EXOUSIA

#greeknewtestament #wordstudy #biblestudy #koinegreek

The last words of Jesus in Matthews Gospel are an exhortation even an order to go and make students of all the nations to baptize them and teach people to keep on doing what Jesus taught.

( I should note there that matheuoo could also be translated as instruct rather than make to learn though it was strengthened by the use of the Imperative)

I'm going to analyze this paragraph in more detail over the next few weekends but first I want you to consider one word:

EXOUSIA

Verse 18 in the final chapter 

"It has been given to me ..."

Power and Authority over all heaven and earth!

What a startling statement this is when you give it deeper thought.

Many of my readers may be thinking "Yes Jesus is Lord!" but think about how great this power is!

Jesus is saying to his disciples that he has power greater than the Roman emperors and the magistrates and officials who served i,t or the temple theocracy or other powers, human , and more than human! Think how shocking that use of exousia would be to people in the first century who saw Rome dominating the known world.

Does he tell the disciples to worship him or rebuke them for doubting his resurrection?

No he commands them to do what he did, to travel about and teach others, to continue and complete the ongoing mission.

I end by reminding you what Jesus stated to be the two greatest commandments.

Love God and your neighbors with all your heart mind and soul.

Difficult and easier

Difficult and Easier
some comments and observations about Matthew Chapter 19 Verses 23 - 24
but first my usual word for word rough translation

the and jesus said to the students of him
amen i say to you that
 (for is used in English as that best expresses meaning of greek syntax)
rich  difficultly difficult ... its an adverb in Greek and you just can't translate this in English! so duskoloos - oos adverb ending becomes difficult !
that for (the) rich difficult to come into the realm of the heavens

again and i say to you easier
 (eukopos in comparative form note the ooteron ending!)
is (for) camel through opening of a needle to pass through
than (for) rich to enter into the realm of god

a further note about duskolos and eukopos
if you have access to a lexicon look out these two words and then look up the stems and observe how the prefixes change the meanings of the stems

Many people want to be both RICH and Righteousness
but the two don't always go together

look back to the prior verses

You don't see Jesus saying condemn the poor for being lazy or sinners but help the wretched yet I see some preachers and ministers and politicians equate poverty alleged laziness and sin

I don't think Jesus would have approved of the so called Prosperity Gospel ???

One Lost sheep

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 10 - 14

#bible study #greeknewtestament #gospel #whatjesussaid

Verse 10

See (Aor.Imperative) not you kataphroneoo
so look down /disdain/ think less / despise are all possible translations
one of the small/ little ones / people these
so not just  children ?

I say to you that the angels of them in heavens
dia pantos alway / all by they are looking seeing the face of father mine in heavens.

Some scholars support a verse 11
came for the son of man  to seek and to save the lost / destroyed

12

What do you think ?
If ever it happened someone  100 sheep had and wandered off one out of them
would he not leave the 90 and 9 upon the mountains and going / traveling seek the wanderer?

13

and whenever it happened he to find it truly I say to you
that he rejoices about that one more than the 99 the/those not wandered off.

14

So not is will before/ in front / proceeding from ? the father of you the one in heavens that ( hina so conditional next) she / he would be destroyed / lost
(any) one of these little ones.

I rather think little ones here is a first century ad reference to not just  innocent children or silly sheep but to ...well an equivalent modern idiom would be the "little people" the masses etc

The disciples had begun to see themselves as special and chosen so Jesus uses first the presence of a child and then the story of the one lost sheep to remind them every individual is important not just special people.

Something to remember anything you are tempted to say

She / He is just another ... or describe someone as "sheeple" or

The Divine would rather save than condemn us.

We are the ones who wander off the way.

SIGNAGE DEMANDS

#biblestudy #signofjonah #matthew16 #greeknewtestament

The standard explanation of Matthew 16:1-4 is that the #signofjonah is a prophecy of the #resurrection. However there are other aspects of this passage that get overlooked.

note who #Jesus is talking to ... yipe the Pharisees and Sadduces again.

They asked for a sign for "out of heaven"

They are rebuked for being able to discern from a fiery red sky possible weather or make claims about it yet
"but the signs of the present time not you are able (to discern)

a generation evil and adulterous a sign seeks and a sign not will be given to it if not the sign of Jonah ...

Yes its a prophecy but also a rebuke.

I suspect certain preachers and teachers were fond of using or over using the story of Jonah as an example.

You might want to reread the story of Jonah and not just the bit with the whale, read thru to the ending with the tree ...was the sign being saved from the shipwreck or the shady tree or the salvation of Nineveh or God speaking to Jonah?

