Today is about learning. Specifically, learning a language. In this case, koine Greek.

Koine is common Greek of the first century around the Mediterranean Sea. Most people imagine that Latin was the the normal language used in that area, but it wasn’t. The English equivalent of that time was Greek, spoken in public and private and from Egypt to Rome.

And to Palestine. Which is where our topic comes in. Because common Greek became the language used for writing the New Testament of the Bible.

I have an undergraduate major in Bible and theology but the particular path of study I followed didn’t require biblical languages and I began a couple of years ago to remedy that lack.

Koine Greek has not been a spoken language for many centuries. Of course, it’s one of the ancestors of modern Greek but while learning to sound out the language is important, learning it includes no conversation.

But this is a way of learning any language needed for reading an ancient text.

First, you have to learn the alphabet when it’s different from the one you use every day. Greek letters have some similarities to the Roman alphabet and the differences are not hard to deal with. The next steps will also help to learn the alphabet.

The next step – which should start as quickly as possible – is to dig into the text. I started with the Gospel of John, beginning with chapter 1, verse 1.

One verse a day. Don’t get overzealous and try to tackle more. Learning a new language is a journey. Enjoy the journey.

Start with your first verse. Look over it in Greek. (And no need to buy a text unless you want to – there are a lot of Greek New Testament apps available). You don’t know any of the words? Fine. That’s what you’re here for. Start the learning.

Next, I go to a video series called ‘Daily Dose of Greek’ on YouTube. The guy who does this series is a seminary professor and while his videos are more aimed at refreshing Greek knowledge for those who already have some acquaintance, it has worked for me as well. He reads the verse in Greek and then explains it. There will be minutiae that you don’t understand, and that’s ok. Those minutiae are part of the language and it will increasingly make more sense as you go along.

The important thing is to keep at it. Steady, daily (or at least close to daily) work is how you get a kind of intellectual compound interest. The words will grow in meaning.

This morning, I worked through John 10:30. I’ve gone through 10 chapters of the book and I’m at the point where I can usually read the verse through in Greek. It helps that I know the English, of course, but the progress is real. Get started, and this time next year, you can indeed have a new language under your belt.