5:1 In both this week's readings from Revelation and Matthew, a crowd (ochlos) is beheld.
5.3 and 5.10 The tense of the second part of the beatitude, unlike the other beatitudes, is in the present tense.
5.4 The word for comfort here is "parakale-oo" the same root as "paraklehtos," or Advocate, ie, Holy Spirit (John 14:26) or from Isaiah 40:1, Comfort, Comfort me people.
5.5 Jesus will refer to himself as meek in Matthew 11:29
5.8&9 The word "seeing" and the phrase "children of God" link nicely to the book of Revelation.
5.11 Jesus himself will be reviled (Mat 27.44)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
1 John 3:1-3
3:1 The word here for "we are" is actually not fully connected with "we shall be called." The word for "we shall be called" (klethomen) is part of the "hina" clause; however, the "we are" (esmen) is in the indicative. In other words, the "we are" is emphasized quite strongly here.
3:2 The word revealed has no clear subject. It could either be "he" or "it" (ie, what we shall be).
3:2 The word revealed has no clear subject. It could either be "he" or "it" (ie, what we shall be).
Monday, October 13, 2008
Matthew 22:15-22
22.15 The word for ensnare comes from the root for trap (even anchor!), "pageh"
22.16 The literal phrase here is that his enemies "apostled their disciples," a reminder that Jesus is not the only one with apostles or disciples...
22.18 The word for hypocrite (a Greek word) means actor, or one who plays a part.
22.20 The word here for "head" or "portrait" here is literally "eikon," which means image. So the word is whose image. If it is a human head, the answer could just as easily have been "God."
22.16 The literal phrase here is that his enemies "apostled their disciples," a reminder that Jesus is not the only one with apostles or disciples...
22.18 The word for hypocrite (a Greek word) means actor, or one who plays a part.
22.20 The word here for "head" or "portrait" here is literally "eikon," which means image. So the word is whose image. If it is a human head, the answer could just as easily have been "God."
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Philippians 4:1-9
4:2 The phrase -- "Have the same mind" is essentially the same as in 2:2, when Paul encourages them all to be like minded (to auto phronein), literally, to have the same thinking.
4:3
- Paul uses the word "suzuge" coming from the Greek for "with-yoked." Perhaps an interesting way of thinking about having the same mind in Christ -- we bear the same burdens?
- Like in 1:27, Paul uses the word here for "strive" based on the underlying Greek word "athlete." "With-athleted" literally; finally Paul discusses the reality of being "with worked/co-worker" So in 4:3 Paul uses three different images to describe the our life together.
4:7 The word for "understanding" here is "mind" (nous) which has been played on throughout the entire book, again linking back to chapter 2 and having the same mind that is in Christ.
4:8 The last words of this verse (logizo-mai) can be sentimentalized to read "dwell on these things" but it means more like "reckon" or "take into account."
4:9 The word here for "received" (paralamban-oo)is the word that Paul will use in 1 Cor 11 to talk about what he received concerning communion.
4:3
- Paul uses the word "suzuge" coming from the Greek for "with-yoked." Perhaps an interesting way of thinking about having the same mind in Christ -- we bear the same burdens?
- Like in 1:27, Paul uses the word here for "strive" based on the underlying Greek word "athlete." "With-athleted" literally; finally Paul discusses the reality of being "with worked/co-worker" So in 4:3 Paul uses three different images to describe the our life together.
4:7 The word for "understanding" here is "mind" (nous) which has been played on throughout the entire book, again linking back to chapter 2 and having the same mind that is in Christ.
4:8 The last words of this verse (logizo-mai) can be sentimentalized to read "dwell on these things" but it means more like "reckon" or "take into account."
4:9 The word here for "received" (paralamban-oo)is the word that Paul will use in 1 Cor 11 to talk about what he received concerning communion.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Philippians 3:4a-13
3:4 Grammar note: The "ei" clauses here is accompanied by an indicative verb here, suggesting that it should be translated "Since..." not "if anyone is convinced."
3:6 Paul's bragging here has a double rheotical effect -- he will return to the words "persue" (dioo-koo) and "righteousness" (dikaiosunehn) later in this section (3.9, 3.14, 3.16).
3:7 Paul here echoes back to 2:5 and 2:6 in the Christ hymn; Christ did not regard (hegeo-mai) equality with God as something to be exploited. Here Paul is saying he regards all of his beneifts as loss through Christ.
3:8 He considers them: Skubala -- dung (Grammer note: the hina clause here is more of a "lest" than a "so that" clause) (Second grammer note: The subject of the infinitive clauses here in Greek are all in the accusative)
3:9 Side comment: Faith-righteousness appears outside of Romans and is not simply an misreading of Paul by Luther or Augustine.
