New Testament Greek LG1200-50                 Instructor: James L. Boyce jboyce@luthersem.edu  651.641.3252                revised Feb 2008  Important Note As of March 1, 2008, no new registrations are being accepted for this particular online Greek course. For an alternative Distance Learning Opportunity for New Testament Greek at Luther Seminary, see Academics > Registrar > Course Information: and the new course offering:  GREEK-INTENSIVE LG 1200 02 (Mary Shore) first offered in Summer Session 2008. Contact the Office of the Registrar for further information.

Course Value:  1.5 Course, roughly equal to 4.5 Semester Hours                                                    Cost:  $1,530.00 (Tuition rate for 1.5 Course 2007-2008)                                                    Time Allowed for Completion:  2 years from time of enrollment Withdrawal Guidelines-NT Greek ONLINE: (effective December 1, 2002) Within 10 weeks of receipt of initial registration confirmation. 100% refund of tuition/removal of charges if Office of the Registrar is notified by the student. After the 10 week period from initial registration confirmation, but before the 15th week, students may withdraw only by petition to the Office of the Registrar and receive a maximum of 50% refund of tuition. A withdrawal notation is recorded on the student’s academic record. Withdrawal after the 15 week period of initial registration confirmation will result in no refund of tuition and a withdrawal fail notation is recorded on the student’s academic record.  Deadline for Initial Submission of Greek Online Course Work Online students must submit work for the course within 15 weeks from the date of initial registration. If no submission of assigned work has been received within 15 weeks from the time of initial registration, it will be assumed that the student has dropped without notification and a withdrawal fail notation will be recorded and no refund allowed.   NOTE: The tuition fee for this online course allows students a total of two years from the time of enrollment for completion of both parts 1 and 2 of the whole course sequence.  Normally, this allows one year for completion of each of the component parts. (As with any course, students who do not complete the whole course within the allotted two-year time frame will normally receive a Fail for the course.)

Introductions

About this Online Course
This online Greek course consists of a two part sequence in the fundamentals of New Testament Greek. These two parts together are designed to fulfill the Greek proficiency requirement at Luther Seminary. They lead the student through an overview and practice in the basic fundamentals of grammar and then proceed to gain basic proficiency in reading and translation as well as skill in the use of important lexical tools for New Testament study using the original language. The online course is essentially the same course as the on campus Greek course offered as a one semester one and a half credit course. For the syllabus for the on campus version see the instructor's web site: http://www.luthersem.edu/jboyce/

Admission/Registration/Beginning the course:
All persons wishing to take Greek online must first be admitted to Luther Seminary.
      How do I register? Click Here
      When can I register? Click Here
When can I start?
Students may access and begin work in the course as soon as:
    1) you receive your Username and Password and confirmation that you have been enrolled in the online course site,
    2) materials for the course have been picked up on campus
        or received via order from the Luther Seminary Book Store.

Letter Grade Option (see Luther Seminary Catalog): Normal grading for courses at Luther Seminary is Pass/Marginal/Fail. If a letter grade and/or written evaluation is desired for the course, students must notify the instructor of this desire by E-mail at the beginning of the course.

Course Description ― Part I: Introduction to Basic Grammar
An introduction to the basic elements of New Testament Greek grammar and syntax. Beginning explorations of translation and its relation to reading and interpreting texts in context is addressed through the reading of the First Epistle of John. Mastery of basic New Testament Greek vocabulary is stressed. Progress is monitored through periodic Review Quizzes as outlined in the Assignments.

