Lord willing, I will be starting a 1^st semester introductory Greek class which can be taken by distance students in September 2022.  If you are interested, see the post below, the schedule here, and more information here, and then please click here to contact me.

 

What Will I Learn in Introductory NT Greek?

 

We will be learning introductory matters such as the Greek alphabet, and then the entire Koine Greek noun system, after which we will get in to verbs in the indicative mood.  A second semester to follow should cover the rest of the fundamentals of Greek grammar.  At the end of the course, you will be well prepared to begin reading the New Testament on your own.  You also will, I trust, have grown closer to the Lord through your growth in understanding and application of His Word, will have grown in your ability to read, understand, teach, and preach the Bible (if you are a man; women are welcome to take the class as well, as they should know God’s Word for themselves and their families and teach other women and children), and will be prepared to learn Greek syntax and dive deeper into exegesis and more advanced Greek study in second year Greek. You will learn the basics of New Testament Greek grammar, syntax and vocabulary, preparing you to translate, interpret and apply Scripture. Recognizing the importance of using the original languages for the interpretation of the New Testament, you will acquire a thorough foundation in biblical Greek. You will learn the essentials of grammar and acquire an adequate vocabulary.

 

The course should be taught in such a way that a committed high school student can understand and do well in the content (think of an “AP” or Advanced Placement class), while the material covered is complete enough to qualify for a college or a seminary level class.  There is no need to be intimidated by Greek because it is an ancient language.  Someone who can learn Spanish can learn NT Greek.  Indeed, if you speak English and can read this, you have already learned a language—modern English—that is considerably more difficult than the Greek of the New Testament.  Little children in Christ’s day were able to learn Koiné Greek, and little children in Greece today learn modern Greek.  If they can learn Greek, you can as well, especially in light of principles such as:  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

 

The immense practical benefits of knowing Greek, along with plenty of edifying teaching, will be included. The class should not be a dry learning of an ancient language, but an interesting, spiritually encouraging, and practical study of the language in which God has given His final revelation.  It will help you in everything from preaching and teaching in Christ’s church to answering people’s objections in evangelism house to house to understanding God’s Word better in your personal and family time with the Lord.

 

Furthermore, you will be learning Greek in such a way that at the end you will actually know it.  That is, this course, and successor courses in 2nd year Greek (syntax) and 3rd year Greek (book exegesis of Ephesians and Romans), are designed for you to actually know the language at the end, so that you can draw closer to the Lord, be more effective in preaching and teaching God’s Word, and reap the other tremendous benefits of learning Greek the rest of your life. Greek is not an agonizing drudgery you should barely survive and at the conclusion of which you forget everything you learned.  The course sequence will teach you to preach expository messages, or teach Scripture, so that the main points of your sermons or lessons are what the main points of the passage are, powerfully impacting those you are shepherding with the sharp sword of the Word. As, by God’s grace, you learn the language and regularly read the Greek New Testament, God’s final glorious revelation will become familiar to you the way the Bible in French or German or Spanish is familiar to native speakers of those languages, and both you and others will be transformed as you behold the glory of Jesus Christ in the mirror of Scripture by the Spirit in a greater way (2 Corinthians 3:18).

What Textbooks Will I Use in Introductory NT Greek?

Required class textbooks are:

1.) Greek New Testament Textus Receptus (Trinitarian Bible Society), the Greek NT underneath the Authorized, King James Version:

alternatively, the Greek New Testament Textus Receptus and Hebrew Old Testament bound together (Trinitarian Bible Society):

 

2.) William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, ed. Verlyn D. Verbrugge, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009) (Later editions of Mounce are also fine, but please do not use the first or second edition.):

 

4th edition:

3.) William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek (Workbook), ed. Verlyn D. Verbrugge, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009)

 

4th edition:

 

4.) T. Michael W. Halcomb, Speak Koine Greek: A Conversational Phrasebook (Wilmore, KY: GlossaHouse, 2014):

 

4.) T. Michael W. Halcomb, 800 Words and Images: A New Testament Greek Vocabulary Builder (Wilmore, KY: GlossaHouse, 2013):

 

Recommended texts include:

5.) Danker, Frederick William (ed.), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd. ed. (BDAG), Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000.  This is the only text that you can buy for Accordance Bible Software or Logos Bible Software and then use as a Bible software module instead of having a physical copy.  All other books should be physical.

6.) The Morphology of Biblical Greek, by William D. Mounce. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1994

(Note: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. To save money on buying books on the Internet, please visit here.)

 

We are using Speak Koiné Greek as a supplement to Mounce because studies of how people learn languages indicate that the more senses one uses the better one learns a language.  Speaking and thinking in Greek will help you learn to read the NT in Greek.  We are using Halcomb’s 800 Words and Images because learning Greek vocabulary with pictures and drawings helps to retain words in your memory (think about how children learn words from picture books).  Mounce is a very well-written and user-friendly textbook, and Halcomb’s works will make the material even more user-friendly.

 

What Qualifications Does the Professor Have to Teach Greek?

 

I have taught Greek from the introductory through the graduate and post-graduate levels for a significant number of years.  I have read the New Testament from cover to cover in Greek five times and continue to read my Greek New Testament through regularly.  I can sight-read most of the New Testament.  I am currently reading the Septuagint through as well; I am about halfway through the Pentateuch and am also reading Psalms.  I have also read cover to cover and taught advanced Greek grammars.  While having extensive knowledge of Koine Greek, students of mine have also thought my teaching was accessible and comprehensible.  More about my background is online here.

 

My doctrinal position is that of an independent Baptist separatist, for that is what is taught in Scripture. Because Scripture teaches its own perfect inspiration and preservation, I also believe both doctrines, which necessarily leads to the belief that God has preserved His Word in the Greek Textus Receptus from which we get the English King James Version, rather than in the modern critical Greek text (Nestle-Aland, United Bible Societies).

What Do I Need to Get Started?

 

Unless you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you will need a computer or other electronic device over which you can communicate. We can help you set up Zoom on your computer in case you need assistance with that.

 

The class should begin in early September, 2022.  The class will count as a 4 credit college course.  Taking the class for credit is $185 per credit hour.  The class can be audited for $100 per credit hour.  Auditors will not take tests or be able to interact with the class.  Taking it for credit is, therefore, likely preferable for the large majority of people. When signing up, please include something written from your pastor stating the church of which you are a member and his approval for your taking the class.  A church that utilizes the class as part of its seminary, college, or institute curriculum may have alternative pricing arrangements; please direct questions to the leadership at your church for more information. Students with clear needs who live outside of North America and Europe in less well-developed countries in Africa or Asia (for example) may qualify for a discount on the course price.  One or two students located in any part of the world who are able and willing to help with video editing also would qualify for a course discount.

 

For any further questions, please use the contact form here.

 

I am thinking about starting a 1^st year Hebrew class for distance students soon as well. Please also let me know if you are interested in learning the language in which God revealed the majority of His infallible revelation.

–TDR