Should you study Koine Greek and ancient Hebrew?

[TonyChanYT]

Do you have to learn Greek and Hebrew to understand the bible fully?

No one can fully understand the Bible. Studying the Koine Greek and ancient Hebrew languages will help you understand some verses better. It is not a prerequisite to know God who dwells in you.

Should you study Koine Greek and ancient Hebrew?

If you are interested in grammar and syntax, then yes. If not, then no. Would you read something like Grammatical Mood on a daily basis?

Some claim:

I was listening to a wonderful Bible scholar and he said you should at least know the Greek and Hebrew alphabet to appreciate the deeper meaning of scripture.

That's superficial. Knowing the spellings does not give you that advantage. Worse, it makes you think that you have that advantage over people who can't spell in Greek or Hebrew.

The best way to learn Greek or Hebrew is to study it in a classroom setting from a professor.

Studying grammar is a serious business. If you enjoy doing lexical-syntactical analysis, then go ahead.

 

[Josheb]

Do you have to learn Greek and Hebrew to understand the bible fully?

No. Our English translations are fully capable of communicating the gospel and what is entailed in living a functional, thriving life in Christ.

No one can fully understand the Bible. Studying the Koine Greek and ancient Hebrew languages will help you understand some verses better. It is not a prerequisite to know God who dwells in you.

The inability to know everything is not the reason original languages are unnecessary.

Should you study Koine Greek and ancient Hebrew?

Yes, but it is not required or necessary. Knowing the original language is immensely helpful, but it serves mostly those bent toward that kind of study. We do not have to learn French to understand "The Three Musketeers" or Spanish to understand "100 Years of Solitude" BUT there are nuances missed in the English translations existing in the original languages.

If you are interested in grammar and syntax, then yes. If not, then no. Would you read something like Grammatical Mood on a daily basis?

That is true but learning the original languages, especially that of Hebrew and Greek, is about much more than grammar and syntax. Both languages are much more nuanced and idiomatic than our rather blunt English.

Some claim:

That's superficial. Knowing the spellings does not give you that advantage. Worse, it makes you think that you have that advantage over people who can't spell in Greek or Hebrew.

That is true but the hubris that often accompanies knowledge is not limited to the study or original languages. Those thinking themselves possessing advantage over others don't do so because they know Hebrew or Greek; they do so because they are prideful and obnoxious weaklings.

The best way to learn Greek or Hebrew is to study it in a classroom setting from a professor. Studying grammar is a serious business. If you enjoy doing lexical-syntactical analysis, then go ahead.

Yep. I have Mounce's seminary textbooks and tried to learn Greek on my own. An online course proved to be much more effective and conversation with friends in the clergy has shown that to be wanting. There is nothing like having someone explain in person the difference between how Hebrew, Greek, and English work.

But that, in and of itself, will not make a Christian a better Christian.




I'd like to add one more thing. When studying Hebrew there is a lot of theological bias and it can be hard to avoid or hard to overcome. It has become popular to study Hebrew with Jews, or Jewish converts to Christ but a person should be careful because most Messianic Jews are prone to Judaization and Dispensationalism. They are not teaching Hebrew objectively and they may not be teaching orthodox Christianity.