Idioms; John 9:24

Δὸς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ

“Give glory to God!”

John 9:24

This is an idiom that the Jews used in putting someone under an oath.  Note Joshua 7:19 (from the Septuagint, the greek translation of the Old Testament).

19 καὶ εἶπεν Ἰησοῦς τῷ Αχαρ Δὸς δόξαν σήμερον τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ Ισραηλ καὶ δὸς τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν καὶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι τί ἐποίησας, καὶ μὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ.

And Joshua said to Achan, “Give glory today to the Lord God of Israel, and give him thanksgiving, and report to me what you did, and don’t hide anything from me.

For fun, καὶ μὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ is also an idiom.  It really says, “and don’t hide from me.”  Anything is supplied to clarify what Joshua is saying.

John 15:1-27 Final Translation and Final Thoughts

The final passage.  It was written to be read in context.  Since the postings have the passage split up, I thought it was important to show the final translation together and in context.  I've highlighted key words and phrases that bring out the theme and meaning of the passage (My opinion).    

I believe that Jesus is telling his disciples to ask God for things that will enhance their ability to bear fruit.  It is my opinion that we broaden the "ask from God" part to include everything and anything.  Within this context of Jesus speaking to his disciples, I believe Jesus is preparing them not only to go out and gather people for the Kingdom (produce fruit), but he is also telling them how to ask God for help in producing that fruit.

Ἰωάννην 15·1 Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινὴ καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.  2 πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ.  3 ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν λελάληκα ὑμῖν·  4 μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ἐὰν μὴ μένῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένητε.  5 ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα. ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολύν, ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν.  6 ἐὰν μή τις μένῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσιν καὶ καίεται.  7 ἐὰν μείνητε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, ὃ ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε, καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν.  8 ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου, ἵνα καρπὸν πολὺν φέρητε καὶ γένησθε ἐμοὶ μαθηταί. 

Ἰωάννην 15·9 Καθὼς ἠγάπησέν με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ ὑμᾶς ἠγάπησα· μείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ.  10 ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου, καθὼς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ πατρός μου τετήρηκα καὶ μένω αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.  11 Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ᾖ καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ.  12 Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμή, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς.  13 μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.  14 ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἃ ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν.  15 οὐκέτι λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ οἶδεν τί ποιεῖ αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος· ὑμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους, ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν.  16 οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς καὶ ἔθηκα ὑμᾶς ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑπάγητε καὶ καρπὸν φέρητε καὶ ὁ καρπὸς ὑμῶν μένῃ, ἵνα ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δῷ ὑμῖν.  17 ταῦτα ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους. 

Ἰωάννην 15·18 Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.  19 εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.  20 μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.  21 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασιν τὸν πέμψαντά με.  22 εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.  23 ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.  24 εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐποίησεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασιν καὶ μεμισήκασιν καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.  25 ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν γεγραμμένος ὅτι ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν. 

Ἰωάννην 15·26  Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·  27 καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε, ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.

I am the true vine and my father is the farmer.  Every branch in me not producing fruit, he [God] takes it away, and every one producing fruit, he [God] prunes it so that it may produce more [or larger] fruit.  You are already pruned because of the word which I have spoken to you: Remain in me and I will remain in you.  As the branch is not able to produce fruit from itself if it does not remain in the vine, so neither can you produce fruit if you don’t remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches.  The ones who remain in me and I in him, this one [he] produces much fruit, because apart from me, you are not able to do anything.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up.  And they gather and throw them [branches] into the fire, and he [anyone] is burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will happen for you.  My Father is glorified in this that you may produce much fruit and may become my disciples.  As the Father loved me, I also loved you: Remain in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in  my love, as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment that you love one another as I loved you.  No one has a greater love than this, that someone may lay down his life for (in behalf of) his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you to do.  I am no longer calling you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing.  But I have called you friends, because all things which I heard from the Father, I made known to you.  You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and I have placed you that you may depart and produce fruit, and that your fruit may remain so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.  I command these things to you, that you love one another.

