A nugget from Greek class.

I want to share something I learned at Greek Class this evening.

We were translating Revelation 1:8 and came across the Greek words egw eimi – these two words put together mean “I myself am”

The context: Jesus speaking to the Apostle John and assuring the believers in the seven churches that He Himself Is. This verse is translated: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8 ESV) So in a sense what Jesus was saying is: “ego eimi (I myself am) the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Now, let’s go to John 8:58.  The context: The Jews interrogating Jesus: Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" (John 8:53-57 ESV)  Jesus’ reply is: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." From the Greek: Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, - egw eimi – I myself am! Jesus was telling the Jews that even before Abraham existed “He Himself existed in the present tense”  

No wonder the Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus. Because of what Jesus said, claiming to have existed before Abraham they could (by their law) accuse Jesus of blasphemy and sentence Him to death!  

A Greek word that was of interest to me this evening: anaginwskwn – this word comes from the Greek word ginwskw which means: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel (Thayer’s Greek Definitions) – notice the three letters added to the front of the word? Those letters are the prefix ana. This prefix brings a deeper intensified meaning to any word is precedes.  So in this case anaginwskwn means: to understand, or to read so you come to the understanding of the subject. A deeper knowledge, UNDERSTANDING!!!

I hope you enjoyed this little word study! Even if you didn’t get anything out of it, I did!