[B-Greek] Blass-Debrunner-Funk

George F Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Wed Aug 17 09:43:38 EDT 2005


On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 09:24:05 -0400 Peter Hamm <peter at hamm-multimedia.com>
writes:
> 
> Elizabeth Kline writes:
> > 
> > Students of NT Greek who have no foundation in the earlier Greek
> > should go get some. Not much hope of understanding the language 
> if
> > you read Koine all the time.
> 
> I know some folks have commented on this, but here's a beginner's 
> two
> cents...
> 
> Many of us who learn Koine Greek to try and understand our NT better 
> simply
> do NOT have the time to become philologists. Sometimes we barely 
> have the
> time for learning what we DO study. I'm no expert, but I think there 
> HAS to
> be value in learning Koine ONLY for that purpose. I've certainly 
> found
> value. Keep in mind, I don't want to be an expert on the language 
> per se. I
> simply want to understand the text better. I bet a lot of folks who 
> read
> this (especially those like myself who don't post very often) feel
> similarly.
> 
> Peter Hamm
> DuBois, PA
__________

You are correct that it isn't necessary for the "amateur" to learn to
read Homer and Plato in order to read the NT Greek.  Similarly, it isn't
necessary to learn Middle English in order to read what is written today.
 I do think, however, that you would benefit by having done so if you can
find the time to pursue it -- both in English and in Greek.  I also think
Carl put it just about right.  Speaking basically to those who intend to
go into the ministry I would say, "Don't shortchange yourself by omitting
classical Greek."

george
gfsomsel
___________



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