To Greek or not to Greek - that is the question!

I thought it would be a fun idea to suggest some reasons to learn Greek and Hebrew as well as some reasons to not learn Greek and Hebrew. Those of you who know me will know that I am a Greek-geek (Hebrew-geek doesn't have the same ring to it) and so I am a bit biased in this regard. Anyway here's a few serious as well as not so serious reasons to learn ancient Greek or Hebrew:


Reasons to not learn Greek and Hebrew:

• It takes a lot of work - it's got a new alphabet, complex grammar and is initially quite difficult to master. Some of us don't have the time!
• You become a bit of a geek. Sorry, it's just true!
• You might become arrogant; You get tempted to think you now know the "real" meaning of the Bible when "mere commoners" have no real clue.
• You might start wearing "Latin and Greek aren't dead; They're immortal! T-shirts". Nuff said!
• Knowing Greek and Hebrew, whilst it sorts some problems, can actually bring up more problems than it solves. For example, are we justified by faith in Christ or by the faithfulness of Christ? Is the husband the head of the woman or the source of the woman in 1 Corinthians 11? (For those of you who are worried, I think the ESV gets it spot on in both cases)
• If you are involved in preaching and teaching in any setting, you may be tempted to start quoting Greek or Hebrew words where it is completely unnecessary and clear from the English translation. This is a form of intellectual snobbery which I have been guilty of and which we should avoid. It's not grown-up and it's not clever!

Reasons to learn Greek and Hebrew:

• It's cool, in the opinion of a minority (most of whom know Greek themselves).
• You're following in the footsteps of hundreds of heroes of the faith (Calvin, Luther, Tyndale...). The reformation wouldn't have happened if Calvin and Luther didn't know their Greek.
• If you're a teacher/preacher, you have a responsibility to become VERY familiar with the Bible. This may mean putting in the effort of learning the languages - something to consider.
• You won't be as likely to make some basic word-study mistakes, which sadly lots of preachers are prone to make. For example, an untrained teacher or preacher might want to look up what the Greek word behind an English translation is. After finding it in Strong's Concordance, he/she simply selects his/her favorite definition of the word and not the one which works in context! A good example in English is the difference between two definitions of the word "stool": one is something you sit on, another is something that ends up down the toilet; Same spelling, two different and exclusive meanings.

There's a few thoughts! Basic conclusions: 

(1) Greek is cool and if you're a pastor, seriously, seriously consider it.

(2) Overdose of Greek is uncool and should be avoided outside of academic discussions!