E
Eutychus123
Guest
Can anybody make a case as to whether or not Jesus spoke Greek? It seems generally accepted that he spoke Aramaic. Does it seem reasonable that he was multi-lingual?
- Status
G
GEddie
Guest
I’d say He did.
His companions who wrote most of the NT probably did, as it was the lingua franca of the region. And, HE’d not have been able to converse with as many Romans as He did without it.
ICXC NIKA.
B
Barbkw
Guest
He turned water to wine, cured the sick, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and gave life to dead people 
How difficult is it to speak Greek?
How difficult is it to speak Greek?
G
GloriousOrder
Guest
It seems more likely that Christ would speak in Aramaic to His servants (later, friends), Greek to merchants, and Latin to Romans! 
We know that He was, is, and shall forever be the Blessed Lord of the entire Cosmos, so I’m sure He speaks Swahili on a regular basis. When referring to Simon Peter’s “rock” moment, it was more likely in Aramaic because he was among Jews. When He was standing amongst Pilate and his henchmen, we can probably assume He spoke Latin or Greek.
We know that He was, is, and shall forever be the Blessed Lord of the entire Cosmos, so I’m sure He speaks Swahili on a regular basis. When referring to Simon Peter’s “rock” moment, it was more likely in Aramaic because he was among Jews. When He was standing amongst Pilate and his henchmen, we can probably assume He spoke Latin or Greek.
J
JoeMike
Guest
I tried to learn Greek when I was in college.He turned water to wine, cured the sick, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and gave life to dead people
How difficult is it to speak Greek?
Probably would have had better luck turning water into wine.
P
Publisher
Guest
I would think Jesus would have at least a basic vocabulary of Greek and Latin. He grew up in Nazareth which was just 5 miles of so from Ceasarea. Palestine was the “cross roads” of the Empire.
I do not believe any of the Twelve wrote any books of the NT…those who wrote the NT were either Greek “God-fearers” who had become Christian except for Paul of course.
I do not believe any of the Twelve wrote any books of the NT…those who wrote the NT were either Greek “God-fearers” who had become Christian except for Paul of course.
G
GEddie
Guest
If you had turned water into Michelob, you’d have had your own circle of followersI tried to learn Greek when I was in college.
Probably would have had better luck turning water into wine.
N
Nicea325
Guest
Honestly I have not done any serious research to confirm it. It is very plausible he did speak Greek,Latin or any other language. Jesus is God,so why wouldn’t He be able to speak any language?
G
GEddie
Guest
Well HE was born speechless like everybody else; and had to develop HIS speech centers just like you or me.
We know HE spoke Hebrew because HE was able to debate the rabbis in the Temple.
We assume HE spoke Aramaic because that was the normal speech of Jews at the time.
That HE spoke Greek can be assumed, because HE talked with members of the Roman administration; Eastern Romans spoke Greek; and HE also spoke with citizens in Decapolis, a Greek colony east of the Sea of Galilee.
Latin, we don’t know. HIS interactions with Romans could have been done in Greek or Latin.
ICXC NIKA.
G
GEddie
Guest
Particularly Galilee; roads from 4 directions converged there. There were Greek colonies just across the Sea. Hearing Greek in Galilee would be like hearing Spanish in San Diego.
What about Mark? John? St. Peter?
ICXC NIKA
P
Publisher
Guest
Mark" didn’t write “Mark”…John didn’t write “John”…these were names attached to the gospels by “tradition”…the gospels were anonymous…1 & 2 Peter are psudynonymous…written toward the end of the first century…long after Peter was to have died…some of the “disputed” Pauline letters are in the same boat…believers writing letters under a respected teachers name was not uncommon.Particularly Galilee; roads from 4 directions converged there. There were Greek colonies just across the Sea. Hearing Greek in Galilee would be like hearing Spanish in San Diego.
What about Mark? John? St. Peter?
ICXC NIKA
Mark and John were no more written by Mark and John than the Gospel of Thomas, Protoevanglium of James or Gospel of Peter was written by Thomas, James or Peter…nice traditions…but not based on any concrete evidence.
A
Alcrusader
Guest
The language of Jesus was Aramaic.
and I don’t thing he spoked greek
and I don’t thing he spoked greek
B
Byzantine_Wolf
Guest
Whether or not He did I think is not important.
