Chris Palmer

As a lover of words and languages, reading has always been my favorite pastime, and I am one of those people who reads the dictionary for fun, always looking to add to my vocabulary. I took Latin in college and fell in love with it, especially due to the fact that it forms the foundation for so many of our English words. As soon as I saw the title of Chris Palmer’s “Greek Word Study”, signing up to review it was a no-brainer; last year I read and thoroughly enjoyed his book “Letters show more From Jesus,” so I enthusiastically dove into this new offering.

Because I wanted to study and savor each of the 90 terms that Palmer discusses, it took me much longer than usual to read this book, and it is one that I can unequivocally say I will be rereading. I very much appreciate Palmer’s deep yet easy-to-understand teaching about each word, presenting both the word and the Scripture first in English, then in Koine Greek (the original language of the New Testament), followed by a relevant contemporary story or application and an explanation of what the Scripture and the particular Greek word mean in Biblical context. With an emphasis on inflection, he makes connections between familiar verses and the culture of the time, demonstrating how the original early church audience would have understood the words and stories.

Some of the words that Palmer writes about in “Greek Word Study” that fascinate me the most involve how we need to conduct ourselves as Christians and our relationship with the Lord. He instructs that “panoplian”, for instance, refers to the whole armor of God, and while discussing “execheo” (sound forth), he exhorts that “If you aren’t already, believe God to make you a Krakatoa for the kingdom.” Considering that the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 exhibited the loudest sound known to history, this is an incredible hint at what God can do through us. Likewise, with “poiema” (workmanship), he references Ephesians 2:10 and Romans 1:20, pointing out that “By using poiema in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul makes a connection between those who are in Christ and the creation account in Genesis.” One more example is particularly timely; “nepho” means sober-minded, and Palmer teaches that we need to take God’s Word into account in all that we see, hear, and do. “So, mix your media intake with the Word.” I think that this is always sage advice, and never more so than in this present time!

One relatively minor quibble I have is that Palmer writes that “Humans have inhabited Crete for at least 130,000 years”, which goes against the basic tenet of young earth creationism. That issue aside, however, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Scripture more deeply and gaining a greater understanding of early church culture. Those who enjoy languages will find “Greek Word Study” of particular interest, but no knowledge of foreign languages, Greek or otherwise, is necessary. At the end of the book, there is both a Greek-English and an English-Greek index of all of the terms studied for additional reference. I hope that our words echo those of Solon the Athenian: “I grow old always learning many things.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. show less

This book has been very informative and intense at times. I do enjoy books that look at different topics in the bible and break them down piece by piece and explain the scriptures. Have you ever heard the saying, "Well that's Greek to me?" That is how I feel sometimes when reading the Bible. This book has helped me understand meanings of words which made me look at the scriptures in a new light.

It was interesting to read about the Seven Churches that are talked about in Revelation. The show more author takes us through the scriptures and unlocks the words that reveal what Jesus was talking about. One example was the word lychnia which means lampstand. In the verse the author is speaking about the word that means the seven churches. How interesting that a Greek word would come to mean the presence of God in the old testament.

One of the chapters I especially like was How To Stay On Top. In this chapter the author talks about the church at Sardis. They had gotten to a place where they were lax . Jesus then tells the church "to wake up" or in Greek , gregoreo. It was time for the church to stop being comfortable and be "on alert." How many of us have become carefree in our spiritual walk? It is so easy to miss church one Sunday and then the next. Before you know it, the enemy has taken you out of your covering and made you vulnerable. God wants us to always be watching and guarding our walk with Him.

At the end of each chapter the author has provided a prayer, activity and scriptures for the week. I found them to be helpful and reaffirm the importance of knowing what scriptures mean. It is a well written book filled with insight that helps readers delve into the Word with more clarity.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion show less

As someone who majored in English literature, I have always had an affinity for languages. I took four semesters of Latin in college because of how much this ancient language undergirds English etymology. Similarly, ancient Greek holds an appeal, although I have never studied it. As soon as I heard about Chris Palmer’s “Letters From Jesus”, I requested a review copy, and I am definitely glad that I did. Although I needed to read through this book more quickly in order to post a review, show more it is best to proceed slowly and take time to absorb the gems of knowledge therein.

