It’s that time of year again.
A wonderful new crop of seminary students has arrived here at RTS-Charlotte and has already begun the grueling month-long experience of Summer Greek. And, like all seminary students before them, they will begin to ask the question of why studying these ancient languages even matters. After all, a few years after graduation all will be forgotten. In the midst of a busy pastoral life, who could possibly maintain proficiency in the languages?
As a result of these questions, some students decide (very early on) that the biblical languages are just something to be endured. They are like a hazing ritual at a college fraternity. No one likes it, but you have to go through it to be in the club. And then it will be over.
Behind this “take your medicine” approach to the biblical languages are a couple of assumptions that need to be challenged. First, the characterization of pastoral ministry as somehow incompatible with the languages (due to busyness, or other causes), is an unfortunate misunderstanding of what a pastorate is all about.
No doubt, pastors should be busy shepherding their flock, meeting with ministry leaders, and running the church. But, the core of the calling is to be a “minister of the word.”
And if the pastoral call is to be a minister of the Word, then there is a significant component of pastoral life that should be devoted to serious study of the biblical text—beyond just the preparation for that week’s sermon.
Put differently, pastors should continue to be students. They need to be readers, thinkers, and theologians.
Unfortunately many modern pastors do not view themselves this way. This is evidenced by the language used to describe the place a pastor works at the church. In prior generations, it used to be called the pastor’s “study” (because that is what he did in there!). Now, it is called the pastor’s “office” (because pastors view themselves more as a CEO).
One of my biggest disappointments is when I go into a pastor’s office and see that there are no (or very few) books. It is like going into a carpenter’s shop and seeing no tools. I remind such pastors of the words of Cicero: “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
If pastors recover their calling as ministers of the Word, then keeping up with the biblical languages should be a more natural part of their weekly activity. If they work in a “study” instead of an “office” then studying might just come more easily.
But, there is a second assumption behind the “take your medicine” approach to the biblical languages. Many students assume that the study of the languages is useless if the specifics are forgotten at a later point. Indeed, this may be the biggest assumption in the mind of today’s seminary students.
This assumption, however, is profoundly mistaken. Even if a student forgets every single vocabulary word and every verb paradigm, the intensive study of the languages during seminary still plays an enormously significant role. Put simply, it helps students think textually.
Prior to learning the languages, most of us simply do not know how to think on a textual level when it comes to studying the Scripture. But after learning Greek or Hebrew (even if we forget it), we now understand grammar, syntax, logical flow, and sentence structure. Moreover, we understand the way words work, how their meaning is determined (or not determined), the importance of context, and the avoidance of certain exegetical fallacies.
These factors alone are incredibly important for proper interpretation of the text and preparation of a sermon. And they are drilled into our heads when we take the biblical languages—even if we forget them later.
So, students and pastors should be encouraged. There are good reasons to think you can retain your knowledge of the languages, if your role as “minister of the Word” is properly understood. But, even if you don’t, many of the benefits still remain.
[Note: I post this article every year as seminary students arrive. I hope it will prove helpful for a new group of readers (or maybe even prior ones!)]
Don-micheal A Bell says
Must be nice to have the opportunity to learn the biblical languages. A definite dream of mine.
Ron says
Preaching for over 30 years, I have language tools, books that are standard. Mostly, I use the following: dictionary (Mounce, Vines), concordance (Kohlenberger), standard critical works. Original language study can only be beneficial to one who puts time into it. As it is, I use the ASV, and am only a critical student of the English Bible (NKJV, NASB).
Angus J says
Over the last couple of years I have had the much-longed-for opportunity to study the biblical languages – mostly Greek and a small amount of Hebrew – and I have found it to be a wonderfully enlightening and fruitful experience, very well worth the effort.
To give an illustration of the benefit, studying the Bible in an English translation is like watching a film (movie) on TV in grainy low-res black and white. You can follow the plot, understand the characters, and get a feel for the drama. But studying the Bible in Greek and Hebrew is like watching the same film in high-definition full colour – there is so much more detail that can be seen.
Also, a strong motivation was simply to be able to study the original language text because there are so many translations that have been rendered into ‘politically correct’ English usage, such that I am very doubtful about trusting them, as I belive they have been produced with an agenda of supporting feminist egalitarian theology. (The NRSV is a particular example.)
Trevor R Allin says
A great threat to clear understanding of the real meaning of the Bible is presented by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who in their version have changed the text so that it no longer shows that their doctrines are unbiblical. They are growing in some parts of the world, to my knowledge, in Spanish-speaking communities, where people have heard that the Bible is important (even, that it is “the Word of God”), but they have never read it.
The principal way of challenging this sect is through a knowledge of the Greek text of the New Testament. In some communities, the JWs target new converts to Christianity, who do not know how to defend themselves. Unfortunately, many pastors don’t seem to know how to defend them, either, because of a lack of knowledge of Greek.