Course Materials for Part I.  The basic required texts/resources for the first part of the course may be picked up in person by those who have access to campus or ordered  from the Luther Seminary Book Store. These required materials include:

• James L Boyce, Let’s Read Greek (basic introductory text and supplementary exercises)

• James L. Boyce, Grammar Notes for New Testament Greek (supplementary grammar outline)

• E. Nestle- K. Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece. 27^th ed. (Greek New Testament)

• Greek True-Type Fonts, by Galaxie Fonts (enabling display of Greek fonts used in class materials; these fonts may be downloaded from the MyLuthernet course web site upon registration and receipt of password access, or they may be downloaded as shareware fonts directly from the Galaxie Software web site)

Recommended Software:

• Bibleworks 7.0  This powerful Bible Software tool useful for searches and grammatical help is installed on the Luther Seminary Network (It is accessible on campus in all the computer labs, and also can be accessed by students anywhere off campus through HomeLab)

(Also available through Luther Seminary Book Store)

• "Greek Tutor" multi-media CD Rom (Parsons Technology)
• "Mastering New Testament Greek: An Intermediate Guide for Beginners" CD Rom; introductory lessons, grammar, electronic books (Baker; www.bakeracademic.com)
• Logos Bible Software (Libronix, version 3.0 recently released)

Lessons and Assignments.   Study suggestions and assignments for the use of the basic text, Let’s Read Greek, the supplementary Exercises, and the Grammar Notes for the completion of each lesson will be available on-line for students who register. The basic text and the exercises include answer keys for the checking of practice work.

Examinations
Review quizzes:  The primary occasion for monitoring and evaluation of student work will be the series of quizzes that follow each three to four lessons (see Course Outline). These quizzes are open-book exercises that check mastery of material to that point. The quizzes are accessible on-line and are submitted on-line by the student for correction and return with comments by the instructor.
Vocabulary quizzes:  Students are responsible for mastery of a basic New Testament Greek vocabulary that includes all those words that occur 50 or more times in the New Testament. In Part I of the course this list of words is divided into eight "weekly" vocabulary lists/quizzes that roughly follow vocabulary that is introduced and used in the basic text. Quizzes to demonstrate mastery of vocabulary are accessible on-line.

Course Description: Part II ― Reading New Testament Texts 
Reading and analysis of selected New Testament texts. Focus is on use of the original language for discerning the structure and meaning of biblical texts. Help is given in effective use of resources such as grammars, lexicons, concordances, and the practice of textual criticism parsing guides, and interlinears.
     This second portion of the Greek course continues review and practice in the fundamentals of grammar but focuses this practice more directly in gaining proficiency in reading and translation as well as skill in the use of important lexical tools for New Testament study using the original language.

Objectives

• Careful work in original language with New Testament texts selected for their central importance.

• Ability to relate issues of interpretation to the interrelationship of syntax and meaning.
• Sensitivity to the implications of the contextuality of language and meaning in reading biblical texts
• Facility in the use of lexical resources for work with biblical texts in the original language, primarily lexicons and concordances. 

Overview of Requirements
Each student is responsible for completion of study or written work in the following areas:

A) Requirements: Grammar.  A portion of course assignments focuses on gaining greater facility in grammar and syntax. This work is coordinated with the reading and translation of selected New Testament texts as noted below (see Reading and Translation and Course Outline). The primary class resource for this grammar review is James L. Boyce, Grammar Notes. For most purposes this concise summary of grammar should be sufficient. It is assumed that most students will continue to have access to the introductory text used in the first part of this course: James L. Boyce,  Let's Read Greek, (available through the Luther Seminary Book Store). Also available (alas only for IBM PC compatibles) is the CD-ROM multimedia Greek Tutor by Parsons Technology, Inc.

Syntax of Verbs.

Syntax of Adjectives and Cases.

B. Requirements: Reading and Translation.  Each student is expected to prepare and translate selected New Testament gospel and epistle texts (totaling approximately 210 verses) from Mark, Luke, and Paul (Romans and Philemon). For the specific texts see the Course Outline below. The translation work for the first three assignments in each of these three author areas is to be submitted to the instructor in writing for evaluation.
     Translation notes coordinated with the reading and translation are provided in the course "Resources" to explain or signal points of grammar, analysis, or interpretation that deserve special attention or review along the way. 

C. Requirements: Vocabulary.  Each student is expected to demonstrate mastery of a basic New Testament Greek vocabulary including those words that occur 50 or more times in the New Testament (for the list, see course Resources). The examination over these approximately 300 words should be completed as early as possible in this second portion of the  course so that the proficiency in vocabulary thus gained can assist the work in translation. A score of at least 80% will be necessary to satisfy this area of proficiency.

