Read Greek Psalms in a Year

For all my friends who are interested in the Septuagint (LXX), I've created a "Reading Group" on Facebook to read the Psalms in Greek in a year. This was inspired from the "Greek Isaiah in a Year" reading group. It is open to any who want to join. We will start on January 1, 2015. It will be a lot of fun!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494264187487145/

1 John 3:7-10; Can Christians NOT sin?

I know it’s been a long time since I posted something, but I’ve been very busy.  

Those who read modern translations of the Bible will just about have no need of this blog as modern translations do a pretty good job with this passage.  But for those who don’t, here is some help with what can be seen as a difficult passage from 1 John.

3:7 Children, let no one lead you astray.  The one who continually performs righteousness is just, just as that one (Jesus) is just.  8 The one who continually sins is from the devil, because from the beginning, the devil continually sins.  The Son of God was revealed (incarnated) for this so that he may loose (destroy) the works of the devil.  9 Everyone who has been born from God doesn’t continually sin, because his (Jesus’) seed continually remains in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born from God.  10 In this it is evident who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are.  Everyone who doesn’t continually perform righteousness and doesn’t continually love his brother (and sister) is not from God. (My Translation)

The difficultly of the passage can be explained by the aspect of Greek verbs or participles in the present tense.  Although it may be strange in English, I’ve added “continually” to the main present tense verbs.  That should shed some light on the passage.  Present tense verbs carry a continual aspect.  For verse 9 in particular, some modern translations will say something like: “Everyone who has been born from God doesn't keep on sinning”, or “doesn’t continue to sin…” “…because his seed keeps on remaining in him, and he is not able to sin, because he/she has been born from God.”

So, the aspect of the verbs tells the story.  It is the continual or habitual sinning that John is addressing.  Note in verse 8 where John uses the present tense to describe the devil continually sinning from the beginning of his existence.  That really drives the point home.  

John can’t be saying that christians don’t ever sin because that would go against what he says at the beginning of the letter in 1:8-10:

8 If we say that we don’t have sin, we lead ourselves astray and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  10 If we say that we have not sinned, we have made him a liar, and his word (message) is not in us. (My Translation)

…and also in 2:1:

2:1 My little children, I write these things to you so that you won’t sin.  Even if someone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus the Anointed the just, 2 and he himself is the sin-offering concerning our sins, but not for ours only, but concerning the whole world. (My Translation)

So, I hope that clears up some of this.

1 Corinthians 1-4, Summer 2014!

John 4:46-54; The Royal Official: Did he believe or not?

46 Then he again went to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.

Now there was a certain royal official whose son was sick in Capernaum.  47 After hearing that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.  48 Then, Jesus said to him, “If you don’t see (plural) signs and wonders, you (plural) will never believe.”  49 The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  50 Jesus said to him, “Go, your son is living.”  The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he left.  51 While he was already going down, his slaves met him, telling him that his child is living.  52 Then, he inquired from them the time that his son got better.  So, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at 1:00pm.”  53 Then, the father realized that that was the time when Jesus said to him, “Your son is living.”  He himself and his whole household believed.  54 This again was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.  John 4:46-54

This is one of the greatest stories in the New Testament.  We have a royal official who had heard about Jesus and needed him to heal his young son who was dying with fever.  What I want to focus on is when did this royal official really believe in Jesus.  Did he believe based on what Jesus told him, or did he believe after his son was healed?  In this text, it seems like “both”!

As you can see from my translation, I’ve underlined and put in italics “believed”.  Both verbs are used in the Aorist tense in Greek.  The Aorist tense has an undefined aspect.  In other words, this tense doesn’t offer the time or duration of the action of the verb.  

With that said, there are types of emphasis with verbs in the Aorist tense:

1. Ingressive
2. Effective
3. Constative

“Ingressive” describes the beginning of an action.  “Effective” describes the end of an action.  Last, but not least, “Constative” describes an action as a whole.

In this text, we may have the royal official at the beginning of his believing action in verse 50 (Ingressive Aorist).  If that is true, then verse 53 probably shows the royal official’s “believing action” after his son was healed (Effective Aorist).  In other words, he began believing in Jesus based on what Jesus said to him (and probably based on what he had heard from others), but he REALLY came to believe in Jesus after his son was healed.  Interpretations will differ, but there is no doubt that Greek verb tenses can help in our interpretation of the NT.