IMHO, every church needs someone who is proficient in New Testament Greek.
Michael Smith says
Absolutely not! I didn’t begin to learn Greek until I was 56 years old. Now at 74 I’m starting Hebrew. I wish I had learned both at an earlier age. Psychology and sociology courses are being substituted for Biblical languages which serve the Bible student for life while social theory changes every seven or eight years. I know where I’d want to invest my time.
MikeinMinnesota
gjwolfswinkel says
I am a lay person who is currently dabbling in Greek. I already knew the alphabet, that helped. I’m looking for a course but here in The Netherlands there aren’t a lot around, so currently make do with online resources in English, meaning I’m learning Koine Greek through English into Dutch, so to speak.
And yet, when I experienced those first moments when certain phrases or verses became readable rather than decipherable, it was an incredible feeling. Here I was, reading (very likely) the actual words as they were written down by Paul the Apostle! Not mediated by any translation or interpretation… How amazing is *that*!
It brought me much closer to the text and behind that also to the Apostles (or evangelists) writing them. And that is why I, as a lay person, think all pastors should know these languages and be able to work with them – and continue to do so throughout their ministry as pastors.
Angus J says
Another thought – if the workload of pastoral ministry makes it difficult to find the time for in-depth original-language study of the Bible, then I suggest that this indicates the benefit of a plural eldership leading the church rather than a single pastor. Then you could perhaps have a Greek/Hebrew specialist as a teaching elder, while the lead pastor provides overall leadership and pastoral care, and the lead pastor could turn to the teaching elder for help with in-depth textual study when preparing a sermon.
I agree with Trevor R. Allen that every church would benefit greatly from having someone proficient in NT Greek, and this could be achieved by teamwork, with more than one person contributing their gifts and abilities.
Dr J B Boren says
I like to compare the learning of complex things like language, higher math, etc. to learning to ride a bike. If you don’t get back on a bike for years, you’ll lose your fine motor skills and you’ll have to be careful next time you ride one, but you’ll pick it back up quickly and be able to achieve your former abilities quickly. Same for language skills.
Now, if we can find a better paradigm for learning Greek. (Hint: Language is an auditory skill. 🙂 )
Jim Pemberton says
I’m a layman who has been through seminary. I teach and occasionally preach on the mission field. I can’t imagine not having a hunger for the languages the Scriptures are written in, and I have a tremendous fear that if I can’t check a translation against the original language that I’m going to teach something false. I may have a poor understanding of a passage and need correction as I continue to study. I still might misunderstand something. The translations are helpful and I think God has made this provision as a continuation of Pentecost to undo Babel in the context of his Word. However, he has also made provision for passing along the originals from whence these translations come. Why would I not want to understand them better. I’m no expert in the Biblical languages, but I want to maintain a certain level of understanding so that I can more faithfully teach them. It’s a labor of love for my Lord and his people. Why wouldn’t a pastor want to do this?
Robert Plummer says
For those laypersons dabbling in Greek or pastors who have wandered from the fold, check out http://www.dailydoseofgreek.com for free basic instruction and a free daily screencast of a verse.
Sam says
Thank you, I highly appreciate these blog articles, and thanks for this reminder. I find it helps, not having too high of an expectation instead commit to a little but regularly. It’s worthwhile to compare different translations with the original – if a word interests to dig deeper. Over time this builds expertise. It’s not costly and definitely worth it.
Got motivated to get into these languages because of comments by a liberal theologian who said that my understanding is limited and these facts are obvious in the original text.
What I find really shocking in this context is that I went through 5 years Evangelical theological seminaries/bible college, by now well two decades back (my approximate age…) and only last year I found out about the discussion over the Textus Sinaiticus being considered a fraud, being part of the Counter-Reformation attack that also after 1648 has never stopped, just working in secret – has infiltrated the Protestant seminaries/churches together with the rest of worlds key positions top down. We are presently in a time window where the evidence is easily publicly accessible.
Trevor R Allin says
As regards the conspiracy theory promoted by the “King James only” supporters that the Codex Sinaiticus is a forgery, may I suggest an article on my website, here: http://livingwater-spain.com/Cooper_Review.pdf
This is a brief introduction, but it does give links to other sources, for those who wish to investigate this further.
Gerco Wolfswinkel says
@Robert Plummer that looks like a great resource, thank you! I’ve subscribed!
Nemo says
Truth be told, I’m not convinced that proficiency in (Koine) Greek is necessary for a pastor (or a church). It is no doubt beneficial, but is the benefit greater than the cost?
For starters, what more can one learn from the original that cannot be learned from the many creditable translations? Is the difference big enough to warrant a new translation? I tend to be wary of translations not produced by a committee of scholars, for they seem more likely to promote some sort of heterodoxy. Whenever a JW friend of mine wants to debate theology, I would ask her to use one of the commonly accepted translations, not their own version. She would then see the difficulties of her position. The issue here is not knowledge of Greek, but choosing a good translation.
