[B-Greek] EXAGORAZOMENOS TON KAIRON (was The BANE of Biblical Greek Pedagogy)

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Wed Feb 23 19:45:26 EST 2011


David wrote

<Perhaps the real BANE of Biblical Greek Pedagogy is time (i.e. the lack 
thereof).>

Hi, David,

I agree, but if you try to teach yourself to use Ancient Greek as a living 
language, it opens up all sorts of time you have throughout the day that you 
cannot use for just reading Greek or reading about Greek.  You can listen to 
Greek while you wash the dishes.  You can talk to your dog in Greek while taking 
him on a walk. (βλεπε τον δενδρον, ω κυον!)  You can translate songs you hear on 
the radio into Greek and you can sing them while you drive.  If you have to take 
notes at a staff meeting, you can take them in Greek.  If you have time to text 
a friend, there is no reason why you cannot text him in Greek. You can practice 
speaking Greek to yourself while making copies or waiting for an elevator or 
watering the plants.  Paul in another context called this εξαγοραζομενος τον 
καιρον. (Eph 5:16)

Carl wrote:

<...one of the most fascinating exercises we ever had was converting the NY  
Times editorial endorsing Kennedy for President into Ciceronian Latin in  the 
Fall of 1960.>

Then you probably know what is Latin for "He came.  He saw.  He looks better on 
television."

 Mark L
Φωσφορος


FWSFOROS MARKOS




________________________________
From: "davidabooth at comcast.net" <davidabooth at comcast.net>
To: Richard Smith <rbs58 at comcast.net>
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Wed, February 23, 2011 6:45:26 AM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] The BANE of Biblical Greek Pedagogy



Perhaps the real BANE of Biblical Greek Pedagogy is time (i.e. the lack 
thereof). 




Machen's New Testament Greek for Beginners was designed for a remedial class of 
seminary students who couldn't already read Attic Greek. As for himself, Machen 
began studying Latin at 11 and Greek at 14 which he continued to study through 
college prior to entering Princeton Theological Seminary.  Today, very few 
students enter seminary capable of reading Greek, so the remedial patch has 
become the norm. 




If a student is going to only take two to three semesters of Greek he isn't 
going to become a competent reader of the NT no matter how good t he pedagogy 
is. 




David 


      


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