Canst Thou Speak Greek?

Invariably, and usually in a familiar and friendly setting of a ‘community bible study,’ someone will sound off with this comment : “Oh, I have original Greek here on my phone” (!), or “in my Greek bible,” and “the Greek says….”   Then they continue, telling us (in English) what the Greek says; all the while they think they are doing us a theological favor by reporting the true meaning of the particular scripture.

Apart from denying the deity of Jesus Christ, this is perhaps one of the biggest swindles in Christianity today.  They are told and sold, and they consequently believe that their app, or their inner leaf Greek bible/ lexicon, or their professor, allows them to 1.) Speak Greek, 2.) Discern the true meaning of the text,  3.) Correct the Authorized Version with their own translation.   But in fact, referring to the original text fails to do any of these.

The next time someone pops up with “…excuse me, but the Greek says…” then simply, and politely ask them, “Canst thou speak Greek?” (Acts 21: 37).  Again, politely, bid them to speak on. And if they do speak on, but do not speak in actual Greek, and instead speak in the English tongue (what they think the Greek says), then stop them.  Gently, but firmly insist they speak in Greek, not English.

For, if they are fluent enough in Greek (the Greek of 2,000 years ago) to correct the Authorized English Version, then surely they can put a full Greek sentence together (no words in English telling what the Greek says).  So, never mind that nobody else will understand, let’s hear that Greek!

And, by the way, in a recent example, the tongue of the ‘original’ was Aramaic: Greek was not the ‘original.’  So, do you have the original?  Canst thou speak Aramaic?  Or, can you speak Greek so well, you converse with your buddies in it?  The KJV translators did.  Lancelot Andrews (a KJV translator) spoke Hebrew and Greek fluently… he and his pals would go all day speaking only in Greek, or only in Hebrew!  Yes, they could speak Greek!

As an aside: Andrews —brilliant, but easily bored — was the pastor of an Anglican church.  One day, while another of his fellows was preaching, Andrews became so bored that he got up, left the church, crossed the road into the pub, and had a few beers.  At least he was honest; and brilliant, but perhaps eccentric.  (Can you say the same for the ‘Lockman Foundation’ or the ‘Watchtower Society’?)

You may also ask your well-meaning Greek scholar this:  “Canst thou speak Greek…” and then continue, “which line of manuscripts will you be quoting?”  There are over 3,000 pieces of manuscripts available for our perusal, and none (NONE!) are exactly the same.  No two manuscripts agree 100% — so, the one you are quoting, which one is it?  (And ask, “Friend, how does adding plural and contradicting authorities make this passage any clearer?”)

Canst thou speak Greek?  Really?  Oh oh… have you been duped by ‘higher education’?  Today, the world desperately seeks to learn English; it is the world’s language — why not use a perfect and beautiful form of English (the KJV)?  God can, and has, delivered his word to the world.

Or, do you seriously feel the pure word of God is found only in the ‘originals’?  (We know you don’t possess the actual original script penned by Paul and others — but we’ll wink at this for now.)   To the point: if you honestly believe this, then why not study Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to fluency — and teach us once you get there!  Stay clear of private interpretation, and so teach us all these languages!  (Not happening!)

For me, I believe God met the world’s need (the word in our language) in the tried and true of the Authorized Version — in beautiful, accurate  English.  It is the work of God.  Let us therefore teach and study the word, corporately.  You may ask me, “Canst thou speak Greek?”  and I answer, “I can not speak Greek, and neither can you; but we can learn and speak English!”