Sounds Like Greek

The origin of the Greek language from which the English Bible was translated indicates advanced planning by God. May a recounting of it encourage you to realize God is at work in your life today. Regardless of your circumstances God is at work to bring the best out of it.

At a point in history various forms of Greek: Attic, Doric, Aeolic and Iconic, were spoken in various regions of Greece.

At the battle of Leuctra the King of Thebes with 7,000 warriors defeated 11,000 Spartans by using a new oblique battle formation. Thebes then controlled all of south Greece.

Sitting on a hill overlooking was a warrior from north Greece. His name was Philip of Macedonia. He and his countrymen were animal-like warriors. Philip went back to his countrymen and taught them the new oblique form of battle.

Philip and his redheaded wife Olympia had a son named Alexander, who was to grow up and be known as Alexander the Great. He became a conquering general at age 16. While still a teenager his dad was killed and Alexander took over his position. He desired to conquer Persia, but there was a disconnect. His army spoke different forms of Greek. This young genius got his scholars together and developed a common form of Greek known as Koine, which became the language of Greece. He then composed his own drill manual. Using it he conquered most of the near east and made Koine Greek the language of the region. A number of Jesus’ disciples had Greek names: Philip, Mark, James, John, Luke, and Andrew. One of Jesus’ languages was Greek.

When Rome conquered the entire region, the administrative language became Latin. Rome conquered the region militarily, but the Greeks conquered it linguistically and philosophy. This is why the region at the time was spoken of as the Greco-Roman world. Greek had become the perfect language in which to express a thought.

About 400 years after Alexander the Great developed Koine it became the language in which the New Testament was written. It was so definitive they had four different meanings for the word “if.”

First class, “if” and it is true.

Second class, “if” and it is not true.

Third class “if” maybe yes, maybe no.

Fourth class, “if” I wish it were true, but it isn’t.

If (and it is true) God would work all those details together for good, He can do the same in your life. Relax and trust Him.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8: 28)

That does not mean everything that happens is good. It means in everything that happens, everything, God is busy to bring the good out of it. Trust Him.