So don't demand signs or debate with God or obsess on miracles are other teachings in this passage?

Anyway read it and then Jonah and think about it.

Oh and the word translated as sign can also mean proof !

A Woman of Great faith ... who wasn't Christian

#biblestudy #gospelofmatthew #newtestamentgreek

Matthew 15: 21 - 28

Some rather lovely and unusual #participles plus #Jesus reminding us not to be bigots ...

So Jesus went to Lebanon to Tyre and Sidon and a woman described as a Canaanite approached him crying for help for her daughter and he said nothing at first.

Why? I think he was testing both the woman and his disciples.

Now the disciples asked him to send her away because she was crying.

Some people think apoluson the verb used here means they were asking him to "free" heal her daughter from her illness whatever it actually was demonic possession mental health issues some neurological disorder ?
but it could well equally mean the disciples were asking him to tell her to go away to free them from her demands?

Jesus then speaks

Not was I sent if not to the sheep lost of house Israel

Seems rather harsh but as always there's a lesson coming.

She came closer to him and knelt and asked him directly and literally to help her.

Lord Help (give) to me

His response

not is a fine thing to take bread from the children and to throw to the small dogs / pets ...

was she known to be indulge dogs  or is he indirectly praising her for being kind to "unclean" animals?

Whatever she stands her ground and points out that the dogs are willing to eat table scraps

was little dog a local insult for pagans ?

Jesus final answer

o woman great of you the faith  let it happen to you as you wish!

and healed was the daughter of her from that time

I think Jesus is teaching both the disciples and us a reminder charity is not only for those closest to us.

There are refugees asking for help and we are rejecting them because of their faith.

Now given the variety of cults and sects in that area the canaanite woman may have actually been some kind of monotheist or believed in one god even if she was not jewish by conversion or birth?

The disciples wanted her to go away.

Jesus rewards faith and trust.
He doesn't insist she follow him.
He helps her and her daughter.

Message over may I draw your attention to some interesting and beautiful word forms

note aorist passive apostaleen I was sent (with a message implied)
apoloolota a perfect passive participle
iathee passive form iaomai being used instead of iasis the action is emphasized

FAITH SHOULD BE A CAUSE FOR COMPASSION AND ACTION

into the mouth ... out of the mouth

Into the mouth ... out of the month
#biblestudy #newtestamentgreek #koinegreek #gospel
More on Matthew 15:1 - 20

Jesus's disciples had been criticized for NOT performing a handwashing ritual before meals.

As I stated previously a hygienic code developed over the centuries from the time of Moses that prevented disease had for many become a hollow ritual with ritual gestures making food sacred becoming more important than actual hygiene and human traditions more important than actual commandments.

Moving on from what I posted last week

Jesus preached

Matthew 15:10

Hear and understand
not that which goes into the stomach makes common /profane / defiles the man
but that which comes out /proceeds from the mouth that defiles the man.

Koinoo is a verb with multiple meanings generally translated as defile but it means make common or share and came to mean profane or defiles cos of the concept of scared as separate ?
While the man is the most accurate and exact translation for teaching purposes changing that to people in general might be acceptable given we speak Modern English and not New Testament Greek. Your choice though?

Further explanation was asked

Matthew 15: 16 >>>

Point edge and you not understanding is!?

This statement in English syntax ... my suggested translation would be
And the point you're not understanding is this?!

not you understand that all coming into the mouth into the stomach proceeds and into the latrine is ejected / expelled? something more graphic
Many translation omit mention of the latrine ... yes a toilet or drainage ditch is the word in greek ...

but that proceeding out of the mouth out of the heart comes and these things defile the person

for out of the heart comes thoughts evil, murders, perversions, whoring, theft, false witness blasphemy

these are the things that defile the man and not washing hands eating not defiles the man

Point being that the Pharisees were more concerned with human rituals than teaching people how to avoid sin? Or only teaching rituals to avoid sin and not reaching the heart of people.

What is unclean? Food Hands Sin Humans ?

The next section of this chapter deals with a different taboo ...

Do read and reread the whole chapter in English and Greek too if you are learning Greek!

My Greek lexicon is Lidell and Scott
MyNew Testament Greek is the United Bible Societies Aland 3rd edition

DOUBT

Most of matthew 14 is about Faith

#faith #doubt #greek words #ntgreek

14:31 Jesus to Peter saving him from drowning

Small faith for what (about his command to come to him) why you doubted ?

eis here is more an adverb then preposition

distazoo is an interested verb which seem to be dis double plus tassw changed to a z distazoo ? the idea perhaps to doubt is to be double minded ?

