You can find it here: Greek Miscellany
I'm hoping to write a post soon on Language Learning. Though it will be targeted at Greek, there will be much overlap into "living" languages as well. So in light of this, I would like to share a post from my friend John Mureiko.
You can find it here: Greek Miscellany
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_ Discouragement is one of the greatest factors which eventually causes some students to put down Greek, and never pick it up again. After being immersed in the grammar that year one and two present, it can be quite easy to be weary and downtrodden. You may even feel like that after the first year. In order to learn anything well we must be persistent in it. Hopefully the following will provide that spark of hope and drive that we all need in an ongoing way. Greek is a rich and rewarding language. Your work will pay off if you persevere in it. In the words of A.T. Robertson, 19-20th Century Greek Scholar, "There is no sphere of knowledge where one is repaid more quickly for all the toil expended." I hope that the following will renew your vigor for the precious language.
The Minister's Use of His Greek New Testament This article speaks of the common neglect towards studying NTG among gospel ministers, the blessing of studying it, and the importance and benefits of being closely acquainted with the Greek New Testament. Though it is nearly 100 years old, this is still a must read article. You can find the entire book here for purchase - The Minister and His Greek New Testament – A.T. Robertson The Story of John Brown An inspiring and motivating story of John Brown (1722-1787) who taught himself New Testament Greek with nothing but a Greek NT. A must read for anyone interested in the Biblical languages. The Importance of the Biblical Languages - Martin Luther In this discourse Martin Luther speaks of the importance of knowing the Biblical Languages and being closely acquainted with them. Rightly Handling the Biblical Languages (The Danger of Extremes) Discusses the danger of extremes regarding the biblical languages, namely, the two prevalent trends which exist in local churches today. In addition to this, mention is made as to the proper use and place of these languages among Christians. Quotes on the Biblical Languages A list of quotes from numerous men, both of old and contemporary, speaking about the importance of, place of, and the blessing of knowing the Biblical languages. This is a great encouragement and motivation. Thanks to Miles Van Pelt for providing almost all of these quotes. Previous Post: Learning Greek Part 4: Second Year In the first and third posts of this series we discussed Getting Started With Greek – Year One, and what to do to prepare for year two while you are Between Year One & Two. Now we are ready to move onto the second year and offer some suggestions for materials.
Grammar: The grammar must go on. If you stop after year one you will be greatly limited. So keep moving forward. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics – Daniel B. Wallace This is hands down the best 2nd year Grammar book for Greek. It is thorough, exhaustive, and yet at the same time accessible. Though I am calling it a 2nd year Grammar (intermediate), it goes beyond that and should serve for years more in the advanced realm. This is the standard reference which Greek scholars turn to over and over when they need a definitive word. New Testament Greek Syntax Chart – Daniel B. Wallace This chart is to the above what Bill Mounce’s chart is to his Grammar book. It is not necessary, but helpful for the price. Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament - Steven Runge Wallace's grammar is thorough, exhaustive, excellent and quite suitable for self-teaching. I would recommend reading through the entire body of the book, as opposed to only using it merely as a reference tool. It uses the grammar-translation-method of teaching, as do most Greek grammars today. It would be greatly profitable to use Steven Runge's Discourse Grammar in addition to Wallace, as it uses linguistics and other methods of teaching which traditional grammars often choose not to use today. They greatly complement each other. Get them both if you can. Lexicon: You have been learning vocabulary glosses thus far through the Vocabulary Cards from Bill Mounce as well as in using his book. Glosses provide the top one or two meanings of each word, but you need to move on to fuller meanings. Now is the time to get a Lexicon (Dictionary) and use it in your studies, in addition to the Cards and other Vocabulary you are learning. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament & Other Early Christian Literature – 2nd Edition 1979 used This is the standard Greek Lexicon. If you have this you then you do not need another. It is the most up to date lexicon today, being based on the most recent discoveries, research, and scholarship, and so it surpasses Thayer and others. Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament – 2nd Edition – F. Wilbur Gingrich This is an abridgement of the lexicon above, and as such it is very handy and portable. It does provide definitions of all words in the NT, but leaves out the information from other early literature. Notice that I have linked to the 2nd edition of the Lexicon as opposed to the newest 3rd edition of BDAG. The 2nd edition can be purchased used and in good condition for $15-25, where as the 3rd edition costs about $145-160. There are however several changes that took place between the 2nd & 3rd editions, namely with typography (which are good improvements) and "inclusive and tolerant language" (which are not so good). You can read about some of the changes here. For the unfortunate issue of language of "inclusiveness and tolerance" found in the 3rd edition, I highly recommend Vern Poythress' review here. Vocabulary: A helpful pattern for learning vocabulary is as follows: In 1st year with Mounce’s Grammar you should have learned the words with occurrences of 50x or more (325 words). In 2nd year now you should memorize the words occurring 20x to 49x (323 words). Eventually work your way down to those occurring 10x to 19x (352 words). This equals 1000 words and will enable you to comfortably read the GNT, with grammar of course. The materials above will help you to learn vocabulary well. Learning cognate word groups, reading the GNT daily, and using the UBS Greek Reader's NT will do the rest. For 2nd year I recommend continuing with Mounce’s Vocabulary Cards, as well as spending a lot of time reviewing and digging into Warren Trenchard’s Vocabulary Guide. Exegetical Tools: You should be at a place now to begin to get deeper into the original text and do some Greek based exegesis. These tools assist in this task. