Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary John 14 belongs to the collection of sayings of Jesus known as the “Farewell Discourses” (chs 13-17). Today’s text, Jn 14:1-14, needs to be read in its entirely in worship; yet given its vast theological range and sheer density of theological meaning, no preacher should attempt to…

St John 10:1-10 John 10:1-1010:1 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 10:2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s Gospel reading Jesus continues the theme of trustworthy versus untrustworthy spiritual leadership taken up in chapter 9. In chapter 9, a metaphor of “seeing/not seeing” distinguishes those who discern (in Jesus’ healing of a blind man) God’s redemptive activity through Jesus and those who are…

Luke 24:13-3524:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 24:16 but their eyes were…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary NT accounts of encounters with the risen Lord have in common a peculiar feature: in none of them is Jesus readily recognizable. Early Easter morning, Mary assumes she has met up with the gardener until she hears Jesus speak her name (John 20:15).  In John 21, the…

St Matthew 21: 1-11 [1]Καὶ ὅτε ἤγγισαν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθσφαγῆ πρὸς τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν, τότε ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἀπέστειλε δύο μαθητὰς [2]λέγων αὐτοῖς· πορεύθητε εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν ἀπέναντι ὑμῶν, καὶ εὐθέως εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον μετ᾿ αὐτῆς· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι. [3]καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ τι, ἐρεῖτε ὅτι ὁ Κύριος…

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The semantics of this text are, in part, kinetic and optic. The symbolic nature and timing of Jesus’ ride into the city of Jerusalem just prior to Passover would speak volumes. Roman governors such as Pontius Pilate annually visited the major cities under their jurisdiction. Ancient sources…

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο ἐπ’ ἐμὲ χεὶρ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με ἐν πνεύματι Κύριος καὶ ἔθηκέ με ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ πεδίου καὶ τοῦτο ἦν μεστὸν ὀστέων ἀνθρωπίνων· 2 καὶ περιήγαγέ με ἐπ’ αὐτὰ κυκλόθεν κύκλῳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλὰ σφόδρα ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ πεδίου, ξηρὰ σφόδρα. 3 καὶ εἶπε πρός με· υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ ζήσεται…

by Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Ezekiel 37:1-14 Ezekiel’s mystical vision of the valley of dry bones is one of the most vivid texts in OT prophetic literature. An endless sea of parched bones is a powerful metaphor for the human condition. It speaks to the body diminished by relentless disease; to…