Picture of Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
Pastors Jim and Marie Watt

Two Are Better Than One

GREEK WORD STUDIES – INTRODUCTION

Dr. Jewel of Calgary, Alberta introduced Ivan Panin to me in the Summer of 1944 in Victoria, BC.

In 1945, following my discharge from the Canadian Navy at the end of World War II, I ordered all writings “by” or “about” Panin, that were listed on the back of the pamphlets that Dr. Jewel gave me.

With the help of Dr. Young’s Concordance (and later Dr. James Strong), I immediately started to outline the New Testament according to Panin’s findings of the numeric structure of sentences, sub-paragraphs, paragraphs and sections. Ephesians was the first book I outlined, and the results put me into orbit!

But at the same time I found that to do Greek Word Studies in accord with Panin’s Numeric Greek text and his English translation of it – that there was an exactness in these studies that in my estimation, was superior to other texts I used in comparison.

So with Englishman’s Greek Concordance; John Stegenga’s “The Greek-English Analytical Concordance of the Greek-English New Testament”; and "Panin’s Greek and English Numeric Texts”, I took the Greek Word “do-reA” (Gift) and prepared my first Greek Word Study. There are but 11 references, and in 10 of these, Bible scholars agree that they refer to the Holy Spirit. But on the 11th reference (1 Corinthians 9:15), I have found but one beside myself to fit it in with the 10. The majority assign it to Christ. With all due respect to their scholarship, I politely beg to differ. If 10 refer to the gift of the Holly Spirit, then I believe the 11th does also.

This conclusion on my part grew out of my attention to Bible Numerics as developed by Ivan Panin’s 50 years and 100,000 hours of diligent research.

If you will check the Introductory Notes that appear under “Interlinear” on the Top Bar, you will find not only my explanation of the format for the Interlinear Numeric Greek New Testament, but under a P.S. at the close, also a URL from Christian Leadership Magazine in Canada that gives more detail on Ivan Panin.

A former associate of mine produced some 4000 MS pages of New Testament Greek Word Studies. Unfortunately he failed me by inserting his own interpretations into “Titles” and “Tentative Evaluations.” Then in his production of Panin’s Greek Interlinear New Testament”, he completely omitted Panin’s English text, and substituted his own, and yet calls it “Panin’s!” For baptism in water he substitutes “washings.”

I was so upset that I was unable to look at it for two years; and as to proof-reading such a travesty – impossible!

This is the 5th occurrence of those calling themselves friends and protégés of Panin that I have run across, but who betray all standards by which Panin worked.

Since 1967 I have prepared scores of Greek Word Studies based on the works of Ivan Panin. Some already appear under “UGWS” (United Greek Word Studies) on the Top Bar. I have selected seven typical references, titled each reference in 8 words or less, and sought to let “God’s word mean what it wants to mean,” and for “God to say what He wants to say.” If in my humanity I let slip in my own personal conclusions, please forgive me. I leave a space above each title, so that you may cross mine out and insert your own. I put Panin’s English text in Black, and my comments in regular type, so that God’s word may take precedence.

Sorry to be so long on the above, but it seemed necessary in the light of those who would pervert the work of Ivan Panin, a worthy servant of God.  -- Jim Watt