English plurals of “mass nouns” (uncountable nouns, such as milk, water) indicate kinds (e.g., cow or goat milks) or multiple instances (e.g., “grab three waters”), but Greek has a third option for the same plurals: an “abundance inference.” Realizing this can sharpen our understanding of certain passages. Travis Wright (PhD, University of Cambridge) is a scholar based in Raleigh, NC. His research focuses on the semantics/pragmatics interface in biblical interpretation and translation. He is one of the authors at Koine-Greek.com. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3CfoGRq   M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4hm5NuK 

The opening words of Philemon prompt us to ask in what sense Paul is a prisoner in relation to Christ. In part this is a grammatical question, but a couple of contemporaneous papyri texts might supply hints as to the cultural understanding. Dr. Seth Ehorn is Assistant Professor of Classics and Biblical Languages at Houston Christian University. Among other things, he has published 2 Maccabees 1-7: A Handbook on the Greek Text and 2 Maccabees 8-15: A Handbook on the Greek Text, both in the Baylor Handbook on the Septuagint Series. He is currently working on a commentary on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. He has contributed a few episodes to Exegetically Speaking, including one on Philemon 2. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3DKJ0KE  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4afuir9 

In Jeremiah 32:36, a discourse marker is used that would most often signal bad news is coming, sort of like the “Jaws theme” music in a movie. But here it surprises the reader with good news. Jack Messarra completed a master’s degree at the University of Stellenbosch in the field of Hebrew, linguistics, and discourse markers. You can see some of his papers at https://sun.academia.edu/JackMessarra. He and his wife, Loren, are missionaries with Mesa Global. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/424NV3l  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4acyPKZ 

Prof. N. T. “Tom” Wright returns to our podcast to discuss Eph. 3:10 and its vision for the church in the present age: God’s “intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.” God created us so that through us he could show the world who he is, in particular, by a community of all races and nations drawn together in love. Rev. Dr. N. T. Wright is Research Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary’s College in the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. His work has established him as the foremost voice among New Testament scholars of the present generation, not least due to his many commentaries, topical studies, and the multi-volume, Christian Origins and the Question of God. This episode aired previously on 9/9/24. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3DCWeZN  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4gM1Yid 

Dr. Nancy Dawson holds a M.S. in plant taxonomy and Ph.D. in biology/cell biology. After teaching in that field at Western Kentucky University and Texas A&M, she attended Duke Divinity School. She now works as an independent scholar in theology and has published All the Genealogies of the Bible: Visual Charts and Exegetical Commentary (Zondervan, 2023). In this episode she draws upon that research to shed light on Jesus’ parents, their relationship to each other and to Elizabeth, and how these people and relationships help us understand who Jesus is. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3ZHQ6YU  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3D4iWtP 

Eve’s words about her newborn son, Seth, which are her last recorded words, echo the Hebrew words to the serpent in Gen. 3:15, signaling Eve’s persevering hope in God’s deliverance. Dr. Ingrid Faro, who has contributed to this podcastbefore, is Professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL. Among other things, she is the author of Evil in Genesis: A Contextual Analysis of Hebrew Lexemes for Evil in the Book of Genesis and Demystifying Evil: A Biblical and Personal Exploration. She is working on a new book provisionally entitled, Bold Women: Advancing the Storyline of Scripture (Zondervan). Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/415XqP6  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4fKqWON 

Michael Licona, Professor of New Testament at Houston Christian University, dives into the heart of John 1:1 and its implications on the nature of Jesus. He navigates the debate over whether Jesus is 'a god' or God Himself, dissecting Greek language nuances and translation inconsistencies. Licona discusses theological debates with Jehovah's Witnesses and analyses the term 'God' across various translations. Listeners are encouraged to explore biblical texts further for a deeper understanding of scripture.

In his previous conversation centered on Rom. 1:16-17, Roy Ciampa contextualized the unique phrase ἐκ πίστεως (translated there as, “through faith”) in Greek writings generally and Romans in particular. He now studies this phrase throughout Galatians, with special reference to Gal. 2:16. In addition to his posts at Samford University and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary mentioned in the notes to the earlier episode, Dr. Ciampa has served as manager for integrated training at American Bible Society’s Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship, lectured and taught internationally, and was earlier a missionary professor of biblical studies in Portugal where he served as a translator for the Portuguese Bible Society’s contemporary Portuguese translation of the Bible. For more detail on the topic of this episode, see Roy E. Ciampa, “Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians: Rewritings and Snippet Quotations,” pp. 77-94 in Scriptures, Texts, and Tracings in Galatians and 1 Thessalonians. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4fYAKEC  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4eIrBiH  

Nowhere in all known Greek writings is the precise phrase ἐκ πίστεως (“out of” or “from faith”) found until the Greek version of Habakkuk 2:4, and some of the scribes transmitting that text altered it. It is this phrasing that Paul adopts in the crucial lines of Roman 1:16-17, and rewords elsewhere. What, then, was the intended sense of this unique wording? Dr. Roy E. Ciampa recently retired as S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong Professor of Religion and chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious studies at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently teaching at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, where he was previously on faculty. His publications include The Presence and Function of Scripture in Galatians 1 and 2 (WUNT 2/102) and (with Brian Rosner) The First Letter to the Corinthians (PNTC). For more detail on the topic of this episode, see Roy E. Ciampa, “Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans: Echoes, Allusions, and Rewriting,” pp. 11-29 of Scripture, Texts, and Tracings in Romans.  Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/40QfwEB  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4fLnZxd 

The Greek language Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15 to convey the gospel’s teaching of Jesus’ resurrection lodges this in authoritative tradition dating back to months after the events. The center of God’s self-revelation and salvation is more firmly attested than anything else in Scripture. Dr. Gary Habermas is Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Divinity, Liberty University, Virginia. His many important publications include, On the Resurrection, Volume 1: Evidences and On the Resurrection, Volume 2: Refutations; there will be two more volumes in the series.  Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3O8yMWg  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/40JbMVx