|
After talking about how to get started, I think it profitable to focus on some other relevant factors of NTG. I had written this article last year, but feel that it would be helpful to bring it into this series. It is important to note that year one Grammar is not necessarily prerequisite to the information in this post. Some of these things you have already done, others you may need to start with now.
One of the biggest challenges in learning Greek is remembering what we study over the long term. It is so easy to begin to lose Greek through negligence and a lack of consistency. It is indeed easy to temporarily memorize a list of rules or words, but to devote them to permanent heart memory is the result of diligent and consistent work. This is something that does not come overnight. Below I have tried to offer a few things which have helped me in my own Greek pilgrimage. Note that the following are brief tips and pointers for those who are already studying NTG and desire to make further strides, or who are considering embarking on this worthwhile journey. (This is not intended for those whose desire is to learn enough Greek for the purpose of using tools or to do word studies. See the page on Functional Greek if this is what you are seeking.) Grammar is a must: A language cannot be learned and understood without studying and knowing its grammar. Do not listen to the person who says that "Grammar isn't that important, you don't really need it." We use grammar every day and all the time in English, often without even knowing it. One may be able to pick up bits and pieces of Greek without a handle on grammar. You can glean some of what is being said through tools and computer programs, however you will not get a solid grasp and understanding of what is really being communicated, you will not see shades and nuances, but will leave with only an unrefined and partial product. See sections VII-IX on this page for a list of recommended grammars. Read your GNT every day: There is no substitute for reading Greek. This cannot be emphasized enough. This is what you are striving to be able to do, read the NT in its original language. You must read it frequently, often, daily if possible. You must have “maximum exposure” at every turn. You must get as many senses involved as possible. Read it aloud to help with pronunciation and to "hear" the language. Read it fast to work on fluid pronunciation. Read it slow to focus on the meaning. Read a passage a day. Read a few verses a day. Reading just 5-10 minutes a day can be the difference in keeping or losing the language. Make your GNT your close friend, take it everywhere you can. Take it to church and follow along with the teaching and sermon. Yes, some people may label you as being prideful just because you have the GNT on your lap when everyone else has the English. Be humble about it though and don't flaunt what you are doing. You are trying to learn this language. Some bring and English/Spanish parallel Bible to church, you bring Greek. This is something which every Christian has the right do to, many though make the decision not to, so don't feel bad if you are judged for doing it. If you are asking yourself, “Which GNT should I use?” then click here to read this post. Be careful with interlinears: Interlinears are good in their respective area of purpose, they can be helpful for Functional Greek. But, if you are learning the language, you may want to reconsider. You may think that these will help you, but more than likely they will tend to be a hindrance in the end. Having the English translation right below the text can greatly hinder the progress that otherwise would and could be made, by causing an unhealthy dependency on the English. It is my recommendation to stay away from interlinears if your goal is to be able to read the GNT fluently and devotionally. If your desire is to dabble with study tools, then interlinears may help you some, but if your objective is to learn the language well, it would be in your best interest not to mess with them. Force yourself to read the GNT in its purest form, and use a Reader if necessary, but not an interlinear.
3 Comments
I am starting a short series for those who are wanting to start studying Greek, namely those who plan to study at home, i.e. self-study, as opposed to studying in a formal environment, i.e. seminary. We will look at the "what, where's and, how's" of learning Biblical Greek. Where do I start? How do I start? What's first? etc. Sure we are all busy, we have family, work, and church obligations. Money may be tight. We may not think we are quite smart enough to learn a language like this. But all doubts and obstacles aside, if you truly want to learn this language you can! There is a way to learn it regardless of what your time and money commitments demand, and regardless of intellectual capacity. Really, there is!
