Optional page text here. The Beast's Lair: Southern Seminary Quote of the Day

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Southern Seminary Quote of the Day

This quote is in context of my Greek Syntax professor warning students of the danger of using Greek from the pulpit.

"You are more likely to say something stupid using Greek than you are saying something wise."

His point is that some are called to teach and preach, and are therefore called to have a knowledge of some things that others in the faith will not, or do not need to have. He also warned that a partial knowledge of Greek is more dangerous than no knowledge, because we use it in dumb ways. I thought it was a good word.

4 Comments:

Blogger Barry Wallace said...

But even if you say something stupid in Greek, who the heck's going to know?

February 01, 2007 3:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But even if you say something stupid in Greek, who the heck's going to know?

Either someone in the audience may know Greek, or if a tape of the address got to such a person.

Besides, what's the need to use Greek in a sermon anyway?

February 01, 2007 3:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have heard preachers use greek for interpretive help with Scripture. That is where the danger is placed.

February 01, 2007 5:29 PM  
Blogger Michael Ruffin said...

While it is important for a preacher to do his or her homework, it is not necessary nor is it usually wise to parade our erudition before the congregation. I'm reminded of what Harry Emerson Fosdick said years ago in response to a question he posed, "What's the matter with preaching today?" His answer was that too many preachers assume that people come to church just dying to know whatever happened to the Jebusites. What they really want to know, of course, is what word we might have from the Lord that will matter to them in the living of their sometimes very desperate lives.

February 02, 2007 8:31 AM  

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