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by Jonathan Robie
January 13th, 2026, 4:12 pm
Forum: Other
Topic: Ephesians 4.1
Replies: 2
Views: 9460

Re: Ephesians 4.1

You are reading this correctly. I might suggest changing your translation accordingly. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε. I exhort you then - I, the prisoner in the Lord - to walk worthy of the calling to which you were called. This is especially emph...
by Jonathan Robie
November 18th, 2025, 3:50 pm
Forum: Teaching and Learning Greek
Topic: Question about the aorist middle in Mark 1:15
Replies: 2
Views: 25598

Re: Question about the aorist middle in Mark 1:15

Is there any nuance in the present imperative forms here (μετανοεῖτε, πιστεύετε) that might suggest an ongoing attitude rather than a decisive initial act? I’ve read differing opinions in some grammars, but I’d love to hear how more experienced readers of the Greek NT understand the force of the pr...
by Jonathan Robie
November 4th, 2025, 2:07 pm
Forum: Greek Texts
Topic: Apollinaris on Matthew – Question About πνεύμα Without the Article
Replies: 2
Views: 27112

Re: Apollinaris on Matthew – Question About πνεύμα Without the Article

What puzzles me is the absence of the article before πνεύματι. Would this construction suggest the Holy Spirit, or simply spirit in a more general sense? I think it's probably qualitative. That's a common usage, and your translation captures it well: “The Kingdom of Heaven advances through force, h...
by Jonathan Robie
September 12th, 2025, 3:05 pm
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Hello from California
Replies: 2
Views: 71308

Re: Hello from California

Has anyone else faced this problem? How did you train yourself to think in Greek rather than constantly falling back on English? Are there any tips, exercises, or habits that helped you make the shift? Everybody faces this problem in a new language. It takes time, so be patient with yourself. Livin...
by Jonathan Robie
September 6th, 2025, 9:54 am
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Introduction - Is teaching Greek based on a fraud?
Replies: 7
Views: 128215

Re: Introduction - Is teaching Greek based on a fraud?

You are absolutely right about the distinction between learning vocabulary and learning grammar in Greek. I was wondering: in your experience, at what stage of learning should learners focus more on grammar (morphology) than vocabulary? And is there a method to make lemma recognition more natural? ...
by Jonathan Robie
September 5th, 2025, 4:32 pm
Forum: Beginners Forum
Topic: Struggling with John 3:8 phrase
Replies: 3
Views: 200500

Re: Struggling with John 3:8 phrase

Eeli Kaikkonen wrote: September 5th, 2025, 3:17 pm I believe it's the word order which is confusing here.
Ah, of course. That slipped me by.
by Jonathan Robie
September 5th, 2025, 12:18 pm
Forum: Beginners Forum
Topic: Struggling with John 3:8 phrase
Replies: 3
Views: 200500

Re: Struggling with John 3:8 phrase

Hi everyone, my name is George and I’m new here. I’ve been trying to read through the Gospel of John in Greek, but I got stuck on a line in 3:8 - τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ. I understand the basic words (“the spirit/wind blows where it wants”), but I don’t really get how ὅπου θέλει fits with πνεῖ. T...
by Jonathan Robie
September 5th, 2025, 12:01 pm
Forum: Syntax and Grammar
Topic: Accusative Participle as Object of Preposition in Acts 27:1
Replies: 5
Views: 117115

Re: Accusative Participle as Object of Preposition in Acts 27:1

What stands out to me is the use of the genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀποπλεῖν paired with its subject ἡμᾶς in the accusative. Normally, I would expect the subject of the infinitive to agree in case with the construction, but here it seems to stand in accusative after the genitive article. Yes,...
by Jonathan Robie
September 5th, 2025, 11:35 am
Forum: Word Meanings
Topic: Translating Biblical insults without losing power
Replies: 3
Views: 212084

Re: Translating Biblical insults without losing power

Insults are one of the hardest things to translate. Language changes, emotions run strong, and it’s easy to get it wrong. What shocked a first-century audience may sound mild today, and what stings us today may not have landed the same way back then. On top of that, we aren’t always sure of every nu...
by Jonathan Robie
August 28th, 2025, 6:34 pm
Forum: Cool Stuff
Topic: Good Use of AI: Classics for NT folk
Replies: 1
Views: 269307

Good Use of AI: Classics for NT folk

I was missing part of this sentence from the Nichomachean Ethics, so I asked GPT to explain this to someone who knows NT Greek but hasn't read much Classical Greek. Here's what I asked: I'm better at NT greek than this ;-> help me understand each phrase. Here's what it gave me - I'll have to try thi...

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