GRK-201
New Testament Greek I
Introduction to biblical Greek: the alphabet, basic grammar, and enough vocabulary to start using original-language tools instead of relying only on English translations.
Topics: Koine Greek, Grammar, Original-language tools
Suggested resource: Blue Letter Bible's free interlinear, alongside a used copy of William Mounce's Basics of Biblical Greek or his free lecture videos online.
Week 1: The Greek Alphabet and Pronunciation
Reading: Practical exercise — try Bill Mounce's free introductory Greek videos
Biblical Greek uses its own alphabet, and the very first task is simply learning to recognize and pronounce all twenty-four letters, including a handful that don't map cleanly onto English sounds. This isn't wasted time: once you can sound out Greek words, you can follow along in an interlinear Bible, recognize the same word appearing in different passages, and start to notice patterns English translation alone hides from you. Resist rushing this step; fluency in reading the alphabet out loud, even slowly, is what makes every later week possible.
Key terms: Greek alphabet, Transliteration, Interlinear Bible
Discussion Questions
- What word or name from the New Testament are you most curious to see written in its original Greek letters?
Challenge: Practice writing out the Greek alphabet from memory, then sound out one familiar verse (like John 3:16) letter by letter using an interlinear tool.
Week 2: Nouns, Cases, and Basic Sentence Structure
Reading: Practical exercise — no reading assigned
Greek nouns change their ending depending on their grammatical role in a sentence (called “case”) rather than relying mainly on word order the way English does, which is why Greek word order can look scrambled to an English reader while still being perfectly clear to a Greek reader. Learning to recognize the basic cases — nominative (subject), genitive (possession, often translated “of”), dative (indirect object), and accusative (direct object) — unlocks precision that gets flattened out in translation. You don't need to master this fully in one week; the goal is recognizing these patterns when you see them in an interlinear text.
Key terms: Noun cases, Nominative, Genitive, Dative and accusative
Discussion Questions
- Find one verse where knowing the case of a key word would change or sharpen how you'd teach it.
Challenge: Look up the Greek word for 'love' (agape) in three different verses using Blue Letter Bible's interlinear and note its case in each.
Week 3: Basic Verbs and Reading Your First Passage
Reading: John 1:1–5, using an interlinear tool
Greek verbs carry an enormous amount of information in their endings alone — tense, voice, mood, person, and number — which is part of why a single Greek verb can require several English words to translate accurately. Rather than trying to memorize the full verb system in one week, focus on recognizing the verb “to be” (eimi) and a handful of common verbs that appear constantly in the Gospels and Epistles.
Finish this course by slowly working through John 1:1 word by word in Greek, a passage central to your earlier study of the Oneness of God: “En arche en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros ton theon, kai theos en ho logos” — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Notice the grammar of the third clause carefully: “theos” (God) appears without the definite article “ho” that modifies “theon” earlier in the same verse, which is exactly why some groups have argued it should read “the Word was a god.” But Greek grammar doesn't work that way for a definite predicate noun placed before its verb, as “theos” is here; this is a well-established pattern (sometimes called Colwell's construction) where a qualitative, definite predicate can appear anarthrous, without the article, while still meaning fully “God,” not merely “a god.” Every standard English translation, and the grammar itself, supports “the Word was God” — the eternal Word is fully, genuinely God, later “made flesh” in verse 14, exactly the Oneness position you studied in THE-101.
Key terms: John 1:1's three clauses in Greek, Anarthrous 'theos' (no definite article), Why it still means 'was God,' not 'a god', Reading in the original
Discussion Questions
- Working through John 1:1 in Greek, what stands out to you now that wasn't as visible in English translation alone?
- How would you explain, in plain English, why the missing article on 'theos' doesn't weaken the verse's claim that the Word was fully God?
Challenge: Translate John 1:1–5 word by word using an interlinear tool, then write your own rough translation before checking it against a standard English version.
Course Exam
Five questions for review or self-testing.
Q: Why is learning the Greek alphabet the essential first step?
Reveal Answer
You must be able to sound out and recognize words before using interlinear tools or noticing patterns translation hides.
Q: What is Greek 'case,' and why does it matter?
Reveal Answer
The way a noun's ending changes based on its grammatical role, allowing flexible word order without losing clarity.
Q: What information do Greek verb endings carry?
Reveal Answer
Tense, voice, mood, person, and number.
Q: What passage does this course conclude with, translating word by word?
Reveal Answer
John 1:1–5.
Q: What is an interlinear Bible tool used for?
Reveal Answer
Following the original Greek or Hebrew text alongside an English translation, word by word.