Garrett Tyson intro

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Garrett Tyson
Posts: 27
Joined: July 14th, 2018, 6:54 pm

Garrett Tyson intro

Post by Garrett Tyson »

Hi all,

I'm a graduate of Bethel Seminary, where I learned just enough Greek for it to be almost useful. My story is a complicated one, but the end result is this: I drive for UPS, and I teach Sunday school and do occasional pulpit supply.

As far as the Greek part of that goes, I've learned and lost it three times, and decided I'd never go through that again. So I've been reading my GNT Reader's Version on a regular basis (which I didn't even know existed until last fall), and enjoying myself immensely. I worked through books by Runge, Porter (who I guess is problematic on aspect?), and Decker, and the Bible is reading much differently than it did before. I bought a couple new books after reading some posts on this website, so I'll be working through those now as well.... can't remember the names, but they've been shipped.

I'm never going to find the intricacies of language theory very interesting, but seeing the Bible more clearly--that is interesting to me.

Currently, I'm working on a series on Mark. I guess what I'd like to do is post some of the lessons/sermons in the "other" section of the forum, and get people's reactions to it possibly. Alternatively, I'll post some of my translations, and try to figure out what Mark is doing with his verbs to tell his story a certain way. Mostly I'm focusing on how participles work before and after indicatives, and how present/aorist/imperfects give depth to the text.

I'm also teaching Greek to a very small group of people at our church sort of using Black's text. Two of the students are my own kids, grade four and six. Grade four, in retrospect, is a little young unless you're really motivated. She's really smart, but the motivation part....has turned out not to be there. I'm just telling myself it's good for her. Pretty sure that's what dads are supposed to say. We are nearly through Black's book, and I'm planning on working them through (at least the first part of) Mark as well this fall. You think people are really good at using small words, and teaching in an accessible way, until you read something out loud to your kids.

I'm not really qualified to teach Greek, but we are making steady progress. And one person in the class, in particular, has gotten the Greek bug, which makes it all worth it.

If the people on the forum who are much better at Greek than me would offer advice, that'd be appreciated. I'd rather not mess people up.

Thanks,

Garrett
Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

Re: Garrett Tyson intro

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Welcome, Garrett, good to have you here. Don't worry about being "qualified..." sounds like you are doing a great job, and mistakes tend to be self correcting if people keep up with the language. Was that Bethel in St. Paul? My wife and I lived in Bloomington and Eagan when we were first married, and knew several Bethel graduates and students.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Jonathan Robie
Posts: 4159
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 5:34 pm
Location: Durham, NC
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Re: Garrett Tyson intro

Post by Jonathan Robie »

Garrett Tyson wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:11 am I'm a graduate of Bethel Seminary, where I learned just enough Greek for it to be almost useful. My story is a complicated one, but the end result is this: I drive for UPS, and I teach Sunday school and do occasional pulpit supply.
Louis Sorenson is also a UPS driver and a very solid Greek geek. Maybe we should suggest that new Greek students go to work for UPS, if they all turn out like Louis it would be great.
Garrett Tyson wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:11 am I'm never going to find the intricacies of language theory very interesting, but seeing the Bible more clearly--that is interesting to me.

Currently, I'm working on a series on Mark. I guess what I'd like to do is post some of the lessons/sermons in the "other" section of the forum, and get people's reactions to it possibly. Alternatively, I'll post some of my translations, and try to figure out what Mark is doing with his verbs to tell his story a certain way. Mostly I'm focusing on how participles work before and after indicatives, and how present/aorist/imperfects give depth to the text.
We love the text and seeing the text more clearly. There are enough people who know their stuff that we manage to sort out the meaning of the text. We will want to focus on the Greek text, not on translations.
Garrett Tyson wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:11 amI'm also teaching Greek to a very small group of people at our church sort of using Black's text. Two of the students are my own kids, grade four and six. Grade four, in retrospect, is a little young unless you're really motivated. She's really smart, but the motivation part....has turned out not to be there. I'm just telling myself it's good for her. Pretty sure that's what dads are supposed to say. We are nearly through Black's book, and I'm planning on working them through (at least the first part of) Mark as well this fall. You think people are really good at using small words, and teaching in an accessible way, until you read something out loud to your kids.
What fun!
Garrett Tyson wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:11 amI'm not really qualified to teach Greek, but we are making steady progress. And one person in the class, in particular, has gotten the Greek bug, which makes it all worth it.
Few people are qualified to teach Greek, especially when they start, but we can support each other in learning to teach it better.
Garrett Tyson wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:11 amIf the people on the forum who are much better at Greek than me would offer advice, that'd be appreciated. I'd rather not mess people up.
Don't worry about status or about messing people up by getting something wrong. If you say something that is wrong, you will be corrected, it's not personal and it's not about status. People correct me all the time.
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
Garrett Tyson
Posts: 27
Joined: July 14th, 2018, 6:54 pm

Re: Garrett Tyson intro

Post by Garrett Tyson »

Barry Hofstetter wrote: July 26th, 2018, 11:24 am Welcome, Garrett, good to have you here. Don't worry about being "qualified..." sounds like you are doing a great job, and mistakes tend to be self correcting if people keep up with the language. Was that Bethel in St. Paul? My wife and I lived in Bloomington and Eagan when we were first married, and knew several Bethel graduates and students.
Yeah, I went to the St. Paul campus. I actually went to Providence Seminary in Manitoba for a year first (where I got my undergrad), and then shamelessly followed my then-girlfriend (now wife) down to the cities (she went to Crown College). I had wanted to go to Luther Seminary because I think it's better academically, but my mom cried when I talked to her about it. She thought I'd lose my faith, or become a liberal, and I folded.

I actually also have a MTh in Old Testament from Fuller Seminary, mostly under John Goldingay.
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