Genitive Phrases in
The New Testament
Each New Testament quotation below is a literal (word by word) English translation of the Greek text in the Nestle-Aland-26 Green New Testament.
The words in [brackets] in any quotation below are added by me for clarification.
A genitive phrase consists of (1) a modified noun or nouns in any grammatical case and (2) a modifying noun or nouns in the genitive case.
There are eleven instances in the New Testament of a genitive phrase in which two or three singular personal modifying nouns in the genitive case modify one singular impersonal modified noun in any grammatical case through one or more singular articles in the genitive case (OF THE).
Matthew 28:19
Acts 4:13
Galatians 1:4
Ephesians 5:5
2 Thessalonians 1:12
Titus 2:13
2 Peter 1:1
2 Peter 1:2
2 Peter 1:11
2 Peter 2:20
2 Peter 3:2
This genitive phrase construction always functions the same way in all eleven instances.
The number of articles (OF THE) always determines the number of things being referenced by the one modified noun, with each article (OF THE) being a separate reference to the modified noun.
The context always determines the number of persons being referenced by the two or three modifying nouns, regardless of whether the modifying nouns are common nouns or proper names.
Matthew 28:19
The phrase “the NAME OF THE Father and OF THE Son and OF THE Holy Spirit” in Matthew 28:19 means that Father and Son and Spirit (three persons [Father and Son and Spirit], as determined by the context) have three different NAMES (as determined by the three articles [OF THE and OF THE and OF THE]).
The phrase “the NAME OF THE Father and Son and Holy Spirit” would mean that Father and Son and Spirit (three persons [Father and Son and Spirit], as determined by the context) had one (the same) NAME (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
Acts 4:13
The phrase “the OF THE Peter BOLDNESS and of John” (the BOLDNESS OF THE Peter and John) in Acts 4:13 means that Peter and John (two persons [Peter and John], as determined by the context) have one (the same) BOLDNESS (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “the OF THE Peter BOLDNESS and OF THE John” (the BOLDNESS OF THE Peter and OF THE John) would mean that Peter and John (two persons [Peter and John], as determined by the context) had two different BOLDNESSES (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
Galatians 1:4
The phrase “the WILL OF THE God and Father of us [the Father]” in Galatians 1:4 means that God and Father (one person [the Father], as determined by the context) has one WILL (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
Ephesians 5:5
The phrase “the KINGDOM OF THE Christ [the Son] and God [and Father]” in Ephesians 5:5 means that Christ and God (two persons [Son and Father], as determined by the context) have one (the same) KINGDOM (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “the KINGDOM OF THE Christ [the Son] and OF THE God [the Father]” would mean that Christ and God (two persons [Son and Father], as determined by the context) had two different KINGDOMS (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
2 Thessalonians 1:12
The phrase “the GRACE OF THE God of us [the Father] and Lord Jesus Christ [and Son]” in 2 Thessalonians 1:12 means that God and Lord (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) have one (the same) GRACE (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “the GRACE OF THE God of us [the Father] and OF THE Lord Jesus Christ [the Son]” would mean that God and Lord (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) had two different GRACES (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
Titus 2:13
The phrase “the GLORY OF THE great God [the Father] and Savior of us Jesus Christ [and Son]” in Titus 2:13 means that God and Savior (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) have one (the same) GLORY (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “the GLORY OF THE great God [the Father] and OF THE Savior of us Jesus Christ [the Son]” would mean that God and Savior (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) had two different GLORIES (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
2 Peter 1:1
The phrase “[the] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE God of us [the Father] and Savior Jesus Christ [and Son]” in 2 Peter 1:1 means that God and Savior (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) have one (the same) RIGHTEOUSNESS (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “[the] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE God of us [the Father] and OF THE Savior Jesus Christ [the Son]” would mean that God and Savior (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) had two different RIGHTEOUSNESSES (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
2 Peter 1:2
The phrase “[the] KNOWLEDGE OF THE God [the Father] and Jesus the Lord of us [and Son]” in 2 Peter 1:2 means that God and Jesus (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) have (are included in) one (the same) KNOWLEDGE (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
The phrase “[the] KNOWLEDGE OF THE God [the Father] and OF THE Jesus the Lord of us [the Son]” would mean that God and Jesus (two persons [Father and Son], as determined by the context) had (were included in) two different KNOWLEDGES (as determined by the two articles [OF THE and OF THE]).