D. Requirements: Lexicon, Concordance, and other Tools.  Some study and three written assignments (see Resources) will focus on developing familiarity with the scope and use of two important if not essential tools for study of the Greek text -- 1) the Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition. (BDAG) and 2) a Greek Concordance (though other concordances are available, that by Kohlenberger is listed as required due to its relatively low cost):

• Lexicon Exercises
  Part I - introduction and basic familiarity with the Lexicon
  Part II - use of the Lexicon in conjunction with reading specific texts

• Concordance Exercise - a guided exercise to suggest ways of using a Concordance.

The student is encouraged to make regular use of these two tools in preparation of translation work so as to gain the kind of familiarity and skill in their usage that will enrich study of the text in the original language. 

E. Requirements: Textual Criticism.  A basic introduction is given to issues related to the practice of textual criticism. Such attention focuses on the manuscript tradition on which the Greek text of the NT is based and the issues raised by the practice of reconstruction of the particular Greek  text that is used as a basis for translation and interpretation of the New Testament. Students will be responsible for introductory reading and study, an exercise treating specific textual variants in Mark 1:1-3, and a brief quiz over the text and footnote "signs" included in the Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece. The Assignments for the course give specific directions for this area and directions to the on-line introduction to Textual Criticism.

Examinations in Part II
Two open book review examinations covering assigned reading

1) upon completion of reading in Mark  and 2) upon completion of reading in Luke

These exams focus on ability to explain grammatical constructions in the Greek text, to translate into sensible English, and to make use of tools for analysis and explanation of the biblical text.

Final examination.  Open-book interpretive exercise which invites the student to demonstrate ability to analyze and translate a given New Testament text, while bringing to bear the resources of knowledge of Greek grammar and syntax, the Lexicon, the Greek concordance, textual analysis, and comparison with another English translation.  Students are encouraged to examine a Sample Final Examination early on in this portion of the course so as to see the kind of work that will be required and to guide and shape their study while completing their work for the course. 

Background Reading     Recommended, Not required
Articles on the character of "Koine" or New Testament Greek are recommended background reading:

• E.C. Colwell,"Greek Language," Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol.II., pp. 479-487. or

• Lane C. McGaughy, "Greek, New Testament," Harper's Bible Dictionary, 359-361. 

Course Materials for Part II.  The required texts for the course may be ordered from the Luther Seminary Book Store. The main purpose of the Kubo volume is to provide verse by verse vocabulary assistance for reading and translation.

• Nestle, E. and Aland, K. Novum Testamentum Graece.  27th edition

• Bauer, Walter.Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. (BDAG) ed. by Danker, Arndt, Gingrich. 3rd. ed.(this volume is also available in digital format with Bibleworks Bible software, or with Libronix (Logos) Bible software; 2nd ed.also OK if available)
• The following texts are an EITHER/OR OPTION:
  EITHER: Kohlenberger, John, et al. Exhaustive Concordance to the Greek New Testament
  OR: Kohlenberger, John; Goodrick and Swanson, The Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament (NIV)
  OR: Bible Software which allows concordance work with the Greek text (such as the Bibleworks 7.0 software accessible on the Luther Seminary web site through HomeLab)
• Boyce, James. Grammar Notes for New Testament Greek
• Kubo, Sakae. A Reader's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

Other Recommended Resources.  Listed below are other resources that the student may wish to consider in building a library. In addition to the required Greek Concordance and the BDAG Lexicon, the instructor recommends at some time adding a reference grammar such as Blass-Debrunner or Dana-Mantey. An Analytical Lexicon, such as that by Mounce or Friberg is also useful for providing a dictionary-like key for every form that occurs in the New Testament. An annotated listing of some of these resources is also provided in the course.

