Is it ever too early to parse?
Posted: August 5th, 2013, 10:33 pm
Here's another broad question. Is it too early for me to spend time trying to read/parse/translate one of the easier NT books? I know the answer will be subjective, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Here's where I am, along with my resources.
I am going through "Essentials of New Testament Greek" by Ray Summers, the revised edition. I'm learning on my own, although I have two friends who are language scholars and teach Koine Greek. I don't get to meet with them often but I can usually get an answer out of them when I have a question. The book is not the first one I started with, but it seems the most accessible so far. (I have a copy of Machen's "New Testament Greek for Beginners. It was difficult going through the first few chapters although I suspect I'd do better now.)
I've covered the first 8 chapters of the Summers book which goes over 1) Letters & Sounds, 2) Pronunciation & Accents, 3) Verbs: Present and Active, 4) Nouns 2nd decl, 5) Nouns 1st decl, 6) Adjectives (1st and 2nd decl), 7) The Greek Sentence and 8) Prepositions
I have a pretty good understanding of the material, although it takes me quite some time to complete the exercises. I know the sentences in the NT will be much harder. I'm still working on learning the prepositions. Each day I try to go back and briefly refresh the material I've already learned and advance some more.
I also have a copy of Westcott & Hort's text as well as "A Reader's Greek New Testament 2nd Edition" compiled by Goodrich Lukaszewski.
My vocabulary is very limited. It's slightly larger than what I would have had using just the Summers book through these early chapters but not by much. I find myself flipping though the GNT. I practice pronunciation. In church I'll look up the passage being discussed and try to see which words I know, and which forms of the words I can sort out.
I don't want to get ahead of myself. At the same time I wonder if trying to go through a chapter of John or I John might help me learn quicker. It would certainly break up the monotony of turning to the next chapter and finding yet another chart to learn.
Thoughts?
Here's where I am, along with my resources.
I am going through "Essentials of New Testament Greek" by Ray Summers, the revised edition. I'm learning on my own, although I have two friends who are language scholars and teach Koine Greek. I don't get to meet with them often but I can usually get an answer out of them when I have a question. The book is not the first one I started with, but it seems the most accessible so far. (I have a copy of Machen's "New Testament Greek for Beginners. It was difficult going through the first few chapters although I suspect I'd do better now.)
I've covered the first 8 chapters of the Summers book which goes over 1) Letters & Sounds, 2) Pronunciation & Accents, 3) Verbs: Present and Active, 4) Nouns 2nd decl, 5) Nouns 1st decl, 6) Adjectives (1st and 2nd decl), 7) The Greek Sentence and 8) Prepositions
I have a pretty good understanding of the material, although it takes me quite some time to complete the exercises. I know the sentences in the NT will be much harder. I'm still working on learning the prepositions. Each day I try to go back and briefly refresh the material I've already learned and advance some more.
I also have a copy of Westcott & Hort's text as well as "A Reader's Greek New Testament 2nd Edition" compiled by Goodrich Lukaszewski.
My vocabulary is very limited. It's slightly larger than what I would have had using just the Summers book through these early chapters but not by much. I find myself flipping though the GNT. I practice pronunciation. In church I'll look up the passage being discussed and try to see which words I know, and which forms of the words I can sort out.
I don't want to get ahead of myself. At the same time I wonder if trying to go through a chapter of John or I John might help me learn quicker. It would certainly break up the monotony of turning to the next chapter and finding yet another chart to learn.
Thoughts?