Aorist Tense Definitions

Aorist tense is used for simple action and looks at the action as a whole. This tense may also view the action from several other angles: the action in its entirety; from the viewpoint of its initiation, or from the viewpoint of its results. The aorist is a snapshot in time from various angles.

Constative – Views the whole and stress the fact of occurrence not its nature. ‘They reigned with Christ for 1000 years’, Rev 20:4.

Ingressive – Stresses the beginning of the action or entrance state. No implication that the action continues. “two blind men began to follow Him” John 4:52.

Culminative – Stresses the cessation of an act or state. Bring an action to conclusion. ‘The temple was built 46 years ago’, John 2:20

Gnomic – presents a timeless general fact. A generic event. “the grass withers and the flower falls off”, 1 Pet 1:24

Epistolary – describes a letter from the timeframe of the audience. “I sent him to you once”, Acts 23:40

Futuristic – describes an event that is not yet past, as though it were already completed. “believe that you have already received it”, Mark 11:24

Dramatic – an event that happened rather recently. “ Just as I previously wrote in part”, Eph 3:3