Why study God's word in the original languages when we have good translations? The closer we can get to the original autographs the more reliable our translations. Translation is very fluid in that there are many ways to say the same thing in a particular language. Going back to the source verifies the expression and confirms the message. For a Christian, Biblical Greek is the most rewarding and useful language to study. The New Testament is written in it and the Old Testament had been translated into it for hundreds of years by the time the New Testament was written. The Septuagint--abreviated LXX which means "seventy,"--is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. The designation came from the legend that seventy scholars in Alexandria Egypt were sequestered by the king until they had finished translating the Hebrew scriptures into it. It is the primary source of New Testament vocabulary and doctrine. It is a much older document (not more authoritative) than the Hebrew scriptures that are used today. There are some interesting variations (no doctrinal problems for Christians) from the existing Hebrew text. The LXX was most likely composed from collected manuscripts that had been translated by various scholars comissioned by wealthy patrons who could afford the luxury of having a copy of the scriptures in Greek. Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are from the LXX. Its quotation by the inspired New Testament writers puts the stamp of approval on translation and indicates that God's Word is God's Word when accurately translated into other languages. God's Word is intended for all mankind whatever language they may speak.
It is my goal as instructor to help students see the value of reading the Biblical texts in Greek. Anyone who desires to do so can be reading the Greek texts after only one year of study using the electronic tools provided by the Libronix Digital Library software which is required for my classes. I have found that there is no substitute for reading the Greek texts to understanding the language of the Biblical world. Using it only as a tool only to build sermons or to support doctrine has led to much abuse. Becoming familiar with the language is not difficult, but like most things that are worth learning, it requires practice.
The texts that are used for these classes are in the Libronix Digital Library format. Special pricing is provided so each student can obtain these superb resources. Each student needs easy access to a computer at a minimum and a laptop is recommended to take full advantage of theses and other study resources. Electronic study and reference materials should be a goal of any serious student. Having these materials and access to the Internet for registering the products and updating is a must. Computer aided language and Bible study is a God send. It greatly simplifies the work of language study as it provides volumes of reference materials at your fingertips. This ease of reference greatly accelerates reading proficiency, and the more you read, the greater your understanding. There is special academic pricing for NEOBC students and faculty for these materials. You will need the Original Languages Library (#2690) format) for my language classes.
Byron T. Bezdek