From the Hebrew Bible
Matthew 9:20; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44
The Bleeding Women Parable – She touched the Hem of his garment rather than the devout Jew’s fringe. In all three passages (e.g., Matthew 9:20; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44), the word translated as “the fringe”, “the edge”, or “the hem” is κράσπεδον (kraspedon). Greek text (Matthew 9:20). The part of Jesus’ clothing the woman touched was the κράσπεδον (kraspedon) — the tassel or fringe (tzitzit) of his outer garment, the traditional Jewish sign of covenant obedience described in the Torah. See more here.
Psalm 23:4 — “the valley of the shadow of death”
ASV (Psalm 23:4): “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”
Hebrew fact: The Hebrew tsalmāwet likely means “deep darkness,” not “shadow of death.”
Critical scholarship: Modern lexicons and textual studies (Clines, BDB) recognize this.
Common preaching difference: Many stick with the poetic King James phrasing, not the Hebrew sense.
Genesis 2:7 — “living soul”
ASV (Genesis 2:7): “…and man became a living soul.”
Hebrew fact: Hebrew nephesh means “living creature,” “living being,” not “immortal soul.”
Critical scholarship: Scholars of Hebrew anthropology (Ringgren; Wright) note it means a whole living organism.
Common preaching difference: Many say “humans received an immortal soul,” which the Hebrew text does not state.
From the Christian Bible
1. Luke 2:14 — “peace among those whom he favors”
NRSV: “…and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
Greek fact: ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας is genitive, meaning “among people of [God’s] favor.”
Why preachers say it differently: The familiar KJV line comes from a later Greek reading now considered secondary.
2. Matthew 6:13 — “deliver us from the evil one”
NRSV: “…but rescue us from the evil one.”
Greek fact: τοῦ πονηροῦ is masculine, pointing to a personal agent.
Common sermon version: “Deliver us from evil” because churches memorize the old English prayer.
3. John 3:16 — “only Son” (not “only begotten Son”)
NRSV: “…he gave his only Son…”
Greek fact: μονογενής means “unique, one-of-a-kind,” not “only begotten.”
Common sermon version: Many retain the older KJV phrasing.
4. Matthew 4:17 — “Repent” or “Change your mind”?
NRSV: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Greek fact: μετανοεῖτε literally means “change your mind/understanding.”
Common sermon version: Repent = emotional remorse, though the Greek is intellectual/volitional.
5. Matthew 16:18 — “Petros / petra” wordplay
NRSV: “…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”
Greek fact: Πέτρος and πέτρα are a deliberate wordplay.
Common sermon version: Often minimized or overextended depending on denominational preference.
The following explanation/lists were from a separate ChatGPT response and inserted here.
Greek words:
Πέτρος (Petros) — Peter, literally “stone” or “rock,” masculine form, used as Simon’s new name.
πέτρα (petra) — “rock, large mass of rock,” feminine form, used in the phrase “on this rock.”
Wordplay:
Jesus is making a linguistic distinction between Simon (Petros) and the foundational “rock” of the church (petra).
In Koine Greek, masculine nouns often differ from feminine ones, so the text deliberately uses Petros ≠ petra grammatically, but maintains the semantic connection.
In Aramaic, which Jesus likely spoke, both words would have been Kepha (כֵּיפָא), removing the gender distinction; the pun is preserved: Simon is “Rock.”
Context in the passage:
Matthew 16:13–20 describes Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus responds to Peter personally, then expands the meaning to a broader foundation for the community (church).
The “rock” may refer to:
Peter himself (his confession and leadership role).
The confession of faith (“You are the Messiah”).
Christ himself as the spiritual foundation (less common in Greek-centered readings).
Critical scholarship notes:
Many scholars (e.g., Davies & Allison, Luz, Nolland) emphasize the Greek wordplay preserves the Aramaic pun but introduces subtle distinctions for the Greek reader.
Denominational differences arise:
Roman Catholic interpretation: Peter himself is the rock; the passage supports apostolic succession.
Protestant interpretation: The confession or Christ himself is the “rock”; Peter is not personally the foundation.
Most scholars agree that the Greek deliberately contrasts the proper noun (Petros) with the common noun (petra) while maintaining the pun’s meaning.
6. Luke 17:21 — “within you” vs. “among you”
NRSV: “…the kingdom of God is among you.”
Greek fact: ἐντὸς ὑμῶν can mean “within” or “among,” but context favors “among you.”
Common sermon version: “The kingdom is inside you,” ignoring Greek plural and narrative setting.
7. John 20:28 — “My Lord and my God”
NRSV: “‘My Lord and my God!’”
Greek fact: A direct address to Jesus, not an exclamation to heaven.
Common sermon difference: Some minimize grammatical directness or impose later doctrinal debates.
