Romans 1

γραφή, ἡ
Primary Meaning: Drawing, delineation, or painting. Examples include:

• Representation by lines: κατὰ γραφήν (in outline), Herodotus 4.36; γραφῇ κοσμέειν (decorate with painting), Herodotus 3.24.
• The art of drawing or painting: Plato, Politicus 277c; Timaeus 19b.

Secondary Meaning: That which is written or the act of writing. Examples include:

• γράφω evolving into "writing" or "the art of writing" (Plato, Phaedrus 274b).
• Legal, literary, or administrative writing: αἱ γραφαὶ τῶν δικῶν (the registration of legal cases, Aristotle, Politics 1321b36); γραφαὶ περὶ συμμαχίας (treaties, ib. 1280a40).
• Documents: ψευδεῖς γραφαί (pseudo documents, Demosthenes 18.55); ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ γραφῇ (in the first book, Epicurus, Nat. Herc. 1431.16).
• Inscription, contract, or list: Thucydides 1.134; IG (epigraphy collections).

Etymology:
The word γραφή is the origin of the modern term graphics, which refers to visual representation in contemporary contexts, such as design, digital imagery, and art. This connection reflects its original sense of "drawing" or "delineation" as well as the broader concept of representation. While γραφή originally referred to "drawing" or "painting," its usage extended to encompass "writing" due to the close relationship between inscribing and artistic representation. 

(cf. Logeion γραφή)

There are in fact a variety of Greek words that can be used for "scriptures" or "books" or "documents", but they are not used here:

• Συγγράφω (συγγραφή): This would be the most plain word for "writing, composition," or authoring a systematic work; often refers to books or treatises.
• Γράμμα (γράμματα): Letters, characters, drawn lines, figures, mathematical diagram; can refer to writing, literature, or written texts.
• Στίχος: A line of writing or verse, commonly used in poetry or legal contexts.
• Χάρτης (χαρτίον): A sheet of papyrus or parchment; χαρτίον is the diminutive form, meaning a small document or piece of writing.
• Πίναξ (πινάκιον): A writing tablet, often of wax or wood; πινάκιον is the diminutive form for smaller, portable tablets.
• Κύλινδρος: A scroll, referring to the physical medium of written texts.
• Χειρόγραφον: A manuscript or something written by hand.
• Βίβλος / Βιβλίον: A book or scroll; βιβλίον is the diminutive, referring to a small book or text.
• Καταγραφή Kata-graphe: Drawing of maps, delination, also record or registry, emphasizing the act of cataloging or documenting.
• Ἐπιγραφή: An inscription, often carved or engraved.

Greek νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. These are all in the genitive case.

νεκρῶν τοῦ Κυρίου would translate to "of the dead of the Lord" and thus, without altering standard Greek grammar, νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ translates to "of the dead of Jesus Christ"

Strong's #5218 ὑπακοὴν The scholars have noted,

"The word is not found in secular authors; nor in the Sept., except in 2 Samuel 22:36 with the sense of favorable hearing." 

It is created from a compound of #191 akoúō, "to hear" and #5259 hypó, "beneath" to convey an idea of "hearing below" or "listening upward."

Strong's G4071. The verb σεβάσσομαι (aorist σεβάσσατο) in Homeric Greek differs from its later meaning of "to revere" or "to worship," or "to feel shame,"   (cf. Logeion σέβομαι) 

In the Iliad (e.g., Il. 6.167, 6.417), it conveys a sense of being restrained or held back by awe, shame, or respect, often due to social or moral considerations. This nuance aligns it with αἰδέομαι ("to feel shame or respect"). For instance, in Il. 6.167, "σεβάσσατο τό γε θυμῷ" is translated as "he was restrained in his spirit by it," indicating an internal conflict influenced by honor or propriety. This reflects the broader cultural emphasis on αἰδώς (a blend of shame, respect, and reverence) in ancient Greek thought. Over time, the meaning of σέβομαι evolved into a more religious context, signifying veneration or reverence or worship.

Pathological "Learned Helplessness"

The term πᾰθη (pathē), is plural, and is derived from πάσχω (to suffer). It refers to a passive state in which something is done to a person or a thing, as opposed to πρᾶξις (praxis), which signifies active doing. This concept is found in texts like Plato's Timaeus (80b) and Laws (903b), where πάθος encompasses experiences or events that occur to an individual, such as suffering or misfortune, as seen in various tragedies and historical accounts (e.g., Sophocles' Ajax 295, Herodotus 1.122). Πᾰθ-η can also refer to specific afflictions like blindness (Herodotus 2.111) or physical suffering caused by conditions like suffocation (Plato, Philebus 32a).

In the context of feelings of helplessness or feeling out of control, πάθος pathos is the go-to word. it captures the experience of being subjected to "forces outside of one's control," where the individual is the passive recipient of actions or events, rather than an active participant. This passive suffering—whether through misfortune, bodily affliction, or external circumstances—reflects a state where a person has no agency over their own life, embodying a profound sense of powerlessness and vulnerability. The modern psychological concept of learned helplessness (a term coined by psychologist Martin Seligman) is closely rooted in this ancient notion of πάθος pathos, describing a condition in which an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable stressors, comes to believe they have no control over their circumstances, leading to feelings of despair and passivity.

"Why are the guys so passive?!?"

The idea of passivity in πάθος pathos resonates with modern terms such as external locus of control, where an individual perceives their fate as determined by external forces (e.g., luck, others' actions, or societal constraints, or higher powers) rather than their own decisions and efforts. This psychological outlook contributes to the experience of........ victimhood, in which a person feels unable to change or influence their environment. Thus, πάθος pathos symbolizes that existential struggle where the individual feels overwhelmed by forces beyond his or her ability to influence or alter, akin to the psychological states of powerlessness and a diminished sense of agency.

Thus as the saying goes, as a man is, so is the strength of himself.

παρά with the accusative does not inherently carry the sense of against or contrary to. One must dig deep to find the metaphorical abstraction, connoting going beyond limits of nature: 

πὰρ τὴν φύσιν (Thucydides 6.17)

(cf. LSJ παρά, C.III.4)

The rare split in the construction τὴν παρὰ φύσιν is not merely a stylistic accident but likely a deliberate syntactic and semantic strategy that draws attention to that which is "gone past nature."

Thus, the phrase should be interpreted as a cohesive unit where the spatial/metaphorical semantics of παρά remain salient despite the syntactic separation, underlining the idea of something or someone fundamentally “beyond nature” in the sense of being unnatural or violating natural limits.