2 Peter 1:11
The phrase “the eternal KINGDOM OF THE Lord of us and Savior Jesus Christ [the Son]” in 2 Peter 1:11 means that Lord and Savior (one person [the Son], as determined by the context) has one eternal KINGDOM (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
2 Peter 2:20
The phrase “[the] KNOWLEDGE OF THE Lord of us and Savior Jesus Christ [the Son]” in 2 Peter 2:20 means that Lord and Savior (one person [the Son], as determined by the context) has (is included in) one KNOWLEDGE (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
2 Peter 3:2
The genitive phrase “the, of the apostles of us, COMMANDMENT OF THE Lord and Savior [the Son]” in 2 Peter 3:2 means that Lord and Savior (one person [the Son], as determined by the context) has one COMMANDMENT (as determined by the one article [OF THE]).
Summary
As shown above, the number of articles (OF THE) always determines the number of things being referenced by the one modified noun, and the context always determines the number of persons being referenced by the two or three modifying nouns, regardless of whether the modifying nouns are common nouns or proper names, and whenever the noun God is one of the modifying nouns, the modifying noun God is always a reference to the Father (God), as determined by the context.
Exclusions
The genitive phrase “the OF THE James and Joseph MOTHER” (the MOTHER OF THE James and Joseph) in Matthew 27:56 has one singular personal modified noun (MOTHER), and the genitive phrase “[the] GRACE and KNOWLEDGE OF THE Lord of us and Savior Jesus Christ [the Son]” in 2 Peter 3:18 appears to have two singular impersonal modified nouns (GRACE and KNOWLEDGE), which is why those two genitive phrases are not included in the above list of New Testament genitive phrases in which two or three singular personal modifying nouns modify one singular impersonal modified noun.
Comparisons
Compare 1 Corinthians 15:24 and Ephesians 5:5.
1 Corinthians 15:24 Afterward, the end, whenever he would give over [the Son] the KINGDOM to the God and Father [the Father] …
Ephesians 5:5 … every fornicator or unclean one or covetous one … not he has inheritance in the KINGDOM OF THE Christ [the Son] and God [and Father].
Since the kingdom that we inherit through faith in Christ is initially the kingdom of the Son (Christ) and subsequently the kingdom of the Father (God), as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:24, therefore the kingdom that we inherit through faith in Christ is the kingdom of the Son (Christ) and Father (God), as stated in Ephesians 5:5.
The kingdom that we inherit through faith in Christ is NOT the kingdom of the Son only.
Compare 2 Thessalonians 1:2 and 1:12.
2 Thessalonians 1:2 GRACE to you and peace FROM God Father of us [the Father] and Lord Jesus Christ [and Son].
2 Thessalonians 1:12 … the GRACE OF THE God of us [the Father] and Lord Jesus Christ [and Son].
Since the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is FROM the Father (God) and Son (Lord), as stated in 2 Thessalonians 1:2, therefore the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is the grace OF the Father (God) and Son (Lord), as stated in 2 Thessalonians 1:12.
The grace that we receive through faith in Christ is NOT the grace of the Son only.
Compare Luke 9:26 and Titus 2:13.
Luke 9:26 … whenever he would come [the Son] in the GLORY of him [the Son] and of the Father [the Father] …
Titus 2:13 expecting the blessed hope and appearance of the GLORY of the great God [the Father] and Savior of us Jesus Christ [and Son]
Since the glory that appears at the coming of the Lord is the glory of the Father and Son, as stated in Luke 9:26, therefore the glory that appears at the coming of the Lord is the glory of the Father (God) and Son (Savior), as stated in Titus 2:13.
