Greek for the Rest of Us: Using Greek Tools Without Mastering Biblical Languages

This is a very exciting volume. It has very valuable information and can make learning Greek more enjoyable as you go along with your regular studies. It gives explanations and examples that are edifying as a Bible study while teaching about the Greek Language. I bought it for the joy of it, and it is that. Learning Greek or just learning some of the tools as with this book opens your spirit more to the Holy SpIrit as deeper revelation of the scriptures unfolds to you.

Despite what the name implies this isn't so much a Greek textbook as it is a book about Bible study. You do learn the Greek alphabet and the forms of Greek verbs, but not with the goal of learning the language, so much as learning how to read good commentaries. Along the way you also learn a lot about English grammar and how to break a passage apart and find it's main ideas. So if you want to learn Greek, you should look elsewhere, but if you want to become a better student of God's Word, this is the book to read.

Ever since I was in high school, I have harbored a desire to learn ancient Greek. Since my rapid fire synapses that ease the learning of a foreign language have long since stopped firing, I had pretty relegated this desire to the unfulfilled list. That is, until I discovered this book. William Mounce, with this book, places a rudimentary mastery of Greek within my reach. Itis an incredible resource. Let me caution, finishing the course will not make me a Greek master. Rather, Mounce teaches enough Greek to enhance my study of the Bible. The book is more, however. The author provides several chapters showing how a novice can apply his or her limited knowledge of a little Greek. * "What are Translations?" is an insightful look into a bible translators mind. * "Phrasing - An Introduction to our Bible Study Method" / "Fine-tuning Phrasing." These two chapters are worth what you are asked to pay for this book. * "What Are Word Studies?" An excellent explanation of how to perform a word study. * "How to Read a Commentary." The author explains the differences in commentaries; what do and do not do. Gratefully, the grammar portion of the book is short and manageable. This makes it ideal for the type of self-study I am attempting. Another study aid is the CD-ROM, which comes with the book. Each week's lesson is reinforced by a lecture, complete with slides, delivered by William Mounce to a group of lay-people attempting to do what I have undertaken. If you have a desire to learn Greek, but do not have the time or the fortitude to undertake an academic approach to language, this is the book for you. Who knows, I might even tackle Hebrew appendix contained in this book.

...but you will learn enough to get to the bottom of things. His discussions of word studies are wonderful, his overview of different Bible translations is very good. The real prize here is the discussion of what he calls "phrasing" and how it relates to Bible Study as a whole, in English and in Greek. You'll learn what you need to use the really good Bible Study tools, in just a few weeks of "easy" work. (It's a six week course, you can do it in 3 or 4 if you give it a lot of time) I HIGHLY recommend reading and re-reading some chapters over again and maybe even viewing the CD-ROM lectures twice or so to really get the gist of what he's saying, especially about verbs. Slow down and take your time on this. It's worth it.I'm moving on to his "Basics of Bilblical Greek" next, because I do want to be able to read the Greek NT, but this book doesn't teach you that. It is, however, a fantastic overview of the words behind the Word. It's informative, entertaining, enlightening, and, if you can believe it, even devotional.

Authoritatively and accessibly written by William D. Mounce (a professor of the New Testament at the University of Aberdeen), Greek For The Rest Of Us: Mastering Bible Study Without Mastering Biblical Languages is a straightforward guide to teaching oneself basic Greek in order to better understand the Bible, but without the necessity of investing many years and thousands of dollars in advanced college courses. Solid instructions for beginners in learning to recite the Greek alphabet, read basic words, comprehend the Greek noun and verbal systems, and more fill the pages of this excellent self-teaching resource which is especially commended to the non-specialist general reader seeking to better understand subtle differences in Scriptural translation. An accompanying CD-ROM features the author's class lectures in audio, with text and overheads.