Re: hellenistic Greek

From: Christopher Hutson (crhutson@salisbury.net)
Date: Mon Jan 18 1999 - 11:17:53 EST


Christopher Engelsma asked:

>Would someone comment on the advantage/disadvantage of taking courses

>in Hellenistic greek in addition to Koine greek?

Well, in the first place, koine IS hellenistic Greek.

But I presume you mean to ask whether it would be worth your while to
take a course reading some hellenistic Greek from outside the NT. Is
that what you are asking? If so, then the answer is YES, YES, YES.

If you read outside the NT then you will have a much better sense of
how the NT writers fit into their historical and cultural contexts.
You'll have a better sense of the political, philosophical and
cultural issues they lived with and a better feel for the social world
in which they operated. You would benefit from reading, for example,
hellenistic philosophical texts, hellenistic Jewish writings, papyri,
romances, speeches, and so forth and so on.

As for disadvantages, there are none.

And while you're at it, consider taking a few courses in Classical
Greek.

XPIC

------------------------------------
Christopher R. Hutson
          Hood Theological Seminary
          Salisbury, NC 28144
crhutson@salisbury.net
------------------------------------

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