Struggling With Engaging the Original Languages Early On

Here are some words of encouragement for the student who is struggling with engaging the original languages early on in their study of the Bible. Some of you might be wondering how we can teach using the languages before a student has had semesters of grammar and syntax. That's a major shift in my philosophy of teaching the biblical languages. Grammar and syntax are not learned as a prerequisite to exegesis. They are best learned in tandem with exegesis. So, here are those words of encouragement: 

The reason we are pressing into grammar and syntax is precisely because we are trying to do biblical scholarship more carefully. So much exegesis can become topical, surface-level, or application-focused very quickly. We want to slow down and ask, "What is actually happening in the language of this text, and how should that shape the interpretive decisions I make?"

That is why these assignments are pushing you toward the grammar of the biblical text. I know it is hard. It would be easier to read some study Bibles or go to Blueletterbible. The goal is not grammar for grammar's sake. The goal is exegesis. We are learning to look at the language of the text, use the tools responsibly, and then make new and more informed decisions about interpretation as a result.

I also want to say this: We often learn grammar by engaging grammar in the act of exegesis. A lot of biblical studies programs treat the sequence as if students need to memorize grammar rules for two years and then, only after that, begin applying them to exegesis. That is not the approach here. We are trying to keep exegesis front and center from the beginning, even while the grammar categories are still new and unfamiliar. That can feel uncomfortable because you are being asked to use tools and categories before you feel like you have mastered them. But that is also part of how growth happens.

So give yourself some space to get things wrong. Faithfulness in biblical interpretation is not simply a "got it right" or "got it wrong" kind of thing. It is about doing the most you can with the time, energy, and resources God has given you, and then continuing to follow him as you grow in your ability to handle his Word carefully.