[B-Greek] [B Greek] Goetchius Textbook
Mark Lightman
lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Wed Feb 2 20:35:21 EST 2011
Jeremy wrote
<...what really helped me with koine Greek was reading papyri.>
Hi, Jeremy,
What GRONT score would you give the papyri?
http://www.vnoel.com/component/option,com_gront/Itemid,1068/
Mark L
Φωσφορος
FWSFOROS MARKOS
________________________________
From: Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
To: B-Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wed, February 2, 2011 11:57:50 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] [B Greek] Goetchius Textbook
This was clearly intended for the list rather than for me personally.
Begin forwarded message:
> From: spencerj76 at aol.com
> Date: February 2, 2011 12:14:55 PM EST
> To: cwconrad2 at mac.com
> Subject: Re: [B Greek] Goetchius Textbook
>
> 2 Feb 2011
>
> A Contribution to Biblical Greek Discussion
>
> Friends:
>
> I've been following the discussion of Biblical Greek pedagogy with interest as
>well as some of the other discussions on the list. I'd like to mention a
>textbook I used in the mid-1970s--Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, "The Language of
>the New Testament" (1966). The textbook used a modern, linguistic approach, and
>seemed, at the time to have a linguistic orientation. The most important thing,
>though, is that it helped me learn to read the New Testament through fundamental
>skills, which could be supplemented with other materials later. I agree with
>Carl's point that authentic Greek style, rather than made-up sentences is
>probably best for most learners of koine. In some ways, though, I think that
>what really helped me with koine Greek was reading papyri. My college library
>had a book containing a collection of papyri letters (without translation) and I
>endeavored to translate those letters as a one-semester independent study
>project. Since there were few helps other than massive dictionaries for that
>sort of thing (or I wasn't aware of them at the time) I had to wrestle with the
>language for myself. I wouldn't claim a lot for my "translations," but I learned
>a lot about tricky participles and Greek word order, and I probably even used
>the "find the main verb" technique more than once. I've wondered at times
>whether the use of sentences from the Greco-Roman world at the time of the New
>Testament (inscriptions, papyri) might impart some of the flavor of the times in
>which the NT was written.
>
> As I was learning to read NT Greek, I found H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey's
>"A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament" (published by Macmillan in 1927
>and again in 1955) helpful. There are certainly better texts on syntax today,
>but what I liked about it at the time was its simplicity and lucidity, each
>example carefully chosen (I thought then), and not so many examples as to be
>overwhelming, but just enough. The book is 368 pages but my copy is of small,
>compact size. I still use it.
>
> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else who used Goetchius'
>textbook--specifically, whether that approach contributed to a long-term
>interest in, and use of, Biblical Greek.
>
> Best wishes,
> Rev. Jeremy Spencer
> Pastor, Odessa Baptist Church
> Odessa, NY
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