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament – Cleon Rogers This book gives a verse by verse analysis of 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. NT Greek Commentaries See the 3rd category for a list of recommended technical and exegetical commentaries I have put together based on the Greek New Testament. These take a detailed look at what the text says in the original language for the purpose of exegesis and interpretation as well as to see different shades of meaning and nuances. These will be a more long-term investment as there are numerous volumes, but they are worthwhile. Audio Tools: It is helpful to get as many senses involved as possible. Hearing the language spoken, whether for vocabulary or the reading of the GNT, is very helpful. You may want to consider getting New Testament Greek Vocabulary – Learn on the Go – Audio CD – Jonathan Pennington. This will expose you to the using more senses and actually hearing the words you are reading and pronouncing out loud. The Audio Greek New Testament of Westcott & Hort – Marilyn Phemister is a free resource and can be downloaded. It provides a clear reading of the W-H, which is close enough to be used with the UBS/NA. Previous Post: Learning Greek Part 3: Between First & Second Year Greek Next Post: Learning Greek Part 5: Encouragement In the first post of this series I wrote about where to start with learning Greek, namely the first year. So once you are done with first year Greek, where do you go from there? Well before jumping head first into second year Greek grammar, I have a few suggestions that should help to bridge the gap between the first and second year, between beginning and intermediate Greek.
Between 1st and 2nd Year: This is a great time to review year one grammar as well as introduce yourself into newer aspects of more intermediate grammar. A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek – William D. Mounce This workbook from Bill Mounce works through numerous passages or chapters of Scripture by increasing level of difficulty. It also introduces you directly to more advanced grammar and vocabulary, simply by reading the text. It's Still Greek to Me - David Alan Black This provides a good introduction into and transition from first year Greek into more intermediate second year Greek. Vocabulary: Take this time and try to nail down the words you learned in year one. Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament – Warren C. Trenchard This is a great book which gives you literally everything you will ever need for vocabulary. Keep using the Vocabulary Cards but start incorporating this book as well. Read Read Read: At this time it is recommendable to read as much as you can of the GNT. Reading will help to cement the grammar and vocabulary that you learned in the first year, and at the same time introduce you to new vocabulary. Previous Post: Learning Greek Part 2: Learning & Keeping Greek: Practical Helps Next Post: Learning Greek Part 4: Year Two 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. 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 I've updated the NTG Resources page with a lot of new information. Things are also now divided into categories to help you navigate with more ease. You can check it out below:
NTG Resources Every good preacher or teacher wants to present the Scriptures in their original context and give the application for the modern listeners. We call the processes of discovering the original meaning, context, and application exegesis. Anytime exegesis takes place the exegete must go back to the original language to determine what is really being said, among other things. An Exegetical Fallacy (EF) is when the original language is misunderstood, misused, or misapplied to say or teach something that was not intended by the language.
The issue of Exegetical Fallacies stemming from a misuse and/or misunderstanding of Biblical Greek is deeply relevant and far too common in our day. These fallacies happen more often than most of us recognize. The scary thing is that so many people assume that they are excluded from them. When EF are being committed, they are usually done by a sincere, well meaning pastor or teacher, who genuinely is trying his best with the tools he has to communicate from Greek what he believes is being said. This person usually does not have any idea that they are teaching a fallacy. More so, it is thought that if someone has a Biblical Hermeneutic and sound "Reformed Theology", then they are protected for the most part from exegetical fallacies. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, these fallacies may be as common in Reformed pulpits as they are elsewhere. Indeed, those often responsible for committing the fallacies which follow are those who do not have a working knowledge of Biblical Greek, but rather attempt find the meaning of the Greek through computer programs, lexicons or dictionaries, or some other means, but have not actually studied the language and learned it for themselves. In short, they are fully dependent on second-hand sources. The best and most thorough treatment of this topic is D.A. Caron’s wonderful book Exegetical Fallacies. I have used the same designations as Carson as well as citations and paraphrases throughout. This little book should be carefully read by everyone who preaches or teaches the Word of God. If you have read it, then there is probably not much new below. Nevertheless, I will attempt to mention a brief list of some of the most common EF today. I usually do not use transliterations of the Greek alphabet, but since the words referred to are commonly heard today and are already somewhat familiar to those without Greek, for the sake of clarity, I will use transliterations here so that there is no misunderstanding. 1. The Root Fallacy This fallacy is based on the assumption that a word always derives its meaning from the parts or components of which it is made. This says that a word’s meaning, regardless of its other parts, always can be determined by its root. (Exegetical Fallacies, p. 29) Examples: 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. I've recently made several additions to the recommended list of Greek Commentaries. There are also some changes to the General Commentaries. I've also jotted down some brief notes and thoughts under certain commentaries. I may in time continue and add to this and develop things into short "commentary reviews".
You can find them all here: Commentaries If you have any commentary recommendations that are not on the page, feel free to share them with me, and please share why you would recommend them. |
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