But it’s all Greek to me!

BY CARALINE JACKSON ’26

In the words of Daniel B. Wallace, a professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, “Reading the New Testament in Greek is like moving from seeing a painting in black-and-white to seeing it in color . . . the details pop, and the meaning deepens.” If you look at anything through an added lens, that lens acts as another layer, separating you from the original work. Its color could fade, or its image could blur.

Many translations of the New Testament are available in a multitude of languages today. For most people, the easy availability of the translated text means the earliest manuscripts of the Greek New Testament are never personally examined, leaving translators’ influence as an extra layer between the reader and the text. While Matthew Dudreck, professor of New Testament Studies at Reformation Bible College, acknowledges that there are “many good translations in many languages,” he also notes, “even good translations will occasionally differ.”

For Greek scholars Prof. Wye Huxford ’73 and Dr. Zechariah Eberhart ’10, as well as Point biblical studies graduate Joshua Beam ’24, understanding how a translator reached the conclusions they did and determining for themselves if they agree with those conclusions has been an enriching habit that has impacted them not only in the pulpit, but as believers in Christ. While all acknowledge you don’t have to know Greek as a Christian, they believe it is a useful tool that will only enhance one’s understanding of the New Testament.

If you’ve ever heard Huxford talking about Greek, you’ve most likely heard him enthusiastically state, “Greek is fun!” As the dean of the College of Biblical Studies and Ministry and professor of New Testament at Point, Huxford has spent years studying and teaching Greek. Yet, at the beginning of his journey with the language, he felt it was hard, weird and complicated, because it is markedly different from English. Once Huxford’s college professor, Jim Evans, began providing him with examples to prove the importance of learning Greek, and as he continued to work hard at understanding it, he found his studies were worth the effort. He says, “Taking Greek lets you know that every text has potential that I’m ignoring by not knowing Greek.”

Similarly, Eberhart, assistant professor of biblical studies at Point, says, “We have frameworks in each language. One value of learning Greek is you can recognize nuance and gaps.”

The role of not only learning Greek vocabulary, but its grammar, as well, is incredibly important, Huxford says: “Greek is more precise than English because of its grammar and syntax.” In this way, Eberhart adds, learning Greek allows you to “test someone else’s translation of Greek” and “forces you to slow down when reading the Bible.” It is too easy to skim over a passage in one’s native language. Examining it through the lens of a language you are less familiar with, in contrast, makes you study it meaningfully.

To further his point that Greek is more nuanced than the practice of word-hunting, which fixes specific meanings to words across all contexts used, Eberhart says, “The smallest unit of understanding is not a word, or a sentence, but a paragraph.” The meaning of a word is not set in stone. One example Eberhart provided was the English word “bass.” Without context, it could refer to a guitar or a fish. For a Greek example, Eberhart used the word δικαιοσύνη. In English, this word could mean “righteous” or “just.” Curious about how the meaning of a New Testament passage would change if “just” were used instead of the more popular “righteous” translation, Eberhart began replacing “righteous” with “just.” In English, he explained, “righteous” is associated with personal merit, while “just” has more societal implications. He used James 1:19-20 as an example of how the exchange of these two words would affect its meaning. In rebuking the anger of man by saying it “does not produce the justice of God,” Eberhart says the text speaks beyond how it impacts the individual to a command that involves and affects society.

Another verse Eberhart provided was Matthew 5:10, where Jesus rebukes the unrighteous, or unjust, actions of the scribes and Pharisees by saying, “Unless your ‘righteousness/justice’ surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” Replacing “righteousness” with “justice” within this verse, as with James 1:19-20, causes us to look beyond personal merit and think about how such actions negatively affect society as a whole. As Eberhart demonstrated, simply looking up the meaning of the word and not putting it in its proper context can result in misunderstanding the text or ignoring its nuances.

Beam, a recent graduate of Point’s biblical studies program and a current seminary student at Abilene Christian University, joins in with Huxford and Eberhart’s assessment of the importance of examining New Testament manuscripts for oneself. He says, “I like Greek because I can decide the text’s meaning myself.” As Christians, he believes, it is our responsibility “to know Scripture well, and Greek deepens our knowledge.”

Beam adds, “Greek is a baseline tool that allows you to see the Bible more efficiently.” To highlight how using others’ translations of the New Testament can affect our understanding because the process is more passive and less active, Beam provided the analogy of using a calculator to solve math problems. When we read a translation of the Bible, the translator acts as a calculator and does the work for us. The practice of reading the Bible, then, because we are not forced to slow down, see nuance within the text, and determine meaning for ourselves, can be less intimate without Greek.

One personal example Beam gave to show how knowing Greek can enhance one’s understanding was the duality present in his favorite Greek word, διώκω, which can mean “persecute” or “pursue” in English. The implications of this word change with its context. Paul uses διώκω to describe his intense persecution of Christians prior to his conversion, as well as his relentless pursuit of Christ after choosing to follow him. This word, put in both contexts, shows the reader how God powerfully changed Paul. Without knowing Greek, one would still know Paul had been converted, but they would miss the added depth Greek provides.

Although learning Greek can be challenging, Eberhart encourages anyone learning it not to give up, saying, “I started learning Greek in 2008, and I’m still learning it in 2024. There is value in doing difficult things, and learning Greek is a pursuit. It isn’t a one-time event, but a journey. If you keep showing up, it’ll be worth it.”

Similarly, the harder Greek became for Beam, the greater reward he got from it. He says that the paper he wrote for the final Greek class offered at Point was one of the hardest things he had done, but in the end, he is so grateful he did.

Ultimately, learning Greek is like having a beautiful painting, once hung in a museum and covered by glass, put in your hands to see even more clearly for yourself. Studying ancient manuscripts in their original languages reveals how we got the Bible and its various translations, deepening our understanding of God’s Word. Huxford says, “I want to be personally convinced.”

Although academic study is beneficial, it is imperative to keep in mind the Bible’s intended purpose as more than simply an intellectual pursuit. As Huxford adds, “Words have incredible potential to help shape our thinking about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.” According to Huxford, because the Bible functions as a means by which mankind is brought closer to God, studying it will never leave anyone lacking. Instead, it beckons faith deeper.

Caraline Jackson ’26, of Luthersville, Georgia, is a biblical studies major (and Greek student!) and volleyball player at Point. She wrote this feature article (and the sidebar below) for a Media Writing course.

Resources for Budding Greek Scholars

If you would like to learn Greek, but are unable to take a college course in the subject, don’t be discouraged! There are many useful resources available to help you reach your goals and read the New Testament in its original language.

One free option, offered by pastor and biblical scholar Dr. Bill Mounce, can be found at billmounce.com/greek

Zondervan Academic, a branch of Zondervan and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, offers a paid course in Greek complete with videos, readings, and quizzes that have helped many achieve success. Visit zondervanacademic.com/biblical-greek for more details.

Additionally, you may purchase the textbook It’s All Greek to Me, which Point uses in the first two semesters of its Greek program, to go through at your own pace.

While using any of these resources, if possible, find someone who is an authority on Greek (such as your pastor, perhaps) to help guide you through this process.

The journey of learning Greek is as rewarding as it is challenging, so don’t be discouraged when you encounter times of frustration. These tools are available to provide you with a firm foundation to build upon, and with hard work and dedication, you’ll find the process of learning Greek worth every effort!