One Virtue of the Internet
While reading the Gospel of Luke in Greek I came upon the passage where Joseph and Mary go to the temple to offer the sacrifice required for the firstborn: a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. τρυγόνων (tru-gon), the word for turtledove was new to me, used nowhere else in the New Testament. […]
Blue Jays and Pregnant Women
Since I came to a basic understanding of the classical languages, I’ve also become interested in the Linnaean (some say Scientific) names of birds. A Blue Jay crashed our feeder today, scattering the Passer Domesticii (Sparrows of the House). I’d never learned his Linnaean anme so I looked up and found it is Cyanocitta cristata. Kύανος (ku-an-os) is ancient Greek for […]
Devoted to Public Service
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 For some people, success seems to come easy. But if you look closer, you will usually find that their was a great deal of hard work behind it […]
Too Quick to Quarrel
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Proverbs 20:3 Author Denise Kiernan slams Elbridge Gerry (a founding father who held many political positions from Governor of MA to VP of the United States): If he received a performance evaluation it would have read “does not work well […]
A Remarkably Generous Man
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18 On my book shelf sits “Stretch,” a 1997 issue Ty Beanie Baby Ostrich that was given to me as a gift from the faculty and staff of Bass Memorial Academy while I was […]
Anxious Moments
“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 Historians tell us that Rhode Island’s William Ellery was nearly the exact opposite […]
Wishing to Want
θέλω (the-lo) was one of the first Greek words I learned. This came to pass because a well-meaning Greek friend (upon learning that I was studying Attic Greek) told me that the ancient language was too hard to learn so I should start with Modern Greek. He presented me with this book: Greek Made Easy by […]
Fulfillment
My Greek mentor once told me he was initially inspired to study the language because some pretentious British author ended a novel with the words: Τὸ Tἐλος (to tel-os). As you might imagine this means, “The End” in ancient Greek. My mentor guessed that was the meaning but he took the time to look it up. […]
Context
There’s a church not far from here that is displaying this message on an electronic marquee: Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16. The message they are trying to convey is: All you need is love. If you have love then you are in good with God. In […]
Time
A conceit has developed among modern ‘philosophers’ about the importance of the Greek’s understanding of time. It involves two words: χρόνος (chro-nos) and καιρός (kai-pos), both of which appear in quick succession in Luke’s account of the encounter between Zechariah and Gabriel. καιρός is used in Gabriel’s pronouncement inflicting silence on Zechariah until John was born. Zechairah would remain speechless “because […]