Three conjugations?
B. Ward Powers
bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
Tue Jun 4 19:14:14 EDT 2002
Hi, Waldo.
At 10:54 PM 020603 -0700, waldo slusher wrote:
>Rev. Ward
>
>What overall advantage(s) does a student who learns
>attic Greek AND hellenistic Greek have, if any, over a
>student who learns the Greek of the New Testament
>only?
>
>Waldo Slusher
>Calgary, AL
I take your question as it stands, and assume that one comes to have
learned attic Greek because of doing study in it in some appropriate
situation, e.g. at high school or in the course of a general arts degree.
That's how I came to it - I did classical Greek for three years in a B.A.
degree. Cut my teeth (classically speaking) on Xenophon's "Anabasis" at
Sydney University. I note that Carl says,
<<If you're willing to read lots of Xenophon's Anabasis, as late Victorian
students both British and American were doing about the same time they were
excelling in Bulwer-Lytton's Boy Scouts, Crosby and Sheaffer can still be
found in second-hand stores and may even still be in print--but I and most
readers nowadays don't find the Anabasis the most exciting subject matter
one could cut one's Greek teeth on.>>
"Anabasis" has loads of military terms, and is a bit repetitive at times,
but actually I myself liked it.
Someone who has studied classical Greek has a broader basis for
understanding New Testament Greek (and the background of Greek culture
generally) than if one's only Greek is NT Greek. I have found it useful in
three ways (a) knowing a bit more about how Greek words are used than one
gets from the NT alone, which in turn can throw extra light on use in the
NT, (b) understanding more of the original "pattern" (especially in syntax)
from which the Greek of the NT is at times something of a departure, and
(c) seeing how the focus of meaning can change a bit for some words. If
someone is doing a general secular course and has the opportunity of doing
classical Greek as part of it, there would be a case for saying to them,
Take the opportunity.
But let me now change the form of the question a bit. If you were to ask
me, "Is it a good idea/worthwhile taking the time to learn classical Greek
first as a preliminary to learning koine Greek, when your aim is to know
the New Testament better?" my personal answer would be "no". (This is one
of the several points where Carl and I hold differing opinions.) Everyone's
available time has restrictions upon it, and I would say: to use your time
to most effective advantage, get hold of an understanding of basic koine
Greek grammar first up in the shortest possible time, and then (without
waiting until you have mastered this grammar thoroughly) start reading the
Greek NT. And use your available time to keep reading the GNT. Preferably
in a class with other likeminded people, so you can encourage each other in
your struggles with the text, and having a teacher/leader to focus your
attention appropriately on the background and grammar which the text
displays. And use suitable commentaries on the Greek that can tell you any
relevant info from the classical era that will improve your understanding.
My experience has been that in practice not all that much of such classical
background will be required, or given in commentaries. Mostly this consists
of telling you that in classical times things could be said (or written) a
little differently. Okay, but you can still get into the meaning of a
passage pretty well without knowing how it might have been written a couple
of hundred years earlier. (I don't question that at times a good commentary
can give you useful info which throws useful light on a passage. But my
point is that that is how you can get such info: from a commentary on the
relevant NT passage, without yourself taking the time required to learn
classical Greek yourself.)
I have just asked my Greek class members what they have to say about this
issue. Now admittedly this is a pretty small sample, and likely to be
biased, as they have chosen to do NT Greek with me rather than start with
classical Greek, but they were unanimously of the view that they didn't
want to read Plato or Xenophon first as a way into the GNT; they wanted to
get hold of the fundamentals of koine Greek, and then get into working on
the GNT at the first possible moment. Understanding the NT better is their
goal.
I don't think that their study of the GNT, and their understanding of it,
is going to be curtailed because they didn't study classical Greek first
before coming to my class.
I don't doubt the benefits conferred by studying classical Greek and
classical Greek authors. But in its own right, if that is what you want to
do. Not because it is the best use of your time, if your aim is to improve
your understanding of the New Testament. It comes down to use of time to
achieve your goal, and what that goal is.
With respect to those who do not share my view.
Regards,
Ward
http://www.netspace.net.au/~bwpowers
Rev Dr B. Ward Powers Phone (International): 61-2-8714-7255
259A Trafalgar Street Phone (Australia): (02) 8714-7255
PETERSHAM NSW 2049 email: bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
AUSTRALIA. Director, Tyndale College
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