[B-Greek] ? - please respond
Brent Hudson
brent at riveroflifembchurch.com
Sat Dec 6 10:18:56 EST 2003
There is not much I can add to the excellent comments I've seen already, but I would like to add just one more thing. Memorizing vocabulary and forms is the 'grunt' work of Greek. It is not fun nor is it edifying to one's spirit. It's just plain hard work. Some profs try there very best to make it more fun, but I never found memorizing things by rote fun or exciting -- no matter how many songs the prof could sing with Greek words in it (no offence intended to Dr. Mounce) or how any games could be devised to help in the process.
I compare 1st year Greek to a long arduous journey to see a natural wonder -- like the Grand Canyon. For me that means around a 3000 mile drive. I have friends who made the trip with their family --in a car. The trip was at times nightmarish but do they regret it? No, not at all! And even the children who whined and complained "when are we going to get there?" and "will this ever end?" are now glad they saw the awesome sight firsthand. No postcard can represent the absolute majesty of such a sight.
In a very similar way, no commmentary, journal article, or any other reference can replace the feeling of awe and joy as you discover something new about the text. What difference does it make whether NT scholars have known for 2000 years what you just discovered by reading the Greek text -- now YOU have discovered it. Imagine listening to someone describe the Grand Canyon or the Rockies who has only seen postcards as opposed to someone who has been there, breathed the air and experienced the panoramic vastness of the sight! Does it matter that the sight or description is not original? Of course not. The passion and the sense of discovery more than makes up for it for the listener.
Greek is no longer a series of funny looking letters for you. You can probably function well enough now to read commentaries and journals with some understanding. At least you will not be skipping over the Greek words and could look them up in a Lexicon if you were so inclined. Right now you are looking at a postcard of something more wonderous than the Grand Canyon. Will it effect your preaching and personal growth in the Word to continue the journey? Of course! Is it hard work? Absolutely! Is it worth it? Unquestionably -- both for you and your listener. "As fresh as a spring rain" were the words that A.T. Robertson used to describe the preaching of a particular minister (I forget who) who had learned Greek and continued to read through his Greek New Testament every year.
Others have said that learning Greek is a lifelong pursuit and this is true. But to use my journey analogy, there is a difference between trying to find the perfect angle to view and looking at the map, trusting that you'll eventually get there. This is the most frustrating and unrewarding part of your journey. Even so, I would urge you to hear from those who have been where you are and are now looking for that perfect viewing angle. It looks good from this vantage point! It's more than worth it to hang in there.
Brent Hudson
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