3:10 Paul's use of an infinitive here suggests that justification's purpose is to know God, the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of suffering. In otherwords, 9 and 10 are linguistically linked by Paul and a strong possible reading is purpose...vs 9 (justification) is for the purpose of vs 10 (resurrection)
3:10 Cont'd. Paul know begins to come full circle on the Christ hymn. Jesus was in the "morph" or shape of a God; Paul know says that we are syn-morphed into Jesus' death. Our life with Christ is a process of becoming more Christ-like, indeed, but this does not circumvent suffering, even as Paul talks about resurrection.
3:11 Here Paul uses "ei" with a subjunctive verb, leaving some uncertainty about the possibility of resurrection.
3:12 The confusing part of this verse is not the final theology -- Paul definitely wants to claim that Jesus has already claimed him -- but rather what Paul is referring to in the sentence. The second-half literally reads "I an pursuing (indicative present) and if even I obtain (subjunctive aorist), upon it (epi hoo) even I have been obtained by Christ." The question is how to translate the epi hoo. It cannot refer to the resurrection (because of the gender of the article). The last word that makes sense is actually Christ's death (vs 10). "I am pursuing resurrection -- and if I even obtain it, in Christ's death I have already been obtained by Christ." (Side note: this phrase "epi hoo" is the phrase in Romans 5:12 that is so debated)
3:13 Paul here again uses the word obtain/overcome (katalamban-oo; See also John 1!). The problem is that Paul said he was, in the aorist, obtained...but now in the perfect tense he says he has not been obtained. Here is Paul at his grammatical worst and perhaps theological best: The event on the Christ obtained Paul for Christ, but this process is not finished!
Also, in this verse, Paul has both verbs in the second half (forgetting and looking ahead) in the present tense, suggesting this is an on-going process of doing this.
3:6 Paul's bragging here has a double rheotical effect -- he will return to the words "persue" (dioo-koo) and "righteousness" (dikaiosunehn) later in this section (3.9, 3.14, 3.16).
3:7 Paul here echoes back to 2:5 and 2:6 in the Christ hymn; Christ did not regard (hegeo-mai) equality with God as something to be exploited. Here Paul is saying he regards all of his beneifts as loss through Christ.
3:8 He considers them: Skubala -- dung (Grammer note: the hina clause here is more of a "lest" than a "so that" clause) (Second grammer note: The subject of the infinitive clauses here in Greek are all in the accusative)
3:9 Side comment: Faith-righteousness appears outside of Romans and is not simply an misreading of Paul by Luther or Augustine.
3:10 Paul's use of an infinitive here suggests that justification's purpose is to know God, the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of suffering. In otherwords, 9 and 10 are linguistically linked by Paul and a strong possible reading is purpose...vs 9 (justification) is for the purpose of vs 10 (resurrection)
3:10 Cont'd. Paul know begins to come full circle on the Christ hymn. Jesus was in the "morph" or shape of a God; Paul know says that we are syn-morphed into Jesus' death. Our life with Christ is a process of becoming more Christ-like, indeed, but this does not circumvent suffering, even as Paul talks about resurrection.
3:11 Here Paul uses "ei" with a subjunctive verb, leaving some uncertainty about the possibility of resurrection.
3:12 The confusing part of this verse is not the final theology -- Paul definitely wants to claim that Jesus has already claimed him -- but rather what Paul is referring to in the sentence. The second-half literally reads "I an pursuing (indicative present) and if even I obtain (subjunctive aorist), upon it (epi hoo) even I have been obtained by Christ." The question is how to translate the epi hoo. It cannot refer to the resurrection (because of the gender of the article). The last word that makes sense is actually Christ's death (vs 10). "I am pursuing resurrection -- and if I even obtain it, in Christ's death I have already been obtained by Christ." (Side note: this phrase "epi hoo" is the phrase in Romans 5:12 that is so debated)
3:13 Paul here again uses the word obtain/overcome (katalamban-oo; See also John 1!). The problem is that Paul said he was, in the aorist, obtained...but now in the perfect tense he says he has not been obtained. Here is Paul at his grammatical worst and perhaps theological best: The event on the Christ obtained Paul for Christ, but this process is not finished!
Also, in this verse, Paul has both verbs in the second half (forgetting and looking ahead) in the present tense, suggesting this is an on-going process of doing this.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Philippians 2:1-13
Note, Paul uses just about every key Christian term in this section: encouragment (paraklysis), love (agape), sharing (koinoonia) and compassion (splangchna) are all in the first verse!
Folks, I majorly updated this post to two separate posts:
2:5-11 https://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2010/03/philippians-25-11.html
2:1-13 https://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/09/philippians-21-13.html
2:1 These "if" clauses are ambiguous to their bases in fact. They could be translated "Since there is X, Y and Z."
2:3 One interesting word here (among the many) is "conceit," which is literally "kenodoxia." Christ will "keno" himself before his "glory." But this is a different type of empty glory!