Focusing on the first three chapters in the Biblical book of Revelation, “Letters From Jesus” examines the seven churches and how the original Greek language informs the text. This, in turn, enhances our understanding of Jesus’ message to each church and how we can and should apply them to our own lives today. One of many interesting things that I learned while reading was how “the seven spirits of God represent seven functions of the Holy Spirit that make up His fullness”. Palmer hones in on a different area of study for each church, dividing them into sections within the book. The church at Ephesus concentrates on love; Smyrna, endurance; Pergamum, worldview; Thyatira, holiness; Sardis, the Holy Spirit; Philadelphia, Christian living; and Laodicea, faithfulness. Something that stood out to me was that several of these are fruits of the Spirit.

Revelation is a book that speaks of the future and the coming of the Lord’s kingdom here on earth, and while that in itself is enough to make it undoubtedly pertinent, Palmer points out many other facts that demonstrate that God’s Word is truly living and active. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, which was the language of the everyday man, emphasizing that the Gospel was not and is not only for the upper class but rather for ALL people. Indeed, reading Palmer’s analyses is insightful and truly drives home the point that we are in a daily battle against evil and the enemy of our souls. In response to someone wondering where God was when a horrific event occurred, Palmer says that “God puts up with evil so people have a chance to repent and be saved. Until the time of judgment comes, God will be patient and forbearing. Meanwhile, Satan will continue to stir up evil to make the world hateful toward Christ”. This is why it is so important for us as Christians to remain steadfast in our faith and to keep the light of Jesus burning strongly within us. Today’s cultural ethos “will let you keep moving further and further from the Lord without ever saying a word” because the focus is always on you and what is best for you, whereas Jesus will tell us what areas in our lives need to change in order for us to be aligned with His will and to receive His priceless gift of eternal life.

Intended as a weekly devotional, “Letters From Jesus” contains 52 relatively short chapters. Each opens with a Scripture verse followed by the Greek with a few corresponding words highlighted. A personal, contemporary introduction leads into the situation of the church that is being discussed, with bonus information in blue boxes. Then there is both a prayer and an activity for the week, followed by a list of six Scriptures to explore each week. Endnotes are included and are almost exclusively relating to Greek grammar for the word and language lovers among us. I did notice editing errors throughout the book, but although it is not marked as such, my hardcover copy may be an ARC. I hope that the Kindle edition includes hyperlinks to the Scripture passages at the end of the chapters for easier reference. Regardless, I highly recommend this enlightening book, particularly for those interested in Greek and for group studies, but also for intrepid individuals endeavoring to better understand the letters to the seven churches and how they apply to us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. show less

I love learning the meaning of words so I was excited to read this book. The author has ninety words that he translates from Greek so we can understand the real meaning when it is used in the Bible. The first chapter grabbed my attention right away. I have studied about the armor of God many times, but as I saw the word panoplia I began to see how powerful that word really is. It clearly states in scripture that we are to put on the full armor not just parts of it. The illustration the show more author uses about soccer players was very visual. When we go into battle against the enemy we need to be prepared. Soccer players are required to wear certain equipment before they are allowed on the field. God wants us to be ready with everything we have which includes the entire armor of God.
The book is well written and gives scriptures references for the Greek words. I felt like the Bible was starting to take on a deeper meaning for me as the words were broken down so that I could truly understand what they meant in scripture. Each chapter touches on a word and I decided I needed to start taking notes. I love my journal that was gifted to me by a very special friend and it is perfect to use for this study. Now I can go back and refresh myself on the meanings and get a better picture of what the words are referencing.
I loved chapter twenty when it talks about grieve. The Greek word for grieve is lypeite. I was so sure this was going to be talking about us grieving for someone. The author uses God to show us how He is grieved by the way we talk about others by being bitter, gossiping or cursing. I have never really thought that doing these things would sadden God but He doesn’t like us to talk about each other in ways that hurt and bruise by our words. The author explains how talking like this can divide the Body of Christ. God created us and when He hears us tearing each other down, we are allowing the enemy to destroy God’s creation. I know I need to be more loving in my words. This chapter has opened my eyes to think of others more and to remember that God grieves when His children speak unkindly to each other.
I would recommend everyone grab a copy of this book. It is not something you want to rush through. Each chapter has nuggets of wisdom, illustrations to help understand the words and scriptures where the word is used. It is a source of information that helps us identify the meaning of the word and how it is used in scripture. I will be going through this study many times as I want to grasp the meanings better. We are all a work in progress and this study showed me I still have much work to understand what God’s Word says.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. show less