Believe it or not I have a minor in NT Greek, and an MA in NT studies; you might never know that based on the content of my online postings. Of course, I also have a double major in bible and theology, and another emphasis in historical theology (both at the undergrad and grad levels, respectively). Anyway, I thought in light of this I would do a post that focuses on NT Greek.

Under the tutelage of Dr. Dale Wheeler for first year Greek something stood out to me; it was just an offhand remark Dr Wheeler made about the word ανοιγω (ἠνεῴχθησαν) in Matthew 3.16. In English the passage reads: “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him” (NKJV).[1] The word ‘opened’ is in the present active indicative, which means that the heavens are now continuously open to Him. The implication of this for all those participatio Christi (participating in Christ), is that the heavens are always already open for you. Indeed, the heavens are continuously open for the world, for all those who will repent and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. This reminds me of the priestly imagery used in the epistle to the Hebrews:

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. –Hebrews 10.19-25

As I look up at the sky at night (when I work) I imagine all the saints of history (so all Christians), and this great cloud of witnesses (think Heb 11) as part of this great ‘chain of being’ all bounded together in the πíστiς Xρiστoȗ (faith of Christ). The Good News, the Evangel is that the heavens are open because Christ has torn them open for us by re-conciling the world to God in His consubstantial divinity/humanity (Theanthropos) for us. He has ascended filling the whole cosmos with the very pleroma (fullness) of God, a πλήρωμα that He has consubstantially and eternally shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit; and now a pleroma He has consubstantially shared with us by assuming our humanity that we might assume His divinity by GRACE, not nature.

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. –Colossians 2.9-10

This is where my sense of liveliness comes from; the very liveliness of the living and triune God; knowing that He holds the heavens open, continuously, that we might fellowship and sup with Him all the days and nights of our lives, and for all eternity. God is open for us in Christ; that is all that matters.

[1] βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος: καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν [αὐτῷ] οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν [τὸ] πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν [καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν: :Matt. 3.16 (GNT).