Greek Exegesis: Ephesians
Course code: GREK 602

Course Description

Greek Exegesis: Ephesians consists of translation of and exegetical analysis in Greek of the epistle to the Ephesians, with special attention to how syntactical structures contribute to semantic analysis..

Intended Outcomes

By the end of the course, you should know…

• The contents and syntactical characteristics of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
• The components and uses of a standard critical Greek NT apparatus.
• The range of scholarly opinion on a selected text, including its textual critical, exegetical, and pragmatic dimensions.

As a result of taking this course you should appreciate…

• The role and significance of textual criticism for interpretation.
• Structural diagramming as a means to sharpen one’s understanding of an author’s argument in epistolary literature.
• The role of the various elements of NT exegesis.

At the end of this course you should be able to…

• Write an exegetical paper that demonstrates familiarity with the whole range of exegetical skills.
• Show evidence of advanced skill in analyzing the case, tense, participle, infinitive, and article uses of Koine Greek.

Assignment Overview

Students will translate and analyze the Greek text of Ephesians.

Using the skills learned in class, the students will demonstrate through two exegetical papers their ability to (1) translate passages from Greek, (2) evaluate textual evidence and argue for the most likely meaning in the presence of textual variants, and (3) make the interpretive journey from Koine Greek text to modern-day application.

Students will choose one of three tracks for focus assignments. Examples of focus assignments include…

• Scholarship – Write an essay that identifies the Old Testament texts Paul uses in Ephesians and describes the ways he uses those Old Testament texts.
• Ministry – Write a one-page exegetical outline of this week’s passage suitable for use in a sermon. Identify the need the passage addresses, the textual idea statement, and at least one concrete application.
• Personal development – Write a 500-600 word devotional meditation that could be posted to a blog or a social media page that reflections on the implications of our union with Christ (Eph. 2:1-10).