>RE: On Learning koini Greek
>
>[Another idea for understanding the Greek NT is to make Greek part of your
>life: Read the NT in Greek every day, use some of its prayers in your own
>personal prayer time, and try to speak it and think in it [I thought my
>students conversational koini Greek using modern Greek pronounciation and
>also
>singing verses from it. In less than a week they knew the alphabet and were
>reading fluently [pronouncing the text] the GNT. Maybe one of these days I
>will write a text of conversational koini Greek.)
As a doctoral student in Hellenistic Greek and NT study 20 years ago, I
began doing what you are suggesting. It led to fluency in the text
eventually.
I would add that there is value in reading the LXX as well. In the
Anglican tradition, where the Psalter is a basic aspect of daily worship,
I have found that reading the Psalms for the day in the LXX helps broaden
one's grasp of earlier Hellenistic Greek and of the NT itself.
Regarding your remarks about Paul, Roman Empire, and Romans 13, there is
in Paul elsewhere (assuming the authenticity of 2 Thessa), an
acknowledgement of the demonic threat that the Empire posed (2 Thessa
2:1ff.). I do not find it so incredible to believe that Paul and Peter
could counsel compliance, especially given that Romans was written
preNero.
One finds in Mark 13 advice for Christians to retreat from Jerusalem as
the Romans drew near, another piece of advice that would alienate
Christians and Jews.
David Perkins
David W. Perkins
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd
PO Box 2172
806 Concordia
Vidalia, LA
318 336-7405
Email: Church: Gdshpd@iamerica.net
Personal: Dwperk@mail.iamerica.net