R
romano
Guest
Like Shakespeare, I have “lytel Latine and lesse Greke.” But I do know the Greek alphabet, and it does come in handy at times.
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K
Kevin_Walker
Guest
We should study Latin, Greek, and Hebrew!
W
WanderAimlessly
Guest
I will have to learn it if I do decide to go into the Priesthood. It is part of the pre-theology courses at the seminary my home diocese uses.
I am going to try to self-learn New Testament Greek when I get the time.
PF
I am going to try to self-learn New Testament Greek when I get the time.
PF
K
Katholikos
Guest
Kevin Walker:
There’s certainly no harm in studying Latin, Greek and Hebrew – unless we begin to think we know something the Church doesn’t know and start tinkering with doctrine like so many have.
Catholic priests are the exception. They especially need Latin, since it’s the official language of the Church.
JMJ Jay
Unless we are genuine scholars – who study the culture, morays, customs, geography, history, anthropology, and other aspects of the era in which the OT and NT were written – knowing the languages alone is quite useless. I assume you think you’d be able to interpret the writings if you knew the languages, izzat right? You gotta know the languages well, including the idioms, and a whole lot more, for that. It’s the Church’s job to interpret the Scriptures. She wrote the NT. We lay folk should study the Catholic Church.
There’s certainly no harm in studying Latin, Greek and Hebrew – unless we begin to think we know something the Church doesn’t know and start tinkering with doctrine like so many have.
Catholic priests are the exception. They especially need Latin, since it’s the official language of the Church.
JMJ Jay
Yep. That’s why we should learn the culture, mores, customs, geography, history, anthropology
and other aspects of the Biblical era together with the language. The fact is, translations, good as they are, don’t fully convey the full force of the sacred writings. Learning the language and all that stuff truly allows us a better understanding of God’s Word. That’s why I think all who seriously want to teach and defend the faith must have at least some knowledge of the original languages and the circumstances surrounding them.Agreed on this one. No one could properly interpret Scripture outside of the living Tradition of the Church. But still, those lay folk who wish to study the original languages should be encouraged in every way, for their motives are to understand God more deeply. There are few motives more honorable. I’m in the middle of a self-study on basic New Testament Greek. I’m having a hard time, but I’m enjoying it, and with the little I’ve learned, I can see the Tradition of the Church even more clearly through the Greek NT.
And besides, a little properly learned Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic here and there and you can demolish plenty of fundamentalists and pseudo-Christians out there.
R
romano
Guest
Kevin Walker:
Everyone?
Q
quaysman
Guest
I’ve been “dabbling” with Greek for a long time… Alphabet, word recognition, etc. I hope to one day know it well enough to at least “read” my Greek New Testament and Septuagint.
I have found this basic “familiarity” with the language to be helpful when reading more technical articles, commentaries, etc.
I don’t at this time anticipate ever being “an authority” (although that would be really cool)…
Latin & Hebrew are on my list too…
Grace & Peace
I have found this basic “familiarity” with the language to be helpful when reading more technical articles, commentaries, etc.
I don’t at this time anticipate ever being “an authority” (although that would be really cool)…
Latin & Hebrew are on my list too…
Grace & Peace
P
puzzleannie
Guest
until the early days of the last century when Dewey and those who separated knowledge from education transformed the schools into the cesspools of “relevance”, moral relativism and pseudo-science masquerading as knowledge we currently entrust our children to, the foundation for all learning was knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. No one could be considered educated who did not grasp their grammar, along with rhetoric, mathematics, literature, English grammar and usage, history, in short, the liberal arts. And they were taught using the best examples of the finest writers in those languages not by using PC stories concocted by educational specialists.
T
tee_eff_em
Guest
I know of the importance of Latin and Greek, but I’ve never heard of Hebrew as a pillar of classical education?
Personally, I am still recovering lost Latin, but someday perhaps soon I would like to try out at least Koine Greek.
“It’s all Greek to me”,
tee
W
WanderAimlessly
Guest
Romano:
All three languages are important and should definitely be studied for those who have a professional interest in Biblical Studies.
However, many of us do not have the time, money, and/or patience to study all three. In my opinion, the order in leaning the languages should be Latin, Greek, Hebrew.
PF
R
romano
Guest
puzzleannie said:
Lovely!