Christmas ecards to share  coming next week!

I may also take a break and bump some old posts!

Scribes and Householders

#newtestament greek #classicalgreek #biblestudy #greek

Matthew 13:51

because / by / thru this thing (understanding parables?) every scribe who has studied into (possibly within in this context) the realm of of the heavens like is a (hu)man housemaster ( in sense of owner of property sometimes translate householder not housekeeper / servant
who brings forth out of the treasur(y) his new and old (treasures)

A grammateus is generally presumed to be a "SCRIBE" or a scholar of the Jewish scriptures in the New testament but a grammateus can also be a teacher or clerk or someone who is literate and earns money by being literate.

This is 1st century ad Palestine  an era in which many home owners Jewish or greek or hellenized jew or other pagans might have barely had the equivalent of say basic primary school .

Whether your education is secular or theological like a compotent home owner you should know how and when to make use of valuables you have in store.

This is a sound principle that can be applied to things other than parables and theology to knowledge and learning in general.

Use treasure wisely!

I'm a bit off schedule due to an ear infection and the joy of installing new software over the weekend.

Check out the mid week posts on the Ionian confederacy.

Next mid week post should be on basilicas!

MY family is ... Matthew 12:50

#biblestudy #greeknewtestament #whatjesussaid #gospel

MATTHEW 12:50

whoever for should / would do / make (poiew aorist subjunctive)
the will of father mine / of me  in the heavens that person (my translation of autos) of me brother and sister and mother is.

Now Jesus was gesturing towards his disciples when he said this but note it is not just being a follower of Christ that makes you part of the family of God it is doing the will of GOD. Faith and works! Unlike the Pharisees he's been rebuking!

For more about faith and works and the necessity for both please read the Letter of James!

Sorry this post is so short but local weather conditions combined with pollen or something has caused a nasty sinusitis attack and I'm fighting the urge to slump back onto pillows as I type .

3 days and nights

#Matthew 12:40
#prophecy #resurrection #whatjesussaid #biblestudy #newtestamentgreek

If you're debating teaching discussing or just plain quibbling about whats said about the Resurrection in the Bible you might want to take a look at this verse.

Note also the rest of the passage verses 38 - 42 in which OT figures such as Jonah the Queen of Sheba and Solomon are mentioned

Jesus summarizes the story of Jonah emphasizing he was in the belly of the whale or sea monster 3 days and 3 nights and then says

"so (likewise) will be the son of man in the heart of the earth 3 days and 3 nights

Make of that what you will or just believe but those are the exact words spoken.

Careless Words Can Condemn

Matthew 12. 36 - 37  #biblestudy #greek #greeknewtestament

#Jesus continues his rebuking of the Pharisees.

I say and to you that every word careless / casual/idle see note which they say the people they will give back yield be judged by implied by their own word in / on day of judgement

argon is a+ergos not shining or white  careless idle unworked lazy casual

out of for of the words of you you will be judged / justified
and out of the words of you condemned

readers please think and speak with wisdom compassion and carefully

Wisdom Justified

Matthew 11 16 - 19 #gospel #newtestament greek #biblestudy

to what and I will compare the generation this ?
a thing / event / activity like similar to children sitting in the agora = public places / central streets squares markets / business centre  of town or village
who are calling out to the others saying ( a folk song)

We piped to you and not you danced
we wailed and not you mourned

came John neither eating or drinking and they are saying he has a demon /
 he is possessed by a spirit
came the son of man eating and drinking and they are saying
behold a man eating and drinking wine with and to sinners  taxpayers a friend

and wisdom is justified from her deeds / actions

John was condemned for being an ascetic and Jesus for socialising with everyone
How to judge them ? By their actions?

Remember Jesus started this speech to asking Johns disciples to tell others about seeing healing.

Judge both the ascetic monk or the seemingly worldly by the results of their actions.

Charity is an expression of Wisdom?