The glory that appears at the coming of the Lord is NOT the glory of the Son only.
Not only do Luke 9:26 and Titus 2:13 describe the same thing (the glory of the Father and Son at the coming of the Lord), but also Luke 9:26 and Titus 2:13 are written by the same person (Luke).
Luke initially writes Titus 2:13 as the amanuensis (secretary) of Paul in the writing of Paul’s epistle to Titus, and Luke subsequently writes Luke 9:26 as the author of the Gospel according to Luke.
What Luke writes (as the author) in Luke 9:26 is a verification of Luke’s understanding (the glory of the Father and Son at the coming of the Lord) of what Luke writes (as the amanuensis) in Titus 2:13.
Compare Romans 1:16-17 and 3:21-22 and 10:2-3 and 2 Peter 1:1.
Romans 1:16 not, For, I am ashamed of the Gospel. power, For, of God [the Father] it is for salvation to every the one believing … 17 RIGHTEOUSNESS, For, of God [the Father], in it [the Gospel], is revealed …
Romans 3:21 … apart from Law, RIGHTEOUSNESS of God [the Father] has been manifested … 22 RIGHTEOUSNESS, even, of God [the Father] through faith of Jesus Christ [the Son] for all the ones believing …
Romans 10:2 I bear witness, For, to them [Jewish unbelievers], that zeal of God [the Father] they have, but not according to knowledge. 3 not knowing, For, the of the God [the Father] RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the own righteousness seeking to establish, to the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the God [the Father] not they submitted.
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ [the Son], to the ones, equally precious to us, having obtained faith in RIGHTEOUSNESS of the God of us [the Father] and Savior Jesus Christ [and Son].
Since the righteousness that we obtain through faith in Christ is the righteousness of the Father (God), as stated in Romans 1:16-17 and 3:21-22 and 10:2-3, therefore the righteousness that we obtain through faith in Christ is the righteousness of the Father (God) and Son (Savior), as stated in 2 Peter 1:1.
The righteousness that we obtain through faith in Christ is NOT the righteousness of the Son only.
Compare 2 Thessalonians 1:2 and 2 Peter 1:2.
2 Thessalonians 1:2 GRACE to you and peace FROM GOD Father of us [the Father] and LORD Jesus Christ [and Son].
2 Peter 1:2 GRACE to you and peace may it be multiplied IN KNOWLEDGE of the GOD [the Father] and Jesus the LORD of us [and Son].
Since the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is FROM the Father (God) and Son (Lord), as stated in 2 Thessalonians 1:2, therefore the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is found IN the knowledge of the Father (God) and Son (Lord), as stated in 2 Peter 1:2.
The grace that we receive through faith in Christ is NOT found IN the knowledge of the Son only.
Compare 2 Peter 1:1 and 1:2 and 1:11.
2 Peter 1:1 … [the] righteousness of the God of us [the Father] and SAVIOR Jesus Christ [and Son].
2 Peter 1:2 … [the] knowledge of the God [the Father] and Jesus the LORD of us [and Son].
2 Peter 1:11 … the eternal kingdom of the LORD of us and SAVIOR Jesus Christ [the Son].
Since the nouns Savior and Lord refer to the Son (Jesus Christ) in 2 Peter 1:1 and 1:2, therefore the nouns Lord and Savior refer to the Son (Jesus Christ) in 2 Peter 1:11.
More Comparisons
Regarding Titus 2:13
Compare Titus 1:3-4 and 2:10-13 and 3:4-6.
Titus 1:3 … according to mandate of the SAVIOR of us God [the Father]. 4 … Grace and peace from God Father [the Father] and Christ Jesus the SAVIOR of us [and Son].
