Post on 25-Dec-2015
Case Study: The Importance of The Subject In John 1:1
Pastor Eric DoumaSunday SchoolOctober 21, 2012
Bible Verse Diagrams Defined
“…the diagnosis of a sentence into its separate parts (words, phrases, clauses), and carefully scrutinizing each part in its relation to the whole. When analysis is objectified in the form of a written diagram, it pictures relationships”(Owen L. Crouch, Expository Preaching and Teaching).
Introduction To Diagrams
Subject: Noun, or noun equivalent
Predicate: That which is said of the subject (verbs, adverbial modifiers, and complements)
Direct object: The receiver of the predicate (verb)
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
John 11:5 Jesus loved Martha.
The Importance of Subject/Object Distinction
John 1:32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.”
Subject? He (the Spirit)
Verb? remained
Direct object? Him
He = Him
Basics of Diagramming
For with the result that
God loved world He gave Son
so the His
only begotten
“in this way”
Determine The Subject First!
Subjects in Greek
1. Nouns: John, camel, etc.
2. Personal pronouns: He, she, we, it, etc.
3. Relative pronouns: Who, which
4. Indefinite pronouns: someone, anyone, many, etc.
5. “Verbal nouns” Example: “I write”
6. Adjectives
7. Participles = “verbal adjectives”
Different Cases in Greek
Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives
Nominative case: Subject
Genitive case: Possession
Accusative case: Direct object
Dative case: Indirect object
Using The Interlinear
John 3:16
For God so loved the world,
γὰρ ὁ θεὸς οὕτως ἠγάπησεν τὸν κόσμον T RNSM NNSM D VF3SAIA RASM NASM
Confusion Over The SubjectSome sentences have two words in the nominative
case that are linked by a verb of being (is, are, etc.)
“I am He”The P.N. describes a larger category to which the
subject belongs. “Earl Campbell is a running back”In English the subject is determined by word order,
but this is not the case in Greek.
1. Pronoun priority (or implied pronoun in the verb)
2. Subject has the definite article (the)
3. Subject is a proper name
1. Pronoun Priority
Matthew 3:17
This is my beloved Son,
οὗτός ἐστιν μου ὁ ἀγαπητός ὁ υἱός
PDNSM VF3SPIA PPGS RNSM,JNSM RNSM,NNSM
3. Subject Has Proper Name
James 5:17
Elijah was a man
Ἠλίας ἦν ἄνθρωπος
NNSM VF3SIIA NNSM
Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν
Case Study: John 1:1Sabellianism (Oneness Pentacostals) = There exists
one God in one person.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
The Word
God