[B-Greek] Reply OFF-LIST: Use of Greek in sermons

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Thu Nov 5 12:49:02 EST 2009


Hi, Jeff.  Nice to hear from you again.
 
I would say that Greek should basically never be brought into a sermon.
I was a lay preacher for seven years, and for most of that time my Greek
was not very good.  I would mention the Greek a few times, but I regret
doing that now.  If I were to return to the pulpit now, when my Greek is
pretty good, I can't imagine ever refering to the Greek.  The Gospel is
clear and unlcear, depending on how you look at it.  The Holy Spirit
gives us freedom to find Jesus in it how we will.  To use the Greek
to try to make things more definite always does just the opposite. One
of the stupidest things you hear said is that God choose to reveal the
Gospel in Greek because it is such a precise language.  In fact the
opposite is true.  NT Greek is again and again ambiguous, capable of
multiple interpretations.  The Spirit, not Smyth, should teach you what
the text says.
 
The only value for preachers knowing Greek is that it is an extra little
gift that God gives them.  I have never heard the Greek mentioned in
a sermon which was not (1) wrong (2) unhelpful (3) both.

Mark L


FWSFOROS MARKOS

--- On Thu, 11/5/09, Jeffrey T. Requadt <jeffreyrequadt_list at hotmail.com> wrote:


From: Jeffrey T. Requadt <jeffreyrequadt_list at hotmail.com>
Subject: [B-Greek] Reply OFF-LIST: Use of Greek in sermons
To: "B-Greek Mailing List" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 10:14 AM


Greetings to the list. I haven't written since the summer, but I have been
following most of the discussions. Something about teaching and having a new
baby really takes up your time.

Please reply strictly off-list, since this issue is beyond the parameters of
B-Greek, but I know of no better group of people to respond to my questions.
What would you say are guidelines or parameters for a preaching using NT
Greek (or Hebrew, because it's the same issue) in a sermon, almost always
with an audience who has no education in biblical languages? Related to this
is, what is the value of learning Greek (and Hebrew) for the different
purposes of studying and preaching? And a third question is, what is the
value of teaching a few years of Greek and Hebrew to seminarians? I have my
own opinions on the matter (some of which have surfaced in the list, I'm
sure), but I really wanted to hear what other people have to say, especially
those who have been serving in ministry.



Jeffrey T. Requadt

Dietz Elementary

(520) 731-4000



"I like to talk. I also like to think. Sometimes they go together." ~ Jeff
Requadt

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