: “Not that I am speaking from need.” Paul wants to make it clear that his appreciation (for the Philippians’ support) isn’t rooted in desperation.… Learn Koine Greek

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In Vain? Apostolic Anxiety and Grammatical Tension in Galatians 4:11

Posted on April 11, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Labor in Doubt: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:11

Galatians 4:11 — φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μήπως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. (“I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored in vain for you.”)

This terse yet potent verse reveals the emotional undercurrent of Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians. Following his astonishment at their regression to “weak and beggarly elements” (Gal. 4:9), Paul now expresses fear—not for his own reputation, but for the possibility that his labor among them has been rendered fruitless. The Greek syntax captures Paul’s pastoral anxiety through verbal aspect, particles of uncertainty, and final prepositional phrasing. Galatians 4:11 thus embodies not only theological concern, but rhetorical urgency encoded in grammar.… Learn Koine Greek

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