Greek for the Week

In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “blessed” (well off) are those who mourn. The Greek word for “mourn” here is “penthountes” which means passionate grief that leads to action. It entails weeping over sin, being saddened by the loss of our own innocence, and being distraught by the wickedness in the world.

Being "poor in spirit,” as in Matthew 5:3, means feeling our need for God and reaching out to himwith the total trust that he alone can supply what we lack. This term “poor in spirit” (ptochoi to pneumati) comes from Ps. 33:19 in the Greek Old Testament. It means one who humbly trusts God in their impoverished state.

In Matthew 5:3-11, we find the Beatitudes. The beatitudes display the attitude of a true disciple of Jesus, one who has chosen the way of the Kingdom over the way of the world. A disciple who practices this will be “makarioi.” This is often translated “happy,” “blessed,” and it describes one who is well off, has a deep inner joy, and is even to be envied.

As believers, we should endeavor to partner with the Holy Spirit so that he can point out potential hazards along the way. This is so essential to our victory as Christians that God commands us to do this in a very strong way. In Philippians 3:2, the apostle Paul tells the Philippian church to be on the “look out” for harmful things three times. He repeats the command “blepete” back to back to back. It’s like saying “beware! Beware! Beware!” The force of this would caution any reader that there are going to be traps that come along the way and, unless we are paying attention to the Holy Spirit, we might miss them and fall into them.

When you pray, are you interceding on the behalf of just your closest and favorite people or are you fervently praying for others outside of your social sphere as God leads? In Romans 1:9-10 Paul said that he prayed for the Roman Christians “without ceasing” and “always.” The Greek words “without ceasing” adialeiptos and “always” pantote intensifies the statement and expresses intense, personal, and heartfelt prayer. The interesting thing is that the Roman Christians were not part of Paul’s social interaction or those under his apostolic responsibility. Yet, he genuinely cared for them and had their best interest at heart when he prayed.

Is Greek something you want to begin studying in 2020? One of these three texts books can help you. Chris gives his favorite three textbooks to start learning the language of the New Testament.

Do you want to pray accurately? Let the Holy Spirit help you! In Romans 8:26, we are told that the Spirit “intercedes” for us. The Greek word for intercedes is “hyperentynchanei.” It means “to hit a target really well.” It was used to describe lightning striking a person or a tree and a crocodile attacking its prey with force.

In Jude 16, God’s Word calls those who complain against his moral Law “malcontnets.” Here the Greek word is mempsimoiroi. This word actually describes a character that appeared in Greek comedies, known as “the Grumbler” or "the Complainer."

What do you do when other Christians in your same fellowship have different convictions about certain things that aren’t forbidden or condoned in Scripture, such as dietary issues and traditions? Romans 15:7 tells us that we should “welcome” one another as Chris has “welcomed” us. The Greek word for “welcome/welcomed” is proslambano. It is a two part Greek word from “pros” (“near”) and “lambano” (“to take in hand” or “grasp”).

In 2 Timothy 4:6, God’s Word calls death a “departure.” This is the Greek word “analyseos.” It once meant “to untie,” and “to loose.” It was used to describe loosing a ship from its moorings so it could set sail. When we live our lives for eternity, death is a glorious departure from this life into the next.

God’s Word encourages us that we can still love the Lord even in spite of our uncertainties. We see this in Luke 1:3-4. Luke writes his Gospel to Theophilus, telling him the purpose of sharing the account of Jesus was so that he would have more certainty about his faith. Interestingly enough, the name “Theophilus” means “lover of God” or it can mean “beloved by God.”

Ephesians 3:8 says that the riches of God's grace are “unsearchable.” The Greek word for “unsearchable” is “anexichniastion.” This comes from a word that meant "a trail of footprints." The idea is one of exploration, like tracking something out or going over a landscape. The alpha privative in front of the word tell us that God's grace can't be totally explored or tracked out.

In Philippians 4:6, it tells us, “do not be anxious about anything.” Here, the church in Philippi was experiencing all kinds of problems and it was making them anxious. The greek for for anxious is “merimnate.” It means to be distracted, mentally, by trouble. It implies a fixed intentness on the concern, to the point of following it with intensity.

The gifts of the Spirit reveal the Spirit of God is present. This is emphasized by the Greek word, phanerosism which was used in ancient Greece to mean “publicity.” When the gifts of the Spirit are at work, they shine a bright light on the Holy Spirit and bring HIM  attention. And When he has everyone’s attention, he points people to Jesus Christ.

