[b-greek] Re: Mounce NIV English-GNT

From: Steven Sheeley (ssheeley@shorter.edu)
Date: Mon Nov 06 2000 - 10:14:36 EST


I adamantly prohibit my students' use of interlinears, since I really think
that their use interferes with the process of learning biblical Greek. One
of the reasons that translations differ lies in the interpretation of tenses
and idiomatic expressions. Using an interlinear obscures those
interpretative differences, since the English text has already been
translated, and the word order has already been changed into our English
structure. In my opinion, any tool that makes reading the Greek New
Testament too easy contributes to the atrophy that already characterizes the
reading of the Bible in American Christianity. Part of the joy of reading
the New Testament in Greek is the sense of achievement that comes after hard
work. And, perhaps the most benefit is to be found in having to slow down
long enough to pay attention to what the words actually say, rather than
reading so fast that we merely hear scripture say what we have always
thought it said.

Steven Sheeley
Associate Professor of Religion
Associate Dean of the College
Shorter College

-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick Narkinsky [mailto:patrick@extremehope.org]
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 10:03 AM
To: Biblical Greek
Cc: Biblical Greek
Subject: [b-greek] Re: Mounce NIV English-GNT


On Sat, 4 Nov 2000, Dave Reigle wrote:

> So I conclude that if tools like interlinears can be used to aid
> someone to learn Greek, they can be beneficial. I still cringe when I
> hear someone say "The Greek really says such and such" or worse, "This
> word really means_", but I think this kind of abuse would occur
> whether or not interlinears existed.

Granted that most of the time, when people say "the Greek really means
such and such", they are wrong. But if learning Greek doesn't offer any
real insights into the text, then why learn it? As wrong as most
pronouncements made from the Greek are, isn't that better than simply
depending on a translation?

Patrick


--
Patrick Narkinsky
patrick@extremehope.org

"It is not as a child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My Hosanna
is
born of a furnace of doubt." -- Fyodor Dostoevski


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