Pace Talk

Preparing to Preach and Teach: Are Greek and Hebrew Necessary?

Do you find biblical Greek and Hebrew daunting? Are learning these languages crucial for today’s teachers and preachers? Read this blog and join the conversation on their relevance to the pulpit to the pews.

Is the study of Greek and Hebrew necessary to become an effective preacher and teacher of God’s Word today? We have Logos Software at our fingertips, and great scholars have written dozens of volumes interpreting biblical text with great accuracy. Most congregants in churches have very little interest in the “original languages.” Many pastors will tell you that they are challenged to get their people to study the Bible regularly even in their own languages, so why go through the trouble?

I am no Greek or Hebrew scholar, but I have been exposed to the languages enough to answer the question honestly.

First, you do not need to become an expert in Greek and Hebrew to become an effective Bible teacher. Today we have excellent modern translations of the original languages that allow the teacher/preacher, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to become excellent expositors of the Word of God. However, with that being said, saying that one does not need to become an expert does not mean that one will not gain an exegetical advantage as a Bible teacher by studying Greek and Hebrew.

I will add that preachers and teachers should not only get their feet wet in the languages enough to appreciate them, but they should also study hermeneutics (Bible study methods). Today, what gets most practitioners in trouble is not the lack of competencies in the languages but their lack of respect for the context of a Biblical passage.

Because some teachers do not respect the biblical context, they misinterpret the meaning of words. Consider the word “trunk.” If it is used in a sentence, it could mean at least three things. It could mean the trunk of a tree, it could mean the trunk of an automobile, or it could mean the trunk of an elephant. If the author does not explicitly give the reader the meaning of the word “trunk,” the interpreter would rely on the passage’s context to determine the intended meaning.

Without the rule of context, one could create a Chevrolet Corvette with a long trunk.

Where do you think the problem lies? Is the problem the lack of Greek? Is the problem the lack of Hebrew? Is the problem the lack of facility in Bible Study Methods?

PACE Academy can help develop adequate skill sets in all of the above. I would love to hear your view on this. Join the conversation. Let’s talk about it.

Wilbert C. Baker, DMin

Program Director, PACE Academy

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Pace Talk

Preparing to Preach and Teach: Are Greek and Hebrew Necessary?

Wilbert C. Baker, DMin

Program Director, PACE Academy

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