Whenever the intercessor comes, who I will send to you from the Father: the spirit of truth which goes out from the Father, that one (the intercessor) will testify about me.  And you will also testify about me because you are with me from the beginning.

RB

John 15:26-27 The Conclusion

Ἰωάννην 15·26 Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ παράκλητος ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ·  27 καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ μαρτυρεῖτε, ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.

John 15:26-27

Whenever the intercessor comes, who I will send to you from the Father: the spirit of truth which goes out from the Father, that one (the intercessor) will testify about me.  And you will also testify about me because you are with me from the beginning.

ἐκεῖνος “that one”

Most translations render ἐκεῖνος as “he”.  In this passage, ἐκεῖνος can’t refer to τὸ πνεῦμα “the spirit” because τὸ πνεῦμα is a neuter word while ἐκεῖνος is a masculine word.  The only noun that ἐκεῖνος can be referring to is ὁ παράκλητος, “the intercessor”.  I know we are splitting hairs here, but I wanted to bring out how the Greek is working in this passage.

ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστε.  “because you are with me from the beginning”

Most translations render this, “because you were with me from the beginning.”  The greek “to be” verb here is in a 2nd person plural present tense.  In Koine Greek, the present tense carried an aspect of a continuing action.  So, the disciples were continually with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry.  John could have used an Imperfect tense that is past time, continual aspect, but he chose to use a present tense verb.  What does that tell you about how Jesus felt about the disciples remaining with him?

RB

Matthew 6:13 The Lord's Prayer Concluded

13 καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,

ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. 

Matthew 6:13

And do not bring us into temptation

but deliver us from the evil one.

ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ (from the evil one)

πονηροῦ is from πονηρός meaning evil.  It is in a genitive singular form in this passage.  πονηρός used mostly as an adjective, but here it is being used as a singular noun.  Most translations render this simple as “evil”.  Jesus may be pin-pointing who we are to ask to be delivered from.

http://wordforlifeinlove.blogspot.com/2010/08/mat-613-deliver-us.html

RB

Figures of Speech (from 2006)

Figures of Speech

(2006)

The Everyday Language of Jewish People during Jesus’ Time

by

Russell Beatty

One thing that I have come to find in my quest to learn Koine Greek (Biblical Greek) over the last few months is that it is often very difficult to translate the original meaning into the English language.  Many times, it may take more than one English word to translate one Koine Greek word correctly.  Often though, translators will not add more words to the translation.  This is done in order to try to maintain a (somewhat) word for word translation (KJV, NASU).  In some cases words are added (Amplified Bible).  I would like to share something that came to me as I was listening my pastor’s message one Sunday morning.

Currently, I’ve finished the Greek noun system and have started on verbs.  At this point, the teacher encourages the students to take their Greek New Testament to Church with them.  I did and to great delight, I could follow along pretty well.  The first New Testament passage that my pastor read was from the below narrative.  I have included the entire narrative here.  Typically, I use the NIV for studying, but since the KJV is more common, I will quote from it.

Matthew 16:13-20

¹³When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

 ¹⁴And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

 ¹⁵He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

 ¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

 ¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 ¹⁹And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 The main thing that strikes me in this text is how the Lord uses “figures of speech” to get his message across.  In fact, Jesus used this form of talk in many of his teachings.  “Figures of speech” were commonly used by the Jews during this time.  “What is a figure of speech,” you ask?  It is a saying or analogy we use to communicate or to get a point across.  Typically, we use figures of speech in our everyday language.  Ok, how about an example?

If a person was trying to explain to me something and I understood what he was saying I could say,  “I hear ya’” or “I get ya’” instead of saying “I understand”. 

How about this one…

I could say, “I’m going to get a Coke”, but I come back with a Pepsi.  Every one knows that “coke” means soft drink.

How about one more…

“I’m going to close the door on this subject.”  Everyone knows that this simply means I’m finished talking about that particular subject.