Titus 2:10 … the teaching the of the SAVIOR of us God [the Father] … 13 expecting the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God [the Father] and SAVIOR of us Jesus Christ [and Son]
Titus 3:4 … the kindness and the benevolence, it appeared, of the SAVIOR of us God [the Father] … 6 which [the Spirit] he poured out [the Father] on us richly through Jesus Christ the SAVIOR of us [the Son].
Paul expresses the same pattern in Titus 1:3-4 and in Titus 2:10-13 and in Titus 3:4-6.
In this pattern, Paul first refers to the Father (God), calling the Father (God) our SAVIOR, because the Father (God) sent his Son (Jesus Christ) to the cross to SAVE us (John 8:42), and Paul then refers to the Father (God) and Son (Jesus Christ), calling the Son (Jesus Christ) our SAVIOR, because the Son (Jesus Christ) went to the cross to SAVE us.
This pattern requires the referent to be two persons (Father and Son) in Titus 1:4 and in Titus 2:13 and in Titus 3:6, NOT one person (the Son).
Compare Galatians 1:3-4 and Titus 2:13-14.
Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God Father of us [the Father] and Lord Jesus Christ [and Son], 4 the one having given himself [the second person / the Son] on behalf of the sins of us …
Titus 2:13 expecting the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God [the Father] and Savior of us Jesus Christ [and Son], 14 who gave himself [the second person / the Son] on behalf of us …
Just as, in Galatians 1:3-4, Paul refers to two persons (Father and Son), and Paul identifies the second person (the Son) as the one who gave himself for us, likewise, in Titus 2:13-14, Paul refers to two persons (Father and Son), and Paul identifies the second person (the Son) as the one who gave himself for us.
Compare Luke 9:26 and Titus 2:13 and 1 Peter 4:13.
Luke 9:26 … whenever he would come [the Son] in the GLORY of him [the Son] and of the Father [the Father] …
Titus 2:13 expecting the blessed hope and appearance of the GLORY of the great God [the Father] and Savior of us Jesus Christ [and Son]
1 Peter 4:13 … that also, in the revelation of the GLORY of him [the Son], you would rejoice, being exceedingly glad.
There is no grammatical or contextual basis for changing the noun GLORY to the adjective GLORIOUS in any one of those three verses.
Nevertheless, one third of the published English versions of the New Testament incorrectly change the noun GLORY to the adjective GLORIOUS in Titus 2:13 in order to incorrectly change the referent of the nouns God and Savior in Titus 2:13 from what it actually is (appearance of the GLORY of the Father [God] and Son [Savior]) to what they want it to be (GLORIOUS appearance of the Son [God and Savior]).
In contrast, two thirds of the published English versions of the New Testament correctly translate the noun GLORY to be the noun GLORY in Titus 2:13 and correctly allow the referent of the nouns God and Savior in Titus 2:13 to be what it actually is (appearance of the GLORY of the Father [God] and Son [Savior]).
For example, the 1901 American Standard Version (ASV), which is the most accurate (consistent with the Greek text) published English version of the New Testament, correctly translates Titus 2:13 to say this (below).
(ASV) Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the GLORY of the great God [the Father] and our Saviour Jesus Christ [and Son]
Granville Sharp
A false teacher named Granville Sharp (1735-1813) was unhappy with the above stated grammatical and contextual realities of the genitive phrases in the New Testament.
Sharp therefore interpretively reversed everything from what it actually was to what he wanted it to be.
In order to interpretively reverse the referent of the modifying noun God in the genitive phrases in the New Testament from what it actually was (the Father) to what he wanted it to be (the Son), Sharp interpretively reversed the function of the genitive phrases in the New Testament from what it actually was (the number of articles [OF THE] determining the number of things being referenced by the modified noun) to what he wanted it to be (the number of articles [OF THE] determining the number of persons being referenced by the modifying nouns).
Whenever Sharp encountered a genitive phrase that even he himself considered to be contrary to his reverse interpretation, instead of truthfully admitting that this was an actual refutation of his reverse interpretation, Sharp falsely declared this to be a mere exception to his reverse interpretation.
