Intermediate Biblical Greek Reader: Galatians and Related Texts
Edited by Nijay K. Gupta and Jonah M. Sandford
Newberg, OR: George Fox University Library, 2018.
Description
After completing basic biblical Greek, students are often eager to
continue to learn and strengthen their skills of translation and
interpretation. This intermediate graded reader is designed to meet
those needs. The reader is “intermediate” in the sense that it presumes
the user will have already learned the basics of Greek grammar and
syntax and has memorized Greek vocabulary words that appear frequently
in the New Testament. The reader is “graded” in the sense that it moves
from simpler translation work (Galatians) towards more advanced readings
from the book of James, the Septuagint, and from one of the Church
Fathers. In each reading lesson, the Greek text is given, followed by
supplemental notes that offer help with vocabulary, challenging word
forms, and syntax. Discussion questions are also included to foster
group conversation and engagement.
There are many good Greek readers in existence, but this reader
differs from most others in a few important ways. Most readers offer
text selections from different parts of the Bible, but in this reader
the user works through one entire book (Galatians). All subsequent
lessons, then, build off of this interaction with Galatians through
short readings that are in some way related to Galatians. The Septuagint
passages in the reader offer some broader context for texts that Paul
quotes explicitly from the Septuagint. The Patristic reading from John
Chrysystom comes from one of his homilies on Galatians. This approach to
a Greek reader allows for both variety and coherence in the learning
process.
Other unique features within this intermediate Greek reader include a
set of word studies for important Greek words in Galatians, a
discussion of the basics of textual criticism, and a brief glossary of
syntax and key concepts in biblical Greek.