R
romano
Guest
By “we” I meant of course “everyone,” professional students being a tiny sub-set of that class.
And some don’t have the talent or inclination either.
The Lord Jesus, of course, didn’t tell us that unless we become expert polylingual Biblical exegetes we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He asked us rather to become as little children.
Personally I think that real illumination comes rather from the Holy spirit than from technical lnguistic expertise. But that’s just my opinion.
E
Exporter
Guest
Should we study Greek? NO !
Should we study “electronics” so that we can understand how a radio or a computer works? No! We just use them.
Men who have devoted their lives to Greek-English translation will do a far better job than a person who suddenly spends a few years to learn Greek.
K
Kevin_Walker
Guest
Hi,
It is by studying that us lay folk are transformed into scholars. And learning Latin, Greek, and Hebrew are good starting points for that transformation.
E
Exporter
Guest
A few men have studied Greek all their lives and they translate much better than we would after studying for just a few years. It is not easy. I say leave it up to the old-time experts.
Exporter said:
Greek and electronics are two different things. Electronics constitute the components that make the device e.g. radio work. Since we’re only interested in the radio, we don’t need the electronics.
Greek, in the other hand, IS the device, and the English translations are merely copies that do a fair job of conveying the divine message, but not quite, since the inspired NT language was Greek.
I daresay that one’s desire to learn the Biblical languages in order to understand more is a reflection of one’s love for God’s Word, for learning the original languages takes us into the inspired text without the baggage carried by translations.
So those who wish to study Greek should be encouraged 100%, not hindered in any way. I do agree, though, that it’s not for everybody, that’s why we have translations.
R
romano
Guest
porthos11 said:
But couldn’t the Holy Spirit have gone on to inspire at least some of the translators? And doesn’t the Holy Spirit, at least from time to time, inspire with deep understanding at least some readers of those translations?
What your statement seems to imply is that only fluent readers of Koine have access to the fullness of God’s Word.
R
romano
Guest
porthos11 said:
Very nice. Yes. “Love” is the key word here.
Yes, of course, it isn’t for everybody, and no-one should feel compelled. Though I still think it’s a good idea for us to at least try to learn the Greek alphabet. Here’s a good link for the interested:
ibiblio.org/koine/greek/lessons/alphabet.html
Not just Koine Greek, but ancient Hebrew as well. Yes, I daresay that too. Translations can never be considered inspired, and no translation carries with it the full force of the original text. Hence, learning even a bit of the original languages goes a long way.But couldn’t the Holy Spirit have gone on to inspire at least some of the translators? And doesn’t the Holy Spirit, at least from time to time, inspire with deep understanding at least some readers of those translations?
What your statement seems to imply is that only fluent readers of Koine have access to the fullness of God’s Word.
Just take these verses from the New Testament: John 1:1, John 6:56-67, and 1st Corinthians 11:24. For the first verse, the English does quite well, but the word order and use of the definite article in Greek strongly reinforces the dogma of Jesus’ divinity. Only the Greek conveys the full power of the latter three verses in support of the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Mass.
C
copland
Guest
I have had 2 years worth of Greek, and I must say that it has been a blessing. It is easy to say that Greek is not much benefit when you don’t know Greek, but I have never heard anyone who has learned Greek say that it is not worth learning. Any Biblical language has it’s blessings, and Greek is one that will bring alot of fruit to anyone who loves God’s Word.
One advantage to learning Greek is you can see right through a heretic that claims that “in the Greek it means this or that.” Usually some nit wit anti-catholic will try to pull a fast one like that on folks who do not know Greek and can not really refute the claims.
But let me say, Greek is not simple to learn. It will require time and effort. I recommend for beginners “Basics to Biblical Greek” by William Mounce. It is very good, though it is Protestant. But he does not bash Catholicism in his course, so it is Catholic friendly.
One advantage to learning Greek is you can see right through a heretic that claims that “in the Greek it means this or that.” Usually some nit wit anti-catholic will try to pull a fast one like that on folks who do not know Greek and can not really refute the claims.
But let me say, Greek is not simple to learn. It will require time and effort. I recommend for beginners “Basics to Biblical Greek” by William Mounce. It is very good, though it is Protestant. But he does not bash Catholicism in his course, so it is Catholic friendly.
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