On a side note, John loved to incorporate word-plays in his Gospel.  This passage offers a good one.  In verse 49, John uses τὸ παιδίον (to paidion) for “child”, but in verse 51, he uses ὁ παῖς (ho pais) for “child”.  All of the NT authors did this as it was “catchy” for illiterate folks to hear.  It would have helped those folks to remember what had been read out to them.

John 20:21-22; Living Being and Immortal Being

John 20:21 Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you.  Just as the Father has sent me, I will also send you.”  22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven.  If you hold in place anyone’s sins, they have been held in place. (My Translation)

There are several interesting moments in this passage.  The first one is the word-play on “send” that occurs in verse 21.  The first word is ἀποστέλλω (apostellō) and the second one is πέμπω (pempō).  There is no significant difference in meaning.  In fact, John’s Gospel is riddled with word-plays throughout.  It is his style, in my opinion, to make his written Gospel memorable.

The second feature is the direct allusion to Genesis 2:7.  If one looks at the passage in the LXX (the Septuagint, the OT in Greek), one will see that the very same verb, in the very same tense was used for “to breath on”.  Let me demonstrate that.

22 καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησεν καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον·

22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!

Gen. 2:7 καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.  LXX

Gen. 2:7 God formed man, dust from of the earth, and breathed on/into his face a breath of life, and the man became a living being.  LXX (My Translation)

The third feature has to do with what was breathed on Adam and what was breathed on the disciples.  In Genesis, God breathed “a breath of life”, while in John, Jesus breathed on the disciples “the Holy Spirit”.  There is a cognate relationship between “breath” and “Spirit”.  Both words are cognate nouns from the verb πνέω (pneō).  You can see how the roots of the words are the same. 

πνέω (pneō)

πνοή (pnoē)

πνεῦμα (pneuma)

Also, πνεῦμα (pneuma) can also mean “breath”, “wind”, or “spirit”.

So, in Genesis, God formed man and put life into him so that he would become “alive” (a living being), but in John, Jesus breaths on people who are already “living beings” with the Holy Spirit (breath) and they become “immortal” and received “eternal life”.  “Point A”, mankind lives, “Point B”, mankind not only lives, but lives forever.

The last feature of the passage is the disciples receiving what is the equivalent to “binding and loosing” in Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18.  Here, if the disciples “forgive sin”, those peoples’ sins “have been forgiven”, which is in the perfect tense.  In Greek, the perfect tense indicates an action that has occurred in the past, but the effects of that action are still felt at the present time.  It is the same with the last phrase; “If you hold in place anyone’s sins, they have been held in place.”

It is interesting to consider that what the Apostles “will do” has “already been done”.  If they forgive sins, God has already forgiven them.  It puts into prospective who is really “the prime mover and shaker”.

Bel and the Dragon; The Use of κόμη (komē), LXX Studies.

I read “Bel and the Dragon” in Greek this weekend.  I’m trying to work in some LXX reading in my schedule.  It was an interesting story.  For those who are not familiar with the story, it is a late addition to Daniel and was translated into Greek.  As I alluded to before, this story is found in the Septuagint (LXX).  

Daniel is in Babylon and shows the king how Bel (Βηλ), a Babylonian idol, is not a real god.  Also, Daniel shows the king and a dragon that they are worshipping is also not a god.  After Daniel messes up the Babylonians’ “gods”,  they throw him into a pit with seven lions.  Daniel stays in there six days before an angel of the Lord tells Hambakoum (Habakkuk, a prophet?) to take his food to Daniel in Babylon.  Hambakoum responds that he has never been to Babylon and doesn’t know were the pit is.  Here comes the funny part.

36 After taking hold of Hambakoum by the long hair of his head (τῆς κόμης αὐτοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς), the angel of the Lord put him above the pit in Babylon.

Daniel gets out and the ones who accused him get thrown into the pit where they are devoured by the lions.