In Revelation 3:15–16, Jesus indicts the Laodicean church for being “lukewarm” (chliaros). The best way to describe “lukewarm” is to describe what it doesn’t mean: cold or hot. “Cold” (psychros) often refers to “freezing” and “hot” (zestos) often refers to “boiling.” Used together, they present being extreme. To be effective for the kingdom, we have to be 100%.

Philadelphia was located in the Lydian valley where earthquakes were abundant. It wasn’t unusual for people in Philadelphia to cower in fear and to bolt from the city into open spaces when they felt shaking. Despite their trials and circumstances, God promises them a future of peace and security that would come from being in his presence. Jesus illustrates this by comparing them to “a pillar in the temple of my God.” The Greek word for “pillar” (stylos) refers to an extremely strong supporting beam.

Jesus tells the church in Sardis to, “Wake up!” (ginou grēgorōn) in Revelation 3:2. The word “wake up” (gregoreo) means “to be watchful; to be in constant readiness; to be on alert.” The Sardians needed to stop being apathetic like the Sardian King, Croesus; otherwise they’d be overtaken by the sinful culture and they'd lose God’s presence. Order Letters From Jesus Book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TorkDbB1CNZK0

The believers in Thyatira were faced with a choice: if they didn’t participate in pagan feasts risked losing their place in their guilds; if they did participate, they would let God down. To instruct the Thyatirans about this, Jesus described His feet. He says they’re like “burnished bronze.” The Greek word for “burnished bronze” is chalkolibano. It was a remarkable alloy, unmatched in purity, more valuable than gold. Jesus was saying he walks in holiness and moves in virtue and the believers in Thyatira needed to as well. Order Letters From Jesus Book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TorkDbB1CNZK0

Pergamum was the center for Caesar-worship and a place where world-views met. Because of this, Christians didn’t have an easy time in Pergamum.  Jesus reassures the believers by saying his words are a “sharp two-edged sword.” The Greek word for “sword” is rhomphaia.  Jesus brings up a sharp sword here because governors in Pergamum had the right of the sword, which meant having the last say.  Order Letters From Jesus Book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TorkDbB1CNZK0

The name Smyrna (also Smyrna in Greek) means “bitter” because myrrh was the city's chief export. It also served as a prophetic label for the Christians.   Times had become harsh.   While the rest of the Smyrnaeans were enjoying the sweet life in Smyrna, the Christians were looking to God to save their lives. Order Letters From Jesus Book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TorkDbB1CNZK0

The Ephesian church was a mighty church. Here Christianity experienced some of its first great victories. The Greek word for toil, kopos, tells us the church labored intensely, the Greek word for patient endurance hypomone tells us the church withstood difficulty gallantly, and the Greek word for tested, peirazo, tells us the Ephesian church was able to discern false doctrine from true. Yet, the Ephesian church had grown cold; it was rare to find them showing God’s love within their community. Order Letters From Jesus Book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TorkDbB1CNZK0

Rejoicing is a choice.  We see this in Philippians 4:4. Paul was writing to the Philippians from prison and he tells the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” The Greek word “say,” ero, is in the future tense. The future tense means that Paul was viewing his situation objectively, from the outside looking it. He had given considerable thought as to how he should handle his conundrum and concluded that the best way forward was to praise the Lord for his faithfulness.  Letters From Jesus Book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bdhlDbT2VFDD6

In Mark 1:41, a leper approaches Jesus and asks Jesus to heal him. Before Jesus does, Mark tells us that Jesus was “moved with pity.” This is the Greek word, splanchnizomai. It refers to the guts of a living thing: the intestines, stomach, heart, liver, etc.   Order Letters From Jesus Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bdhlDbT2VFDD6

The book of Revelation followed the in tradition of Apocalyptic Jewish literature, which summarized key points of theology using numerology. Listen as Chris takes you through some of the key "7's" which give us depth and insight into the meaning of the text. Order Letters From Jesus Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bdhlDbT2VFDD6

Paul often heard Ephapras praying for the Colossians and told them he is “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers.” The Greek word “struggling” (agonizomenos) means to fight/wrestle heroically in battle. It means to give all in battle, often on the behalf of someone else. It pictures someone fighting unto the death to defend someone else.  Order Letters From Jesus Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bdhlDbT2VFDD6

In Revelation 21:8 we find a list of qualities that bring eternal separation from God. At the top of the list is “the cowardly.” The Greek word for “cowardly”, deilois, describes those who run away from Christ when their personal comfort is put at risk.  

