Vocabulary
Hymn of Peace (Ephesians 2:14-16)
Paul breaks his speech to the Ephesians in verses 2:14-16, and begins a short discourse that is composed as a hymn. This is well discerned by a change of the personal prepositions from the first person plural (we) to the third person singular (he). In this discourse, Paul brings to the...
Wives and Husbands (Ephesians 5:21-33)
The text contains crucial teachings on marriage, emphasizing the love and mutual submission that should characterize the relationship between a husband and wife while drawing a parallel to the relationship between Christ and the Church. The passage begins by calling believers to submit to one...
Exaltation of Christ (Philippians 2:6-11)
This passage is considered to be a fragment of an early Christian hymn. Such hymns existed in order to honor and praise God. There is, of course, a pastoral frame around the hymn. The function of the hymn here is to persuade and motivate Philippian Christians to imitate Christ in his humbleness...
I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)
The theological significance of Philippians 4:13 lies in its profound statement about Christian reliance on Christ for strength and sustenance. It emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ's power in every situation, a concept that resonates deeply within Christian spirituality and practice. This verse...
Christ’s Supremacy in Cosmos and Atonement (Colossians 1:15-20)
The hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 focuses on the agency of Christ in the creation of all that is. The flow of the text is interrupted by the hymn in the change of the personal pronouns from the first and second person (I, you) to the third person (he). In the end, It is then resumed back to previously...
Mystery of True Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
This short hymnic passage of 1 Timothy 3:16 interrupts Paul’s address to Timothy with an exposition of “the mystery of true godliness.” This break is apparent by the change of personal pronoun from the second person (you) to the third (he) as well as also pointed by relative pronoun “which (ὃς...
God's Supreme Revelation (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Opening verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews do not start with greeting nor addressing the recipients as is typical for biblical epistolary literature. Although the epistle is placed among epistolary literature it does not share its form. It is rather closer to homily (sermon) by its own literary...