| First comes firstOne of the first things
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| | competition or leading rival factions.
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| journalism students learn is "the
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| | Instead, he says, "God's servants we
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| inverted pyramid": they learn to cram all
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| | are." Similarly, the Corinthians' organic
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| of the most important points of their
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| | growth as Christians is because "God's
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| article into the opening paragraph. In
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| | field you are." Their organizational
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| normal English usage, the most important
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| | growth is because they are "God's
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| person or thing should go at the head of
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| | building."God at the centerHere is a
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| almost any list.Biblical Greek employs
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| | lesson for all of us. Let's get our eyes
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| similar usage: the most important item
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| | off of ourselves--our status, our
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| usually comes first in a list. And
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| | achievements, our position relative to
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| because, unlike English, Greek does not
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| | someone else--and return to focusing on
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| need word order to determine how a word
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| | Him, the one who has "rescued us out of
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| is used in a sentence--it has word
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| | the dominion of darkness and has brought
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| endings for that--it can leverage word
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| | us into the kingdom of the Son He loves,
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| order to indicate emphasis. The beginning
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| | in Whom we have redemption, the
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| and then the end of a sentence, a clause,
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| | forgiveness of sins" (Colossians
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| or a list is the place where the emphasis
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| | 1:13-14).Left to ourselves, we would be a
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| falls in Greek. Unfortunately, we lose
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| | barren field, a collapsed building. But
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| much of this emphasis in English
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| | God makes His chosen ones into a verdant
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| translations, because the translators
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| | paradisial garden, a gloriously splendid
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| feel forced to rearrange the words back
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| | temple. Let's give the credit to Whom it
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| into normal English order.Good example of
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| | belongs.Want to go deeper?
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| emphatic usageConsider 1 Corinthians 3:9,
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| | If you want to explore other places
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| which the NIV renders, "For we are God's
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| | where "of God" (tou theou) occurs in an
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| fellow workers; you are God's field,
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| | emphatic, first position, look up these
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| God's building." A more literal rendering
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| | verses. You will see how in these
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| would be: "God's fellow workers we are;
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| | instances also, the emphatic word order
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| God's field you are, God's building."
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| | of the original does not survive the
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| Paul is making a triple emphasis that we
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| | translation process. Acts 12:22
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| almost completely lose in English: God is
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| | Romans 13:4 (twice)
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| the important One, not what we are or
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| | 1 Corinthians 1:24 (twice)
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| what you are. [TOP]The context bears out
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| | 1 Corinthians 2:7
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| this emphasis. The Corinthian Christians
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| | 1 Corinthians 6:9
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| are wrangling about whose group is the
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| | 2 Corinthians 6:4
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| best, the one that claims Paul, or that
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| | 2 Corinthians 11:2
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| one that names Apollos, or Cephas
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| | 2 Corinthians 11:7
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| (Peter), or Christ (see 1:10-12).
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| | Ephesians 2:8
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| Apparently, the Corinthians are in danger
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| | Hebrews 6:5
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| of splitting into competing factions or
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| | James 1:1
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| sects, each thinking of themselves as
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| | 1 Peter 2:16
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| superior to the others. Perhaps their
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| | 1 Peter 4:14
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| fellowship is deteriorating so much that
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| | 1 Peter 4:17 (2nd time)
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| they are discounting their rival factions
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| | 2 Peter 3:5
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| and even writing them off as no longer
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| | 2 Peter 3:12
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| members of God's kingdom. Whether that
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| | Jude 4Here are two more instances, using
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| has happened yet, they certainly seem to
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| | "Jesus our Lord" (1 Corinthians 9:1) and
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| be moving in that direction.Paul's
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| | "of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 10:26),
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| antidote to this sectarian poison is
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| | quoting Psalm 24:1. (The Hebrew has the
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| pointing all of them to God. He notes
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| | same emphatic word order.
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| that he and Apollos are not in
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