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I talked about my new Biblical Greek course that I am teaching, which you can find here:
I announced this week that I am offering a Biblical Greek online course; or more specifically, I will be giving private tutoring one-on-one over skype or some other preferred live video software.
So if you have ever wanted to learn Greek here is your opportunity. This is live one-on-one tutoring in Greek from myself.
What does it take to learn New Testament Greek?
Learning Greek does not require you to be born with some special ‘gift.’ It requires two things: A desire to learn Greek and consistency in using Greek.
Your goal should be to read Greek, not “translate” Greek. There are plenty of English translations out there if you need a translation. The ultimate goal for learning Greek is to interpret God’s Word on the deep level of the original language, giving you the tools for enrichment and precision. A computer program cannot do this for you. To become competent in reading and understanding Greek you need to put in the time and work. No one has ever regretted learning Greek. The rewards are immeasurable!
Give someone a commentary and you feed them for a day; teach them to read Greek and you feed them for a lifetime.
What are your qualifications to teach Biblical Greek?
My primary PhD research is in Greek linguistics (McMaster Divinity College). I hold an MA in biblical languages (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) with a concentration in Greek.
As far as the different pricing rates I will let you read up on that at the website:
Do you have ideas to defray costs since I am on a strict budget?
Find a friend or two to join you to study Greek and thereby split the costs (e.g. church friends, homeschool groups, bible study groups, etc.). But make sure that your friends are as committed as you are so you can continue to afford the tutoring. Another idea is to ask your elders at your church for an educational grant. Churches should have an educational fund and since this is biblical education they should be willing to support you if you apply for it.
What day and time are the sessions?
Preferably, my tutoring sessions are on Tuesday mornings. But if afternoons, evenings, or another day other than Tuesdays will only work for you, we can talk about it.
What textbook do you use?
I teach both first and second year Greek. For first year Greek I use the grammar Reading Koine Greek: An Introduction and Integrated Workbook by Rodney J. Decker. I also require students to purchase the Greek audio of the New Testament Koine Greek New Testament on MP3 Audio CDs by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates. If you want to read and sustain Greek successively, you need to be able to pronounce it properly. This is where the vast majority of Greek programs fail—a disregard for the auditory component to learning an ancient language. We will learn the Modern Greek pronunciation system, not the artificial Erasmian system. Not to mention that the Modern method is substantially closer to the ancient sound system of the first century.
For second year Greek, I use the intermediate grammar Idioms of the Greek New Testament, 2nd., by Stanley E. Porter.
I also teach advanced Greek concepts. You can email me to inquiry about this program.
What if I have to miss a weekly session?
It is not a bad thing if you have to miss an occasional session (please give me a 24 hour advanced notice). In fact, it can be a good thing because I am big on review! You will get tired of me constantly saying to you that the key to learning Greek is review, review, review. So those missed sessions will give you an opportunity to go back and review—there it is again! In fact, on occasion I may have to cancel a weekly session if something really important comes up or I am out of state for an engagement. Remember, this is not your traditional institutional semester system, so there is a flexible schedule and no hard deadline to meet. It is at your pace.
Are there quizzes and homework?
The homework is studying the grammar and vocabulary of a particular chapter during the week. Learning happens outside of the tutoring session, as it should be. As far as “quizzes,” the Greek grammar contains an integrated workbook with many exercises that apply what you have learned. I will not be grading your exercises; that is your responsibility to check your answers, not to mention it is an effective learning process to check your own answers.
What does a typical tutoring session look like?
It begins punctually. So please log on to skype a couple of minutes early and I will call you on time. There will be very little chitchat since your time is valuable and I want you to get the most out of each forty-five minute session. There will be three main parts to each session: (1) First, you can ask me any questions that you have about the chapter you studied for the previous week. (2) Second, I will ask you certain questions to make sure you understand it. I will explain and clarify any points of grammar that I think you are having difficulty with. (3) At the end of the session I will highlight what you need to focus on in the next chapter, as well as give you a word of inspiration and motivation. You can do it. You can learn Greek!
If my tutoring schedule is full you can subscribe to a notification for the next available opening:
You can never say that you did not have a chance to learn Greek! Any person can do this. It just begins with a desire and commitment to learn Greek and after that is consistency in using and applying Greek.