Make sense?  We use these all of the time.  In fact, we use them so much, that they have become part of our culture.  That’s the way it has always been.  Times change, but people have always had their funny ways of talking and expressing themselves.  This same thing also happened among the Jewish people some 2000 years ago.

From the text!

From the above passage, there are at least 5 “figures of speech” that Jesus uses.

1. “…for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee…”

Flesh and blood is a figure of speech.  So what does it mean?  This one is pretty easy to decipher.  In its basic meaning, Peter (himself) didn’t come up with who Jesus was, nor did any other man give it to him.  God gave him this insight or revelation.  This insight, and how Peter gets this insight, forms the context of the reminder of the passage.  The complete context of a passage must always be in play and referred to in order for us to fully understand how this affects us as children of God.  We will find out later that this narrative is very important to the Church as a whole.

So why did Jesus say it this way?  I don’t think anyone knows, but most likely, this was the common way the Jewish people talked and expressed themselves.  In other words, it was probably the normal, everyday language.

2.  “…thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…”

In order to understand this figure of speech, one must take a look at the original Greek.  This is what I read that inspired me to write this.  The Greek word Πέτρος means stone or piece of rock.  The word itself is a masculine word.  Here, the translators transliterated the Greek word instead of actually translating it.  The word Peter is the English version of the Greek word.  The writers of the New Testament used this word in every instance to refer to Peter and never used it when just referring to stones or rocks.  The word is used several times in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) and refers to pieces of rocks most of the time.  The Greek word for “rock” in the second part of this text is πέτρα.  This is a feminine word that means large rock or bedrock.  It’s the same word used in Luke 6:48 when Jesus is describing the house that was built on a rock.  The Greek’s used masculine, feminine, and neuter cases to define their words.  Normally is doesn’t change the meaning of the word or how it is used.  It was just their way of language.  For instance, the word for God, θεός (Theos), in the Greek, is masculine.  The word for the earth, γῆ (gay), is feminine.  The word for angel, ἄγγελος (angelos), is masculine, and the word for a ruler, ἀρχήv (archay), is feminine. 

The thing about this passage, once one looks at the original Greek, is that the Church is not built upon Peter, as Peter is only a stone or a piece of rock.  It is built on a large rock. What it let’s you see is that Peter is made of the same substance as the foundation that the church is built on, but he is not that bedrock.  In a sense, Peter is “a chip off the ole block” so to speak.  Although he may be made of the same substance, he is just not big enough or strong enough to have a Church built upon him.  As we see in Acts and in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Peter does have his problems within the Church.  He’s unsure if the Gentiles should enter into the Church, and he’s unsure of how to handle Gentiles’ non-conviction of circumcision. 

Keeping this within the context of how Peter gets his insight as to who Jesus is, we must look at the possibility that this could be a type of a prophecy or some type of a warning to Peter.  Peter is not the “all knowing” and Jesus may be looking to the future as to how Peter will end up handling himself as a leader in the Church.  It may also be that Jesus is reminding him of his place.  “Peter you are a small rock, but the Church will be built on Me (The Rock! bedrock).  Peter, you may be a part of this, but always remember who gives you this knowledge.  It is not of yourself, but God.

3.  “…the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The “gates of hell” or πύλαι ᾅδου in the Greek.  The word πύλαι (pulie) is plural and is from the word πύλη (pulay) which means gate.  The word ᾅδου (hadou) is the genitive form (possessive) of the word ᾅδης (hades) which means “mansion of the dead” or “place where the dead go”.  In short this passage means that the Church will stand in the way of the doors of the dead opening.  If the doors of the dead can’t open, then we can’t taste death and we’ll receive the promise of eternal life with him.  This is a very consistent teaching as it is confirmed in other parts of the New Testament: John 3:16, 1 Co 15:54-55, 2 Tim 1:10 just to name a few.

