Granville Sharp (1735-1813) was an English philanthropist who helped to abolish slavery in England. His education was that of a common merchant. He himself admitted that his academic experience "was just like the experience of other tradesmen and manufacturers, i.e. by no means classical" (Remarks, xvii; italics in original). Granville Sharp was, nevertheless, a student of God's word. Eventually he learned Hebrew and Greek so that he could read the Bible as it was originally written; through diligent study he became quite a capable linguist, really. As he studied the original Greek New Testament, he began to observe a rule of Greek syntax that now carries his name: the Granville Sharp Rule.
The Rule
According to this rule, both nouns in a TSKS construction refer to the same person as long as both nouns are personal, singular, and neither noun is a name. [TSKS construction is a phrase that has the Greek word "the" (ὁ), a substantive, the Greek word "and" (καὶ), and a substantive.] Let me give an example of what I mean. If I say "the Captain and the Commander" I am referring to two people. One is the captain and the other is the commander. If I say "the Captain and Commander", I am referring to one person who is both the captain and the commander. Keep in mind, we are thinking about things the way ancient Koine Greek refers to them.
Below are some examples of the Granville Sharp Rule in the New Testament. I have given the original Greek and the English. I understand that many of my readers may not be able to read Greek so I have underlined the Greek word for "the" and I have put the nouns in bold.
- Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (1 Peter 1:3)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ - Ἐπαφρόδιτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ συνεργὸν καὶ συστρατιώτην μου (Philippians 2:25)
Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier - κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν (Hebrews 3:1)
consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus
"That is nice and all," you might say. "But why is this so important?" I will tell you. There are several religious groups---Unitarians, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses are a few---that claim that Jesus is not God. This is where the Granville Sharp construction comes in. Since Granville Sharp's rule is without exception in the New Testament, there are two verses that claim undeniably that Jesus is God. Let's examine them one by one.
Titus 2:13
Paul told Titus that we should live our lives "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ". I want to focus particularly on the phrase "glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ". Notice how the original Greek is a Granville Sharp construction:
ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
Since this is a Granville Sharp construction, Paul is talking about only one person. This person is both the great God of the whole world and the Saviour of us who believe. Paul tells us that this person is Jesus Christ.
If you read the entire book of Titus, Paul's point will make a little more sense. In Titus 1:3 God is called "our Saviour"; in Titus 1:4 Jesus Christ is called "our Saviour". In Titus 3:4 God is called "our Saviour"; in Titus 3:6 Jesus is called "our Saviour". Paul keeps bouncing back and forth, describing Jesus and Jehovah the same way. In Titus 2:10 God is called "our Saviour". In Titus 2:13 Paul spells it all out. Jesus is "our Saviour" because he is "the great God". Only one person---Jesus Christ---is "the great God and our Saviour".
2 Peter 1:1
This verse is an even clearer example of how important the Granville Sharp Rule is. To demonstrate, I want to look at the construction in 2 Peter 1:1 as compared to the construction in 2 Peter 1:11, just a few verses down in the same chapter. Take a look:
1:1---τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ)
1:11--- τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)
What I want you to notice is that these two phrases are exactly the same in the original Greek; the only difference is verse 1 uses the Greek word for "God" and verse 11 uses "Lord". Nobody would argue that 2 Peter 1:11 is talking about two people; Peter is saying that only Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. It should be obvious that the same grammar applies to 2 Peter 1:1; Peter is saying that only Jesus is God and our Saviour.
Conclusion
Granville Sharp's Rule was not Granville Sharp's idea; he just made an observation. God is the author of the Bible. Peter and Paul wrote as God inspired them (2 Timothy 3:16); he was the one guiding their hearts and pens. God is the one who made it so clear for us. Jesus is God. He is the great God: "the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ"!
2 Peter 1:1
This verse is an even clearer example of how important the Granville Sharp Rule is. To demonstrate, I want to look at the construction in 2 Peter 1:1 as compared to the construction in 2 Peter 1:11, just a few verses down in the same chapter. Take a look:
1:1---τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ)
1:11--- τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)
What I want you to notice is that these two phrases are exactly the same in the original Greek; the only difference is verse 1 uses the Greek word for "God" and verse 11 uses "Lord". Nobody would argue that 2 Peter 1:11 is talking about two people; Peter is saying that only Jesus is our Lord and Saviour. It should be obvious that the same grammar applies to 2 Peter 1:1; Peter is saying that only Jesus is God and our Saviour.
Conclusion
Granville Sharp's Rule was not Granville Sharp's idea; he just made an observation. God is the author of the Bible. Peter and Paul wrote as God inspired them (2 Timothy 3:16); he was the one guiding their hearts and pens. God is the one who made it so clear for us. Jesus is God. He is the great God: "the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ"!
