For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life—what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food and the body more than clothing?
The Rationale for TrustΔιὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν – “For this reason I say to you.”
Διὰ τοῦτο – “because of this,” referring back to the prior teaching on serving God versus wealth (v.… Learn Koine GreekAnd having gone out, she said to her mother: “What should I ask for?” And she said: “The head of John the Baptist.”
We now turn our attention to a passage steeped in dramatic irony, political intrigue, and theological undercurrent—Mark 6:24. In this brief yet potent narrative segment, we witness a daughter’s exit from a royal banquet, her return with a chilling request, and her mother’s decisive answer. The grammatical focus of this study lies in the interrogative structure embedded within indirect discourse: Τί αἰτήσομαι; (“What shall I ask?”),… Learn Koine Greek
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for according to the same things their fathers used to do to the prophets.
We now examine a verse that pulses with paradoxical joy amidst persecution—Luke 6:23. This verse, nestled within the Lukan Beatitudes, presents an imperative charged with both immediacy and eternity. Our focus will be on the aorist imperative forms χάρητε (“rejoice”) and σκιρτήσατε (“leap for joy”), which appear in juxtaposition with the present-tense affirmation of eternal reward.… Learn Koine Greek
Whom I sent to you for this very purpose: that you may know the things concerning us and that he may encourage your hearts.
A Messenger’s Mission, A Syntax of ConsolationPaul’s closing remarks in Ephesians reflect not only logistical information but deeply pastoral intent. The grammar conveys purpose through subjunctive clauses, purpose phrases, and a concise combination of aorist and present elements. In a single sentence, the apostle reveals his desire that his readers be both informed and comforted.
ὃν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς – Whom I Sent to You ὃν – accusative masculine singular relative pronoun, referring to Tychicus (v.21) ἔπεμψα – aorist active indicative, 1st person singular from πέμπω, “I sent” πρὸς ὑμᾶς – prepositional phrase with accusative, “to you”The use of the aorist denotes a definite past action.… Learn Koine Greek
What fruit then were you having at that time, from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
The Question of Fruit and Memoryτίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε – “What fruit then were you having at that time?”
τίνα – interrogative pronoun, accusative singular masculine/neuter: “what kind of…?” οὖν – logical connector: “then,” drawing a conclusion from the preceding contrast between slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness. καρπὸν – “fruit,” figurative for outcome or result of one’s moral/spiritual life.… Learn Koine GreekFor when you were slaves of sin, you were free with respect to righteousness.
The Paradox Framed by DeclensionIn Romans 6:20, Paul constructs a stark paradox using precise noun cases: being a slave of one power means being free from another. This theological contrast—sin versus righteousness—is not merely stated; it’s declined. The article-noun pairings and dative constructions expose a mutual exclusivity that can only be communicated through inflection.
Verse Breakdown: Form, Case, and Theological Function Greek Word Morphology Case & Syntactic Role Notes δοῦλοι 2nd declension masculine nominative plural noun Subject of ἦτε “Slaves” — the foundational metaphor for human condition under sin ἦτε (1st instance) 2nd person plural imperfect indicative of εἰμί Linking verb “You were” — establishes past state of being τῆς ἁμαρτίας 1st declension feminine genitive singular noun with article Genitive of possession “Of sin” — what owned them as slaves ἐλεύθεροι 1st/2nd declension adjective, nominative plural masculine Predicate nominative with 2nd ἦτε “Free” — ironic, because it means they were not righteous τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ 1st declension feminine dative singular noun with article Dative of respect (“with regard to”) “In relation to righteousness” — not in service of it Grammatical Mirror: Two Spheres, Two CasesPaul’s point is symmetrical:
– Nominative δοῦλοι – what you were in relation to sin.… Learn Koine Greek
Exactly seventeen centuries have passed since the First Council of Nicaea convened on May 20, A.D. 325 — a gathering that, by June 19, promulgated the Nicene Creed, a defining statement of Christian orthodoxy that proclaimed the Son of God to be “true God from true God” and homoousios (of one essence) with the Father. But what if we examine that landmark creed through the eyes of its earliest and most formidable critics? In the wake of Nicaea, two theologians in particular – Arius of Alexandria and, a generation later, Eunomius of Cyzicus – stood in staunch opposition to the Nicene formula.… Learn Koine Greek
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and decay destroy, and where thieves dig through and steal.
Imperatives of the KingdomIn this verse, Jesus shifts from prayer and fasting to possessions and priorities. With vivid contrasts and stark imperatives, the Greek highlights moral clarity through verbal command, adverbial clauses of condition, and present tense nuances that reveal the pull of earthly vs. heavenly investments.
Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς – Do Not Store Up Treasures for Yourselves Μὴ – negative particle for prohibitions with present imperatives θησαυρίζετε – present active imperative, 2nd person plural of θησαυρίζω, “store up, accumulate” ὑμῖν – dative of advantage, “for yourselves” θησαυροὺς – accusative plural, direct object, “treasures”The present imperative + μὴ construction signals a general prohibition, urging the cessation of a habitual action.… Learn Koine Greek
And the sea was being stirred up by a great wind blowing.
As the Wind Blew, the Sea AwokeJohn 6:18 gives a compact but vivid description of a growing storm that sets the stage for Jesus walking on the sea. The Greek employs a genitive absolute, a passive imperfect verb, and the narrative particle τε to convey rising tension and atmospheric drama. The grammar mirrors the physical reality: the disciples’ world is becoming unstable.
1. Subject and Narrative Connector: ἥ τε θάλασσα ἥ – Nominative singular feminine definite article, referring to θάλασσα τε – Enclitic particle meaning “also” or “and indeed,” used here to tightly link this clause to what came before θάλασσα – “the sea,” the subject of the main verb διεγείρετοThis phrase introduces the main scene — “the sea also…” — contributing to the narrative escalation.… Learn Koine Greek
And having come down with them, he stood on a level place; and a crowd of his disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon: they came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.
Setting the Stage for the SermonLuke 6:17 introduces the scene commonly known as the “Sermon on the Plain.”… Learn Koine Greek
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