4.  “…I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven”

What an appropriate segue way Jesus has given us to get to this verse.  He refers to the closing of gates or doors in the preceding passage, and now, He brings us to the “opening of heaven to us”.  This is just what Peter does on the day of  Pentecost.  The Church is born and Peter delivers the message of a lifetime: The way to eternal life was opened to us that day!  Peter used the keys (more insight) to open the way for us.  One small thing to note here in the Greek is that the word for heaven is actually the plural form.  The literal translation should be “the kingdom of the heavens”.  This possibly is speaking of the fact that God’s realm is a very large place.

5.  “…and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Interestingly enough, this was a common figure of speech among the Jewish people during the time of Christ. 

The best way to understand this concept is to read this quote from Craig S. Keener from “The Basics of Biblical Greek” by William Mounce:

“This is the language of the law court.  Jewish legal issues were normally decided in Jesus’ day by elders in the synagogue community (later by rabbis).  Many Jewish people believed that the authority of Heaven stood behind the earthly judges when they decided cases based on a correct understanding of God’s law.  (This process came to be called “binding and loosing.”)  Jesus’ contemporaries often envisioned God’s justice in terms of a heavenly court; by obeying God’s law, the earthly court simply ratified the decrees of the heavenly court.”

This is the context of what Jesus is trying to tell Peter.  “Peter, your authority, power, and knowledge come from God.  God has already blessed you with the knowledge of who I am.  Later on, if you stay within the faith, you will also pass God’s rules and judgments to others.  Remember though, it is from God, not of yourself, that you receive this thing.”

Conclusion

Figures of speech are fun to explore in the Bible.  It also let’s one know that Jesus talked to his disciples and to all of the people in everyday language and speech.  I think that’s cool.

So what is the theology* behind all of this?  Simply put; no man is above his master.  The wisdom and understanding of God come, not from one’s self, but from God and him alone.  In Matthew 18, Jesus grants the Church the very same honor of binding and loosing, but there is a prerequisite…we must become one of his own.

Matt 18

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven…

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 6:12 The Lord's Prayer Continued

καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,

ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν· 

And forgive us our debts, 

as we also have forgiven our debtors

Matthew 6:12

ἀφήκαμεν (we have forgiven).  This is in the perfect tense that describes an action that was completed in the past, but is still having impacts at the time that the prayer is being uttered.  It’s interesting that only after we have forgiven the one’s who owe us, then we can ask for forgiveness of our debt from God.

RB

John 15:18-25 Part 4 in a Series

Ἰωάννην 15·18 Εἰ ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐμὲ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν.  19 εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦτε, ὁ κόσμος ἂν τὸ ἴδιον ἐφίλει· ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τοῦτο μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.  20 μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.  21 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσουσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασιν τὸν πέμψαντά με.  22 εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.  23 ὁ ἐμὲ μισῶν καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου μισεῖ.  24 εἰ τὰ ἔργα μὴ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἃ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐποίησεν, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἑωράκασιν καὶ μεμισήκασιν καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου.  25 ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν γεγραμμένος ὅτι ἐμίσησάν με δωρεάν. 

John 15:18-25

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before you were hated.  If you were from the world, the world loved its own kind, but because you are not (presently) from the world, I chose you out of the world.  For this reason, the world hates you.  Remember the word that I spoke to you, ‘The slave is not greater than his master’.  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  But they will do all these things to you because of my name because they don’t know the one who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin.  But now, they don’t have a valid excuse concerning their sin.  The one hating me, also hates my father.  If I did not do the works among them that no one else did, they would not have sin.  But now, they have both seen and hated both me and my father.  This was done so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, “They hated me for no reason.”

ὅτι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ ἐστέ (but because you are not (presently) from the world) or (not presently a part of the things that the world does).  They are not presently from the world because God has pruned them and Jesus has placed them in the perfect spot to produce fruit.  Others may have other takes on this passage, but this makes the most sense.  We know that the disciples were "from this world."  So, it would make sense for the world to hate one of its own who was not being seen or acting as one of its own.

ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν (they would not have sin)

This is an idiom (figure of speech).  It means that “they would not have known that they were sinning.”  Idioms are very common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  That's why it's very important to understand how they were used in the ancient world.

RB