Related articles and links |  1 of 4

The first lecture given to every beginning Greek class includes an encouragement that the New Testament indeed contains hidden gems—and once we master its Greek language, suddenly these treasures become ours. Immediately—it never fails—the class sets to work learning the Greek alphabet. And within a few months, the young preacher often takes the results of these mining expeditions directly into the pulpit: "Now Paul really meant something different than you see in your NIV, for the Greek verb in the verse means . …" At once the congregation is dazzled and a new tone of authority rests over the sermon.

Mature pastors know the pitfalls of this sort of preaching. And mature exegetes of the Greek New Testament also know the dangers of making single Greek words carry too much freight. They hold their breath when sermons launch "word studies" and they positively cringe when teachers unpack the "root" of a word to find new meaning—as if butterfly really has something to do with butter and flies, or as if synagogue has something to do with the Greek ago ("lead") and syn ("together"). Sometimes teachers apply an anachronistic meaning to a word. The Greek noun dunamis (power) later contributed to our English word dynamite, but that does not invite us to rewrite Romans 1:16 to have Paul say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the dynamite of God unto salvation for everyone who believes." It is a nice thought but has little to do with Paul's meaning.

Nevertheless, there are rich words that enhance our understanding of Scripture and can barely be brought into English with a simple translation. The translation team of the New Living Translation (of which I am a member) worked hour after hour looking for dynamic phrases that would capture the right nuance of the original Greek vocabulary. A quick look at the NLT shows how many of those insights now enrich that translation.

Some Greek works—like koinonia and agape—have been explained so often from the pulpit and lectern that they are practically part of the English language now, at least in evangelical circles. But there are many other Greek words, less well known, that also pack a great deal of meaning and inspiration. Here are seven examples.

Skenoo. When John describes the incarnation of Jesus Christ in John 1:14, he chooses a term that would evoke strong memories of the Old Testament. John writes, "And the word became flesh and dwelt [skenoo] among us." Jesus did not simply "live" with us in the world; he "dwelt" with us. This Greek verb and its noun actually refer to a tent, and when used in a theological context like this, generally refer to the tabernacle in the wilderness (see Acts 7:44; Heb. 8:2). This fits John's understanding of Jesus' incarnation. Jesus is the locus of God's dwelling on Earth and as such can not only speak for God but likewise supply many of the functions offered at the tabernacle (which later became the temple). Therefore John wants to say more than simply that Jesus "dwelt" with us. He is making an unmistakable allusion to the holy dwelling of God.

Emphusao. At the close of his Gospel, John records Jesus' meeting with his disciples in a closed room on Easter Sunday following his resurrection (John 20:19-23). After greeting them, John writes that "Jesus breathed [emphusao] on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" This unusual word for breathing appears only one time in the New Testament but is found in a critical passage in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint). In Genesis 2:7, God "breathes" into Adam and gives him life (see also Ezek. 37:5-14). In the Upper Room, Jesus is recreating what sin had ruined in the Garden of Eden. Jesus is now giving life, eternal life, to his followers in a manner reminiscent of God's great work at the beginning of time. But in this case, this is renewing life given through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

next page... |  1 of 4

October 22 2001, Vol. 45, No. 13