Second, as the saying goes, a little knowledge is dangerous. Having heard stories of people with some knowledge of Greek reading things into the NT that are not really there, I suspect one has to be as proficient in Greek as the translators themselves, in order to truly benefit from one’s knowledge of the original, and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect a pastor, let alone a lay person, to reach such a level.
Trevor R Allin says
Two points in response:
Years ago, I pointed two visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses to shelves of Bible translations in my study, into English, French, Spanish, German and Russian and said to them, “All of these translations disagree with the [JW] New World Translation”. Their response? “They are all wrong!”
That was the point when I realised that I needed to learn at least New Testament Greek. I now point out the NWT distortions of what the Greek says and can only pray that I thereby plant in their minds the first seeds of doubt about the reliability of their version.
Second: even newer translations are often unconsciously influenced by the translations that preceded them, and by our own, unconscious, cultural bias. Thus, for instance, the New International Version, 1984 edition, which has become the de facto standard for most Evangelical churches in the UK, has in Acts 2:7, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?”, thereby implying (contrary to the evidence of Acts 1:14) that it was only men who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, or at least, that it was only men who were heard speaking out in public. Yet the Greek does not have the word “men”.
This error was only corrected in the 2011 revision.
Many more examples could be given, but that would make this posting too long. A consideration of some other verses can be seen here: http://livingwater-spain.com/women.pdf
I do not support “politically correct” changes to the Biblical text, but nor do I support the introduction into translations of gender stereotyping that is not in the original.
The only way to avoid this is by consulting the original, and I would point out that even many “interlinear” Biblical texts introduce the same errors into the interlinear glosses, which are often taken unchecked from the publisher’s preferred translation, so the reader really does need to have some proficiency in Greek.
Angus J says
@Trevor R Allin I have found that a knowledge of NT Greek is very useful in apologetics when discussing elements of the Christian faith with non-Christians – so that’s yet another reason for learning it.
In a recent example, an atheist who was trying to pick holes in the validity of the NT witnesses was arguing that if Jesus had been nailed to the cross with nails through his hands, the weight of his body would have torn the nails through the structure of the hands.
I was able to respond to this by pointing out that while the corresponding Greek word χείρ is usually translated ‘hand’ as its main meaning, the semantic range of the Greek word is wider than the English, and includes what we would refer to as the wrist or forearm, or indeed the whole arm. (See LSJ definition [I] 2.) So it would be entirely valid for the original writers of the gospels to use this word for the location at the bottom of the forearm, where the nails were most probably driven between the radius and ulna bones.
Understanding the Greek text is also of benefit in showing that Bible-believing Christians can be educated and intelligent, and not conform to the atheist stereotype of being ignorant backwoods rednecks.
Brandon M. says
A professor from Cairn joins the chorus: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/preachers-toolkit-should-i-learn-hebrew-and-greek-or-is-bible-software-enough/
Sam says
Btw. the Reply-links apparently don’t function here. Thanks Trevor R Allin for pointing me to your review of Bill Cooper’s book, “The Forging of Codex Sinaiticus”. Will see to make a little time (that presently I do not have) to look into this. Personally not being a King James only – just that I see some evidence that made me start distrusting the critical text which so much influenced most modern Bible translations, where we ended up questioning the authenticity of Mk 16, 9-20 and missing valuable verses the like Acts 8, 37. So obviously worth getting to the bottom of it. Some of the information that I had come across can be found in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLneFIHiL2tho1Emlk5fWOwdycN_7FIEet – most relevant to this topic the second video, a documentary; “Tares Among the Wheat: Sequel to A Lamp in the Dark” and the less time-consuming forth video, a teaching; “Why So Many Bible Versions? The UNTOLD Dark History of Bible Translations | Battle of the Bibles”.
For a quick check I love to go to http://textusreceptusbibles.com/Interlinear – where I check the publication “Textus Receptus New Testament Variants” which gives me the main differences between the Textus Receptus, the Byzantine Majority Text, and the Alexandrian Text. If I were made to pick only one translation for being really close to the original out of the many good options I might go for Julia E. Smith 1876 which is in this page as well, unaffordable in book form. This here I found also an interesting very balanced relevant article: http://www.bereanpatriot.com/majority-text-vs-critical-text-vs-textus-receptus-textual-criticism-101/
Trevor R Allin says
Sam
Thank you for all the links. I will look at them. Of course, some proponents of the “Textus Receptus” (and of many other points of view!) have all sorts of conspiracy theories, which I do not find convincing.
I have now also uploaded a very short response to Jack A. Moorman’s “Was Codex Sinaiticus Written in 1840!” (punctuation his). It can be found here: http://livingwater-spain.com/Moorman_Review.pdf
Trevor