Paddy the Golden Doodle is Learnin' Greek!

 

Paddy the Goldendoodle Is Learnin’ Greek!

By Pastor Jim Allen, Trinity Evangelical Church

 

I came home from Church last Sunday in between services and found Paddy, my 10-month-old Golden Doodle, with the Bible on the kitchen floor. Paddy was apparently reading it. I asked him what chapter he was on, and there was no reply. I always wondered what my precious Paddy did when I was gone, but apparently, he studies the Bible. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised; I’ve already taught him how to pray.

 

Now, some folks might think Ol’ Pastor Jim is becoming a bit daft, and I just might be. But last Monday night, after the Tampa Bay-Houston NFL game, I went upstairs to bed. Paddy usually demands we go to bed around 9 p.m. while Miss Carol stays up to watch her Dodgers or Angels. In any event, I lay down in bed working on one of my papers while listening to the Chargers and Raiders over Sirius radio when Paddy ups and asks me a question! I was shocked, of course, but I noticed Paddy had my Greek book out on the bed, lying next to me, reading it.

 

I looked at him, bewildered. “Paddy, you have a question?”

 

He sat up and cleared his throat. “Well, Rev…” he began. I later discovered he calls me “Rev” because “r” sounds are easier for dogs to pronounce. He then continued, “Rev, which verses are the best examples of the Granville Sharp rule!” Then, he stopped and looked at me over the top of his reading glasses.

 

Wow! I thought to myself. Not only can he pray and read, but he can also actually parse the Greek. It reminds me of the time I was a kid on the farm in Wisconsin, and I came in from the fields to find my favorite sheep, Portia, nudging a hymnal with her nose. You see, we kept a barn hymnal for a good reason—we’d sometimes sing hymns like “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us” to settle the sheep down at night. I swear Portia was trying to pick out a song. Or perhaps she thought the hymnal was something to eat. I often wonder what our animal friends are up to when we’re not looking!

 

I put down my paper. "Hold on there, Paddy-boy. Before we get to the examples, we need to know what the Granville Sharp Rule is all about. You see, a fellow named Granville Sharp, a British abolitionist and scholar, came up with this idea back in the 18th century. He was a real stickler for careful reading of the Bible. He noticed a pattern in the New Testament that was really important for understanding who Jesus is."

 

Paddy wagged his tail expectantly. “What’s the rule, Rev?”

 

"Well, think of it like this, Paddy," I said, leaning in. "When you have two nouns, and they’re connected by the Greek word kai (καί), which means ‘and,’; and the first noun has the definite article ho (ὁ) and the second noun doesn’t, they’re usually referring to the same person. It’s a way of showing that the two titles are talking about one single person or entity. It’s a powerful tool for affirming the divinity of Christ. So, when people try to say Jesus wasn’t God, we can point to these verses and see the language itself is telling us otherwise.”

Paddy tilted his head, processing. “Ah, I get it, Rev. So, it’s like when you call me ‘Paddy’ and ‘good boy’ without repeating ‘the’ in between. It’s all about one dog!”

 

"Exactly, Paddy! You’re a smart dog, you’ve got it! Now, let’s look at some of the best examples from the Bible, because you can pray and read, but parsing the Greek is next level stuff!”

 

The Rule in Action

I reached for my Bible and opened it to the New Testament. I read out the verses, and after each one, I’d explain it to Paddy, who lit his pipe and listened intently.

 

2 Peter 1:1 “...by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ...” I looked down at him. "Paddy, this is a classic. Peter is talking about ‘our God’ and ‘Savior,’ but he doesn’t repeat the article. He doesn’t say, “Our God and the Savior, Jesus Christ.” The rule shows us that ‘God’ and ‘Savior’ are both titles for the same person: Jesus Christ. It’s a direct statement of Jesus’s divinity.”

 

Paddy raised his head, puffed on his pipe and blew a smoke ring into the air. “That is fascinating Rev! That demonstrates that Jesus is the one true God.”

 

“That’s right Paddy. But you know Miss Carol doesn’t want you smoking in bed!” Paddy put his pipe back onto his nightstand. Then Pastor Jim continued…

 

Titus 2:13 “...awaiting the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...” “Another knockout, Paddy. Just like in 2 Peter, Paul is talking about ‘our great God’ and ‘our Savior.’ The construction makes it clear that Jesus Christ is both our great God and our Savior. This verse is a bedrock for understanding the deity of Christ!”

