Did Paul Speak Greek?

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tparsons

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I was told that Paul spoke Greek. If this is true, man where have I been??
 
It’s a safe bet that he did - all those gentiles he hung out with? All those Greek cities he visited? Reading and quoting inscriptions off statutes in Athens? And he had a very thorough grounding in Greek philosophy as well, it seems.

Unlikely that he could’ve done all that just on Latin alone.
 
1ke said:
Sure he did, and he wrote in Greek too.

I don’t know. Is this new information to you? Most of the NT was written in Greek.
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I thought most was written in Hebrew…I’m learning though. Thanks!
 
Hi Tparsons,

The whole of the New Testament is in Greek, and St. Paul wrote a huge share of that. When St. Paul lived, Greek was the most common language in the Roman Empire., being spoken pretty much all around the Mediterranean and almost right up to the borders of India. Saul was Paul’s Hebrew name, Paulos being the Greek form of the Latin Paulus.

Verbum
 
There is some evidence that Matthew was written in Aramaic, but few scholars take that idea seriously.
 
tparsons said:
I was told that Paul spoke Greek. If this is true, man where have I been??
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Acts 21:37-22:1

37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” **And he said, “Do you know Greek? **38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cili’cia, a citizen of no mean city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:"
 
EphelDuath said:
There is some evidence that Matthew was written in Aramaic, but few scholars take that idea seriously.
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Some (including Early Church Fathers if I’m not mistaken) say it was -originally- written in Aramaic, then translated into Greek.
 
Hi Pons,

NO one ever claimed that the New Testament was first written in Aramaic, except, as St. Jerome believed, in the case of Matthew, Many, perhaps most modern scholars also believe there was an Aramaic Matthew.

Verbum
 
Evintetly he did as all the New Testament books were written Greek.
Deacon Ed B
 
He and all the apostles could speak all the languages, for in Acts it says:

Acts 2:4

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.”

I am guessing that from this, he could speak Greek, and could write in Greek, as the Holy Spirit gave him the ability to do so, so that he and the apostles could spread the Word as openly as possible.
 
Verbum said:
Hi Pons,

NO one ever claimed that the New Testament was first written in Aramaic, except, as St. Jerome believed, in the case of Matthew, Many, perhaps most modern scholars also believe there was an Aramaic Matthew.

Verbum
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Matthew may have been written in Hebrew/Aramaic, and perhaps some parts of say, Luke,where the style of Greek changes from one place to the other as he includes sources. He may be translating and/or including translations. Fact is the what we have is Greek Texts.
 
Yea, Paul and Jesus both spoke Greek. Matthew probably was written originally in Aramaic/Hebrew though because it was directed towards Jews.

This is actually one of the historical inaccuracies with the Passion of the Christ. Jesus would have only spoke Aramaic while in the North of Galilee. Most of the film should have been in Greek. And a bit in Latin.

But yea of course Paul spoke Greek. How did you think he converted all those Greeks?
 
tparsons said:
I was told that Paul spoke Greek. If this is true, man where have I been??
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I would think its a pretty safe bet Paul wrote his letters to the Corthinians (Greeks) in Greek. Why would he write to the Greeks in Latin, Hebrew or Aramaic?
 
Yea, Paul and Jesus both spoke Greek. Matthew probably was written originally in Aramaic/Hebrew though because it was directed towards Jews.
Click to expand...
This is actually one of the historical inaccuracies with the Passion of the Christ. Jesus would have only spoke Aramaic while in the North of Galilee. Most of the film should have been in Greek. And a bit in Latin.
Click to expand...
But yea of course Paul spoke Greek. How did you think he converted all those Greeks?
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CapIV,

Jesus’ daily language with His disciples and with the Jewish/Israelite people was the Aramaic language, both in Galilee, as well as, in Jerusalem.

One of the ways we can know this, can be seen by the Aramaic terms that are left in the Bible. For example:

Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Tal’itha cu’mi”; which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” (Mark 5:41).

And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Eph’phatha,” that is, “Be opened.”(Mark 7:34)

And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36)

He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter) (John 1:42)

But you say, “If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban” (that is, given to God) (Mark 7:11)

James the son of Zeb’edee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-aner’ges, that is, sons of thunder (Mark 3:17).

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la’ma sabach-tha’ni?” that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

God bless,

Rony
 
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