I look at an understanding of the original languages as "tools of the trade" for a pastor.

I have a background in electrical engineering and work now as a technical writer. Being able to read schematics and understanding what each symbol does to the electricity definitely helped me when I was troubleshooting problems and makes life so much easier when I now have to describe a piece of hardware and how it works. Understanding schematics was one of my tools of the trade. Most times I suppose you could get by without them by using block diagrams, but not always? (try troubleshooting a VCR problem down to a faulty microprocessor without some knowledge of schematics).

In the same way that being able to read schematics makes a person a better electrical engineer or technical writer, so too understanding the original languages couldn't help but make a pastor a better pastor/preacher. Being a pastor/preacher without an understanding of the original languages to me is like an electrical engineer who can understand block diagrams (derived from the schematics) but can't understand the schematics. Quite often that might be enough, but then there are times when the extra knowledge is necessary.

Budee, Budee, that's all folks!

Bob

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B.Howes
Framingham, MA