Should all Christian Ministers be able to read Greek & Hebrew (the original languages of the Bible)?

Question

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Should the ability to read the Bible in its original languages be a minimal requirement for becoming an ordained minister / preacher / pastor / priest?

If not, why not?

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Answer 1

As a minister, I learned Greek and Hebrew. The problem though is that you hardly use it and it is hard to maintain. I would much rather take the word of Greek and Hebrew scholars over trying to translate it by myself. With that being said, I believe that I have a huge responsibility to ensure that I am teaching accurately and communicating truth to the audience; so I take teaching the Bible very seriously and would never assume that one translation or one commentary is the end all source. I think that there would be alot less distinction between the denominations if more ministers took this seriously, but the answer to your question is no, I dont think it should be a requirement because there are numerous other sources to consult in order to ensure that you are not off base.

Answer 2

Hello, Yes I do, every man that is a believer in Christ should eventually as he matures invest time in researching the Hebrew/Greek. You can get a fuller meaning in the original texts and it can give you a better picture. Even the KJV has some things that could have had better wording like repent actually meaning change of mind. The fact is though that even through what we have from the Hebrew/Greek to english translations the fundamental truths are all accurate, but there may be very minor wordings that could better be explained by going to the original. I dont think it should be an intial requirement because we have an accurate english version but some should be required down the line. Thats why many today have hebrew/greek concordances.

Answer 3

It would definitely raise the "bar" standard for ministers a bit. Probably eliminate a number of those "fringe" elements.

Dunno. Would it serve any purpose? Do you really think that would help any? It's not the education level that is an issue with many Ministers. I think it's more the "fundamentalist" movement that is the issue.

Being so involved in religion and not being involved in the real world... kind of makes one only see what they want to see, rather than what is really out there.

I would rather make it mandatory that Ministers have to work to earn a living, rather than be supported by their congregation. They should have to have some kind of family counseling credentials if they intend to do ministering to families, or they should be in the medical field if they minister in a hospital setting... etc etc etc. Those who work in social working fields need to have the necessary educational background and credentials in order to serve the community in that fashion.

This would place them firmly in the real world, dealing with the day to day existence that we all have to deal with. Would broaden their minds more so than being able to read an ancient language, don't you think.

By the way, this is by no means limited to any particular religion, but ministers of any faith.

Answer 4

The vast majority of ordained ministers go to seminary, and learning the biblical languages is a graduation requirement.

You will find that there are lay pastors in some churches that have not gone to seminary, but I have found that many of these make up for the lack of formal education with several excellent programs that teach the biblical languages; where through online courses, video/audio tape courses, and software.

Answer 5

I think all ministers SHOULD know Greek and Hebrew, but I don't think it should be an absolute requirement. Most of the English versions get the original meaning across pretty well, but knowing the Greek helps you to really know what points the author was emphasizing. For instance in 1st John when we writes, "we have seen with our eyes" he was stressing that they have "completely seen", not just glanced at, and it was with their own eyes that they completely saw, not something someone else said someone saw... So the Greek meaning is "which we have completely seen with our very own eyes" but "which we have seen with our eyes" still conveys the meaning.

Answer 6

Well if they did know the original Hebrew a lot of things would change in your churches, because the Hebrew is much different from the Greek and English translations. There are many mistakes. For instance in Psalm 2:

Greek/English:
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
Hebrew:
Kings of a land stand up, and nobles take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed?

In the original Hebrew, "His anointed" means all of Israel and not one man, and it is referring to how the kings of that time were determined to stamp out the Jews. Translated from the Greek, it is said to point to J*sus. So many things would change in your church if they did, and Chr*stianity itself might come into question. The way I see it, Chr*stianity, though having its faults, has done many good things for people, and to bring a belief system of a population under question is probably not the best thing in these times right now.

Answer 7

Some of them who do attend Seminary, it is a requirement, as some words have changed from their original languages that they were written in, to the final translation into versions of different Bibles.

Answer 8

Make things simple. Greek is greek and Hebrew is for the Jews. Use the bible of the vernacular language it is translated and share it in that language is already sufficient.

Answer 9

We have that option, but it is not necessary. There are so many good commentaries and books written about the subject that it is not hard to understand the meaning. Men smarter than I can translate a difficult word better than someone who dabbles in the language.

Answer 10

In fact, No one is now capable of reading the Original Hebrew.
If it weren't that it was translated into other languages before its usage was entirely lost, we wouldn't have the 'Old Testament' without further miraculous intervention from God.

Hebrew language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_Language

God doesn't require that each individual know the original tongues, so why should we? (If he did, he'd see to it that it was possible. Recall that the early Christians were miracoulously gifted with tongues they didn't speak, in order to spread the word quickly.) That's where the sharing of such talent comes in. By far, most of Jehovah's Witnesses aren't able to speak or read the Original languages that NTof the Bible was written in, either. So , we rely on others who Are capable, to make it available to us in our own tongues.

For Example, the New Testament that English speaking Jehovah's Witesses often use has been reviewed by several non-Witness, unbiased, professional translators, & found to be of the Highest calliber of translation. See for yourself what some of them have to say about it:

"The Best Interlinear New Testament Available",
by Dr. Jason BeDuhn, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Chair Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion at Northern Arizona University
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/newworldtranslation/kitbest.htm

Truth In Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament., by Jason BeDuhn -- Published 2003 University Press of America. 200 pages. -- Brief Description:
"Here at last is a comprehensive comparison of nine major translations of the Bible: King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Amplified Bible, Today's English Version (Good News Bible), Living Bible, and the New World Translation. The book provides a general introduction to the history and methods of Bible translation, and gives background on each of these versions. Then it compares them on key passages of the New Testament to determine their accuracy and identify their bias. Passages looked at include: John 1:1; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20 ; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1. Also explored are passages involving "prostration" or "worship," gendered language, the "holy spirit," and the use of "Jehovah." Two hundred pages in all offering my most detailed examination of the issues and pressures involved in Bible translation. ...
Thank you, and happy reading! Jason BeDuhn"
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/newworldtranslation/beduhn_truth.in.translation.book.htm

Review of New World Bible Translation Committee's,
"The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures",
by Thomas Nelson Winter, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
(DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/27/

"What Is the Best New Testament?",
written by Professor Ernest Cadman Colwell
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/newworldtranslation/questionwt63p95.htm

"After being familiar with the NWT for 20 yrs and comparing it with some 55 English translations over that same period we can honestly say that it is our opinion this translation is indeed one of the major/main Bible translations of the 20th century, as Harper's Bible Dictionary (1985 ed. R.G.Bratcher, The English Bible. pp.266, 267) and The Lion Handbook to the Bible (Lion Publishing, 1976 reprint, p. 79) admits."
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/newworldtranslation/home.htm