Some hypothesized that it was a combination of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. It is this common Koine Greek that is used in the Septuagint, the New Testament, and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers.įor a long time Koine Greek confused scholars because it was significantly different from Classical Greek. But if you asked for ἕτερος, you would be given perhaps an orange. If you had an apple and you asked for ἄλλος, you would receive another apple. For example, in Classical Greek ἄλλος meant “other” of the same kind while ἕτερος meant “other” of a different kind. It was not a polished literary form of the language, and in fact some writers of this era purposefully imitated the older style of Greek (which is like someone today writing in King James English).īecause Koine was a simplified form of Classical Greek, many of the subtleties of Classical Greek were lost. “Koine” ( κοινή) means “common” and describes the common, everyday form of the language, used by everyday people. Eventually this adaptation resulted in what today we call Koine Greek. The dialects also interacted with each other. This was the beginning of the Hellenistic Age.Īs the Greek language spread across the world and met other languages, it was altered (which is true of any language). It was also the dialect spoken by the famous Athenian writers. Because he spoke Attic Greek, this dialect spread. Alexander set out to conquer the world and spread Greek culture and language. The Greek philosopher Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great, Philip’s son. Classical Greek existed in many dialects, but the three primary ones were: Doric, Aeolic, and Ionic (of which Attic was a branch).Īthens was conquered in the fourth century B.C. Its alphabet was derived from the Phoenicians. The form of Greek used by writers from Homer (8th century B.C.) through Plato (4th century B.C.) is called “Classical Greek.”Ĭlassical Greek was a marvelous form of the language, capable of exact expression and subtle nuances. The earliest form of the language is called “Linear B” (13th century B.C.). The Greek language has a long and rich history stretching all the way from the thirteenth century B.C. Sign up for the Basics of Biblical Greek online course Learn to read the Greek text of the New Testament The following Greek overview and intro to the basics comes directly from Bill Mounce’s Basics of Biblical Greek course material: Set your goals high and keep them in sight. How far do you want your ministry to go? The tools you collect, Greek being one of them, will to a significant degree determine your success from a human point of view. John Wesley, perhaps one of the most effective ministers ever to mount a horse, was able to quote Scripture in Greek better than in English. The point of all this is to emphasize that you must think through why you want to learn Greek, and then you must keep your goal in sight at all times. When Jesus says of communion, ‘Drink ye all of it’ (Matt 26:27 KJV), what does the ‘all’ refer to? All the drink, or all the people? When Paul writes to the Ephesians that it is ‘by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves it is a gift from God’ (Eph 2:8), what does ‘it’ refer to? When Paul asks, ‘Do all speak in tongues?’ (1 Cor 12:30), is he implying that the answer is ‘Yes’? Without the proper tools you are limited in your ability to deal with the text. The same is true with preaching, teaching, and preparing Bible studies. The point is, without the proper tools you run the risk of doing a minimal job, and perhaps actually hurting the engine. Without a torque wrench you cannot get the head seated properly. Without a socket wrench you could ruin many of the bolts. What tools will you select? I would surmise that with a screw driver, hammer, a pair of pliers, and perhaps a crow bar, you could make some progress. There’s a wealth of awesome resources available to help pastors and preachers understand God’s Word, and it would be unfair to claim that the only way to be a good expositor of Scripture is to learn Greek.īill Mounce, New Testament Greek scholar and instructor for the Zondervan Academic Basics of Biblical Greek course, offers a helpful insight into the importance of learning biblical Greek: Each student must come to the place where they believe that learning Greek is truly worth the effort. If you’re unsure of the answer to this question, learning Greek will be a struggle. Is understanding Greek essential for having a clearer, more exact, and more persuasive presentation of God’s saving message? For Students Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more.For Instructors and School Administrators Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust.
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