I want to deal with the use of κόμη (komē) here in verse 36.  For those who think it just means “hair”, be advised that the normal word of hair, θρίξ (thrix), is used in verse 27.  Paul uses κόμη (komē) to describe the Corinthians women’s long hair in 1 Corinthians 11.  In that passage, one of the reasons Paul argues for women to wear head coverings was because their long hair was like a head covering.  Paul also argues that culture shows that long hair on men was dishonorable.  So, what does the use of κόμη (komē) in "Bel and the Dragon" tell us?  It tells us that perhaps men with long hair was not taboo among the Jews before Jesus’ time, but it was taboo in the Greek/Roman culture in which the Corinthians existed.

On another note, it is just interesting that an angel would pick up a fellow by the long hair of his head and take him somewhere.  That must have hurt!

Hebrews 13:7-8;17; The Past and the Present Leaders

13:7 Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God (God’s message) to you.  Imitate their (the) faith, examining carefully (considering) the end result of their way of life.  8 Jesus the Anointed is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  (Hebrews 13:7-8 My Translation)

This passage suffers from much misunderstandings.  Many people believe that this passage refers to current leaders over current congregations.  The fact is that this passage actually refers to past leaders who probably started the congregations to which the writer of Hebrews is writing to.

Two things reflect this: 1. The syntax of the Greek text and 2. the context of the Greek text.

First of all, “the leaders” spoke (ἐλάλησαν, past tense) God’s message (the word of God) which probably means that these leader are the ones who established the congregations of which the writer of Hebrews is now writing to.

The context of the passage refers the reader to examine carefully (ἀναθεωροῦντες) the end result (ἔκβασιν) of these leaders’ way of life.  The main phrase to consider here (yes, this is both pun and irony) is τὴν ἔκβασιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς (the end result of “their” [ὧν] way of life).  Let’s look at the BDAG’s definitions for ἔκβασις.  

1. end point of a duration, end ἐ. τῆς ἀναστροφῆς Hb 13:7 can mean the end of one’s life (cp. Marinus, Vi. Procli 26 ἐ. τοῦ βίου; Wsd 2:17), but can also be understood as

2. outcome of an event or state, outcome (cp. PRyl 122, 5 [II AD]=produce [τῶν ἐδαφῶν]; Wsd 11:14) as result of one’s way of life, w. implication of success Hb 13:7.

“ἔκβασις,” BDAG, 299.

Clearly, the congregations who are being written to are to reflect on how their former leaders’ way of life “played out” or “the result of their” way of life.  The result of this “reflecting” was for the congregations to “imitate that faith”, that is, the faith that these former leaders had.

Why?  The writer gives an example that it doesn’t matter if the leaders were gone are not because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”.  He doesn't change, nor does the Gospel change.

For those who read the NT in Greek or read modern translations, this blog is self-evident.  But, there are many who can't read Greek (vast majority) and many who will not read any translation other than the KJV.  This is for those people as the KJV is anything but clear.


7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.  8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. KJV


Now on to verse 17.

17 Be confident with your leaders and submit to them, for they watch for your souls as they will give an account.  They should be able to do this (to give this account) with joy and not with a sigh (or with groaning).  For that will not help you.

This verse should be read in context with verses 7 and 8.  If the past leaders are to be the example, then the current leaders should be imitating the past leaders.  Let’s look at the first verb, πειθώ.

Normally, πειθώ means “to persuade”, but it is in the passive voice here.  So, here it would mean “be persuaded” or “be confident in” what they say as they should be imitating the leaders that came before them.

The congregations should be convinced in their leadership, but they have also been given a guideline for doing so (verses 7-8).

What are we to say about this today?  How can we transfer this to today’s leaders?  Today’s leaders should imitate the leaders that were presented in the New Testament.  If they are not imitating those leaders, then they themselves are not truly leaders.  If today’s leaders want to “rule” the congregation, then they should take Jesus’ teaching in Luke 22:24-30 to heart.

24 “A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.  26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules (same Greek word used in both passages in Hebrews) like the one who serves.  27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.  28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.  29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
(Luke 22:24–30 NIV11)

If today’s leaders are not following the example of the leaders in the NT and are not conforming to Jesus’ teaching on being leaders, the they will NOT be giving an account to God about the congregation which they lead, but an account of themselves.