So you want to learn Biblical Greek but don’t know where to start or what to buy first? Learning NTG is a lifelong endeavor, but you have to start somewhere. Let’s begin with first year Greek. This is where the foundation is laid, this is where people say you will either "love or hate it". It is sometimes viewed as being torturous and may indeed be the most challenging time only because so many new things are introduced, but trust me, it really is fun and the reward is great! There are great materials available to us today for the study of Greek, which were not even available 20 years ago. We have so much to give God thanks for. Even more so, many of them, and all which I will list in this post, serve to be used in self-study. An * indicates that I believe these items are “must haves” if you are going this route. Anything without it would still be helpful, but it not necessary. You must study Grammar: For first year Greek I recommend Bill Mounce’s materials. They are excellent and written and geared for home self study students. *Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar – William D. Mounce This is the Grammar book you would use. *Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook – William D. Mounce You must have the Workbook which goes along with the Grammar in order to do the translation exercises. *Biblical Greek Laminated Study Sheet – William D. Mounce This is helpful to review the many charts and bits of information which pile up. *Basics of Biblical Greek Summary Lectures - William D. Mounce (FREE) I encourage you to listen to these lectures from the author of the textbook as he goes through each chapter. They are summary lectures, about half the length of the full class, but still worthwhile. You can find them at Biblical Training and Teknia. Basics of Biblical Greek Lectures on DVD - William D. Mounce These are the full version of the lectures. I was not able to use them when I went through Mounce's book and do not believe that they are absolutely necessary for self-study. I do assume though they would be a great help, aid, and encouragement if you are on your own. If you can afford them, then they would be profitable to have, but don’t feel obligated. You must study Vocabulary: You can't do anything in Greek or enjoy it on any level if you are constantly having to look up every other word in the lexicon. Vocabulary is a must! *Basics of Biblical Greek Vocabulary Cards – William D. Mounce These vocabulary cards cover all the word in the textbook in chapter order, and then they move on through order of frequency in the NT. These can be used for year 1 and 2 and even afterward. They are great, being keyed to the textbook, good quality, large print, and very portable. You must have a Greek New Testament: This is the book you are studying to be able to read. Make it your best friend and close acquaintance. *The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition. I highly recommend this GNT over against the others. It is very user friendly, large font, good binding, and is excellent for what you are doing. This is the one to start with here. Cost?: You can get everything listed with an * for around $75. That will get you through first year Greek and is a very feasible price for getting started. You can also purchase the Biblical Greek Pack, which includes everything above and more. The current price is $143.99. Buying the bundle saves you a lot of money. See below for a list of everything included. Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar book Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook Basics of Biblical Greek Laminated Sheet Basics of Biblical Greek Flashcards Basics of Biblical Greek Vocabulary Audio Basics of Biblical Greek DVD Lectures Biblical Greek: A Compact Guide Getting to Know the Author: Going through first year Greek is like going on a journey with someone. So I think it is helpful to learn a little about the teacher/author of the book that you will be using. Bill Mounce is a very good teacher and has a pastor’s heart, as you can get a sense of in the book. In the three introductions below he talks about himself, his family, his love of the Lord and Greek, as well as some pointers for studying Greek: Author Introduction Video - 2013 Author Introduction Video - 2019 Author's Website: Bill Mounce has provided a really great website which corresponds with his textbook the Basics of Biblical Greek. At the following page you will find information corresponding to every chapter of the book, from vocabulary, parsings, quizzes, workbook translation exercises, and much more. Bill Mounce For Encouragement: Several different articles mentioning the place, correct use of, and importance of the Biblical Languages in life and ministry. These are must reads for anyone interested in the languages, and should be read by all preachers and pastors and should be of great encouragement to learn Greek and press on with it. The Importance of the Biblical Languages Additional Resources: If you have the money and want other resources in addition to these (books or commentaries), let me know and I will send you a list. Though you don't need anything else to get through year 1. Next Post: Learning Greek Part 2: Learning and Keeping Greek: Practical Helps As 2011 ends and 2012 is upon us, I want to offer a reading plan for those who are desiring to read the GNT daily, but may not know how. I am not the originator of this plan, though I have changed it significantly from its original format. Any thoughts or ideas to edit or better it for the future are welcome.