Receiving the Righteous

Matthew 10 40 - 42 #biblestudy #gospel #jesus #christian #greeknewtestament

We're almost at the end of a major section !
Fairly straightforward in this section but there are a couple of things ...

but first the word for word so you get some idea of what the greek is like

40

he who receives you pl me receives
dekhomai is the verb receive accept take welcome
and he who receives me receives the one who sent me (as a messenger)

41

he who receives a prophet in name (= equals in english for being a or because)
what we see here is what Goodwin's Grammar 1207 d calls an accusative of Purpose or Reference it could also be translated as for or for being but because works best in modern English ... there's another example further on
so he who receives prophet in name of prophet reward of prophet will receive
the verb changes here from dekhomai to the future form of lambanoo but both have very similar meanings

42

and who ever will provide / give a drink of water
this is one verb in greek the future form potiseei of potizoo
(to) one of the small these  (to any) of these small ones

possibly a joke .. there is an oral tradition jesus was very tall?
a drink cold alone in name for a student / disciple (of mine)

there are old testament stories about people giving prophets cold water a symbol of hospitality and dangerous if that prophet was currently being escaped by which ever courtier king or religious official he had offended

also cold water was a precious commodity no fridges water had to be filtered and cooled since you lived next to a mountain spring of cold water !

truly i say to you not in the least will be lost the reward of him.

so he's asking people to treat his students and followers as if they are prophets for his sake and the sake of the divine

you don't have to give religious leaders private jets or palaces but show respect and concern and good manners if they are genuine followers of Jesus is how I read that

A final note on that accusative ... why use because ? think of a syntax you sometimes see I am doing this for the sake of him or I do this for him or I do this for the name of so and so however saying for the name of is perhaps too formal in the 21st century and has a slightly archaic flavour so changing this to because reflects the simpler Greek syntax and the meaning and intent?

You may be getting a mid week metousia on the links between greek and yezidi mythology

See you then but people please remember I don't get free wifi so any paypal donations towards my wifi or other bills  would be helpful?

Whatever you think is the equivalent of a cup of water ?

Serving God and Mammon

Serving #God and #Mammon
#Gospel #biblestudy #Beatitudes

Matthew 6: 24 - 25

word for word translation

no-one is able 2 masters to serve

notes dative follows dunamai hence duo becomes dusi

either for the one s/he will hate
and the other will love

note the use of the future other is hetero -
miseoo hate source of miso-

or one s/he will hold fast to and the other despise

anthekhsetai is the future middle of antekhomai
this verb changed meaning in NT koine Greek

it is still anti so literally against hold but against the same way we may say in English I am going to hold a tissue up against to my face or lips

katephroneesei look down on think of with disdain despise

not you can be able to / for god serve and  mamon

a note on ma(m)on this is a loan word from Aramaic.

It means money wealth property

regardless of what some commentaries state there is no evidence for Mammon being a Semitic God or a demon. The personification here is rhetorical.

We have to chose which to serve and love God or Money.

Try not to mistake one for the other!

Hallowed be your name

I'v been thinking about Matthew 6: 9

   HALLOWED BE THE NAME OF YOU

   Hallowed be holy.  Hagiasthoo. Make Sacred.

Its a command to respect and KEEP on respecting the Holy Name.

the stem of this *Hag is related distantly to English AWE which was spelt in a g in the Middle Ages and Gothic has a word agis. Note also Latin Sacer *SAK.

So the Divine is awesome! We know that or should? How do we show it?

Ritual Prayer Forgiveness of others Action COMPASSION

Remember jesus ends this section after moving onto the topic of fasting by reminding us about forgiveness an ACTION?

At the VERY least try to refrain from any outbreaks of obscenity or oath taking and breaking that "Disses" the Holy Name?

Love your Neighbour and do not Hate!

Matthew 5. 43 – 48

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOURS KIN AND ENEMIES

Jesus asks us not to hate μισέω but (44) to love ἀγαπη our enemies.

I but say to you love ἀγαπᾶτε (note imperative form) the enemies of yours kai pray for them (hyper means for rather than over here) and not it is literally pray for those who hunt you for διωκω is to hunt prey and persecute a later meaning taken from the Greeks using this verb is also mean accuse in a court case to hunt someone to justice!

An ἐχθρός is the person you hate or loathe not merely dislike or are uncomfortable with. They may or may not feel the same way about you. Whatever the situation and however mutual the feeling and whatever degree hate is something to avoid.

45 Note the idea of benevolent behaviour towards the good and the evil the sun rises a natural process and rain comes a blessing to all. Are we, can we, make prayer a natural process, as inherent say as breathing? Easily said than done?

A language note ἀνατέλλει is one of those verbs which has a double ll in the present and a single elsewhere and is to related to ἀνατολη, the east, the direction of the sun rise and hence the origin of Anatolia, the area we know call Turkey.

46. if for you love those who love why why reward has? No indedd and the tax collections the selfsame thing do?

