Martin Luther once wrote of theological education, saying:
And further, if I could bring it to pass among you I should like to ask that you do not neglect the languages but, since it would not be too difficult for you, that you have your preachers and some of your gifted boys learn Latin, Greek, and Hebrew well. I know for a fact that one who has to preach and expound the Scriptures and has no help from the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, but must do it entirely on the basis of his mother tongue, will make many a pretty mistake. For it has been my experience that the languages are extraordinarily helpful for a clear understanding of the divine Scriptures.
For the first eight years of my time as a pastor, I neglected such counsel, telling myself that I might go to seminary some day and learn the biblical languages then. However, a discovery of Christian Classical Education opened my eyes to value of the three classical languages: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Thus, for the past year and a half, the bulk of my free time has been committed to learning those ancient tongues (which is also the chief reason why my posts here have been rather lean).
Thankfully, I discovered that the advent of the Internet has made learning Latin, Greek, and Hebrew far more attainable than ever before; no seminary classroom required! With the necessary self-discipline and motivation, these languages are now accessible to anyone. So, if you have any desire to be able to read the Bible in the original Greek and Hebrew or to learn Latin, the language of theology for much of church history, below are some great resources for learning Greek that I have been using, as well as links to a few others that I have not personally used. Look for similar posts for Hebrew and Latin to follow shortly.
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING KOINE GREEK
Biblingo
If you only use one resource on this list, let it be Biblingo.
You can read my full thoughts on Biblingo here, but my elevator pitch for Biblingo is that it is essentially Duolingo for learning Biblical Greek and Hebrew, except far better than Duolingo and very much worth the paid subscription.
The overall philosophy of Biblingo’s creators is that the biblical languages ought to be learned as languages rather than as linguistic puzzles to be solved. Thus, their goal is to help people be able to read the Bible in Greek and Hebrew rather than simply being able to decode sentence after sentence. That happens to be my goal as well, which is why I gave Biblingo a try in the first place.
You may also consider other programs like the Biblical Mastery Academy or the Ancient Language Institute.
Learn New Testament Greek
This is the book that began my journey into learning Greek, and I still highly recommend it to any self-learners. Dobson’s book makes a great introduction because he does not teach grammar until later in the book, which is typically one of the greatest intimidations to overcome when learning another language. In lesson 2, you read John 1:1, and in lesson 18, he assigns passages to read from the Greek New Testament. In fact, reaching lesson 18 and reading from the Bible itself was a massive milestone for me.
Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar
Mounce’s Greek grammar is a best seller for good reason. In his lectures, Mounce says that learning Greek was a difficult and strenuous process for him, so he wrote his own textbook to make it easier for others. I am a bit of a grammar nerd, so I did read the book cover-to-cover. Even if you do not read it in its entirety, this is a wonderful resource to have on your shelf.
Other grammars that I have heard are excellent, include: Beginning with New Testament Greek, Reading Koine Greek, and A Primer of Biblical Greek.
Alpha with Angela
These free YouTube videos are fantastic for teaching biblical Greek as an actual language. Each video’s content is exclusively given in Greek, which makes for excellent comprehensible input. Various other resources are available at freegreek.online
A Greek Reader
Jeong’s book was written to be paired with Croy’s A Primer of Biblical Greek, but it can certainly be read on its one. While there are a number of Greek readers for intermediate students, this book is one of the few that targets beginners. Since you get comfortable reading in Greek by reading in Greek, this is a highly valuable book to work through.
You can also learn the Greek alphabet and pronunciation rules here.
GENERAL TIPS
In putting any of the resources above to use, here are a few general tips for learning the classical languages.
Be Consistent
15 minutes every day is far better than one two-hour block per week. Of course, the more time you can give to studying, the more quickly you will see progress. In learning anything new, periods of intensity wax and wane. Capitalize on seasons of enthusiasm by studying for longer periods of time, but keep doing something even in the dry seasons when motivation dwindles. For example, I read something in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew everyday, even when I don’t necessarily feel like it.
Read, Read, Read
Read everything you can, as often as you can. Although some methodologies are better for language learning than others, there are no shortcuts. Fluency requires time and effort with the language. With the classical languages, that comes through reading, so read as much as you can.
Have Appropriate Goals
Big picture goals are crucial. For Greek and Hebrew, that is fairly simple: I want to be able to read the Bible in the original languages as fluently as possible. Reading the Vulgate, Calvin’s Institutes, and The Aeneid are my goals for Latin. But it is also important to have smaller, milestone goals. Those goals can be finishing a certain book, reaching a certain chapter, or fully understanding a particular passage. Keep the big goals in front of you, while celebrating each milestone goal that you achieve.
Press on through discouragement
Mounce talks about working through the mental fog while learning a language, and that is all too true. Don’t expect to understand everything the first time you encounter it; keep going and clarity will eventually come. When I first started, I would often read a new grammar lesson in bed, even though I knew that I probably wouldn’t understand it. That was for two reasons. First, the mental work put me to sleep. Second, even though I didn’t fully grasp what I read, it was a preliminary exposure that I believe made learning easier the next day.
You really can do it
You do not have to be a pastor or great theologian to learn the classical languages. If you put in the time and the effort, you can learn any one of these languages or even all three. And especially reading God’s Word in the original languages is well worth both the time and the effort.
B. C. Newton 