Today, there are so many English translations to choose from? Which one is the best? How are they different? And why are they different? Order Letters from Jesus book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_rTkhDb74SZ721 

Paul tells the Colossian church that we are “hidden with Christ in God.” The Greek word for “hidden” is kekryptai. It means “to conceal for the sake of protecting something” or “to put something in a safe place.” Order Letters From Jesus book here!: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641233109/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_rTkhDb74SZ721 

The devil is your enemy so you don’t want him in your neighborhood. That’s, at least, what Ephesians 4:27 is telling us. Paul tells the Ephesian church, “give no opportunity to the devil.” The Greek word for opportunity, topos, is a geographical term that came to mean “neighborhood,” “district,” and “town.” 

The key to successful Christian living is living by the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16 calls this “walking by the Spirit.” Here we find the word “walk” (peripateite) in the present tense and imperative mood. This suggests that walking in the Spirit is something we must do over and over again. 

Do you know anyone who is suffering because they don’t feel adequate? God’s Word tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 that we should encourage these people because they are “fainthearted.” The Greek word for “fainthearted,” oligopsychous, comes from two Greek words oligos (which means “little”) and psycho (which means “soul.”) It means to have just a little soul left.

It’s important for us to remember that, though we can’t see him, Jesus continues to direct and guide our lives. He takes an active and personal role in leading us into the next step of his will for us. We find this in Acts 16:7. Here to pneuma iesou is functioning as a familiar genitive. It means means “the Spirit which comes from Jesus.” Luke called the Holy Spirit this because he wanted to point out that Jesus was right there in the story, alongside his apostles, just as he had been in the Gospels. 

The words that come out of our mouths either spread life or they cause death. In light of this, Ephesians 4:29 tells us not to let “corrupting” talk come from out mouths. The Greek word for “corrupting” is “sapros.” It means rotten and that which is in the process of decay and described all sorts of grotesque things in the ancient world like diseased flesh, spoiled food, decayed brickwork, and even withered flowers. 

God’s Word tells us that there will be religious deception in the last days. This is seriously shown in Revelation 17:6. John, seeing the Great Whore (a symbol of religious deception), says, “I marveled greatly.” The Greek says, “thaumazo…thauma mega.” Literally, “I marveled…a great marvel.” This word means here “to admire to the point of worship.”  

When we are full of the Holy Spirit, we will be a refreshment to those we spend time with. We see this in 2 Timothy 1:16. Paul said that Oneisiphorus “refreshed” him. The Greek word for refresh, "anaphysco," means to cool off with fresh air and implies healing.

In 1 Peter 2:11, we discover that the enemy has organized an offensive, military strike to destroy our relationship with God. This is found in the Greek word “strauteuontai”, which is being used in the present, continuous tense.

We often feel the frustration of unanswered prayer. Yet, James 5:16 tells us how to get an answer from God. This is found in the passive participle, energoumene, translated “as it is working."

The Gospel of Mark tells us who Jesus is. Surprisignly, right from the get go, a demon correctly asserts that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” or ho hagios tou theou in Mark 1:24. This statement would have shocked the religious leaders and brought encouragement to the followers of Jesus. 

Jesus is angry at death, so much so that he launched a war on it and defeated it on the cross. We see this in John 11:38, particularly in the words “deeply moved” or embrimaomai in the Greek.

 Over the years, people like Voltaire have said that Christianity will eventually fade out. But nuances in the Greek in Acts 5:38-39 tell us differently. The use of a 3rd class condition (ean) and a first class condition (ei) tell us that Luke prophesied Christianity is here until the Lord’s return. 

 Either we bond with the pop culture or we bond with God’s ways, but it can’t be both. This is found in the word play of James 4:4, especially the Greek word philia.

Satan is a defeated enemy and God’s Word emphasizes this to us in an interesting way. In Revelation 12:9, John puts the word “cast down” (eblethe) before and after the various titles of Satan. This inclusio sandwiches the names of Satan between total defeat. In other words, defeat surrounds Satan on every side.  

God’s wrath isn’t irrational and out of control. Rather, it is a response toward those who refuse to discontinue their rebellion toward him and his ways. We see this from Revelation 11:18, where John uses a play on the Greek word for rage, ‘orgizo,” to tell us that the nations rage will be met by God’s rage in return.

You can be “in the Spirit” even while you are going through the most difficult circumstances of life. God’s Word emphasizes this to us in Revelation 1:9-10 using two identical Greek constructions placed next to each other: “egenomen en” meaning “was in,”

We’re living in a time where abortion is an acceptable part of many cultures. But it’s never been part of God’s culture. God doesn’t throw away life; he gives life. We see this in 1 Corinthians 15:8 from the use of the Greek word ektromati, which means "abortion."

