This entry is for the study of Greek word transliterations. In other words, the Greek letters are translated to the corresponding English letters, and words are derived that are very close in meaning with the original Greek words. The Greek language is the greatest language that ever was. The Greeks have four words for our word “love,” three words for “tongues,” three words for “world,” and three words for “wine.” I never realized how much of the English language comes from Greek…….you too will observe this truth on this site. The fact is— you already know a lot of Greek! You do not believe me? Then read on…. Greek words will be frequently added to this location so check back from time to time. The Greek words and their meanings will be given, and frequently the corresponding English word will be mentioned as well. It is truly amazing (as you will see) how many English words are nearly identical to the Greek words in both composition AND meaning.
1)psuche- soul/ One can observe how we get the entire “psyc” vocabulary from this Greek word. For instance, psychology and psychiatry are a couple of words that deal with the study of the mind/soul of man.
2)paidagogas- tutor, schoolmaster/ Our word “pedagogue” is nearly identical in spelling and meaning. The Greek “paidagogas” was a slave who took a boy to school. The English word too, is related strictly with teaching. A “pedant” however, has a negative sense (pedantic) and is one who makes a vain and pretentious show of learning; one who attaches too much importance to minute details or to formal rules in scholarship, and engages in unnecessarily rigorous formality.
3)oikoumene- world/ The land, the globe, the Roman Empire, the earth, the world. This Greek word for world touches more upon the world system as influence by mankind. The two words below refer more to God’s awesome, timeless and endless universe.
4)aion- world/ Age, course, perpetuity, past eternal, forever, world without end. Obviously we have received the word “eon” from the Greeks with nearly the identical meaning as aion.
5)kosmos- world/ Orderly arrangement in a wide or narrow sense. Implying the vastness and mystery of the universe. Our English word “cosmos” is identical in meaning and almost the same in spelling. The cosmos is the universe as an orderly or systematic whole.
6)storge- love/ The Greek word storge refers to the natural love within family. As Christians we love all of mankind but family is special to us.
7)phileo- love/ This word for love tells us of brothery love. Philadelphia literally means the city of brotherly love.
8)eros- love/ We get the word “erotic” from eros. Eros indeed is erotic love. Love at first sight. The strong initial attraction and intensity of love. We think of being struck with an arrow by Cupid. Remember your first attraction for the love of your life?
9)agape- love/ This is the strongest word for Christian sacrificial love, best exemplified by Jesus Christ Himself as He died for the sins of the world on Mount Calvary. When a believer gives of self, they are practicing agape love.
10)pneuma- spirit/ This Greek transliteration is in reference to man’s spirit.
11)charis- grace/ This Greek word can mean grace or joy. Our word charisma comes from charis. It means one who has a magnitude for the multitude. A winning personality. John F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan had charisma in a positive sense. However, the word can also be associated with people in a negative way. Adolf Hitler had a brain washing and mesmerizing charisma– comparable to a hypnotist.
12)pistis- faith/ The Greek word for faith is pistis.
13)glossa- tongues/ Glossa refers to unusual words and different tongues. Corresponding English words are gloss and glossary. These are unusual words that require an explanation. A collection of explanation of words.
14)dialectos- tongues/ The Greek word means a peculiarity or uniqueness of speech. The English word dialect is a variety or form of language peculiar to a district or class. Dialectos is similar to glossa.
15)glossolalia- tongues/ This Greek term for tongues is NOT IN THE BIBLE. It refers to utterances that are not in any language of mankind. This teaching has corrupted the “tongues” mentioned in the Bible, which always refer to foreign languages. Acts chapter two is all about Pentacost, which was a sudden God given ability for people to understand languages other than their own. The corrupted teachings in some charismatic churches, is that we can suddenly learn and speak a language known to only God and a few spiritual elitists. As mentioned, this false teaching is found no where in the Bible and is represented by the Greek word glossolalia which is also not in the Bible.
16)maranatha- The Lord is coming/ This term is how the early Christians greeted each other because of their strong belief in His soon return. The word “maranatha” is commonly used as the name of many churches and choirs today.
17)gumnazo- trained/ Can you see the root of gymnasium in this word? A gym, of course, is where one trains physically.
18)geenna- hell, lake of fire/ Jesus called the trash dump outside the walls of Jerusalem “geenna” because just like hell, “the fire was never quenched and the worm never died. It was a place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
19)blasphemia- blasphemy/ The Greek word and English transliteration are nearly identical.
