[B-Greek] Very interesting GNT, _A Readers Greek New Testament_

Jonathan Ferguson notchking at yahoo.com
Wed Apr 28 11:31:55 EDT 2004


Hello,

      I just thought I'd make a few comments.  Learning New Testament Greek isn't a task to be taken lightly.  I think a person who doesn't want to invest just $50-60 for a Greek New Testament may not have the right view of the subject.  Would you not agree that a lot of weird views and unfounded doctrines have been started or at least aided by the occasional "Strong's Concordance Greek scholar," who quotes "the Greek" but due to their ignorance of the subject, makes several mistakes.  Reading the Greek New Testament is one thing, but rightly interpreting it and understanding its meaning is another (such as John 1:1 and the anarthrous THEOS, Heb. 1:8, etc.)  I've heard several pastors and teachers say "the Greek word here is _______" and then they proceed to make an attempt to make a point from something foreign to the author's intent.  I'm not saying this to discourage the person just now getting into Koine Greek, however I think if you're going to invest so much time in learning
 paradigms, vocabulary, rules, etc., then the money side of it shouldn't be such a major part of it.  

      I started Biblical Greek my senior year in highschool on my own using Mounce's beginner Greek grammar, along w/ Parson Technology's Greek Tutor (both helped quite a bit).  Adding up all of the books and material I've bought since then (2 years ago) it comes to about $800-$1000.  Now, I do not need all of these supplies yet (such as A.T. Robertson's "Big Yellow" advanced grammar, and Wallace's _Beyond the Basics_ though I enjoy both from time to time), but still, I know the higher I move through school by God's grace, the more I can put those books to use.

     What does a beginner need?  I'm certainly not an expert, but Mounce's book ($40, and $18 for workbook), a GNT (UBS $40, TR $25, or RGNT $29), and a Greek lexicon and concordance.  I suppose those would be a good start.  That's not that much money when you compare it to the time you'll be investing in the subject.

     I suppose I need to stop rambling now.  I just thought maybe I should bring up how some people are just wanting a surface knowledge, when a "surface knowledge" usually does more harm than good (I experienced this several times at an old church of mine).

in Christ,

Jonathan Ferguson

Bob Jones University undergrad.

1 Peter 3:18

		
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