Monday with Mounce

One of the more interesting expressions in the Pastorals is ἔργον ἀγαθόν. It presents a conundrum whether you translate it as “good deeds,” “‘good works,” or with a phrase.

Colossians 2:8 is often misunderstood to say that all philosophy is bad and Christians should not engage in the discipline. It is just two little words in Greek (or, actually, the absence of two little words) that can clear up this misunderstanding. The Greek is a tad difficult, so let’s start with a slightly wooden translation.

One of the problems of memorizing word glosses in first year Greek is that it is possible to miss the richness of a word’s meaning, especially its breadth of meaning (“semantic range”). 

I was reflecting on the NIV translation of Psalm 1:1, which reads: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take (ἐν ὁδῷ ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἔστη, LXX) or sit in the company of mockers.”

Part of the challenge of teaching first year Greek is to simplify, but not too much. I remember when I started second-year Greek, it felt like I had to start relearning first-year Greek all over. My teacher had oversimplified in an attempt to help us understand the basics of Greek, but had not done so with an eye to the nuances of second-year Greek.