Should I learn Greek?
This text is from a letter written by David Gooding in 1999.
The question of whether or not you should learn Greek depends on two things:
- Do you like languages, and have you a facility for them?
- In the budgeting of your time, can you afford the time to learn Greek?
Some people find learning languages difficult, and therefore it not only takes them a long time to get even a rudimentary knowledge, but they find it a great burden that in the end reduces their joy in the word of God.
On the other hand, those who like languages and find it moderately easy to learn their basic principles, and do not find it a penal servitude to have to learn them—such people can profit a great deal from learning Greek. They may never become expert, but a working knowledge of Greek allows them to listen to the discussions of the experts, to grasp what they are talking about, and then to make up their own minds as to which expert is correct.
Also, listening to the narrative portions of the New Testament in the Greek in which they were written can be a great help in following the logical thought flow of the narrative.
Yours very sincerely in Christ,
