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NT GREEK STUDIES
Learn to Read the Greek New Testament


SELF-STUDY RESOURCES


The following is list of books and resources I have put together which are helpful for learning New Testament Greek through self-teaching. A few of my notes are scattered throughout.

Note: It is not necessary to have all of the books mentioned below in order to learn NTG. In addition to the basics, I have tried to offer other information that will be helpful and edifying in this journey, but which may not be a binding necessity for learning the language. Remember this though, you must have vocabulary and at least beginning and some intermediate grammar in order to make sense of the language. So don't sacrifice those categories.
  • In most cases the books are linked to either Amazon or CBD, as they are both safe and trustworthy vendors. As a general rule, they are linked to where the lowest price is found. If you desire a used version, always check Amazon or AbeBooks; CBD does not sell used books. Remember also that in most cases with new books Amazon has free shipping, though their new books tend to cost a little more than CBD. CBD's shipping is always reasonably priced, fast, and dependable.

I. The Minister and Greek:

1.     The Minister and His Greek New Testament – A.T. Robertson
        
(This book is worth its price for chapters 1 & 9. Every christian who studies Greek will profit from it. You can read these two chapters here in a PDF) 

2.     Using New Testament Greek in Ministry: A Practical Guide for Students & Pastors - David Alan Black

II. NT Canon & Manuscripts:

1.     The Canon of Scripture – F.F. Bruce
        
(This is the classic work on the Canon. I love this book and high recommend it)

2.     Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books - Michael J. Kruger
       
(A modern work on the Canon which takes a slightly different approach than past works)  

3.     The Text of the New Testament 3rd Edition 1992 used (not 4th Edition) – Bruce Metzger

4.     The King James Only Controversy: Revised Edition – James R. White
         
(For those interested in the Textus Receptus and KJV only debate)
        
Note: I have linked to the 3rd edition of number 3 which can be purchased used at a good price. I recommend not buying the 4th edition as it has been revised and corrupted by Bart Ehrman who is a non-christian critic. Also, the 4th edition is much more expensive. I have also placed the 3rd edition in the following section as it contains much info about TC.

III. The Scriptures & Textual Criticism:

1.    
The Basics of New Testament Textual Criticism - Daniel B. Wallace (Free Resource)
         (15 short video lectures on iTunes. Great intro into TC. Highly recommended)

2.     New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide - David Alan Black

3.     Textual Criticism: Good or Bad?  
         
(A previous blog post)

4.     The Text of the New Testament 3rd Edition 1992 used (not 4th Edition) – Bruce Metzger

5.     Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism - David Alan Black

6.    
Inerrancy - Various Authors, edited by Norman Geisler

IV. Linguistics & NT Greek:


1.     Biblical Words and Their Meaning: An Introduction to Lexical Semantics - Moises Silva

2.  
  Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek - David Alan Black

3.     Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament - Steven Runge

Note: Linguistics has much to offer in the field of NTG. Though grammar is important and necessary, it is not the end of Greek studies. Studying Greek merely through Grammar will not teach someone to truly learn the language, but only to decode it. In order to grasp and comprehend the language linguistics is necessary.

V. Greek New Testaments:

1.     The Greek New Testament: UBS5 with dictionary

2.     UBS Greek Reader's Edition (PERSONAL FAVORITE)

3.     Go here for help on choosing a GNT

VI. Vocabulary Builders:

1.     Basics of Biblical Greek Vocabulary Cards – William D. Mounce

2.     Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek – Bruce Metzger

3.     Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament – Warren C. Trenchard
        (Surpasses Metzger's fine work above, if you have this one, there is no need to have the other)

4.     New Testament Greek Vocabulary – Learn on the Go – Audio CD – Jonathan Pennington

5.     Audio Greek New Testament of Westcott & Hort – Marilyn Phemister (Free Resource)
        (Though this is a reading of the W-H it is still close enough to the UBS/NA to follow along. Very clear reading)

Note: Vocabulary is key. Greek will not be enjoyable at any level if you have to look up every other word in the lexicon. It can be helpful to memorize vocabulary by word frequency in the GNT. A helpful pattern is as follows: 1st year memorize the words with occurrences of 50x or more (325 words). 2nd year 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 a Reader's NT will do the rest.

