A Little Greek is a Dangerous Thing

by Stephanus 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  Stephanus

  In response to your new thread that you started on this topic, Comforter (what is it with trolls and their need to start new threads on a topic that is already running?), I will qualify my statement (as I did in this thread) with the words "at the door". No Dub I've met knows enough Greek that I will engage in such discussion with him/her. Are you saying that you've met all these people you name - Stafford, Furuli and Franz?

  If you weren't such an overly sensitive prat, Comforter, you'd note that my major example was a Christadelphian belief that Hebrews 9:12 means that Jesus had to first attain his own redemption, due to a laboured interpretation based upon the use of the middle voice. My interest isn't even in that petty little cult, either, it is in cleaning up my own backyard, mainstream Christendom. I've heard some totally dumb-arse assertions made about the meanings of words, eg. dunamis=dynamite, hilaros=hillarious (2 Cor. 9:7), agapao and phileo are non-interchangeable, etc. With the death of the subject of my webpage, I need a new hobby, so I'm considering a website where I showcase these and other atrocious examples. If the fact that average Dubbies don't know enough Greek to save their lives concerns you, then I suggest you do as I'm planning on doing, and seek to reform your own movement from within.

  Edited by - Stephanus on 13 August 2002 16:31:33
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  Alf3831

  Steph,

  I do agree with you that a "little greek" is a dangerous thing. This is so for the Jehovah's Witnesses who feel they are competent in Greek after researching WT articles on John 1:1. This is also the case for those in christendom who buy anti-cult books at the christian bookstore and feel they are at the level of Biblical Greek Scholars.

  It has been shown that there arent a vast number of Greek scholars amongst JW's, but there are many Classical Greek Scholars, along with dozens of JW's that have taken Greek courses at the under-graduate and graduate level. Greg Stafford admitted during a radio interview with Clay Jones that he has completed several Greek courses at the under-graduate level. His background as well as Rolf Furuli's have been in Linguistics. In addition, there have been others that have taught Greek, such as Nicholas Kip, who taught at Phillips Academy (Current Dept Chair in Classics), he majored in Classics at Princeton University, and received his graduate degree from Trinity College. He has also taught New Testament Greek courses at Phillips Academy. Also, one must not forget other JW's who teach or have taught Greek at the university level, such as John Albu, Max Wornhard, and Frank Shaw. I believe Dr. Firpo Carr completed a few classes in Greek at Claremont College, which I believe is a seminary. The bulk of Greek classes taken by Fred Franz at the University of Cinncinati, have been in Classical Greek. Given the vast scope of christian brotherhood amongst JW's there is no telling how many JW's have completed Greek courses, and are thus well-versed in the language. Not to mention the hundreds of former clergymen whom are now JW's and have taken Greek classes at Seminary.

  Hope this helps to shed light on your post.

  Sincerely,

  Alf3831
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  mevirginia

  I went to a Greek Wedding.

  Lots of fun! Lots of Dancing!

  Lots of food!

  Lots of drinking and broken glass!

  What else is there to know?