20)biblos, biblia, biblian- scroll, book, Bible/ Now you know where our word for Bible comes from.
……………many more to follow. The next entries will be in Greek Word Study, Part II.
Jesus made several appearances in the Old Testament, and the New Testament cites some of them. For instance, I Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the Israelites “did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” It does not get any plainer. Furthermore, Hebrews 11:24-28 tells us in great detail that “….Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming THE REPROACH OF CHRIST greater riches than the treasures of Egypt……” These two examples verify that the Israelites in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses were also accompanied by Christ Himself. Let us now consider several examples of direct appearances of the Lord God to various people in the Old Testament:
1)Genesis 18: Three men appear to Abraham on the plains of Mamre. Most scholarship identifies one of the three men as the Lord, and the other two as angels. In fact, Abraham addresses them as “Lord” throughout the chapter. The topics of discussion between Abraham and the “men” were the yet future birth of Isaac and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Only God could determine whether these twin cities would be destroyed, hence there is no doubt that Abraham was speaking with the Lord.
2)Genesis 21:14-21: An angel of the Lord appears to Hagar and Ishmael and promises them safety, deliverance and for their progeny to become a great nation after they were banished from the camp of Abraham.
3)Exodus 3: God appeared to Moses again as the angel of the Lord and as a flame of fire at mount Horeb at the burning bush. Verse 5 says “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” God also refers to Himself as “I Am That I Am.” Jesus used this name for Himself later on, strongly asserting His Deity, and that is why the Pharisees wanted to kill Him for making such a statement.
4)Joshua 5:13-15: Joshua confronts the captain of the host of the Lord near Jericho. Immediately, Joshua fell on his face and worshipped Him. The Lord also instructed him to remove his shoes because once again, he was standing on holy ground.
5)Daniel 3:17-30: King Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego into the fiery furnace. After they were cast into the furnace, verse 25 tells us: “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
We have investigated the Christ from the Old Testament in three categories: genealogy, prophecy and typology. That leaves only one more category: theophany. What is a theophany? It is usually the appearance of the Godhead in the form of a human being, however in the case of Moses it was in the form of a burning bush! How do we know when a true appearance of God occurs in such a manner? The attributes of God are displayed. (His power, majesty and holiness). The human being(s) involved in the encounter are truly humbled. They are usually given directives and/or an important message from God. Most importantly, and this seals the deal, they WORSHIP God right on the spot, often taking their shoes off when they do so. Please note: The Bible is emphatic that NO ONE is to ever be worshipped EXCEPT for God Himself. No, not even an angel! The apostle John who wrote the book of Revelation was reproved through an angel by the Lord Himself because he attempted to worship the angel who gave him the message in the book. This is definitely the largest proof of a real theophany—- the humans who encounter God WORSHIP Him. Consider the proof texts that angels are not to be worshipped— only God Himself is to be worshipped: Revelation 19:9-10; 22:8-9. In the days to come, five Biblical examples of a theophany will follow. The examples given are not exhaustive, only representative of the countless appearances of the Godhead in the Old Testament.
Note the amazing similarities between these two……..
Old Testament Joseph and Jesus……….
1)No sin is mentioned about either man.
2)Both returned good for evil.
3)Beloved by their fathers.
4)Regarded themselves as shepherds.
5)Sent by their fathers to their brethren.
6)Hated by their brethren without a cause.
7)Plotted against by their brethren.
8)Severely tempted.
9)Taken to Egypt.
10)Stripped of their robes.
11)Sold for the price of a slave.
12)Bound.
13)Remained silent and offered no defense.
14)Falsely accused.
15)Experienced God’s presence through everything.
16)Respected by their jailors.
17)Placed with two prisoners, one of which was later lost, the other saved.
18)Both around thirty at the beginning of their ministry.
19)Both highly exalted after their sufferings.
20)Both took non-Jewish brides.
21)Both lost to their brethren for awhile.
22)Both forgave and restored their repentant brothers.
23)Both visited and honored by all earthly nations.
Yes, indeed, God once again leaves undeniable proof as to the Divine inspiration of the scriptures, for anyone with spiritual eyes to see.