 Hebrews 3:12 says “Take care." This is the Greek word “blepete" and suggests that our heart needs a constant check up to maintain faith in God's Word.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says it is God’s grace is “with” him. The Greek preposition for “with” is syn. Syn vividly indicates “accompaniment with.” Paul saw God’s grace as a traveling companion and ministerial partner, “with him,” and assisting him to accomplish the will of God upon his life. 

The Greek word “ektene” was a word that described an athlete’s muscle being stretchered to the limit during a strenuous exercise.  1 Peter 4:8 tells us that it takes this kind of effort to love the unlovable and love despite insult and injury. 

Prayer based on maturity and sound analysis has a far greater impact than prayer that is flaky, uninformed, and based in overreaction and irrationality. We see this in 1 Peter 4:7 from the use of two important Greek words: sophronesate and nepsate. As sensitive events transpire in our culture, we must pray about them with a level-head. Doing so will make our prayers more effective.

The early church believed that words make a difference. This is why they blessed one another when they greeted each other. We see this in Paul’s opening address in Colossians 1:2. The Greek words “charis” (grace) and “eirene” (peace) tell us that we should speak God’s richest and fullest over the people in our lives. 

When Jesus came, he reveled to us the friendly side of God. And his friendliness is far more friendly than we may realize. This is apparent in Titus 3:4 where the Greek word “chrestotes” (friendliness) is used. God went great lengths to befriend us considering that there wasn’t much about us to befriend.

 It isn’t always easy to obey. The Greek preposition “anti” (instead of) in Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus had to put aside his own momentary happiness in order to please the Lord. But God always makes sure to honor obedience in the end. 

It is often thought that academics and the Spirit don't go hand-in-hand. But does the Holy Spirit speak to us through academics? Can we hear the voice of the Lord while working on exegesis? Chris Palmer interviews Pastor Josh Muñoz from Casa de Salvación in Guatemala to discuss.

Our reputation either honors us or sends people running from us. The pronoun “tous” (those) in Romans 16:17 shows us that there were "those" in the first century who had a bad reputation and God’s Word tells us how to deal with those people so we don’t let them ruin our name. 

Tired of the same ol, same ol Bible study? Trying to get deeper? Learn four reasons why learning Koine Greek will help get you there.

Have you ever thought of God as an inventor? He is. The Greek word "poiema" (workmanship) in Ephesians 2:10 not only tells us this, but  tells us that those of us in Christ are God's latest and greatest invention.

The imperfect tense tells us that an outpouring of salvations was occurring in Acts 2:47. Just exactly how did those come about? This episode will explain the two ways.

The "wise men" (magoi) were an ungodly group of soothsayers on a quest to fine God's ultimate truth, the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ. In fact, "magoi" is where we get our English word "magic." If God can speak to a group of curious magicians, he can speak to your unsaved loved ones, as well.

During Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. All God's mighty acts of power during this time were performed for all the people of the earth. We see this through the use of diacope, continual use of a word for emphasis sake. In this case, the word "all" (pas) which is used 23 times in the birth narrative.

Chapter and verse divisions are great at helping us locate Scripture. However, sometimes they keep us from seeing the bigger picture the writer has painted. We'll see this by examining the Nicodemus pericope between John 2-3, as well as the Greek conjunction "ean" in 1 John 1-2.

Statistics show that most Christians say they want to please the Lord, but an alarming number don't read their Bibles outside of church. By examining the words "dug" (eskapsen) and "went deep" (ebathynen) in the aorist tense (Luke 6:48), we will see that Jesus told us that pleasing him begins with giving careful, consistent attention to his Word .

In Matthew 5:48, Jesus tells us to be "perfect." What did Jesus mean by this? By examining the pericope found in Matthew 5:43-48, the cultural context, and Matthew's use of "perfect" in the Greek (teleios), we will discover his intent.

The rise of globalism and post-modernism has made it a challenge for evangelicals to preach Hell so matter-of-factly without being criticized for it. However, the use of appositional nouns in 2 Thessalonians 1:19 make it an exegetical fact that Paul believed in conscious, eternal punishment for those who reject God's mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

The Gospel writer, Mark, had an interesting literary style that reflected his excitement about Jesus. Learn what "parataxis" is and how it demonstrates to us that we should be excited about everything Jesus is and has done.

Being a good conversationalist is fundamental for effective evangelism. Are you able to hold your own and not feel threatened when conversing with someone who has a different worldview? In this episode learn what the idiom "seasoned with salt" (halati ertymenos) means in the Greek when referring to the way we converse with others.

Humans have a tendency to forget God after God blesses them. Be like the Samaritan, whose thanksgiving matched his petition. In this episode, you'll learn the Greek Words for leprosy (lepros), lift up (airo), and you'll discover how a circumstantial clause functions (like a surprise detail).