Monday, April 6, 2009

10 Things that have Changed My Life: #3- Learning Hebrew and Greek

I am currently working towards getting two undergraduate degrees, one in Christian Theology and one in Biblical Languages.  By God’s grace I only have one more year left... (depending on what I want to do for graduate study)  The areas of study for the Biblical Languages degree are the languages of (biblical) Hebrew and (biblical) Greek.  Each is broken down into a couple basic grammar classes and then some increasingly intense reading and translating classes.  I am done with my Hebrew studies and in my last class (Senior Seminar) for my Greek studies.


Being someone who failed Spanish in high school, learning the languages was challenging to say the least but I found that with the right motivation anything can be learned.  One of the many things that happens when you fully learn a language is that you truly start to understand syntax, grammar, and semantics.  This leads to a whole new world of reading texts.  


The impact that learning these languages has had on me goes well beyond what the words mean- anybody can figure that out through google.  What it has taught me is how to truly read a text.  It teaches you how to ask the right questions.  Before I knew Hebrew and Greek, I would look at a verse or passage of Scripture and think it was fairly basic and elementary.  Now almost any text contains question after question and is embedded with hours of truth, theology, play, and worship.  Learning Hebrew and Greek, though challenging and sometimes frustrating, has changed my life.


Has anything you’ve learned ever changed your life?  Please comment and share!

1 comment:

  1. I was talking with Amber McLaney today about how Hebrew and Greek have totally rocked the way we think not only about the Bible but about life and learning in general...and to think that I didn't want to study them! :-)

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