PREFACE This plan is designed for reading the Greek New Testament once per year. A minimum of first year Greek and vocabulary from a text such as Bill Mounce or Dave Black is needed in order to be able to follow, and it doesn’t hurt either to be an over-achiever in year one. Through this simple reading plan, your ability to read the Greek New Testament will increase dramatically. If your Greek is rusty, this will help you recover and sharpen your skills. You must be consistent and disciplined though in order to make positive strides and see lasting results. With a little each day you can accomplish much. READING PROGRAM There are 260 chapters in the Greek New Testament. Of these, 74 chapters have 38 verses or more: Matt 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 21-27; Mark 1, 4-6, 8-10, 12, 14, 15; Luke 1-12, 18-24; John 1, 4-13, 18, 19; Acts 2, 5, 7-10, 13, 15, 16, 19-21, 27; Rom 8; 1 Cor 7, 14, 15; Heb 10, 11. To read the Greek New Testament in a year, read one chapter per day. Chapters that are 38 verses or longer should be divided and read over two days, splitting the chapters up according to a paragraph break around the middle. This plan yields a total of 334 (260 + 74) daily readings. It also allows you to take 31 days off each year; more on that later. Thank you to Lee Irons for making this possible. RECOMMENDED TEXTS UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition –This GNT is geared for reading large portions of the NT at one sitting. As such, it provides simple context glosses for all words occurring 30x or less, while also parsing the rare forms. Using this GNT will enable you to expand and stretch your vocabulary, while providing a more enjoyable reading experience as you will not have to “live” in the lexicon. The New Exegetical & Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament – This book provides concise explanations of grammatical features that may not be immediately obvious to the reader. Occasionally it will refer to other works such as Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, BDAG, and others. This work is very accessible to those who have first year grammar and keep up with it. Can NT Greek be learned without seminary? Can it be learned on your own at home by self-study using books? Can anyone learn New Testament Greek? Can the average person learn NTG?
These are good and valid questions, worthy of detailed answers. The short answer to these questions would be both yes and no. Has it been done before? Is it possible? The answer would be yes. New Testament Greek is not nearly as difficult and complex of a language as some may assume. It has been said to be slightly more difficult than Spanish (considered by many in the field of linguistics to be the easiest foreign language, especially for the native English speaker). It is not nearly as difficult as Hebrew or a number of the Asian or Germanic languages today, including English. As with any language though, learning largely depends on the student: their drive, desire, focus, determination, and motivation. If you are a person who is prone to begin many tasks, yet often grows discouraged, weary, and rarely finishes, the answer then would be, no it cannot be learned. As with any language, New Testament Greek takes devotion, time, discipline, resolve, perseverance, sacrifice… and the list goes on. It can be done if the time and desire is truly there. More on this later. Objections to learning NTG: Before going on, I believe it is important to consider some common misunderstandings and objections regarding the study of the biblical languages. First, if you are wondering, “Why should I learn Biblical Greek? We have great English Bible translations and exceptional computer programs, the likes of which previous generations did not have”, then, you are quite mistaken. It is true indeed that the Christian can know their Lord and make Him known through translation. I would not dare to venture and say that a man must know Greek to be a preacher or pastor. Many men are able preachers, called and used by God, who do not have a knowledge of the New Testament language. But to know the oddities and intricacies, the nuances and deep secrets which translation does not and cannot reveal in any translation, these are reserved for the Greek New Testament. The computer program can shed some knowledge and insight, though theoretical to the learner. A groom can kiss his bride through the veil, it is a kiss, though it is not as real, vivid, and personal, it is not the same as if the veil were lifted. And so it is taking instruction through a computer program or other second or third hand source, yet remaining intellectually unattached from the language of which you are being told. In the end, when asked by our hearers “How?”, “Why?”, “What?” etc, we will simply be left saying, “Because so and so says so” or "Because the computer program...", for we will not be able to explain from a knowledgeable and informative stance what the Greek language is saying. We want firsthand knowledge of the Scriptures through its own language, not to always have to turn to second or third-hand witnesses telling us their view. This language can be learned, and we can have first-hand experiential knowledge of the New Testament Scriptures in its own language. People learn to read, write, speak, and translate foreign languages with great fluency; learning to read and understand Biblical Greek is no different. |
Categories
All
Archives
July 2019
Pages I like |