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Greek Lessons
- Touching Hope: How Greek Verbs Shape a Miracle
- The Call Beyond the Booth: Imperatives, Participles, and Divine Gaze in Luke 5:27
- Life in Himself: Parallel Syntax and Theological Equality in the Father and the Son
- Fear and the Buried Talent: Aorist Participles, Emphatic Demonstratives, and Passive Avoidance
- From Death to Life: Present Participles and the Eternal Now
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Category
“Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ κύριος…”: Aorist Knowing and Temporal Sequence in John 4:1
Introduction: The Moment Jesus Knew
John 4:1 begins with a simple yet weighty statement:
“When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard…”
The verb ἔγνω (“he knew”) governs the entire clause. It is not just a past action—it is a grammatical hinge that conveys divine awareness and Study more .....
Saved Through Fire: Grammatical Nuance and Eschatological Theology in 1 Corinthians 3:15
Trial by Fire: Literary and Theological Context of 1 Corinthians 3:15
1 Corinthians 3:15 — εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται, αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός.
(“If anyone’s work is burned Study more .....
Romans 15:2 and the Greek of Edifying Love
Romans 15:2
ἕκαστος ἡμῶν τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς οἰκοδομήν·
Let each of us please his neighbor for the good, for building up.
Exhortation and Syntax of Selflessness
ἕκαστος ἡμῶν – “Each of us.” Study more .....
Prayer for Leaders and Peaceable Living: Theological Civics in 1 Timothy 2:2
ὑπὲρ βασιλέων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ ὄντων, ἵνα ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι
1 Timothy 2:2 is part of Paul’s call to intercessory prayer for Study more .....
“ἵνα σταυρωθῇ”: Divine Passive and Purpose in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The Purpose of Betrayal
The final words of Mark 15:15 record the intended outcome of Pilate’s decision:
ἵνα σταυρωθῇ — “in order that he might be crucified.”
This is a classic ἵνα-clause, which expresses purpose or result, but what stands out is the verb form: Study more .....
“φραγελλώσας”: The Aorist Participle of Brutality and Irony in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The King's Coronation Begins in Scourging
Mark 15:15 records Pilate’s final act of surrender to the crowd’s demand:
ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Βαραββᾶν, καὶ παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας.
“He released Barabbas to them, Study more .....
“παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν”: The Grammar of Surrender and Judgment in Mark 15:15
Introduction: When the Judge Becomes the Deliverer
Mark 15:15 reports Pilate’s final act:
καὶ παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας· ἵνα σταυρωθῇ —
“And he handed over Jesus, having scourged him, so that he might be crucified.”
The verb παρέδωκε Study more .....
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“ἀπέλυσεν τὸν Βαραββᾶν”: Legal Release and Narrative Irony in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The Inversion of Justice
Mark 15:15 includes this concise but pivotal clause:
ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Βαραββᾶν —
“He released Barabbas to them.”
This clause marks a dramatic reversal: Barabbas, a known insurrectionist (Mark 15:7), is set free, while Study more .....
“τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι”: Idiom of Appeasement in Mark 15:15
Introduction: When Justice Bows to Crowd Control
Mark 15:15 opens with a participial phrase describing Pilate’s inner intent:
βουλόμενος τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι —
“wishing to satisfy the crowd.”
This expression is built around the idiom τὸ ἱκανὸν Study more .....
Ready to Preach: Apostolic Eagerness in Romans 1:15
Romans 1:15 concludes Paul’s opening expression of longing to visit the believers in Rome (vv. 8–15). After describing his prayers, obligations to all people, and desire to impart a spiritual gift (vv. 11–14), Paul declares his readiness to preach the gospel even in Rome — the capital of the Study more .....
Flattery, Framing, and the Grammar of a Trap
This richly layered passage from the Gospels offers a prime example of how Greek grammar reflects both strategy and deception. The speakers approach Jesus with words that appear flattering but are designed to frame a trap. Their phrasing employs multiple indicative verbs, careful use of particles like Study more .....
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Zeal and Edification: Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 14:12
1 Corinthians 14:12 is part of Paul’s sustained discussion of spiritual gifts (chapters 12–14), with a special focus in chapter 14 on regulating tongues and prophecy in the gathered assembly. The Corinthian believers were enthusiastic for spiritual manifestations, especially tongues. Paul redirects Study more .....
Abounding with Purpose: Spiritual Zeal and Edification in 1 Corinthians 14:12
The Verse in Focus (1 Corinthians 14:12)
οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἐπεὶ ζηλωταί ἐστε πνευμάτων, πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ζητεῖτε ἵνα περισσεύητε
οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς: Drawing the Reader In
The Study more .....
Greek Grammar and Syntactic Analysis of Mark 11:14
Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, εἶπεν αὐτῇ· μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι. καὶ ἤκουον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
Aorist Participle ἀποκριθεὶς and Narrative Framing
The participle Study more .....
Moved with Compassion: Healing the Sick in Matthew 14:14
Matthew 14:14 takes place just after Jesus has withdrawn by boat to a solitary place following the death of John the Baptist. Yet the crowds pursue him on foot from the towns. When Jesus disembarks, he encounters a massive crowd. This verse encapsulates the beginning of his response — not withdrawal Study more .....
“τὰ ἐμὰ… τῶν ἐμῶν”: Possessive Adjectives and Personal Ownership in John 10:14
Introduction: The Language of Possession
Jesus says:
γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκομαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν
“I know the things that are mine, and I am known by those who are mine.”
In both clauses, the possessive adjective ἐμός (“mine”) appears in Study more .....
“γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκομαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν”: Reciprocal Knowing and Shepherd Identity in John 10:14
Introduction: The Shepherd Who Knows and Is Known
In John 10:14, Jesus states:
Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός,
καὶ γινώσκω τὰ ἐμὰ καὶ γινώσκομαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμῶν.
“I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me.”
This Study more .....
When the Crowd Gathers: A Scene Unfolds in Mark 9:14
The Verse in Focus (Mark 9:14)
Καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς εἶδεν ὄχλον πολὺν περὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ γραμματεῖς συζητοῦντας αὐτοῖς
Temporal Action: ἐλθὼν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς
The participle Study more .....
When Abundance Meets Lack: Equity in 2 Corinthians 8:14
The Verse in Focus (2 Corinthians 8:14)
ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα, ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης
ἵνα... ὅπως: Coordinated Purpose and Result
The structure of this verse features a double Study more .....
The Optative That Prays: Volition, Irony, and Ethical Grammar in 2 Corinthians 13:7
In εὔχομαι δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν μὴ ποιῆσαι ὑμᾶς κακὸν μηδέν, οὐχ ἵνα ἡμεῖς δόκιμοι φανῶμεν, ἀλλ’ ἵνα ὑμεῖς τὸ καλὸν ποιῆτε, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἀδόκιμοι ὦμεν (2 Corinthians Study more .....
