As a scholar of New Testament Greek, John Bechtle has had the advantage of being able to read his Bible in its original language, taking out any of the ambiguity and confusion that come with the various English translations. He noticed other people wanted that skill, but they assumed they didnāt have the time or resources to commit themselves to learning the ancient language.
Learning New Testament Greek ā which is different from modern Greek ā in its entirety isnāt practical for most people, Bechtle said, but he realized that wasnāt necessary. The much more feasible goal was to go one word at a time.
āI could teach you in a day,ā he would tell people.
So thatās what he started doing. Bechtle, who has been teaching Greek and Bible classes since 1972, is offering his second New Testament Greek workshop March 16 at Castleview Church. The six-hour workshop teaches participants how to figure out exactly what the Greek word in a verse means. Bechtle held his first workshop last fall and said he wants to do another one this year, perhaps in the summer. Learning Greek would only be useful for the New Testament, since the Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, but Bechtle said the same techniques he teaches can be carried over.
Bechtle made it clear that knowing Greek ā or even just knowing how to track down definitions of Greek words and apply the context of the verse ā is not a prerequisite to being a āgood Christian,ā but the advantage is clear.
āEverything I want to know about the wisdom thatās there and the guide to life and what Jesus taught is in the Bible,ā he said. āIf thatās where my basic information is, itās important for me to understand that as accurately as I can.ā
There are some practical examples for this. In Ephesians 5:15, some English translations include a phrase about redeeming time. There are two Greek words for time: āchronos,ā which is the root of many English words, and ākairos,ā the Greek word used in the verse. According to Bechtle, the āchronosā translation implies a āconveyer beltā of opportunities that can make people feel like theyāre always behind. But ākairos,ā which refers to special opportunities, is different.
There are also literary benefits to learning how to read the Bible in its original language. Marti Steussy, who is retired but still teaches a few Greek and Hebrew courses at Christian Theological Seminary, said many of the Bibleās authors have distinct voices that tend to get lost when translated into English. Take Jesus, for example.
āHis ability to play a soundbite is amazing,ā Steussy said of his Sermon on the Mount. āWe sort of miss that.ā
Steussy said one misconception people have is that learning how to apply the original language to the Bible will answer all the questions theyāve ever had. But Steussy noted Greek and Hebrew, just like English, have words and sentence structures that a reader can interpret in a number of ways.
Even though the purpose of Bechtleās workshop is to give everyday people the tools to understand the Bible as it was originally written without needing an expert at every step, thereās still much to gain from pastors and teachers having this knowledge. Matt Harmon, who teaches Greek and New Testament classes at Grace College, said one of his favorite things about having a grasp of the Greek language is that he can now better relay that wisdom to his students.
āWhen I use it for preaching and teaching,ā he said, āI can see structure and flow of argument more clearly than just the English text, which helps me more clearly explain that to others.ā
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Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
GREEKĀ
WORD STUDY WORKSHOP
When:Ā 9 a.m.-3p.m. March 16
Where: Castleview Church, 8601 Hague Road
Cost: $44 before March 8, $49 after
Register: ezraproject.com/workshops
Contact: info@ezraproject.com
Bible