• Greek Tutor multi-media CD Rom

• Blass, F. and Debrunner, A. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.
• Dana, H.E. and Mantey, Julius. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament.
• Friberg, Friberg, Miller. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Baker)
• Greenlee, J. Harold, A Concise Exegetical Grammar of New Testament Greek
• *Louw, J.P. and Nida, E.A. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains

• *MacDonald, William G. Greek Enchiridion

• Kohlenberger, John, et. al. Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament.
• Metzger, B.M. Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek.
• Moulton and Geden. Concordance to the Greek New Testament.
• Mounce, William D., The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament
• Mounce, William D., Biblical Greek Laminated Study Guide
• Mueller, Walter, Grammatical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek
• Rogers, Cleon, Jr & Cleon Rogers III. The New Linguistic
  and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament.
• Zerwick, M. Grammar of New Testament Greek.
• Zerwick, M. and M. Grosvenor. A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament.
  
  *Indicates digital texts included in Bibleworks 7.0

Computer Software. The ability to do concordance work and to see the analysis of Greek words in the text on-screen (in addition to other capabilities as well) is provided also by Biblical study software that includes the ability to work with texts in the original languages. See note under Part I above.

Course Outline and Schedule of Assignments
This online Greek course allows flexibility of time and place for completion of the seminary Greek requirement without the normal limitations of the on campus location or the semester schedule.
The tuition fee for the course allows students a total of two years from the time of enrollment to complete the full course sequence. Normally, this allows one year to complete each of the component parts.

The following sample schedule is provided only as a comparative model, so as to indicate the level of study required to complete the whole course within the time frame of a semester. It reflects closely the scheduling of the on-campus version of the course. The first part of the course follows closely the outline provided by the sequence of lessons in the Let’s Read Greek text. Students will note that this sample schedule necessitates completion of approximately four to five lessons per week. It is highly recommended that students work out a tentative completion plan for themselves based on their own schedules and the outline below. For example, adjustment of the schedule below would mean that doing two to three lessons per week would allow completion of the introductory course in approximately twenty eight weeks (a two semester time frame).
     Specific instructions for completion of individual assignments are given in the "Assignments" section on the course website.

A Sample Schedule

Part I: Introduction

Week One		Week Two
-Introduction, Lessons 1, 2, 3 -REVIEW QUIZ #1 (Lessons 1-3) -VOCABULARY # 1		-Lessons 4,5,6,7,8 -REVIEW QUIZ # 2 (Lessons 4-8) -VOCABULARY # 2
Week Three		Week Four
-Lessons 9,10,11,12,13,14 -REVIEW QUIZ # 3 (Lessons 9-12) -VOCABULARY # 3		-Lessons 15, 16, 17, 18 -REVIEW QUIZ # 4 (Lessons 13-16) -VOCABULARY # 4
Week Five		Week Six
-Lessons 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 -REVIEW QUIZ # 5 (Lessons 17-19) -REVIEW QUIZ # 6 (Lessons 20-23, Participles) -VOCABULARY # 5		-Lessons 24, 25, 26, 27 -REVIEW QUIZ # 7 (Lessons 24-27) -VOCABULARY # 6
Week Seven		Week Eight
-Lesson 28 1 John 1:1-6 -Lesson 29 1 John 1:7-10 -Lesson 30 1 John 2:1-8 -Lesson 31 1 John 2:9-17 -REVIEW QUIZ # 8 (Covering 1 John 1:1-2:17) -VOCABULARY # 7		-Lesson 32 1 John 2:18-3:3 -Lesson 33 1 John 3:4-18 -Lesson 34 1 John 3:19-4:21 -Lesson 35 1 John 5:1-21 -VOCABULARY # 8 -FINAL EXAM-Part I (Covers 1 John, chaps. 3-5)

Part II: Reading Biblical Texts

Week Nine

Week Ten

Week Eleven

Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Interaction and Help
The following avenues of help and interaction with the instructor are available:

• E-mail: The instructor may be contacted with questions, comments, or assistance at jboyce@luthersem.edu.
• Comments/notes regarding areas of difficulty or suggestions for learning will be made on work submitted by the student.
• Examinations: Students will receive comments and suggestions in response to work on examinations.
• Telephone: And of course there is always the instructor’s telephone and voice-mail available at 651-641-3252