In one month I will begin teaching a new introductory Greek class on Monday nights. This is one of the most important ministries God has given me in my 45 years of teaching. The goal of all Greek instruction is to establish believers in the truth of the word of God. Leaders especially need to be firmly grounded in the Scriptures and must learn how to transmit what they themselves are learning to others. We have good translations, but you never get that direct encounter with the Scriptures, that intimate knowledge, without the original languages. So I give great emphasis to mastering both Greek and Hebrew. Greek helps us in the New Testament, of course, but also in our study of the Old Testament through our reading of the Septuagint. Conversely, Hebrew helps us with the Old Testament but also enables us to read the New Testament in a Hebrew translation. One of the best tools in this regard is the new Delitzsch Gospels translation.
I look forward to cordially welcoming each of the 27 students who have registered for the class and will make myself available to them both inside and outside of the classroom for encouragement and tutoring. The most dangerous part of social media is not its availability but what it so often distracts us from. The study of Greek takes a considerable amount of time and effort. May we, through the diligent study of God's word, become that Bride that inspires and changes the world.