When I was just a teenager, I heard a sermon in which the pastor used some
Greek exegesis to make clear a passage of scripture, that puzzled me. Well, I
was hooked. I went out and got a book on Classical Greek and eventually took
courses in college as well.
In these articles, I have tried to mine nuggets of Biblical truth from the
original languages of the Bible as well as the historical settings and cultures
of Bible times.
Don't worry, you don't have to be a Greek scholar to understand these articles.
They are written with the lay person in mind. Of course, if they pique your
interest in the Greek language.... Well, I'm sure you can find a course at your
local university as well.
The Adoption of Sons. Adoption in the Greco-Roman world was a simple matter, but
provides a strong image of our relationship to our Heavenly Father.
Lovest Thou Me. A puzzling passage of scripture is where Jesus asks Peter three
times whether or not Peter loves Him. When you look at the Greek, the passage
becomes crystal clear.
Diligence and Enthusiasm. First of two articles from II Timothy 2.15. Focuses on
the idea of committing ourselves entirely to the Word of God.
A Straight Cut. In the second article, we look at the words "rightly dividing"
and find out what it means to be unashamed in the work we do for the master.
Faith: Substance and Evidence. Hebrews 11.1 gives us a definition of faith which
many of us can quote. But do we really understand the key words substance and
evidence?
Of Cognitions and Fiery Darts. The fiery dart of ancient warfare wasn't just a
rag soaked in alcohol wrapped around an arrow and ignited. It was less
spectacular and more deadly.
Dunamis: Dynamite and Dynamo. From the Greek word translated "power" we get two
English words. We see how the power of God can be both explosive and and strong
and steady.
Ecclesia: A Spiritual Community. The church are the "called out" ones. An
understanding of this word gives us a deeper understanding of our responsibility
to other believers.
Foolish Words. We will be held accountable for every word we speak whether
spoken in love or hate, in anger or in calmness. Some words we will be judged
for. These "foolish" words are discussed in this article.
Why Settle in Haran? Abraham wasn't the first one of his family God called to
leave Ur of the Chaladees and go to Canaan. His Father was the first, but when
he got to Haran, he settled there just short of the Promised Land.
Knowing Good and Doing Good. It's not enough to avoid evil in one's life. One
must also do good. The Greek helps us understand what that "good" thing is.
Sweet Fellowship. The bond we share with other believers is unique and wonderful
as is the Greek word that describes it.
Logos: The Living Word of God in Flesh. Logos is one of those wonderful Greek
words which has a richest of meaning which is impossible to translate into a
single word. It also represents the essence of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Reima: The Revealed Word of God. If the Logos is the general Word of God
revealed to us in the person of Jesus, Reima is the spoken word of God revealed
to us in the Bible and in personal revelation.
Moses: The Son of Pharaoh's Daughter. When we understand a bit about the line of
succession to the throne of Egypt, we understand just what a sacrifice was
involved for Moses to refuse this title.
Panoply: The Full Armor of God. The Bible tells us to take upon ourselves the
"full armor" of God. This tells us something very special about our relationship
to the Father because not everyone in battle has on the Panoply or full armor.
Renewal and Regeneration. Two Greek words reveal to us the wonderful
transformation which took part when you accepted Christ as your personal savior.
Come Hear the Shofar. The Shofar is winded on the Jewish High Holy Day Rosh
Hashanah and it is a call to repentance. A call to return with enthusiasm and
intention.
Longsuffering. Sometimes the King James does a better job of translating the
real meaning of a word than many of our modern and "better" translations.
Longsuffering is one such case.
Ye Shall be My Witnesses. What does it mean to be a witness. It means to give
testimony in a trial. When we understand what our responsibility is and is not
in witnessing, we will probably do more of it.