Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Inexhaustible forgiveness is at the center of today’s Gospel reading, Mt 18:21-35.  On the face of it, Peter’s query, Jesus’ reply, and the parable that follows seem straightforward. The message is clear: always be ready to forgive. Yet details of this text, especially the parable, prompt questions:…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s Gospel reading, Mt 18:15-20, is brief; yet its implications for the inter-relational life of Christians, assembling down the centuries for divine worship and public witness, has been profound. Jesus is not naïve; he anticipates that rifts and instances of personal failure among his disciples are inevitable.…

Matthew 18:15-20 18:15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 18:16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel text is best considered in close relation to the preceding pericope (Mt 16:13-20), especially Peter’s confession and commissioning (vv. 15-19). Jesus predicts his suffering, sharply undercutting reigning notions of “messiahship” as the exercise of political or military power. Commentators note that Jesus’ rebuke of Peter…

Matthew 16:21-28 16:21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him,…

This week’s entry is the last for the summer. The blog will resume with a posting (in late August) for Sunday, 3rd September 2023.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-5213:31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 13:32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel text, Mt 13:31-33, 44-52, is densely packed. Each of the five parables in these verses begins “the kingdom of heaven is like;” each presents a unique situation and plot. Also included in today’s reading is a brief interchange between Jesus and his disciples, which contains…

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-4313:24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 13:25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel lesson (Mt 13:24-30, 36-47) presents the parable of the wheat and weeds, and an accompanying interpretive narrative. The parable, unique to Matthew, trades in eschatological imagery and a stark good/evil dividing of human actors—tropes familiar to Matthew’s audience. These frames of reference rarely resonate with…