 

“Knowing Greek really unlocks some of the great questions of the Bible,” responded Paddy. “Are there any other verses?”

 

“Yes, two more that really stand out, Paddy!” replied Pastor Jim.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:12 “...according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” “This one is a little more debated, but many scholars see it as another example. The phrase ‘our God’ and ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ are joined without a second article, suggesting they are a single entity. It shows the intimate connection between the Father and the Son.”

 

Pastor Jim continued, “The we have this verse, which is one a lot of people miss, Paddy.”

 

Ephesians 5:5 “...in the Kingdom of Christ and God.” “The phrase ‘of Christ’ and ‘God’ are linked. The lack of a second article strongly suggests that Christ’s kingdom and God’s kingdom are one and the same, reinforcing His divine identity and authority. It reminds me of the time I had to do two jobs at once when I was in fiber optics—being the team lead and the trainer. In a way, Jesus holds two titles here as one.”

 

Paddy replied, “I was reading Luke 17:20-21 the other day where Jesus says to the Pharisees, “The Kingdom of God is in your midst.”

 

“Yes Paddy,” Pastor Jim responded. “This is what the Pharisees (religious leaders) at the time could not understand. They were looking for a political kingdom. They did not realize that Jesus as God was standing among them offering them His spiritual Kingdom. The very Kingdom of God!”

 

More Than Just a Grammar Guy

Paddy tilted his head and blinked. "What about the Granville Sharp guy, Rev? Was he more than just a smarty-pants?"

 

“Now, Paddy, you asked another great question, one that gets to the heart of the matter: what was Granville Sharp all about? He was more than just a grammar geek. He was a man of action, a champion for the oppressed. You know, Paddy, he was one of the very first and most important abolitionists in England. He wasn’t a lawyer by trade, but he took up the cause of a man named Jonathan Strong, a former slave who had been beaten and abandoned. Sharp saw this as a grave injustice, and through his tireless work, he helped bring about a landmark court case that effectively ruled that slavery had no legal basis on English soil. That’s a big deal, Paddy-boy! It’s like when I was teaching fiber optics—you have to get to the root of the problem and fix it, not just patch it up.”

 

Paddy nudged the book closed with his nose. “And he did all this because of his faith?”

 

“Exactly! He was born into a very devout Christian family—his grandfather was an Archbishop and his father was a clergyman. But his faith was strengthened in a unique way. He got into a debate with a co-worker who was a Socinian (so-sin-ee-an), someone who denied the divinity of Christ. The co-worker told Sharp he couldn’t understand the issues because he didn’t know the original Greek. Well, Paddy, that was like waving a red flag in front of a bull! Sharp, being the diligent man he was, decided to teach himself Greek to defend his faith. And in the process, he discovered the very rule that you and I were just talking about! He used his self-taught Greek skills to prove that the Bible itself teaches the deity of Christ. It goes to show you that sometimes the best way to defend your beliefs is to dig into the truth for yourself, no matter how hard it is. It’s like going to a wrestling match with someone bigger than you—you have to know your moves and your opponent’s weaknesses. He did just that with his opponent’s theological arguments.”

 

I patted Paddy’s head. "And get this, Paddy. He also had a fantastic bass voice—George III, the King of England himself, said it was ‘the best in Britain.’ He was a bit of a musician, too, playing a bunch of instruments, including a double-flute he made himself. A true Renaissance man, Paddy, a man who loved God, his country, and a good argument for truth. He even signed some of his notes to friends as G♯ (G-sharp), the musical note. Now that’s what I call a sense of humor!”

 

And there you have it, folks. I’m not crazy; I’ve just got a Golden Doodle who’s a better Greek student than some seminary students. Who knew a farm boy from Wisconsin who learned to wrestle could have a dog that wrestles with Greek grammar? It’s all part of the wild, wonderful, and surprising life God has given me, and I’m thankful for every bit of it—even the parts where I think I might be going a little daft. I’m just blessed to be on this journey with my dear wife Carol, our kids, our grandkids, and, of course, a theological dog named Paddy. Maybe I’ll start teaching him fiber optics next.