The New Testament was first written in Greek, Koine Greek. Ever wonder if having an understanding of Greek would help your Bible studies?

[Whispered]

I have. And it is my hope this thread is allowed as there are reference books at the end of this thread that link to the page that offers them for sale.

I frequent Bible Gateway site because my sister linked the site to me so as to have a more expanded resource for scripture studies on-line.
Now I've found they have a Beta site too and offer studies to understand Greek for clearer Bible study. Maybe this will help you too.
They have a free course system and a subscription one too.


What is Bible Study Greek?

• Do you want to get to the Greek behind the English translations?
• Do you want to do Greek word studies?
• Do you want to use better dictionaries and commentaries, and not be frightened by the Greek words?
• Do you want to understand a Strong's Bible but don't have the time to do all the memory work of traditional language learning?
• Do you want to be able to use reverse interlinears and even Greek-English interlinears?

Then our Bible Study Greek curriculum is just for you! Our resources can make a significant difference in studying your Bible, helping you go deeper, but without the pain of learning Greek the traditional way. **This continues at the link at the top of this instruction*

Bible Study Greek

Welcome to our Bible Study Greek class. For more information, see our landing page. All the free resources teachers and students will need are listed in the Orientation lesson below.
Bible Study Greek is made up of three sections:​

1. Foundational Greek — learn enough Greek to understand your Bible software​
2. Church Greek — learn more Greek so you can work with a reverse interlinear​
3. Functional Greek — learn even more Greek to understand traditional Greek-English interlinears​

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And boy oh boy, do they have resources to add to our Bible studies personal library. (see's bank account flash before her eyes)

• Interlinear for the Rest of Us
• Greek and English Interlinear of the New Testament
• Expository Dictionary

​

I'm considering the Expository Dictionary at this time.

 

[p_rehbein]

I'm sure it would be beneficial...…...but, I am convinced that if a believer approaches Scripture with a sincere and contrite heart, and relies on the Holy Spirit to correctly interpret for them, they will not be in error.

 

[Lanolin]

Interesting but they would have to start with picture books and vocab...I dont think its as easy as just knowing the written translation. Wouldnt you want to know how to speak it as well?

How different is the Bible greek from the greek thats spoken by Greeks today? Unfortunatley I dont know any as we dont have many greek migrants in nz. They all went to Australia.

 

[morefaithrequired]

I'm sure it would be beneficial...…...but, I am convinced that if a believer approaches Scripture with a sincere and contrite heart, and relies on the Holy Spirit to correctly interpret for them, they will not be in error.

Studying the Bible alone is fraught with danger. I compare it to playing baseball without a coach, fixing an engine without a qualified mechanic, travelling a foreign language speaking country without a guide.... and more analogies that I cant think of right now.
Im not for one minute questioning the value of the Holy Spirit. But there is no need to abandon the need for pragmatism and commonsense.
Find the right experts to help you navigate on your journey through salvation history.

 

[Whispered]

Studying the Bible alone is fraught with danger. I compare it to playing baseball without a coach, fixing an engine without a qualified mechanic, travelling a foreign language speaking country without a guide.... and more analogies that I cant think of right now.
Im not for one minute questioning the value of the Holy Spirit. But there is no need to abandon the need for pragmatism and commonsense.
Find the right experts to help you navigate on your journey through salvation history.

Discernment is key when following the Holy Spirit. Discerning whether it is one's own thoughts or understanding, or is in fact that higher power speaking.
I recall the passages that say, even Satan can appear as an angel of light and quote scripture. Those are two different verses condensed.

 

[Lanolin]

The holy spirit IS the expert, who were you thinking?

 

[GKChesterton]

No, wouldn't help much. Ancient Greek is entirely different to modern Greek just as old English is different to modern English.
As a matter of fact the Jehovahs witnesses produced their version of the bible by getting modern Greek speakers to translate the ' original' and they got it terribly wrong.

 

[Deade]

Studying the Bible alone is fraught with danger. I compare it to playing baseball without a coach, fixing an engine without a qualified mechanic, travelling a foreign language speaking country without a guide.... and more analogies that I cant think of right now.
Im not for one minute questioning the value of the Holy Spirit. But there is no need to abandon the need for pragmatism and commonsense.
Find the right experts to help you navigate on your journey through salvation history.

1 John 2:27 "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

So, no ancient Greek for me. I see a lot of ancient Greek experts that seem to have more mistakes than others.

 

[Lanolin]

I just read in one translation which seems to work for me.
I think its actually better to know one really well than ten different ones badly. Ive never had to use strongs or rely on concordances I find that just confuses me. If you get the meaning from God, He will show you through reading the scriptures fluently rather than just words here and there.

 

[Whispered]

This may assist and from the OP link.
FOUNDATIONAL GREEK
In this welcome to the class, Bill surveys his goals for Foundational Greek.
No 1. The Greek Language
Bill will set Koine Greek in its historical position and, incidently, show that English does not come from Latin.

 

[Whispered]

This may assist and from the OP link.
FOUNDATIONAL GREEK
In this welcome to the class, Bill surveys his goals for Foundational Greek.
No 1. The Greek Language
Bill will set Koine Greek in its historical position and, incidently, show that English does not come from Latin.




Got Questions
Question: "What is Koine Greek, and why was the New Testament written in it?"
Answer: Koine is simply the Greek word for “common.” Many people may recognize the word koine from the word koinonia, which means “fellowship.” Fellowship is having something in common.

Koine Greek was simply the common language of the Mediterranean world in the first century. As Alexander the Great conquered the “civilized world” of his time, he spread Greek language and culture. Much like English has become today, Greek became the most common and pervasive “international language” of the day. Since most people could understand Koine, it was uniquely suited to proclaim the gospel throughout the world.

Not only was Koine Greek common in the sense it enjoyed widespread usage throughout the Roman Empire, but it was also common in the sense that it was not the language of the intellectual and academic elites. Classical Greek was used by the educated class. Koine Greek was the language of the working man, the peasant, the vendor, and the housewife—there was nothing pretentious about it. It was the vernacular, or vulgar language, of the day. The great works of Greek literature were written in Classical Greek. No scholar today would care to study anything written in Koine Greek, except for the fact that it is the language of the New Testament. God wanted His Word to be accessible to everyone, and He chose the common language of the day, Koine.

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. . . . Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:20–22, 26–31). Paul was not referring to the specifically to Koine Greek in this passage, but God’s use of a lowly common language to express the incredible truths of the gospel seems to fit the pattern well.

Recommended Resource: How Biblical Languages Work: A Student's Guide to Learning Hebrew & Greek by Peter Silzer & Thomas Finley

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