2:5 The key verb/idea here is "phrone-oom" which means have a mind/regard/think. This verb is found twice in 2:2
2:6
- This sentence "did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited" could also read "did not regard exploitation/grasping as worthy of God."
- The idea of form is important -- Greek gods, as any museum will show you, had beautiful forms, not those of slaves! Click here for more
2:7 Ken-oo is the key verb here (emptied)
2:12 The verb here for work out is "katergazo-mai" from kata (intensifier) and erg-oo (to work). One possible meaning for this verb is simply "achieve" but another one is "to work up," ie, to make use of; fields, for example, are worked on to make them ready for harvest. Make use of your salvation!
A personal note -- Coming from a strongly Lutheran tradition, I struggle with this verse. However, I wonder if the fear and trembling is because what it means to achieve salvation is to undergo our own road to the cross.
2:13 The agent in this verse is clearly God! The word for enable here is literally "energe-oo."
Folks, I majorly updated this post to two separate posts:
2:5-11 https://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2010/03/philippians-25-11.html
2:1-13 https://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/09/philippians-21-13.html
2:1 These "if" clauses are ambiguous to their bases in fact. They could be translated "Since there is X, Y and Z."
2:3 One interesting word here (among the many) is "conceit," which is literally "kenodoxia." Christ will "keno" himself before his "glory." But this is a different type of empty glory!
2:5 The key verb/idea here is "phrone-oom" which means have a mind/regard/think. This verb is found twice in 2:2
2:6
- This sentence "did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited" could also read "did not regard exploitation/grasping as worthy of God."
- The idea of form is important -- Greek gods, as any museum will show you, had beautiful forms, not those of slaves! Click here for more
2:7 Ken-oo is the key verb here (emptied)
2:12 The verb here for work out is "katergazo-mai" from kata (intensifier) and erg-oo (to work). One possible meaning for this verb is simply "achieve" but another one is "to work up," ie, to make use of; fields, for example, are worked on to make them ready for harvest. Make use of your salvation!
A personal note -- Coming from a strongly Lutheran tradition, I struggle with this verse. However, I wonder if the fear and trembling is because what it means to achieve salvation is to undergo our own road to the cross.
2:13 The agent in this verse is clearly God! The word for enable here is literally "energe-oo."
Philippians 1:21-30
1:21 The NIV more literally translates this verse "to live is Christ" but the NRSV "living is Christ" perhaps better gets at the active, on-going tense of the infinitive verb here.
1:23 Paul uses the word "epithymia" for "desire" here, which he will elsewhere caution Christians against (make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires...Romans 13:14)
1:25 The word for progress (prokopeh) here is precisely this, progress. Paul boasts in Galatians that he had progressed in his Judaism (1:14)
1:26 The word for Paul's visit is "parousia" is the word in the NT used for Jesus' second coming. The word can also mean presence (2 Cor 10:10)...or triumphal entry.
1:27 This verse has a KEY word: "politeuo-mai," which they translate as live. It literally means though, be a citizen. In Philippians Paul will describe a heavenly citizenship (3:20). This is foreshadowing of this.
1:27 Paul also commends people "in one spirit to fight/work together." (synathle-oo) In 4:3 he thanks God for the women who have done precisely this. More importantly, the root word here "athlew" is our word for athelete. Which today has connotations of merely sport, but here, it seems, Paul is emphasizing the public nature of Christian faith together. This links up well with 1:28 which talks about the public display of our faith.
1:30 Paul not only uses the word suffer (pasch-oo) in vs. 29 but also now uses the word "agon" (agony!) for struggle in vs. 30.
1:23 Paul uses the word "epithymia" for "desire" here, which he will elsewhere caution Christians against (make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires...Romans 13:14)
1:25 The word for progress (prokopeh) here is precisely this, progress. Paul boasts in Galatians that he had progressed in his Judaism (1:14)
1:26 The word for Paul's visit is "parousia" is the word in the NT used for Jesus' second coming. The word can also mean presence (2 Cor 10:10)...or triumphal entry.
1:27 This verse has a KEY word: "politeuo-mai," which they translate as live. It literally means though, be a citizen. In Philippians Paul will describe a heavenly citizenship (3:20). This is foreshadowing of this.
1:27 Paul also commends people "in one spirit to fight/work together." (synathle-oo) In 4:3 he thanks God for the women who have done precisely this. More importantly, the root word here "athlew" is our word for athelete. Which today has connotations of merely sport, but here, it seems, Paul is emphasizing the public nature of Christian faith together. This links up well with 1:28 which talks about the public display of our faith.
1:30 Paul not only uses the word suffer (pasch-oo) in vs. 29 but also now uses the word "agon" (agony!) for struggle in vs. 30.
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