I've been telling people that I have more work now then I've ever had before - that the amount of homework and reading has been beyond my capacity. Today, I sat down and mapped out how much work I have to do between now and the end of the semester and I realize that I haven't seen anything yet. There is more work to come than I've done so far. God IS pushing me beyond myself. If I didn't learn it over the summer, I'm going to learn it over November, that I am being asked to do something that is too hard for me and, realize it or not, only God's strength will get me through it.
Here's something that's cool though:
I really love what I'm learning!
My class "Greek in Exegesis" is definitely one of my favorite classes because I feel like I learn so much information AND the professor takes so much effort to develop us spiritually and show us how much more we can fall in love with Christ by seeing Him even more clearly in the scriptures! Here's something we are learning: the different uses of possessives:
"Bowl of Cherry" "Bowl of Cherries" "Cherry's bowl" "Cherry's bowling"
Instinctively, when you read those phrases (especially in a context) you'll know what they mean. However, if you stop and think of it you'll have to realize that possessives can be used in so many different ways. It could be a bowl made out of cherry wood (material), a bowl full of cherries (contents), a bowl owned by someone named Cherry (possession), or a subjective noun describing action attributed to someone. Those are only four ways that Greek "genative" words can be used. How are we to understand "God's love"? Is it the the love someone has for God? Is it the love God has for someone else? etc.
My Greek professor explained it this way: "We read English too darn fast! Greek cripples us and it makes us walk with a limp - and that's a good thing!" Because I can't read Greek as quickly as I can read English I have no choice but to wrestle with these questions. Instead of just glossing over "God's love" and assuming that I know what it's talking about, learning Greek MAKES us dig for the meaning of the text. I think that's really cool!
I really love what I'm learning!
My class "Greek in Exegesis" is definitely one of my favorite classes because I feel like I learn so much information AND the professor takes so much effort to develop us spiritually and show us how much more we can fall in love with Christ by seeing Him even more clearly in the scriptures! Here's something we are learning: the different uses of possessives:
"Bowl of Cherry" "Bowl of Cherries" "Cherry's bowl" "Cherry's bowling"
Instinctively, when you read those phrases (especially in a context) you'll know what they mean. However, if you stop and think of it you'll have to realize that possessives can be used in so many different ways. It could be a bowl made out of cherry wood (material), a bowl full of cherries (contents), a bowl owned by someone named Cherry (possession), or a subjective noun describing action attributed to someone. Those are only four ways that Greek "genative" words can be used. How are we to understand "God's love"? Is it the the love someone has for God? Is it the love God has for someone else? etc.
My Greek professor explained it this way: "We read English too darn fast! Greek cripples us and it makes us walk with a limp - and that's a good thing!" Because I can't read Greek as quickly as I can read English I have no choice but to wrestle with these questions. Instead of just glossing over "God's love" and assuming that I know what it's talking about, learning Greek MAKES us dig for the meaning of the text. I think that's really cool!