"Why Study Greek" expanded

George Goolde goolde at mtnempire.net
Sat Dec 11 22:07:52 EST 1999


It occurred to me that my previous answer was to brief and not 
explicit.  Jim West must be rubbing off on me <G>!

My understanding of 2 Tim 2:15, when compared with 2 Tim 2:2 which, I 
believe, casts this responsibility down from Timothy alone to all who would 
follow as disciples, is that every believer is responsible to interpret the 
Word of God for him/herself.  This cutting a straight line through the Word 
of truth requires diligence, as this verse plainly asserts, and results in 
the approval of God.  "Dokimos" here indicates that the believer is put to 
the test with the result that he is found to be suitable for the intended 
purpose.

I did not say Greek was necessary, but that it was helpful in achieving the 
above requirement by assisting the believer to cut a straight line through 
the word of truth.  If a believer knows a little Greek - make that 
correctly knows a little Greek - it will help him a little.  If he 
correctly knows a lot of Greek it will help him a lot.

To *rely* on commentaries is to pass the buck in the matter of interpreting 
the Word of God for yourself.  I would understand that to be disobeying 2 
Tim 2:15.
OTOH, commentaries are very helpful in checking your own interpretation to 
see if you can answer the challenges they put forward.

George


George A. Goolde
Professor, Bible and Theology
Southern California Bible College & Seminary
El Cajon, California

goolde at mtnempire.net



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