The Bible in High Def
(Jesus said,) ‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.’ - Matthew 6:9-13
Why do you have to learn Greek? That was a question that I was asked more than one time before I left Michigan to come out to Gettysburg. Why do we have to learn Greek? That is a question that my classmates or I ask more than one time each day we are here in Gettysburg.
Actually, it is not that bad. It is frustrating, but no more so than any of the other courses I am taking. It’s just that it is so unfamiliar. First, it uses a different alphabet. Some letters are the same, but there are some new letters in there. Then, some of the familiar letters are not who they are in English. For example, this letter “p” is the Greek letter rho, and makes the “r” sound. This letter “n” actually makes the short “e” sound, and this letter “v” is our letter “n”. So, the spelling of the word near in Greek would look like this: νεαρ. Actually, it would be a different word, but this gives you an example of the different alphabet. When you’re tired and everything starts to get a little blurry, having letter be different letters can get very frustrating.
But when the work pays off, it is SO worth the effort. We have been studying imperative verbs recently. Imperatives are commands. In Greek, the root of the verb changes endings to show the mood or tense. Our professor has used the Lord’s Prayer to demonstrate imperatives, because each petition of the prayer uses a verb in the imperative mood.
But what does it mean? In the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples when they asked how they should pray, He uses imperatives. He does not want us to ask God for what we need. He wants us to tell God what we need. We are not to ask God to give us what we need for today’s tasks; we are to tell God what we need for today. We tell Him to have His kingdom come and for His will to be done on earth and in the heavens. (Yes, heavens are referred to as plural, more than one.) We tell God to forgive us for what we owe to Him, because we have already forgiven those who have wronged us and owe us. We tell God not to test us to judgment, but if we must be tested, to deliver us from the evil one.
Why do I have to learn Greek? Because the original text has a layer of meaning that any translation into any language will miss. The authors of the Bible meant something when they used a special tense or voice or mood or state. Any translation will have to shortchange that message in order to have the text be easily read. Being able to read the Bible in Greek is like seeing a movie for the first time in Technicolor or watching television in High Definition. You see things that you otherwise would have missed.
I’m looking forward to being able to use my knowledge next semester when I take a course which will be an in depth study of the Gospels. But only the New Testament was written in Greek. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, which I may be studying next fall. That has a whole new group of challenges, including words not really meaning what they are. Ask your pastor what feet mean in the Old Testament.
The photo was taken earlier this fall from the monument that marks the spot from which the first shots of the Battle of Gettysburg were fired. You can see the Seminary Chapel Bell Tower in the distance. That is the juxtaposition that life here at The LTS presents. It is the type of juxtaposition that we all face in our lives; violence and peace, faith and absolutes, law and gospel. Being able to hold two ideas which are in direct opposition in your mind and accepting them both is NOT an easy task.
Why do you have to learn Greek? That was a question that I was asked more than one time before I left Michigan to come out to Gettysburg. Why do we have to learn Greek? That is a question that my classmates or I ask more than one time each day we are here in Gettysburg.
Actually, it is not that bad. It is frustrating, but no more so than any of the other courses I am taking. It’s just that it is so unfamiliar. First, it uses a different alphabet. Some letters are the same, but there are some new letters in there. Then, some of the familiar letters are not who they are in English. For example, this letter “p” is the Greek letter rho, and makes the “r” sound. This letter “n” actually makes the short “e” sound, and this letter “v” is our letter “n”. So, the spelling of the word near in Greek would look like this: νεαρ. Actually, it would be a different word, but this gives you an example of the different alphabet. When you’re tired and everything starts to get a little blurry, having letter be different letters can get very frustrating.
But when the work pays off, it is SO worth the effort. We have been studying imperative verbs recently. Imperatives are commands. In Greek, the root of the verb changes endings to show the mood or tense. Our professor has used the Lord’s Prayer to demonstrate imperatives, because each petition of the prayer uses a verb in the imperative mood.
But what does it mean? In the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples when they asked how they should pray, He uses imperatives. He does not want us to ask God for what we need. He wants us to tell God what we need. We are not to ask God to give us what we need for today’s tasks; we are to tell God what we need for today. We tell Him to have His kingdom come and for His will to be done on earth and in the heavens. (Yes, heavens are referred to as plural, more than one.) We tell God to forgive us for what we owe to Him, because we have already forgiven those who have wronged us and owe us. We tell God not to test us to judgment, but if we must be tested, to deliver us from the evil one.
Why do I have to learn Greek? Because the original text has a layer of meaning that any translation into any language will miss. The authors of the Bible meant something when they used a special tense or voice or mood or state. Any translation will have to shortchange that message in order to have the text be easily read. Being able to read the Bible in Greek is like seeing a movie for the first time in Technicolor or watching television in High Definition. You see things that you otherwise would have missed.
I’m looking forward to being able to use my knowledge next semester when I take a course which will be an in depth study of the Gospels. But only the New Testament was written in Greek. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, which I may be studying next fall. That has a whole new group of challenges, including words not really meaning what they are. Ask your pastor what feet mean in the Old Testament.
The photo was taken earlier this fall from the monument that marks the spot from which the first shots of the Battle of Gettysburg were fired. You can see the Seminary Chapel Bell Tower in the distance. That is the juxtaposition that life here at The LTS presents. It is the type of juxtaposition that we all face in our lives; violence and peace, faith and absolutes, law and gospel. Being able to hold two ideas which are in direct opposition in your mind and accepting them both is NOT an easy task.
Be thankful you can do that. Be safe in your travels this long holiday weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Comments
So in effect, the imperatives are how we express our needs to God in such a way as "telling" God that we are certain that God already knows and will provide what we need. It is this assurance and certainty that we call faith.
Isn't Greek fun?