VII. First Year Greek Grammar (Beginning):

Bill Mounce

1.     Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar – William D. Mounce

2.     Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook – William D. Mounce

3.     Biblical Greek Laminated Study Sheet – William D. Mounce

4.     Basics of Biblical Greek Lectures on DVD - William D. Mounce

Dave Black

1.     Learn to Read New Testament Greek Grammar - David Alan Black

2.     Learn to Read New Testament Greek Workbook - David Alan Black

3.     Learn to Read New Testament Greek Course Lectures - Rob Plummer (FREE RESOURCE)

Note: I discovered Mounce's grammar first and so it is the one I used and highly recommend. I cannot speak personally for Dave Black's grammar, though I have heard exceptional things about it, so I have put it above. It is great for self study as well. Which one should you choose? I don't think you can go wrong though either way, though, I would definitely have Mounce, and Black as well if you can. The workbooks are essential to be able to use the grammars.

Concerning the DVD course lectures: I did not use them and do not believe that they are absolutely necessary for self-study, though I assume they would be a great help, aid, and encouragement if you are on your own. If you can afford one of them then, it would be profitable to have.

VIII. Between 1st and 2nd Year:

1.     A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek – William D. Mounce

2.     Koine Greek Reader - Rodney Decker

3.     It's Still Greek to Me - David Alan Black
        (This provides a great introduction and transition into intermediate Greek grammar without the overwhelming details)

4.     
Biblical Greek: A Compact Guide – William D. Mounce
        (Not a grammar book, but a good and portable review tool  to stay sharp after 1st year Greek)

Note: At this time it is recommended to read your GNT as often as you can. Don't worry so much about rushing into an intermediate grammar. Go through one of the readers above. Either one is sufficient. If you used Mounce's BBG, you may prefer his Graded Reader. Enjoy reading and take a little break from grammar to let it soak in and see it in action.

IX. Second Year Greek Grammar and Beyond (Intermediate/Advanced):

1.     Intermediate Greek Grammar: Syntax for Students of the New Testament 
– Mathewson & Emig
        (This recent grammar is great for moving into after finishing an introductory work. It is well written, brief, and not overwhelming like Wallace can be)

2.     Going Deeper with New Testament Greek: An Intermediate Study of the Grammar and Syntax of the New Testament  – Kostenberger, Merkle, & Plummer
        (This new grammar is set to become the new standard in the field of intermediate greek. It shines greatly for the purposes of self study. I recommend it              over and before Wallace)

3.     Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament - Steven Runge
        (This is not a traditional grammar in and of itself. I do highly recommend reading it in addition to an intermediate grammar.)


4.     Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics – Daniel B. Wallace
        (You can buy the abridged version here. The Syntax Chart here is also helpful for reviewing. I recommend the full version of this book)

X. Other Options for Intermediate/Advanced Grammar:

(These 3 grammars are all classics in Biblical Greek Grammar. If you do choose to purchase one of them and go through it I would recommend doing so after reading Wallace above)

1.     Biblical Greek: Illustrated with Examples - Maximilian Zerwick

2.     Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature - Robert Funk

3.     A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research - A.T. Robertson
        (This book is a monster and not for the faint of heart. For those that do wrestle through it, the effort will be rewarding)        


Note: Robertson's huge Grammar book remains one of the best, if not the best advanced Greek grammar. Being first published in 1914, it has withstood the test of time over the past 97 years. It is deep, thorough, exhaustive, and full of examples. The statement "not for the faint of heart" is in reference to its intimidating size and volume of information. It is not the easiest read out there. I have listed it though, not because it is a self-study grammar, nor because Wallace's grammar is insufficient, for it is not, but because it is a classic. If you have made it through the grammars above, you can profit from this as well.

XI. Lexicons and Reference Tools:

1.     A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament & Other Early Christian Literature – 2nd Edition 1979 used

2.     Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament – 2nd Edition – F. Wilbur Gingrich
        (An abridgment of the lexicon above, very handy and portable, It is currently out of print, as the newer 3rd concise edition is now available.
        You can find it here)

3.     The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament – William D. Mounce

4.     Exhaustive Concordance to the Greek New Testament – Kohlenberger, Goodrick, & Swanson
        (No longer in print, can be found here used for a good price)

5.     The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament – Cleon Rogers
        (A helpful verse-by-verse analysis of rare forms of significant meanings)

6.     Word Pictures in the New Testament 
– A.T. Robertson
        (As with his grammar, this is a massive labor and work. It is nearly 100 years old, and outdated in many facets, however there are still many helpful gems            to be found within. It is similar to number 5 above, but much larger.  Above is a PDF linked. You can see an online version here.)

