“This practical workbook fills a void in biblical and theological studies, because it prepares the student to do New Testament exegesis, using Greek, but without an extensive knowledge of the language. It integrates the study of Greek with every aspect of exegesis. As the student learns a new step, he also learns the corresponding fundamentals of Greek that enable him to do the exegesis properly. He becomes aware of the importance of using Greek to do serious Bible study, and learns how to use linguistic tools, including recent software. The student studies a biblical text of his or her own choice and prepares a written report on it. He will be surprised at the results of his own research!”
Ramsay offers three goals for the book and its fifteen lessons:
- The student will learn the steps of New Testament exegesis.
- The student will learn enough fundamentals of New Testament Greek to be able to use linguistic tools and do a serious exegesis.
- The student will gain confidence in doing exegesis in the Greek New Testament, and will grow in his or her desire to do serious exegetical study in the preparation of sermons or Bible studies.
The course has two objectives:
- The student will demonstrate he or she has reached these goals by writing a report of his or her own exegesis of a brief text selected from the New Testament and…
- …pass an exam on the fundamentals of New Testament Greek, writing the meaning of a list of vocabulary, explaining the meaning of important grammatical terms, identifying noun and verb forms, identifying the function of certain works within their sentences, and translating some Greek sentences into English.
While I have not had opportunity to make my way through the book’s lessons, I’ll definitely be giving it a good look. With the book retailing for only $22, the only real expense would be your time. If learning some Greek is on your list of things to do, or on the list of things you wish you could do, you might like to give it a try. Don’t expect to be able to begin a career in Bible translation, but do expect that it will give you tools you need to do better and more sound exegesis.
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