Introduction

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kitcar
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Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 1:31 am

Introduction

Post by kitcar »

Hello, I love Greek and I am so glad God arranged my circumstances and financed me to be able to have attended bible college some years ago in order to learn Greek. I'm sure I speak for others the thrill of being able to pick up a Greek NT and read/translate directly from the text. It is such an awesome skill to be able to explain and as necessary, contradict popular teachings, of which there are many within the contemporary church. I say this without any sense of pride or arrogance; we should be of a humble and contrite spirit accepting the fact that we may be in error at times. What I find to be really sad is when you explain a passage in Greek which contradicts a person's erroneous theological assumption and instead of displaying a grateful and humble spirit, realising their incorrect interpretation, they merely carry on believing their error. And, more concerning, when they are a pastor or teacher and return to their congregation continuing to teach their erroneous theology despite have been given clear exegesis from the Greek text.

Example, I once shared (2 Thess 2:11) with a believer from a denominational church who could not accept that God sends delusion upon people. I underlined the words with my finger directly from the text. Send "pimpei' 3rd p. sing. 'O Theos' God, sing, masc, nom. God is the subject and is 3rd p, sing, he/she it/ God is not a she nor an it so it is "God, he sends upon them" Sadly, despite my clear exegesis, this man went away still entrenched in his erroneous belief that God does not do this but is a result (his interpretation was "passive") of believers walking away from God. I found out shortly after that this same man was telling people (my friends) I had a demon. He could not refute my exegesis so he slanders me! Hope this has been some encouragement to those who have persisted reading all the way to the end … Thank you

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jeidsath
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Re: Introduction

Post by jeidsath »

Have you ever come across this story?

Ἐρωτῶντός ποτε τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου τινὰ γέροντα Αἰγύπτιον περὶ ἰδίων λογισμῶν, ἕτερος ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εἶπεν· Ἀββᾶ Ἀρσένιε, πῶς τοσαύτην παίδευσιν Ῥωμαϊκὴν καὶ Ἑλληνικὴν ἐπιστάμενος, τοῦτον τὸν ἀγροῖκον περὶ τῶν σῶν λογισμῶν ἐρωτᾷς; Ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Τὴν μὲν Ῥωμαϊκὴν καὶ Ἑλληνικὴν ἐπίσταμαι παίδευσιν· τὸν δὲ ἀλφάβητον τοῦ ἀγροίκου τούτου οὔπω μεμάθηκα.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

kitcar
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Re: Introduction

Post by kitcar »

Hello. No I have never seen that. It's not from the bible is it?

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jeidsath
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Re: Introduction

Post by jeidsath »

It's a story attributed to Arsenius the Great, Greek tutor to two emperors, and later desert monastic. It means something like this:

Once Father Arsenius was asking a certain old Egyptian about personal thoughts, and someone else seeing him said: "Father Arsenius, how is it that being master of so much Latin and Greek education, you ask this peasant about your personal thoughts?" And he said to him: "I am competent in Greek and Latin. But the alphabet of this peasant I am as yet unlearned in."

Your story made me think of it.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Introduction

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Cuncta mortalia incerta...

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