Originally Posted by Sydnorphyn

For those of us who are teaching languages, this is the answer to the "why" we often get from students. Enjoy.


“It is not the primary purpose of language study to provide the means for
reaching astounding exegetical conclusions, although sound linguistic
training can at least prevent students from adopting inadmissible
interpretations. The true goal of learning New Testament Greek is rather
to build a much broader base of knowledge and understanding than the
student would otherwise have. Occasionally, this knowledge may indeed
supply fairly direct answers to exegetical questions. But what matters
most is the newly acquired ability to interpret texts responsibly on the
basis of comprehensive rather than fragmented (and therefore distorted)
information.” (M. Silva, “Foreword,” in G. Machen, New Testament Greek for
Beginners, 2nd rev. ed. [Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall,
2004], 11.)