Birmingham Theological Seminary
2200 Briarwood Way
Birmingham, Alabama 35243
205-776-5650
Summer 2015
NT2521 Beginning Greek I
Instructor: Mr. Bruce Horsley
Class hours 2
Home Phone: 205-612-9420
Cell Phone: 205-612-9420
E-mail brucehorsley@gmail.com
COURSE PURPOSE
The purpose of this course is to assist the student in an exegetical approach to the Greek New
Testament. The student will apply the tools he acquired in the first two semesters of study
directly to the translation and exegesis of the Greek text.
Objectives of the Course
1.
2.
3.
Awareness and understanding of the Six Principal parts of Greek verbs.
Understand the importance of participles and how to accurately translate them.
An understanding of the meaning and use of prepositions.
4.
A basic reading ability in the Greek New Testament with the skill of taking any word and
finding it in a Greek lexicon or N.T. Greek concordance for further detailed study
5. Continue to develop a working Greek vocabulary of 400 words that involve 70% of the
total word-count in the Greek Testament.
.
Texts for the Course
Required Texts:
The Greek New Testament by Kurt Aland. United Bible Society Fourth Edition.
(Dictionary included).
Recommended Texts:
**A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament H.E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey.
Greek Grammar Collection by Moulton, Howard, Turner. (3 Vol)
Course Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Class attendance: more than two unexcused absences drops final grade one letter grade.
Completion of Weekly Assignments.
Read text in preparation for class.
Class participation.
Whenever you can, use your Greek New Testament for private Bible Study and for other
class preparations.
Course Grading
1. Class attendance: more than two unexcused absences drops final grade one letter grade
2. Weekly Assignments
60%
3. A Final Exegetical Paper
40%
BTS FORMAT AND STYLE STANDARDS
BTS uses the Turabian style of formatting as a standard for papers. However, students should
regard individual professor preferences if they communicate any variance in outlining their
requirements for papers, as in this class (see below). Professors retain discretion in determining
how “formal” a paper must be. In this technological age, information is readily available; make
sure that you understand about giving reference sources the proper recognition.
Proper planning and timely completion of assignments is crucial.
Course Outline
Week One
June 1
Exegetical Method; How to conduct Word Study
Week Two
June 8 Word study due; Prepare a word-study of a N.T. Greek word, using the methods
suggested in class. Case Usage in Exegesis
Week Three
June 15 Case Assignment due; Classify the case usage of the words from Luke
22. Pronouns in Exegesis
Week Four
June 22 Pronoun Assignment due; Identify the pronouns in the assignment as
to kind, and show the case significance. Importance of the Article
Week Five
June 29 Article Assignment due; Discuss the use or non -use of the article.
Week Six
July 6 Relate the study of agency with the passive voice with the issue of
“Spirit-baptism.”
Week Seven
July 13 Discuss the problem of mood involved in Romans 5:1.
Week Eight
July 20 List all verb forms (excluding participial and infinitives) in
Matthew 8:5-10 and give the following information about each:
A. Identify by tense and mood.
B. Classify each tense according to your understanding of its usage (Use
Dana & Mantey or a similar classification scheme)
Week Nine
July 27 List all participles in Mat thew 8:14-17 and give the following
information about each:
A. Tense, voice, noun it modifies
B. Classify as to kind (attributive or adverbial) and, in case of
adverbial, as to variety of circumstance expressed.
Week Ten
August 3 Identify the list of Infiniti ves given for this assignment: ( To be
provided separatel y)
Week Eleven
August 10 Assignment on textual issues; Translate 1 Jn 5:1-12.
Week Twelve
August 17 Translate 1 Jn 5:13-21
Week Thirteen
August 24 August 26 Final paper due.
* This should be a serious research paper using Turabian Style format.
* 12-15 typed pages.
* Paper must be in a text from Greek New Testament, which is no less than 5 verses long.
(Exceptions on length of verses)
* Paper should exegete the Greek text aiming for the meaning to the original audience. It
should include any text-critical difficulties, appropriate introductory matters if it relates to
exegesis, discussion of the surrounding context, must include in Greek the logical
progression of the passage, etc. Use secondary sources to inform but not to dictate your
exegesis. Clearly state the main point of the passage and sub-points.
* Papers should have the following general outline: Do an analysis of the overall logical
progression with some clause-level discussion to determine the main point and sub-points (1/2
paper); and a very detailed analysis of one small section of the passage, and include
theological implications, relationship to other portions of Scripture, etc. (1/2 paper).
 Due in class on the last day of class
 An exegetical paper is Not a devotional.
 An exegetical paper is Not a sermon.
Recommended Resources for New Testament Greek
Abbot-Smith, George, ed. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. 3rd ed. Edinburgh:
T. & T. Clark, 1937.
Aland, Kurt, et al., eds. The Greek New Testament. Corrected 3rd ed. United Bible Societies,
1983.
[Balz, H. and G. Schneider, ed. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 vols.
G.R.: Eerdmans, 1990-93.
*Bauer, W. (Danker/Arndt/Gingrich). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other
Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. 3
*Brown, C., ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3 vols. G.R.:
Zondervan, 1975-1978.
Dana, H. E. and Julius R. Mantey. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. New York:
Macmillan, 1957.
Greenlee, Jacob Harold. A Concise Exegetical Grammar of the New Testament Greek. 5th
ed.Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
Kittel, G. and G. Friedrich, ed. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 10 vols. G.R.:
Eerdmans, 1964-76.
Kittel, G. and G. Friedrich; ed. and abridged by G. Bromiley. TDNT, 1 vol. edition. G.R.:
Eerdmans, 1985.
Kubo, Sakae. A Beginner's New Testament Greek Grammar. Lanham, Maryland: Univesitry
Press of America, 1979.
Liddell, H. G. and R. Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed. Oxford: Clarendon, 1925-40; repr.
1968 [for classical Greek].
*Louw, J. P. and E. A. Nida. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic
Domains, 2 vols. New York: United Bible Societies, 1988.
Marshall, I. H., ed. Moulton and Geden Concordance to the Greek New Testament. New York:
Continuum, 2002.
Metzger, Bruce. Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek [Paperback]
Milligan, George. Here & There Among the Papyri. London: Hodder & Staughton, 1923.
Moule, C. F. D. An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1959.
Mounce, W. D., ed. Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words. G.R.: Zondervan, 2006.
Nunn, H. P. V. A Short Syntax of New Testament Greek. 5th ed.Cambridge: At the University
Press, 1951
Robertson, Archibald Thomas, and William Hershey Davis. A New Short Grammar of the Greek
New Testament. New York: George H. Doran Co., 1908.
Verbrugge, V.D. The NIV Theological Dictionary of NT Words. G.R.: Zondervan, 2000
[abridgment of C. Brown]
** Highly recommended, especially if you can find a used copy.