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Study Section 12: Using Knowledge of Original Languages

To Aid in Bible Study

12.1 Connect.

Studying the last two lessons was difficult. Think you have it down? If not, go back and
review again. Start with nouns, then verbs. This next lesson is built on the previous two
lessons, so if you do not have the information memorized, then this lesson will be worthless
to you. But if you have learned the basic Greek grammar, this lesson will encourage you and
enlighten you as no other lesson in this study. So, either go back, or let’s continue….

12.2 Objectives.

1. The student should be able to explain how learning the grammar of nouns and verbs will tell us
EXACTLY what a verse means so we can properly interpret the words of the author.

2. The student should be able to give examples of how the verb grammar clarifies verses.

3. The student should be able to give examples of how the noun grammar clarifies verses.

12.3 How we can use our knowledge of the Greek language to help us study God’s Word?

Wow! That’s a lot of information about the Greek language. So, what good would learning all
this information do in my Bible Study? The answer: it will help you understand the meaning of a
huge amount of verses in Scripture and clarify so much. All you need is an Interlinear Greek New
Testament. You can also find one on the internet and check out any verse
(http://biblehub.com/interlinear). It is a wonderful tool to accurately parse out the meaning of
many verses in Scripture.

Let’s see a few examples:

I John 3:6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin, and whoever sins has not seen Him, neither does He
know Him.

Sounds like NO PERSON cannot abide in Christ, since everyone sins. Is this verse saying no person can
really know God or can abide in Him? Let’s look at the verse through an interlinear translation which
will break down all the Greek for us.

An interlinear translation will show you the Greek Words for the verse in Greek order, the English words
below, and the tenses and voices of all verbs, the case of all the nouns, the objects of each noun, and so
on. If you understand what these tenses, voices, and cases mean, you will easily be able to find out
what the author of the verse is clearly saying. So let’s do that with I John 3:6:

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