In order to perpetuate their false teachings, all false teachers falsely declare the actual refutations of their teachings to be mere exceptions to their teachings, and the false teacher named Granville Sharp was no different than any other false teacher in that respect.
Whereas the genitive phrase “the KINGDOM OF THE Christ [the Son] and God [and Father]” in Ephesians 5:5 plainly states that the kingdom that we inherit through faith in Christ is the kingdom of the Son (Christ) and Father (God), Sharp falsely teaches that the genitive phrase in Ephesians 5:5 means that the kingdom that we inherit through faith in Christ is the kingdom of the Son (Christ and God) only, and that the Father has nothing to do with the kingdom.
Whereas the genitive phrase “the GRACE OF THE God of us [the Father] and Lord Jesus Christ [and Son]” in 2 Thessalonians 1:12 plainly states that the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is the grace of the Father (God) and Son (Lord), Sharp falsely teaches that the genitive phrase in 2 Thessalonians 1:12 means that the grace that we receive through faith in Christ is the grace of the Son (God and Lord) only, and that the Father has nothing to do with the grace.
Whereas the genitive phrase “the GLORY OF THE great God [the Father] and Savior of us Jesus Christ [and Son]” in Titus 2:13 plainly states that the glory that appears at the coming of the Lord is the glory of the Father (God) and Son (Savior), Sharp falsely teaches that the genitive phrase in Titus 2:13 means that the glory that appears at the coming of the Lord is the glory of the Son (God and Savior) only, and that the Father has nothing to do with the glory.
Whereas the genitive phrase “[the] RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE God of us [the Father] and Savior Jesus Christ [and Son]” in 2 Peter 1:1 plainly states that the righteousness that we obtain through faith in Christ is the righteousness of the Father (God) and Son (Savior), Sharp falsely teaches that the genitive phrase in 2 Peter 1:1 means that the righteousness that we obtain through faith in Christ is the righteousness of the Son (God and Savior) only, and that the Father has nothing to do with the righteousness.
As shown above, Granville Sharp is a false teacher, and his reverse interpretation of the genitive phrases in the New Testament is a false teaching, and his teaching that the Father has nothing to do with the kingdom or the grace or the glory or the righteousness is a false gospel.
The Proper Name Game
The Sharp Rule says that a singular personal (each noun referring to one person) article-noun-and-noun construction refers to one person when both of the nouns are common nouns and to two persons when at least one of the nouns is a proper name.
The idea of the Sharp Rule that the same grammatical construction functions one way in one instance and the opposite way in another instance is, of course, absurd.
Nevertheless, the Sharp Rule is attractive to some people because it gives the interpreter arbitrary control over the meaning of any singular personal article-noun-and-noun construction by giving the interpreter arbitrary control over each noun to be either a common noun or a proper name.
If the interpreter wants the referent of a singular personal article-noun-and-noun construction to be one person, then the interpreter arbitrarily declares both of the nouns to be common nouns, regardless of whether or not the nouns are actually common nouns.
If the interpreter wants the referent of a singular personal article-noun-and-noun construction to be two persons, then the interpreter arbitrarily declares at least one of the nouns to be a proper name, regardless of whether or not either one of the nouns is actually a proper name.
Dr. Thomas F. Middleton (1769-1822) wants the referent of the phrase “the Christ and God” in Ephesians 5:5 to be one person (the Son), and therefore he arbitrarily declares both of the nouns (Christ and God) in Ephesians 5:5 to be common nouns (on page 362 in the 1833 edition of his 1808 book, The Doctrine of the Greek Article).
Dr. Daniel B. Wallace (1952- ) wants the referent of the phrase “the Christ and God” in Ephesians 5:5 to be two persons (the Son and Father), and therefore he arbitrarily declares the noun Christ in Ephesians 5:5 to be a proper name (on pages 236-237 and 283 in his 2009 book, Granville Sharp’s Canon and Its Kin).
