What’s the benefit of reading the New Testament in its original Greek?

Great question. The benefit is virtually on every page… literally. This point is perhaps best seen in the collective emphasis of the New Testament writings – an emphasis that often flies under the radar not only in translations but also, unfortunately, in interpretation of the Scriptures by teachers, leaders and song-writers.

Before getting the solution, let’s take a closer look at the origins of the problem.

This focus in North American Christian culture on the individual’s rights, responsibilities and experiences, has its roots, in part, in the English language itself. In English, “you” (meaning one person) and “you” (two or more people) are simply indistinguishable. This feature is the same for commands, too (“please come in,” “have a seat” etc. can equally refer to one or more persons).

Koine Greek distinguishes between “you” (individual) and “you” (multiple people), as do many modern languages taught in Canadian and American schools, such as French and Spanish. Of course, the propensity for North American culture at large to focus on the individual’s rights and freedoms significantly contributes to a tendency in interpreting the Bible as a guidebook for personal living.

The solution, reading the New Testament in its original language, provides a startling revelation. In the vast majority of cases, where the English word “you” would be used in translation, Jesus, Paul and others are referring to a group people. So, for example, when Paul writes “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you” he is referring, quite intentionally, to “all of you.” The emphasis in this text in 1 Corinthians is actually on how the unhealthy actions of an individual can negatively affect the whole group, especially as the (collective) body of Messiah Jesus.

When you and others in your community begin learning Koine Greek with us at ΟΜΙΛΕΙΝ, you all will begin notice immediately how clearly the New Testament distinguishes between language that focuses on an individual and on a group.

And, in fact, learning as a pair or group has enormous advantageous for internalizing the language. There are also financial benefits too. We believe so much in the virtues of learning as a team that we offer special, reduced rates for group registration.

If you are ready already to begin learning Greek with us then let’s get started!