Course Summary

The language of the New Testament, with illustrations of its usefulness in the study of Scripture

An introduction to the Greek language, biblical sources, and issues related to textual analysis.  The course is organized in 3 modules: (1) The System, (2) Sources, and (3) Textual Criticism. 3 semester hours of undergraduate credit.  No credit allowed with former BRS 8.

Objectives

• Describe the Greek writing system (Module 1)

• Analyze Greek transcripts of the New Testament (Module 2)

• Evaluate Greek New Testament manuscripts through techniques of textual criticism (Module 3)

Credit. Credit for the course requires a score of 70% or greater on three-multiple choice examinations, a research paper, and an essay. A sample multiple-choice problem is given below.

Greek (A) belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, (B) Has a close linguistic relationship with Sanskrit, (C) Has no linguistic relationship with any other language, (D) is a Semitic language.

Resources.  Resources are available online in the Electronic Collection and NU online libraries.  The two texts most depended upon are

Porter, Stanley E. Fundamentals of New Testament Criticism. Eerdmans, 2015. 224 pages.

Wegner, Paul E. A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible. IVP Academic, 2012. 334 pages.