Dr. Wallace wants the referent of the phrase “the … God and … Savior … Jesus Christ / the God … and Savior Jesus Christ” in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 to be one person (the Son), and therefore he arbitrarily declares the nouns (God and Savior) in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 to be common nouns (on pages 241 and 284 in his 2009 book, Granville Sharp’s Canon and Its Kin).
However, on page 252 in his 2009 book, Dr. Wallace presents two criteria for determining whether a noun is a common noun.
1. According to Dr. Wallace, the more frequently a noun occurs in the plural form, the more likely the noun is to be a common noun.
2. According to Dr. Wallace, the more frequently a noun is preceded by an article in the nominative case, the more likely the noun is to be a common noun.
According to those two criteria for a common noun, the noun Christ is far more likely to be a common noun than the noun Savior is.
The noun Christ occurs in the plural form zero times in the Greek New Testament and three times (1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalms 104:15 and Habakkuk 13:3) in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint).
The noun Savior occurs in the plural form zero times in the Greek New Testament and one time (Nehemiah 19:27) in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint).
Therefore, according to the criterion for a common noun that says that the more frequently a noun occurs in the plural form, the more likely the noun is to be a common noun, the noun Christ is three times as likely to be a common noun in Ephesians 5:5 as the noun Savior is in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1.
The noun Christ occurs in the nominative case five times in the fifth chapter of Ephesians (Ephesians 5:2, 5:14, 5:23, 5:25 and 5:29) in the Nestle-Aland-26 Greek New Testament, which is where Ephesians 5:5 appears, and it is preceded by an article in ALL of those five instances (100% of the time).
The noun Savior occurs in the nominative case two times in the epistles of the New Testament (Ephesians 5:23 and 1 Timothy 4:10) in the Nestle-Aland-26 Greek New Testament, which is where Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 appear, and it is NOT preceded by an article in either one of those two instances (0% of the time).
Therefore, according to the criterion for a common noun that says that the more frequently a noun is preceded by an article in the nominative case, the more likely the noun is to be a common noun, the noun Christ is infinitely more likely to be a common noun in Ephesians 5:5 than the noun Savior is in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1.
Why then does Dr. Wallace say on pages 236-237 that the noun Christ in Ephesians 5:5 is a proper name and on page 241 that the noun Savior in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 is a common noun?
Because, on page 284, Dr. Wallace wants the referent of the nouns (God and Savior) in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 to be one person (the Son), and because, on page 283, Dr. Wallace admits the fact that the referent of the nouns (Christ and God) in Ephesians 5:5 is two persons (the Son and Father).
If Dr. Wallace admitted the fact that the nouns (Christ and God) in Ephesians 5:5 were common nouns as well as admitting the fact that the referent of the nouns (Christ and God) in Ephesians 5:5 was two persons (the Son and Father), then Dr. Wallace would be admitting the fact that the Sharp Rule was a false teaching, which Dr. Wallace is not willing to admit.
Therefore, Dr. Wallace arbitrarily says whatever he has to say in order to arbitrarily reach whatever conclusion he wants to reach, without any regard for the actual facts of the matter.
The primary fact that is ignored and contradicted by the Sharp Rule is the fact that the one article (OF THE) means, NOT that the modifying nouns refer to one person in Ephesians 5:5 (Christ and God) or Titus 2:13 (God and Savior) or 2 Peter 1:1 (God and Savior), but that the modified noun refers to one thing in Ephesians 5:5 (one KINGDOM) and Titus 2:13 (one GLORY) and 2 Peter 1:1 (one RIGHTEOUSNESS), with the context determining the number of persons being referenced by the modifying nouns in Ephesians 5:5 (Christ and God [Son and Father]) and Titus 2:13 (God and Savior [Father and Son]) and 2 Peter 1:1 (God and Savior [Father and Son]).
