LESSON 33
ARTICLE

Τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν εἱστήκει ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο καὶ ἐμβλέψας τῷ Ἰησοῦ περιπατοῦντι λέγει, ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. ¹

The article

1. Indefinite article
   1. In Greek there is no indefinite article (a, an)
   2. Sometimes the words τις and εἷς are used to give the uncertainty idea of our indefinite article.
2. Definite article
   1. The basic function of the definite article ὁ, ἡ, τό is to identify
   2. When the article is used with a construction, the thing emphasized is identity.
      1. ὁ νόμος means "the law."
      2. It points out a particular law and give specific identity.
   3. When the article is not used, the thing emphasized is quality of character.
      1. νόμος (without the article) means law in general, i.e., any law
      2. Consider Romans 3:21
         1. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed" (NKJV)
         2. Νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται
         3. Notice there is no article in front of "law."
         4. Thus it should be translated, "But now the righteousness of God apart from any law (or based on a law-method) is revealed."
3. Uses of the article
   1. To point out particular objects: ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἡ βασιλεία
   2. Used with abstract nouns where English omits the article
      1. In English we say truth, grace, hope as in "We are saved by grace." "Stand up for truth."
      2. In Greek these abstract nouns have the article: ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἡ χάρις, ἡ ἐλπίς.
   3. With proper nouns or names where English omits the article: ὁ Πέτρος, ὁ ̓Ιησοῦς
   4. With classes or groups of things where English omits the article: αἱ ἀλώπεκες foxes; τὰ πετεινά birds
   5. With pronouns.
      1. We saw this usage in previous lessons where the article was placed before a pronoun in what was called the attributive position especially with αὐτός, οὗτος, ἐκεῖνος, πᾶς
   6. With adverbs. ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν = "from the now" and really means "from the present time" or "from now on."
   7. With infinitives: ἐν τῷ σπείρειν = "in the to sow" really means "while he was sowing."
      1. The article in this construction is always neuter.
      2. We will look further at the infinitive in the next lesson.
   8. With prepositional phrases: οἱ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ literally means "the in the house ones" or better: "the ones who are in the house."
4. Granville-Sharp Rule: When two nouns are joined by the conjunction καί:
   1. If both nouns have the definite article, they refer to different persons (or things)
      1. ὁ ἀπόστολος καὶ ὁ μαθητής
      2. these are two people
   2. If the first of the two nouns has the article and second does not, then the two are one person (or thing)
      1. ὁ ἀπόστολος καὶ μαθητής
      2. this is just one person who is both a man and a disciple
   3. Consider II Peter 2:20
      1. τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ
      2. "the lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
      3. Since there is no article before σωτῆρος, then Jesus Christ is both lord and saviour.
   4. Consider II Peter 1:1
      1. τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος
      2. "our God and saviour"
      3. Again, the one article "controls" both terms.
      4. Thus He is both God and saviour.
   5. Consider Titus 2:13
      1. τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καί σωτῆρος ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ
      2. "the great God and saviour Jesus Christ"
      3. This verse says that Jesus Christ is both the great God and saviour.
      4. It is not referring to two people.
5. Other uses of the article
   1. Used with the conjunction pair: μέν ... δέ
      1. The article before μέν and before δέ gives the force of an alternative pronoun
      2. οἱ μὲν ἦσαν σὺν τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις, οἱ δὲ σὺν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις (Acts 14:4)
      3. "Some were with the Jews, but others were with the apostles."
   2. The article gives the force of a demonstrative pronoun
      1. οἱ οὖν ἡρώτων αὐτόν
      2. "These, therefore, were asking him."
   3. The article gives the force of a possessive pronoun
      1. συνεπέμψαμεν μετʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφόν
      2. "We have sent with him his brother."
   4. The article gives the force of a relative pronoun (who, which)
      1. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμα μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον
      2. "For this is my blood of the covenant which is shed for many."
   5. The article before nouns with the forms of εἰμί
      1. If two nouns are joined by the verb εἰμί and one has the article, but the other does not, then the one with the article is the subject.
         1. ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν (I John 4:8) God is love (not love is God).
         2. μάρτυς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ θεός (Rom. 1:9) For God is my witness.
         3. ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος (Mark 6:35) The place is desert.
      2. If both nouns have the article then the terms are interchangeable. Either one could be understood to be the subject.
         1. ἡ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐστὶν ὁ νόμος "the power of sin is the law" or "the law is the power of sin."
      3. If one of the terms is a pronoun and the other is a noun with or without an article, the pronoun is the subject.
         1. ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς I am the light (John 8:12)
         2. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος This is the word.

Translate the following:

I John 2:12-17

¹² Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. ¹³ γράφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. γράφω ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν. ¹⁴ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν. ¹⁵ Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ· ¹⁶ ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν. ¹⁷ καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.