New Testament Greek
New Testament Greek is fundamental to serious Bible study. Familiarity with the Koine Greek for both the teacher and the preacher is essential.
At the time of Jesus the whole world of that day spoke what is called Koine (or common) Greek thanks to Alexander the Great.
It stands to reason that the early writing of the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament (Septuagint) was written in the Koine Greek.
With so many translations of the Bible on the market today you may ask, “Why do I need to know Greek?”
Well, I remember the game we used to play in church; 25 or 30 people would form a circle and the teacher would whisper a word into the ear of the first person, “Jesus Saves”; these words were whispered from person to person, ear to ear; what’s spoken by the 30th person sometimes was completely changed.
The more difficult the passage is, in the beginning, the more likely it will be changed. This is precisely what happens in our translations on purpose.
Because most translations seek to make an ancient language readable and understandable in our own language today and they do a good job.
The further along we get with new translations the more we ask, what does the Bible really say?
With so many different translations used in teaching and preaching we need to have some facility, some grounding in a word that does not change, the original language, thus the application of Greek study to our work.
If you are just starting you’re preaching or teaching career, stick with a basic approach to getting started with learning Greek. By basic I mean approach it as we did when first learning English. To refresh your English click here.
Learn the Greek alphabets, vowels, and sounds of Greek words. Once you have the basics down go back and start working with the various structures and rules.
There is lots of good software on the market that will make this an easy and fun process.
Here is a book that I recommend: “Learn New Testament Greek” by John H. Dobson---this book focuses on learning Greek without going into the intricacy of the language.
Your will have plenty of time to understand about dipthongs and accents, verbs and declensions but for now be encouraged to learn the language without that level of detail by studying the above book.
When you have some mastery of the Koine Greek start working on it more systematically.
Some Helpful Greek Information
In Greek, only nouns (including infinitives), pronouns, adjectives (including participles) and verbs are inflected.
- ASK A NOUN TWO QUESTIONS
1. What is your case? (Options: Nominative, genitive, dative,
accusative, vocative)
2. What is your number? (Options: singular or plural)
- ASK A PRONOUN AND AN ADJECTIVE THREE QUESTIONS:
1. What is your case? (Options: nominative, genitive,
dative, accusative, vocative)
2. What is you number? (Options: singular or plural)
3. What is your gender? (Options: Masculine or feminine,
neuter)
- ASK A PARTICIPLE AND AN INFINITIVE* FIVE QUESTIONS:
1. What is your case?* (Options: Nominative, genitive,
dative or accusative)
2. What is your number?* (Options: singular or plural)
3. What is your gender?* (Options: Masculine or feminine,
neuter)
4. What is your voice? (Options: active, middle, passive)
5. What is your aspect? (Options: punctiliar, linear,
combined)
*An infinitive is always singular in number and neuter in gender. The case is determined by the case
of its article, or by the context if it has no article.
- ASK A VERB FIVE OR SIX QUESTION:
1. What is your person? (Options: first, second, third)
2. What is your number? (Options: singular or plural)
3. What is your aspect? (Options: punctiliar, linear,
combined)
4. What is your voice? (Options: active, middle, passive,
deponent)
5. What is your mood? (Options: indicative, subjunctive,
imperative, optative)
6. Only if your answer to number 5 is “indicative” do you ask:
What is your time? (Options: past, present, future)
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