“οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ”: Called to Holiness, Not Impurity (1 Thessalonians 4:7)

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Introduction: The Nature of the Call

Paul admonishes the Thessalonians regarding sexual purity and sanctification. In verse 7, he anchors his ethical exhortation in the theology of divine calling:

οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ “For God did not call us to impurity, but in holiness.”

This contrast establishes the goal and sphere of Christian living, expressed through two distinct prepositions: ἐπὶ (implying purpose or result) and ἐν (implying the moral environment of sanctification).

οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Morphological Breakdown οὐ {ou} – Form: negative particle; Meaning: “not”; Usage: negates the finite verb ἐκάλεσεν γὰρ {gar} – Form: coordinating conjunction; Meaning: “for,” “because”; Usage: introduces a theological rationale for the previous exhortation.… Learn Koine Greek
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Priestly Lineage and Named Authority in Acts 4:6: Apposition, Lists, and Genitive Identification in Narrative Greek

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Biblical Greek

καὶ Ἅνναν τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ Καϊάφαν καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ,

Coordinated Proper Nouns and Appositional Structure καὶ: Coordinating conjunction—”and.” Ἅνναν: Accusative singular of the proper name Ἅννας, referring to Annas, the former high priest. τὸν ἀρχιερέα: Accusative singular masculine noun with article—”the high priest.” Appositional to Ἅνναν: specifying his office or title Καϊάφαν: Accusative singular proper name, referring to Caiaphas, who was the acting high priest at the time. Ἰωάννην and Ἀλέξανδρον: Accusative singular proper names, likely members of the priestly aristocracy. These names occur in the list without further description but are included for their prominence.… Learn Koine Greek
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Divine Speech and Illuminated Hearts in 2 Corinthians 4:6: Participles, Prepositions, and the Revelation of God’s Glory in Christ

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Biblical Greek
ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Causal Conjunction and Thematic Emphasis: ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς

– ὅτι: Conjunction introducing a causal or explanatory clause—”because” or “for.” – ὁ Θεός: Nominative singular subject—”God.” – This phrase links directly with the preceding verse (2 Corinthians 4:5), explaining why Paul and his companions preach Christ as Lord and not themselves.

Identifying God as Creator by His Speech: ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι

– ὁ εἰπὼν: Aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular of λέγω, “the one who said.”… Learn Koine Greek

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The Shallow Ground: Quick Growth, No Root in Mark 4:5

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Biblical Greek
καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ πετρῶδες, ὅπου οὐκ εἶχε γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλε διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς

Mark 4:5 continues the Parable of the Sower with a new scene—this time not the hard path, but the shallow, rocky ground. The Greek is descriptive and causally tight: every clause builds on the last, showing cause and effect in the plant’s short-lived success. The rhythm is brisk, echoing the burst of early growth that ends in failure.

Grammatical Foundations

ἄλλο ἔπεσεν—“another (seed) fell”—resumes the parable’s structure from verse 4. The subject ἄλλο is neuter singular, referring to another portion of the scattered seed.… Learn Koine Greek

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A Glimpse of Power: The Devil’s Offer in Luke 4:5

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου

This verse sets the stage for the second temptation in the wilderness. The Greek constructs the scene with visual sharpness and temporal tension. The movement upward, the flash of sight, and the universal scope all serve to intensify the drama. In just one verse, we see elevation, vision, and the allure of power—all conveyed through precise syntax.

Grammatical Foundations

The verse begins with Καὶ ἀναγαγὼν—an aorist active participle from ἀνάγω, meaning “having led up.” It’s nominative masculine singular, modifying ὁ διάβολος, the subject.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Seed on the Path: Structure and Symbolism in Mark 4:4

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Biblical Greek
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ σπείρειν ὃ μὲν ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἦλθον τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτό

This verse belongs to Mark’s version of the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:4), not Luke’s. The Greek delivers quick snapshots of action—sowing, falling, being devoured—with a narrative flow that moves as rapidly as the events it describes. Every verb is chosen to convey swiftness and loss, setting the tone for Jesus’ later explanation of hardened hearts.

Grammatical Foundations

Mark opens the sentence with καὶ ἐγένετο—“and it happened”—a narrative marker that introduces parabolic action. The phrase ἐν τῷ σπείρειν is a temporal clause using the articular infinitive with ἐν: “while he was sowing.”… Learn Koine Greek

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God Rested on the Seventh: Echoes of Genesis in Hebrews 4:4

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Biblical Greek
εἴρηκε γάρ που περὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης οὕτω· καὶ κατέπαυσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ

Hebrews 4:4 quotes Genesis with theological intent. It’s not just repetition—it’s interpretation. The author reminds his readers that God’s rest was not metaphorical but decisive. The Greek reinforces this, using perfect and aorist tenses to root that rest in history, while pointing toward a deeper invitation for the present.

Grammatical Foundations

The verse begins with εἴρηκε, a perfect active indicative from λέγω, meaning “he has said.” The perfect tense highlights ongoing relevance—what God said in the past still speaks now.… Learn Koine Greek

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Judgment of the Rebels: Grammar and Imagery in Jude 6

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Biblical Greek
ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν

Jude 6 paints a vivid, almost apocalyptic picture of divine judgment. The Greek grammar is dense and carefully layered: participles build a charge, prepositions stack with intensity, and a perfect verb holds the entire scene in place. These fallen angels aren’t described with flourish—they’re bound in theological precision.

Grammatical Foundations

The main subject is ἀγγέλους—“angels”—with the particle τε linking it back to previous examples of judgment. Two attributive aorist participles describe them: τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας (“those who did not keep”) and ἀπολιπόντας (“but left”).… Learn Koine Greek

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Bondage Before Adoption: A Grammatical and Theological Study of Galatians 4:3

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Introduction

Galatians 4:3 — οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἦμεν δεδουλωμένοι· (“So also we, when we were children, were enslaved under the elemental things of the world.”)

This verse forms a key component in Paul’s allegorical and theological argument regarding spiritual maturation and redemptive transition in Galatians 3–4. Paul constructs a conceptual analogy between the experience of Israel under the Mosaic Law and that of minors under guardianship (cf. Gal. 4:1–2). Galatians 4:3 distills this analogy into a theological axiom: before the coming of Christ, humanity—Jew and possibly Gentile alike—was in a state of spiritual immaturity and bondage to the “elemental things of the world” (τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου).… Learn Koine Greek

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Found Faithful: Divine Expectations and Grammatical Precision in 1 Corinthians 4:2

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Faithfulness as a Steward’s Mark: Literary and Theological Context of 1 Corinthians 4:2

1 Corinthians 4:2 — ὃ δὲ λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις, ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ. (“Moreover, what is required in stewards is that one be found faithful.”)

This compact but theologically rich verse falls within Paul’s defense of his apostolic ministry in 1 Corinthians 4:1–5. Here, he depicts himself and other apostles not as celebrities or philosophers but as οἰκονόμοι—household stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God (v. 1). Verse 2 functions as a general principle flowing from this metaphor: the primary requirement for a steward is fidelity.… Learn Koine Greek

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