The Preincarnate Christ, Part III, Typology-
Another amazing proof of the Bible being the genuine Word of God is the incredible truth of typology. Typology is the people, places and events in the Old Testament that foreshadow and clearly point to the Person of Jesus Christ long before He was born. No one except God Almighty could possibly orchestrate this miracle. As is our custom, I will share a few examples on this blog that represent the countless “types of Christ” that are in the Old Testament.
1)In the book of Ruth, Boaz is the Kinsman Redeemer of Naomi who intercedes and saves Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth from financial destitution. Jesus is the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer who saves His believers from their sins. An Old Testament “type” clearly points to the New Testament fulfillment in Christ.
2)Old Testament Joseph is a representation of our Lord and Savior in countless ways. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and he later forgave them and bought them back. He was in jail with the butler and baker, one who was saved and the other was lost (just like Jesus in between the two thieves on the cross). Joseph was falsely imprisoned even though he did not sin (just like Jesus, he was falsely accused). Joseph was elevated to the highest position available just like Jesus who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The comparisons between Joseph and Jesus go on and on and on.
3)Noah’s Ark is a type of Christ. There was only one way unto the ark and anyone who did not enter the door of the ark could not be saved. EVERYONE else perished. Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Him.” (John 14:6)
4)The Passover in Exodus 12. People put blood on their doorposts from perfect lambs without blemish. The death angel passed over their homes because of this faithful act. Anyone who lacked the blood around their doors on that fateful night, lost the firstborn in their homes. The blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, protects us from the wrath of God on the day of judgment. Jesus is called “the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world,” by John the Baptist. He is called the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” in Revelation 13:8. He is also called the “Passover Lamb,” since He fulfilled Exodus 12! Easter falls on the passover since Jesus is the Passover Lamb.
5)Abraham offered his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah, and at the last moment, God provided a substitute lamb that was Providentially caught in a thicket. Later on, God offered His only begotten Son Jesus Christ on the same Mount Moriah. Abraham was a type of the Father and Isaac was a type of the Son.
6)Abraham and Melchizedek. Read Genesis 14:18-20. Melchizedek was a mysterious priest in Salem who Abraham tithed to. Melchizedek offered Abraham bread and wine. Note the similar spelling of Salem and [Jeru]salem! Now read Hebrews 5:5-11; 7:1-28. These verses reveal Melchizedek to be a type of Christ. Melchizedek has no family lineage and no beginning or end. He offered the bread and cup (the Lord’s Supper) to Abraham long before Jesus died for our sins! Some theologians believe Melchizedek is actually a preincarnate appearance of Christ, that is, a theophany. (Theophanies will be discussed in detail in the final section of this study).
7)The book of Hebrews. Hebrews refers continually to how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament temple/tabernacle and the role of the high priest. This is an entire study in itself and replete throughout the book of Hebrews. When Jesus was crucified, the thick veil in the holy of holies was torn top to bottom since Jesus became our High Priest and we no longer needed the temple since Christ fulfilled it all! Everything in the tabernacle pointed to, and was later fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
8)I Corinthians 10:1-4,6,11. These verses tell us that Jesus was with the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. He was the Spiritual Rock from which they drank, and they were baptized with Moses in the sea. That all these things happened as examples for us (typology) is emphasized in verses 6 and 11.
9)King David was a profound type of Christ– He authored one half of the Psalms including countless prophecies of Jesus Christ, 1000 years prior to His birth! Like Jesus, David was born in Bethlehem, and he was a Shepherd, a Prophet, and a King!
10)So many animals were slain at the Jerusalem temple, that blood stains went to the bottom of Mount Moriah. Every oxen, goat, lamb, turtledove, bull and other animals were all finally fulfilled when Jesus died for the sins of the world. There is no need for any more animal sacrifice since Christ completed the sacrifice as the Perfect Sacrifice.
11)In the book of Esther, both Esther and Mordecai were types of Christ as they interceded for and saved the Israelites during their captivity in Persia.
12)Moses, the man of the law, was not allowed to cross the Jordan River since we can enter heaven and rest ONLY through our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The man of faith, Joshua, crossed the Jordan River since only our faith can save us. Crossing the Jordan River was symbolic of our salvation and entering heaven. The law alone can only condemn us. Only our faith can save us. Hence Joshua (faith) crossed the Jordan River, but not Moses (law). Amazingly, Joshua is the Old Testament name that has the same meaning as Jesus. They both refer to salvation.
Even Steven 