Greek Textbooks

Our main textbook is David Alan Black’s Learn to Read New Testament Greek. It divides the first year study of Greek into twenty-six lessons. We will supplement these with readings from the New Testament and vocabulary to be committed to memory.

Each chapter contains vocabulary to memorize, sentences and paragraphs to read, grammar explanations, word studies, and written exercises. Languages do not arise in cultural vacuums. It is vital to know something about the people who used this language: in the theater, in the courtroom, in the stadium, in the fields, at dinner, in the nursery, at the altar, in the fields, in the bedroom. Although Ancient Greek is no longer spoken, it was a living language for two and a half millennia before evolving into the Modern Greek, which is spoken today. When you finish these four course modules you will be able to read the New Testament with some facility.

Other textbooks you will need for later: David W. Baker, et al., More Light on the Path.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. ISBN: 0801021650; Kurt Aland, et al., Greek New Testament: With English Introduction including Greek/English Dictionary. 4^th edition.  New York: American Bible Society, 1998. ISBN: 3438051133; and Bruce Metzger, Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.  ISBN: 0801021804.  All these books will be used for the second semester courses as well and will prove useful to you later as you seek to keep up with Greek.

Another book, not required, which is legendary for the help it has provided for several generations of Greek students is Frank X. Braun, English Grammar for Language Students: Basic Grammatical Terminology Defined and Alphabetically Arranged.  New York, Edwards Brothers, 1947.  It is way out of print now, but libraries and used book sites have it from time to time.