Prof. Noah W. Kelley Biblical Greek Exegesis I STS, Fall 2018 What has Athens to Do with Jerusalem? Or Aspiring to be Better Bible Interpreters Prof. Noah W. Kelley Biblical Greek Exegesis I STS, Fall 2018

Scripture: God’s own Word to us All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17) . . . no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Goal of Scripture: Love for God and Others He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic 6:8) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40) . . . The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Tim 1:5)

Why Hebrew and Greek? We should, if possible, learn Hebrew and Greek in order to be able to study the Bible in the original languages for ourselves. Hebrew and Greek can help us to better understand Scripture, and thereby love God and others more accurately.

Two common objections to learning Hebrew and Greek: Objection 1: There are enough tools such as Bible translations, commentaries, and Bible software that I don’t need to learn the languages. Reply 1: There are so many translations and commentaries that it is hard to know which is right. How do you judge between them? Reply 2: Bible software doesn’t help you unless you actually know the languages.

Two common objections to learning Hebrew and Greek: Objection 2: If we say that pastors need to learn the biblical languages, aren’t we implying that average people can’t interpret the Bible for themselves, and thereby taking the Bible out of the hands of ordinary believers? Reply 1: The ability to interpret the Bible well is a spectrum rather than binary. Reply 2: Those who are called to teach God’s flock should especially aspire to have a better than average understanding of Scripture.

This Class is an Invitation: . . . to invest the next year of your life in becoming a better Bible interpreter by devoting yourself to mastering the use of Greek in your study of the Bible. . . . to prepare yourself to be the sharpest tool that you can possibly be in the service of Christ.