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 (Philippians 4:15)
And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at 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.
Declension Highlights
This verse illustrates Paul’s masterful use of Greek declensions to frame his message of exclusive gospel partnership. There are 13 declinable forms, including nouns, adjectives, and pronouns, which span all three declension classes:
- 1st Declension: ἐκκλησία, ἀρχῇ, Μακεδονίας
- 2nd Declension: λόγον, εὐαγγελίου
- 3rd Declension: δόσεως, λήψεως
- Pronouns/Adjectives: ὑμεῖς (×2), οὐδεμία, μόνοι
These forms create a theological structure: Paul praises the Philippians’ exclusive participation in gospel support using emphatic plural subjects, a carefully constructed genitive phrase of financial reciprocity, and a dative temporal marker. Syntax and morphology merge to honor a faithful community with mathematical precision.
Morphological Breakdown
- ὑμεῖς – Personal pronoun, 2nd person plural nominative (Lexical form: σύ). Subject of οἴδατε. Used emphatically here with καὶ to mean “you yourselves.”
- Φιλιππήσιοι – Adjective used substantivally, masculine plural vocative/nominative (Lexical form: Φιλιππήσιος). Functions as direct address, typical Koine vocative form.
- ἀρχῇ – Noun, feminine singular dative, 1st declension (Lexical form: ἀρχή). Used with ἐν, indicating temporal setting: “at the beginning.”
- τοῦ – Definite article, masculine/neuter genitive singular. Modifies εὐαγγελίου.
- εὐαγγελίου – Noun, neuter singular genitive, 2nd declension (Lexical form: εὐαγγέλιον). Genitive of source or content: “of the gospel.”
- Μακεδονίας – Proper noun, feminine singular genitive, 1st declension (Lexical form: Μακεδονία). Used with ἀπὸ, indicating origin: “from Macedonia.”
- οὐδεμία – Indefinite adjective, feminine singular nominative (Lexical form: οὐδείς). Adjectivally modifies ἐκκλησία: “no church.”
- ἐκκλησία – Noun, feminine singular nominative, 1st declension (Lexical form: ἐκκλησία). Subject of the clause: “no church shared.”
- λόγον – Noun, masculine singular accusative, 2nd declension (Lexical form: λόγος). Object of εἰς, in the idiom εἰς λόγον (“into the account of”).
- δόσεως – Noun, feminine singular genitive, 3rd declension (Lexical form: δόσις). Genitive modifying λόγον: “account of giving.”
- λήψεως – Noun, feminine singular genitive, 3rd declension (Lexical form: λῆψις). Paired with δόσεως in a hendiadys meaning “mutual exchange.”
- ὑμεῖς – Repeated personal pronoun, 2nd person plural nominative. Functions as the exclusive subject of the εἰ μὴ clause: “but only you.”
- μόνοι – Adjective used substantivally, masculine plural nominative, 1st/2nd declension (Lexical form: μόνος). Modifies ὑμεῖς, emphasizing exclusivity: “you alone.”
Full Declension Tables
1. ἐκκλησία – Feminine 1st Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ἐκκλησία | ἐκκλησίαι |
| Genitive | ἐκκλησίας | ἐκκλησιῶν |
| Dative | ἐκκλησίᾳ | ἐκκλησίαις |
| Accusative | ἐκκλησίαν | ἐκκλησίας |
| Vocative | ἐκκλησία | ἐκκλησίαι |
2. λόγος – Masculine 2nd Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | λόγος | λόγοι |
| Genitive | λόγου | λόγων |
| Dative | λόγῳ | λόγοις |
| Accusative | λόγον | λόγους |
| Vocative | λόγε | λόγοι |
Declension as Theological Architecture
Every case ending in Philippians 4:15 contributes to Paul’s larger theological architecture. The dative ἀρχῇ sets the chronological frame; the genitives εὐαγγελίου, δόσεως, and λήψεως define the terms of gospel exchange. The accusative λόγον introduces a financial metaphor, a kind of heavenly account book into which the Philippians alone invested. The use of οὐδεμία ἐκκλησία functions to eliminate all other contenders, while ὑμεῖς μόνοι celebrates a singular spiritual partnership.
Paul could have stated the fact plainly. Instead, he declined it, literally, into grammatical glory.
When Grammar Honors Generosity
Paul’s vocabulary of giving is neither sentimental nor vague. He uses legal and commercial language—δόσις, λήψις, λόγος—not to reduce the spiritual to bookkeeping, but to show how faith expresses itself in real-world generosity. And he uses precise case endings to honor that generosity: the Philippians gave in ways no other church did, and Paul’s Greek reflects that precision.
Declension, in this verse, becomes not just a tool for syntax but a liturgical gesture – a way to praise the givers through the very structure of the language.