8. Mark 1:41 — Jesus “moved with anger” or “moved with pity”?
NRSV: “…moved with pity…”
Greek manuscript fact: Early manuscripts read ὀργισθείς (“moved with anger”).
Common sermon version: Congregations expect “compassion,” so the textual variant “anger” is rarely mentioned.
9. Mark 6:20 — “greatly perplexed,” not “protected John”
NRSV: “…he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.”
Greek fact: πολλὰ ἠπόρει = “was very puzzled.”
Common sermon version: Older translations led to a story of Herod “protecting” John, which the Greek does not say.
10. John 1:1 — nuance of “the Word was God”
NRSV: “…and the Word was God.”
Greek fact: θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος lacks the article; many scholars call this a qualitative clause.
Common sermon version: Often treated as a theological formula without discussion of Greek grammar.
Explanation from Claude.ai
This refers to the **Greek definite article** (ὁ, ἡ, τό - "the"), which functions similarly to "the" in English but with more grammatical significance in Greek.
In John 1:1c, the Greek reads: **θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος** (theos ēn ho logos)
Here's the grammatical breakdown:
- **θεὸς** (theos) = "God" - *anarthrous* (without the article)
- **ἦν** (ēn) = "was"
- **ὁ λόγος** (ho logos) = "the Word" - has the article (ὁ)
The key point is that θεὸς appears **without the article** before the verb, while λόγος has it. In Greek grammar, this word order and article usage matters significantly.
**Why this matters:**
When a predicate noun (θεὸς) comes before the verb and lacks the article, Greek grammarians debate whether it's:
1. **Definite** - "the Word was God" (identifying the Word as God himself)
2. **Qualitative** - "the Word was divine/deity" (emphasizing the *nature* or *quality* of the Word)
3. **Indefinite** - "the Word was a god" (though most scholars reject this for theological and grammatical reasons)
The "qualitative" understanding emphasizes that the Word possesses the **full nature and qualities of deity** without necessarily saying the Word is *identical* to the person called "God" (ὁ θεός) earlier in the verse. This preserves both the Word's full divinity and the distinction between the Word and the Father—important for Trinitarian theology.
Most sermons simply quote "the Word was God" without explaining this grammatical nuance that scholars carefully consider when interpreting the verse's Christological claims.
11. James 5:14 — anointing with oil as common medical care
NRSV: “…anointing them with oil…”
Greek fact: ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ is the vocabulary of ordinary medical treatment.
Common sermon version: Treated mainly as a sacred rite, without the Greek cultural background.
12. 1 Corinthians 11:10 — “authority on/over her head”
NRSV: “…a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head…”
Greek fact: The Greek literally says “a woman ought to have authority over her head” (ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν).
Common sermon version: The words “a symbol of” are not in the Greek text.
13. 1 Corinthians 6:9 — meaning of malakoi and arsenokoitai
NRSV: “…male prostitutes, sodomites…”
Greek fact:
• μαλακοί = “soft/effeminate,” broad usage.
• ἀρσενοκοῖται = rare word with uncertain meaning.
Common sermon version: Modern categories are imposed on ambiguous Greek terms.
14. Revelation 3:20 — addressed to a church, not unbelievers
NRSV: “…I am standing at the door, knocking…”
Greek fact: The message is to the church of Laodicea, not outsiders.
Common sermon version: Often used as an individual conversion appeal.
15. Mark 5:34 — “Daughter” (θυγάτηρ) as restoration language
NRSV: “Daughter, your faith has made you well…”
Greek fact: θυγάτηρ conveys family inclusion and restoration, not only a polite term.
Common sermon version: Treated as a generic address, missing the social meaning in Greek.
16. “And behold, a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak.” (NRSV)
In all three passages (e.g., Matthew 9:20; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44), the word translated as “the fringe”, “the edge”, or “the hem” is κράσπεδον (kraspedon). [kris’-ped-en My phonics spelling. Pronunciation here.]
Greek text (Matthew 9:20): καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ αἱμορροοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ.
In first-century Jewish context, κράσπεδον (kraspedon) refers to the tassel (tzitzit) or fringe on the corners of a Jewish man’s outer garment (the tallit or cloak). This comes directly from Numbers 15:37–39 (ASV) and Deuteronomy 22:12, where Israelites are commanded to wear fringes on the corners of their garments as a reminder of God’s commandments. “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue.” (Numbers 15:38 ASV)
So when the woman touches Jesus’ kraspedon, she is not just grabbing a random part of his robe — she is touching the tassel prescribed by Torah, the visible symbol of covenant faithfulness and divine authority. NOT just the HEM of his garment.
In the sermons on 11/18/2025, Rob and Brian said that the difference between the creation narratives in Gen 1 and 2 is that Gen 1 is like the Google view from outer space and Gen 2 is like the Street view.
