Equip: The importance of learning the biblical languages

In Bible college and seminary, I took eight semesters of biblical language courses—five semesters of Greek, and three of Hebrew. So, you might think, as a pastor, I regularly translate my sermon passages from scratch and do my daily devotions in Hebrew and Greek.

Unfortunately, you’d be wrong. Even when I was in college and seminary, I was more worried about making a grade than about genuinely learning the languages. So, I cut corners, crammed for tests, and focused more on just getting through class than on putting in the time and effort necessary to truly internalize Greek and Hebrew.

To this day, that’s one of my biggest regrets from my time in college and seminary. If I could do it over again, I’d slow down and really put in the work necessary to grasp the biblical languages on a deep and abiding level.

Furthermore, in the several years since I finished seminary, I have also neglected the biblical languages to the point where I recently have had to start the process of “re-learning” Greek and Hebrew on my own. That means reading through introductory grammar textbooks, doing workbook exercises, and even making vocabulary flashcards.

Why would a busy pastor like me carve out time in his schedule to review a subject that is often one of the most dreaded and difficult for theological students? I’d love to not only answer that question, but also go a step further and make the case why you, dear reader, should try to learn Greek and Hebrew if you can.

Why you don’t have to study the biblical languages

I want to begin by offering some encouragement to believers who do not have the opportunity to learn the biblical languages, along with a word of caution for those who do.

First, you don’t need to know the biblical languages to be a faithful Christian or a good pastor. Scripture never commands learning Hebrew and Greek. Most Christians throughout history have not known the biblical languages, and there are many preachers God has used mightily who didn’t know Greek and Hebrew.

Second, there’s never been a better time to study Scripture as a monolingual student. The number of excellent Bible translations, commentaries, books, web resources, and other Bible study materials available in English is the highest it’s ever been. Careful, in-depth study of Scripture is no longer only accessible to those who know Greek and Hebrew.

Third, studying the biblical languages can be motivated by and/or produce significant pride. I am ashamed to admit, on occasion, I have caught myself indulging in sinful arrogance, thinking I’m so much smarter than other Christians just because I’ve been to Bible college and seminary and have read so many books.

If you want to learn Hebrew and Greek, or just study theology in general, out of a desire to “one-up” others, you shouldn’t.

Why you should study the biblical languages

Despite the caveats and qualifications above, I still believe, if you have been given the resources and opportunity to learn Greek and Hebrew, you should. The chance to study the biblical languages is a rare privilege. Don’t waste it if you have it. Here’s why:

First, God originally inspired the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, along with a dash of Aramaic. The Scriptures were originally given to us in languages other than English. If you want to study God’s word as deeply as you can, you have to engage with Greek and Hebrew.

Yes, most mainstream modern translations are excellent, trustworthy, and authoritative. But the authority of those translations is derived from their faithfulness to the originals.

Second, there is a level of detail and nuance in Scripture you need Greek and Hebrew to grasp. Reading the Bible in even the best translations is like watching a movie in black and white, while consulting the original languages is like watching that same movie in HD technicolor. There is so much richness and beauty you will see only through the Hebrew and Greek.

Third, learning the biblical languages forces you to slow down and read the text of Scripture more carefully. Those of us familiar with the English Bible can often read too quickly and superficially, assuming we understand more than we actually do and missing important details.

Fourth, there are false teachers out there who know, or claim to know, the biblical languages and twist them to propagate heresy. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses mangle Greek grammar so they can deny Christ’s divinity in John 1:1.

A knowledge of the biblical languages will help you protect yourself and others from false teachers who try to (mis)use Greek and Hebrew to undermine biblical orthodoxy.

Fifth, learning the languages will help you understand and explain to others when the English translations disagree. When you’re studying the Bible with other people, notable differences between the English versions will come up. Knowing the original languages helps keep you from being caught off-guard by these differences.

And on that note, knowing Greek and Hebrew will also give you a greater appreciation for how much work goes into Bible translation.

How you should study the biblical languages

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you to seek out the opportunity to learn biblical Greek and Hebrew. But you may still be wondering: “How? How can I learn the biblical languages?”

The ideal way to learn them is in a structured environment with an expert teacher. Ideally, this environment will also include classmates and be in-person. Most of the time, this means college or seminary courses.

Whether you enroll in an actual degree or simply audit classes, the best way to start learning the biblical languages is to actually take courses with a trained professor at an accredited institution.

Also, if you’re pursuing a theological degree, I would very strongly advise you to seek out a program that requires, or at least allows, a minimum of two full semesters in each language. But take more if you can.

What about those who can’t take formal classes, whether in-person or online? Well, there may be cases where you personally know someone who knows the biblical languages well enough to teach them and is willing to offer private lessons. However, for most people, if in-person or online classes won’t work, self-study is the only other option.

Self-study?

I would normally recommend against self-study, since it typically lacks supervision by a trained expert, lacks a learning community, and lacks built-in structure and accountability. The only reason I’m doing self-study is because I’ve already had several semesters of formal coursework. I’m essentially just reviewing and refreshing.

However, if self-study is your only option, there are great resources available. The websites Daily Dose of Greek and Daily Dose of Hebrew are phenomenal. Biblingo is another well-known and widely-used app.

As far as physical books you can use, there are quite a few. I’m personally using Beginning with New Testament Greek by Benjamin Merkle and Robert Plummer along with Learning Biblical Hebrew by Karl Kutz and Rebekah Josberger.

Whichever options you choose, I hope being able to learn biblical Greek and Hebrew will enrich your study of the Scriptures and, most importantly, help you grow closer to the Lord who inspired them.

Joshua Sharp is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Chappell Hill, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary in Waco. The views expressed in this resource article are those of the author.