The Greek disjunctive conjunction ē (not to be confused with the verb ēn). Means or, either...or, than. One of the most common connectives in the NT, used to present alternatives, choices, or comparisons.
Though small and grammatically simple, ē marks some of the most important either/or theological declarations in Scripture. Jesus uses it in the Sermon on the Mount: 'No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money' (Matt. 6:24) — the double use of ē structures an absolute, non-negotiable choice. John 3:16 uses ē: '...whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life' — the ultimate either/or of human existence. Paul in Romans 6:16 poses the question: 'Do you not know that to whom you offer yourselves as slaves — to obedience (ē) to sin? You are slaves of the one you obey.' The ē of Scripture is the grammar of ultimacy: life or death, light or darkness, God or mammon. The gospel refuses all middle positions; it demands a response.