The GREEK New Testament

“For from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”  Acts 15:21  NASB Moses – Typical Christian exegesis of the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 concentrates on the requirements (or lack thereof) for Gentile believers.  But this fixation on what Gentiles must believe and…

It’s an Idiom, Idiot! (2)

Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,  Matthew 3:1  NASB Saying – Yesterday we discovered that the Hebrew expression le ʾmōr is not really a word to be translated.  It is the Hebraic substitution for quotation marks.  Now, when we look at the Greek text of Matthew, we find the…

The Mother Tongue

Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the [b]Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.  Acts 6:1 NASB Hellenistic Jews – Notice the footnote?  Here’s what it says: “Jews who adopted the Gr language and much of Gr culture through acculturation.”  In other words, Luke notes…

Speed Limit

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1 NASB In the beginning – Abraham Heschel’s two volume work, The Prophets, is undoubtedly one of the most important theological texts you can read.  It’s not simply an analysis of the message of the prophets like you would find in commentaries.  It is a tour…