7.     A list of Greek Exegetical Commentaries of the NT

Note: Notice that I have linked to the 2nd edition of number 1, 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 from $145-160. There are however several changes that took place between the 2nd & 3rd editions, namely with typography and "inclusive and tolerant language". 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. There were also a number of positive changes in the 3rd edition, however the price is not one of them.

XII. New Testament Exegesis:

1.     Exegetical Fallacies – D.A. Carson

2.     Biblical Words and Their Meaning: An Introduction to Lexical Semantics - Moises Silva
        (I have placed this book here as well as under Linguistics, because it is very applicable to NT exegesis)

3.     Using New Testament Greek in Ministry: A Practical Guide for Students & Pastors - David Alan Black
        (This is a great little book. It has a very to the point and practical guide for NT exegesis as well. I highly recommend reading it before getting into Fee)

4.     Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels - Scott McKnight

5.     Interpreting the Pauline Epistles - Tom Schreiner

Note: The books above by Carson and Silva should be read by every student of NTG and every pastor. Exegetical fallacies and abuses are rampant in the land today, they are all too common in many pulpits, simply because men often do not know Greek, or know just enough through tools to be dangerous. These are both in the category of  "must reads" and will save you many mistakes and errors.

Fee's book is the standard textbook for NT Exegesis in many bible schools and seminaries. It is very useful and sufficient for the task and fits into self-teaching.

XIII. Study of Textual Variants:

1.     A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Companion to UBS4) – Bruce Metzger

Note: This small volume is only of use with the UBS4 GNT. It cannot be used with others, such as the NA27. This little book goes through all of the important and significant textual variants of the GNT, discussing them in some detail, and also talks about how the committee came to their decision as to the inclusion of the variant. A knowledge of Greek is needed in order to fully use this book.

XIV. Gospel Synopsis

1.     A Harmony of the Gospels - A.T. Robertson
        (This is a classic work on gospel harmonies. It is worth having especially considering the high price of the others. Here is a PDF it)

2.     Synopsis of the Four Gospels - Kurt Aland
        (This is the most scholarly and complete synopsis available. This version features the Greek NA26 and English RSV texts on facing pages)

3.     Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum - Kurt Aland
        (This version features only the Greek text of NA26, as well as some non-inspired literature at the end)

XV. Verbal Aspect:

1.     Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek - Constantine Campbell

Note: This book is very accessible to both students and teachers of NTG. It is much more user friendly than are most books which address the topic (i.e. Porter) and will be a great addition to every Greek student's library.

XVI. Further Koine Greek Studies:

Note: Reading extra-biblical Koine Greek is a great way to build vocabulary and get a better feel for the language and culture of the times. You may be surprised to know that there are actually some very good writings in Koine apart from the NT, such as the OT Septuagint and the Apostolic Fathers. Just as we read sound edifying books in English apart from the Scriptures, why not do the same in Koine Greek?

LXX:
  • Invitation to the Septuagint - Jobes & Silva
  • Septuaginta (LXX) - Rahlfs (This is the standard version of the LXX and is the best we have today)
  • Greek-English Lexicon to the Septuagint - Lust, Eynikel, & Hauspin (Complete lexicon, contains all the Greek words used in the LXX)
  • The Greek of the Septuagint: A Supplemental Lexicon - Gary Alan Chamberlain (Contains words not found in BDAG and is to be used where BDAG does not list the word)
  • Septuagint Vocabulary - Rodney Decker

Apostolic Fathers & Patristics:
  • Koine Greek Reader - Rodney Decker (A great reader for an introduction to reading Koine Greek outside of the GNT)
  • Greek Creeds - Rod Decker FREE RESOURCE (Thanks to Rod Decker, you can study some of the early creeds in Greek)
  • The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations - Michael Holmes (This is in my opinion the best and most economical resource for studying the Apostolic Fathers in Greek)
  • Make sure you have your copy of BDAG when you study this literature. You can find the 2nd Edition for much less than the 3rd.

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Greek Quotes:

Another result when pastors do not study the Bible in Greek and Hebrew is that they, and their churches with them, tend to become second-handers. The harder it is for us to get at the original meaning of the Bible, the more we will revert to the secondary literature. For one thing, it is easier to read. It also gives us a superficial glow that we are “keeping up” on things. And it provides us with ideas and insights which we can’t dig out of the original for ourselves. - John Piper

Not only is this the only well from which we can draw the original force and meaning of the words and phrases of divine utterance, but also those languages (Hebrew & Greek) possess a weight of their own – a vividness which brings home to the understanding fine shades of meaning with power which cannot survive the passage into another tongue. - John Owen
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