As a Pre-Grammar, this book is intended as a prelude leading to New Testament (NT) Greek studies. (1) It focuses on why the pursuit of Greek as a spiritual discipline can be an exciting adventure that forever changes the way one reads the Bible; and (2) it gives one a taste of the language--a kind of "jump start." Each chapter is divided into two sections:
I. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE (with various titles) The first section of each chapter is the primary focus of the book. It emphasizes and illustrates why the pursuit of NT Greek can be a spiritual discipline: a life-long encounter with biblical texts, a spiritual journey.
Chapters 1-3 briefly describe spiritual disciplines and why the pursuit of NT Greek belongs here.
Chapters 4-10 lay out seven (7) benchmarks, one for each chapter. By looking at one specific text from the Gospel of Matthew (13:52), these chapters highlight the pursuit of NT Greek as one way of serving God: a truly spiritual discipline.
II. TIME FOR GREEK (always this title) The second section of each chapter offers some very basic Greek, enough to give readers a taste for the language. This is not a "shortcut" to learning Greek. (There is no such thing!) Here, a mere taste of Greek is offered at a light pace, a kind of "jump start" into the language, or maybe like a "sampler" in a restaurant. This small amount of the language is intended to help one see the larger picture as a way of serving God and to whet the appetite for taking the next step. A focus only or even primarily on the Greek part of this book will result in missing the point of the book.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Explanation of Chapter Format: 9
Master List: The 7 Spiritual Benchmarks 11
1 A GREEK EXPERIENCE 13
2 A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE 21
3 A TIME TO SOW 31
4 SCRIBES 39
5 TRAINED 47
6 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 55
7 HOUSEHOLD MANAGER 69
8 TREASURE 83
9 NEW 93
10 OLD 103
APPENDIX 119
Gary D. Collier, PhD, is a scholar of biblical texts and director of the Institute for the Art of Biblical Conversation, a program devoted to reading biblical texts responsibly, contextually, and conversationally. His work centers on how readers engage biblical authors through their texts, with close attention to language, context, and the dynamics of interpretation.He is the author of The Apocalypse Unplugged: Rescuing Revelation from the Abyss, a study that challenges conventional approaches to Revelation and argues for a more text-driven engagement with its imagery and argument.Collier's research focuses on issues of canon, language, and translation, especially how key terms are understood and used in both scholarly and popular settings. His work seeks to bring clarity and precision to discussions often shaped by inherited assumptions.He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Dialoge Press, where he oversees the publication of works that foster informed engagement with biblical texts.