In regards to the Koine Greek of the New Testament, the reason it was written in that language was at the time it was the international language (thanks to Alexander the Great ). When Christ said “Go teach all nations,” what do you think most of those nations in the area spoke? They knew Greek.
It was a lot like Medieval Europe almost a thousand years later, when Latin became the international language.
In regards to the Koine Greek of the New Testament, the reason it was written in that language was at the time it was the international language (thanks to Alexander the Great
). When Christ said “Go teach all nations,” what do you think most of those nations in the area spoke? They knew Greek.It was a lot like Medieval Europe almost a thousand years later, when Latin became the international language.
P
Publisher
Guest
Agreed…I don’t think he was fluent in Greek…but living in the “Crossroads of the world”…he probalby had some rudimentary vocabulary of both Greek and Latin…but he spoke Aramaic an or Hebrew on a daily basis…the scriptures he read were Hebrew…the writers of the NT used LXX so they were fluent in Greek.
B
buffalo
Guest
He gave the gift of tongues to His Apostles. People heard them speak and they heard in their own language.
Jesus knew all languages. The question is what language/s He chose to speak.
Jesus knew all languages. The question is what language/s He chose to speak.
I
Izdaari
Guest
Well, Jesus’ early childhood was in Egypt, probably in Alexandria, where there was a large population of Greek-speaking Jews. So it seems at least plausible that he learned Greek there.
And of course He would have been able to speak any language using his divine powers. I’m just talking about his human side.
And of course He would have been able to speak any language using his divine powers. I’m just talking about his human side.
G
GEddie
Guest
I’m sure everybody is. As God, HE’d have been conversant in US English, Greenlandic, or Klingon, because HE could read human minds. The question is the languages HE learned as a human being. I’m rather sure they included Greek, if not Latin.
ICXC NIKA.
C
ConstantineTG
Guest
Luke, Mark and Paul weren’t companions of Jesus
Matthew wrote originally in Hebrew
John could have learned Greek later on (as well as writting)
H
Hesychios
Guest
I think He understood enough Greek to make a living. I think Saint Joseph did too (plying his trade in the region), as did most of the Apostles. They may not have been eloquent at all.
In a sense, Galilee was already the fringe region of Judaism, in a sense it was where the diaspora begins. One of the indicators is that they had synagogs, which were at the time mostly diaspora phenomena. They were on the ‘other side’ of Samaria, but luckily for them only a few days journey by land from Jerusalem.
Most of the diaspora synagogs had copies of the Greek Septuagint, and I think it has been pointed out that Jesus sometimes quoted the Septuagint (not discounting the possibility that Septuagint words might have been put into the quotes of Jesus retroactively by the authors of the Gospels). If He did actually quote the Septuagint, He would have known it in Greek.
In a sense, Galilee was already the fringe region of Judaism, in a sense it was where the diaspora begins. One of the indicators is that they had synagogs, which were at the time mostly diaspora phenomena. They were on the ‘other side’ of Samaria, but luckily for them only a few days journey by land from Jerusalem.
Most of the diaspora synagogs had copies of the Greek Septuagint, and I think it has been pointed out that Jesus sometimes quoted the Septuagint (not discounting the possibility that Septuagint words might have been put into the quotes of Jesus retroactively by the authors of the Gospels). If He did actually quote the Septuagint, He would have known it in Greek.
P
Petergee
Guest
That may be what Quakers believe, but just to clarify for anyone who’s unaware, the official Catholic doctrine is that the Gospels were written by St Matthew the Apostle, St Mark the secretary of St Peter, St Luke the Physician the close collaborator of St Paul, and St John the Apostle. And that all of the letters of the New Testament were written by Apostles. And that at least the first 3 Gospels and all of the letters of St Paul were completed and published before the martyrdom of Sts Peter and Paul in 64 AD.
The gospels are “anonymous” i.e. the authors do not name themselves bgecause they regard their identity as less imoortant than the truth of swhat they are writing. In the case of St John, as the author invariably refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and strikingly never mentions the name of St John the Apostle, it is obvious even to the casual reader that the author is asserting that he is St John the Apostle.
Unlike the mid-first century New Testament books, historians are unanimous that the so-called “Gospel” of Thomas", “Protoevangelium of James” and “Gospel of Peter” were first written in the mid-second century at the earliest and possibly much later.
- Status