It's Greek to Me and That's Ok


When something is unintelligible we say that it's "Greek to me." Somehow Greek has become the symbol of all that is confusing and beyond understanding. That's unfortunate. Now I'll be the first to admit that studying Greek in college was one of the greatest challenges of my academic career. And even today as I gather weekly with two other area pastors to translate upcoming pericopes, I am reminded that working with this language can be a mind-twisting experience. Still, Greek has to be one of the most precise and crisp languages used to communicate human thought throughout history. Unlike English with its myriad exceptions and borrowed words, ancient Greek is far more predictable.

Traditionally pastors were required to study Greek as part of their preparation for the ministry. Not so long ago I heard that this requirement doesn't hold for those in the DELTO (Distance Education Leading to Ordination) program. I was quite surprised - and disappointed. True, learning Greek isn't every one's cup of tea. Some pick this up at ease, others flounder in a sea of syntax. Nevertheless, I believe that it is still indispensable for the overall education of one who would preach the Word of God.

One reason is that a pastor without some mastery of Greek is always dependant on a translation. Some of the translations out there are fairly good and faithful in conveying the intent of the text. Yet no matter how good they are, they are still, technically, only an interpretation of the original inspired text. A look at the plethora of translations today is proof enough of this point. To go from one language to another is a cross-cultural experience, not merely the definition of a foreign word into the language of the reader.

Another point in defense of the learning of Greek is that it opens areas of the text that would have been closed without access to the original. When we formed our Greek Study Group a year ago I was quite amazed how the text began to open up for me and how my preaching was refreshed as I took the time to explore it in more depth. Some pastors undoubtedly feel as if the "well runs dry" in their preaching. They can't figure out anything new to offer their people. Yet the well of the original always offers fresh material. The nuances of a verb, the order of the sentence, the uniqueness of a word's definition, the variety of areas to explore is unending.

It used to be that to learn Greek you had to go to college or find a private tutor. However, the resources available today on the web and the book store are so great that I believe anyone could learn this blessed language. And the tools available to the student are also so plentiful that one is never lacking in places to find answers. While my professors would have frowned on such tools as interlinear Bibles, I would not. It is a tool to bridge the gap and assist those who translate. True, it should not be an end in itself. But it is a tool.

I believe that the church more than ever needs pastors trained in the original languages. The theological erosion by the left, the mushy middle of the moderate, and the onslaught of biblistic cults make such mastery indispensable to today's shepherd. Luther said that "The languages are the sheath in which the sword of the Spirit is contained." He better than most knew their value, especially as he worked to put the voice of the Lord into the language of the Germans.

I am fearful that the church is losing sight of the value of this tool. I hope that they don't lose sight of it entirely.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi...
Read more

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir...
Read more

Five Things You Shoud Not Say at Funerals

Image
After preparing for a couple of funerals here recently, I was reminded of an article I read a few years back in the Concordia Journal entitled, "Five Things You Should Not Say at Funerals" (October 2003). My one pet peeve with funerals I attend as a guest is the all too frequent absence of Christ crucified and risen. Too often the content is trivial and shallow and centered on the life and times of the deceased instead of our Lord. However, even after several years of ministry, I realize that I may not have always presented the fullness of our hope as accurately as possible, even while preaching Christ. Dr. Jeff Gibbs gave me pause to think. The five things he tells us we ought not to say: 1.) "Bob has received the crown of righteousness, and he has heard the Lord say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" Gibbs reason for not saying this: Like some of the phrases to follow, these are words that point to the final Day of Judgment, not to th...
Read more