It's easy to love those who love back but even the reviled tax collectors could do that.

Telooonai were what we might currently call independent contractors. They collected various revenues taxes fees and data for assessing taxes for the Roman Empire but it was an outsourced role. They were not actually government employes or civil servants and since they earnt their profit as part of the tax … the role was open to corruption. Not a popular job!

47 and if you salute / greet respectfully your brothers and kin only what / how is (that) better no indeed the Nations (Gentiles used the way a Roman or Greek meant use barbarian) the same thing do!

Perhaps you have had the experience of making someone who's a perfect gentleman at home but a hoon or a thug to their neighbours or any one who's not a close relative?

Its not just enough to love your relatives or neighbours we are called on to love more widely.

48. you are to become therefore perfect as / like god is

τελειος isn't an end state its a process of achieving and maintaining a state of entireness completion fullness. It may be an end state but also a process. Why do I stress this. Consider the Greek perfect tense and which word the Greek grammarians used to describe it. Process leads to results.

Transcending hate is hard work but brings us closer to the divine?

Time for prayer.

Matthew Chapter 5 11 - 12

Matthew Chapter 5 Verses 11 and 12

Verse 11

Blessed you are when(ever) they insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of lying evil about / against you because of me.

μακάριοι ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καί διώξωσιν

καί εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ̓ ὑμῖν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ.

Some texts insert ψευδόμενοι after ὑμῖν. I have changed all evil to all kinds of lying evil cos it means more sense of English as the Greek is using a singular where we would use a plural.

Note the Aorist Subjunctive Verb Forms.

Ὀνειδίσωσιν from Ὀνειδίξω διώξωσιν from διώκω and εἴπωσιν from λέγω.

I suspect they are being used for emphasis and effect as plain aorist could fit in just as well?

Verse 12

Rejoice and be very glad that /for the great reward (is) for you in the heavens.

So / likewise for they persecuted the prophets those before you.

Χαίρετε καί ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁμισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

Οὕτως γὰρ ἐδιώξαν τὸυς προφήτας τὸυς πρὸ ὑμῶν.

The righteous can have a difficult time in this world however don't be tempted into paranoid thoughts of oh I'm suffering I must be righteous. This is a promise but it comes with a price.

Next time the value of salt.

Matthew 5 righteousness

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 10

Blessed (are) those who are persecuted because of righteousness

for theirs is the realm of the heavens.

μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης,

ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Δεδιωγμένοι is unusual. Rather than the future passive verb form so frequent used in previous verses of the Beatitudes suddenly we have a Perfect passive participle! Not Aorist or future but perfect. Perfect passive … it is ...-ed … those who are in the past right now and the near future.

This perfect passive participle is of the verb Διωκω to hunt chase pursue persecute someone as if they were prey. A verb that came to be used not just about hunting but in a legal context.

Why do some governments and people treat the righteous as criminals?

Ἕνεκεν is a preposition used with the genitive. For, for the sake of, because of

Prophets and other people and not just Christians have been persecuted and indeed prosecuted in courts for the sake of righteousness. A cautionary note do not presume righteousness or a righteous cause justifies criminal activities. This should be a last resort if a civil law is unjust.

Remember the previous verse about peacemaking.

Negotiation and rational debate first please if possible?

It is uncivil rude and mean to harass people visiting a clinic those services may include abortions.

I recently read of a disturbing situation where women using a health clinic in the USA were harassed by so called Christians accusing them of being baby killers and sl*&s. Many of those women were using the clinic to get low cost contraceptives and medical and family planning advice they couldn't afford or get elsewhere in that particular state.

On the other side those are those who claim to be liberals or progressive who label everyone who seeks righteousness as part of following the divine as perverts prudes delusional or the allegation that one is trying to be superior?

Righteousness isn't just about who is right or wrong it's a process of seeking and supporting justice.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 9

Blessed (are) the peacemakers for they sons of God will be called.

μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ , ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται.

Note well that the verse says peace MAKERS not just keepers but makers!

Εἰρήνη PEACE and ποιοὶ makers from the verb ποιέω

The name Irene is derived from the word for peace.

I do wonder why huios was used rather than paidos. This is one of the signs that indicate Matthew's first language was Hebrew or Aramaic.

Κληθήσονται is the future passive of καλέω call summon name.

Why κλη as a stem in the passive. Greek has a feature called metathesis and an tendency to avoid triple consonant patterns especially involving aspirated consonants like th.

What can we do to create peace for ourselves and others?