Motivation

John Wesley was said to be able to quote the Greek better than English.

“Remember the goal: a clear, more exact, and more persuasive presentation of God’s saving message.

“If there is to be another reformation – and I think one is solely needed – knowledge of and hunger for the biblical languages will again form a vital component in it’s formation.”

“A man who reads the Bible in translation is like a man who kisses his bride through a veil”

"There are many who refuse to believe in the verbal inspiration of the scriptures. But I fail to see how the sense of scripture can be inspired if the words in which that sense is expressed are not also inspired. I believe that the very words, in the original Hebrew and Greek, were revealed from heaven, and notwithstanding every objection that can be brought from any quarter, I have never been able to get away from the firm belief that, if I give up my Master's words, I give up his thoughts also."

“The Greek New Testament is the New Testament… everything else is merely a Translation”

“All translation is a polite lie”

The reformation began because of the Greek NT – when Luther read Romans in the Greek he was converted.

"Men talk of the 'mistakes of scripture.' I thank God that I have never met with any. Mistakes of translation there may be, for translators are men. But mistakes of the original word there never can be, for the God who spoke it is infallible, and so is every word he speaks, and in that confidence we find delightful rest."

“The Greek & Hebrew are more important than the English Bible”. All of the reformers insisted that all their pastors had to know Greek & Hebrew. Battle Cry of the reformation = “back to the sources” – back to the original text. “For too long the church had been slave to tradition and biblical interpretation that was given to it by others – the only way to get past tradition and to test anyone’s interpretation of the Scriptures was to know the original languages. Today the learning of Greek and Hebrew are considered optional – “It’s too hard” “Ministry is about people not about text” – these excuses are nothing new – they were used in the 16th century!”

“There is no translation without interpretation”

“Consider…the alternative – pastors who do not know Greek are forced to borrow their ideas from others. They are slaves to the commentators, but have no means to check their accuracy. The best tools of interpretation are beyond their reach. Not even the English translations they use are completely trustworthy. Worst of all, without thorough training in Greek they may discover that they are passing on in the name of God their own ignorance, based upon erroneous interpretations”