Why learning the Biblical Languages is important...

During Holy Week I wrote a blog about forgiveness. In the blog, I used the example of the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing and the perpetrator Timothy McVeigh. This week, I had some folks take it upon themselves to treat me like I don't know the scriptures. Which is fine, except that I do know the scriptures and I carved out a very traditional theological education for myself at Liberty University for my MA in Religion. 

One of the things that I did was take Hebrew and Greek. It was important for me to know the Hebrew and the Greek so that I would know what I was reading. It is, however, not always important for people to know Hebrew and Greek, beyond what the Strong's Concordance teaches. And certainly, a person doesn't need to know Hebrew and Greek to know what the scriptures teach--after all we have the Holy Spirit. 

The argument was because I kept a disclaimer in my article "Please note that this article is not saying what Timothy McVeigh did was okay; it definitely was not okay. However, forgiveness is a huge topic and this was just a short introduction to how I looked at the death of Timothy McVeigh. Yes, what he did was evil, but I don't think that made him an evil person, especially in light of him calling for a priest--even if it was a moment of desperation." 

This one sentence has caused a lot of contention. I believe it causes contention not because of what it says, rather what people think I am saying; just as what they believe in their modern understanding of language the bible says.
The new testament uses three words for the adjective "Good." They are:
Kalos: which means something that is free of defects and is beautiful.
Agathos: Moral excellence, something that is worthy of admiration.
Chrestos: Something that is useful, profitable and serviceable, later coming to include kindness and goodness of heart.

One person pointed out "What of it that Jesus says only God is good. Don't you believe that?" Of course, I believe it, however, I can't say that what Jesus was saying is "the modern definition of good." When Jesus tells the young ruler this, He's saying "Only God is morally and ethically virtuous." You see the Greek here employs the word Agathos. 

Agathos: Greek: means "good" in a broad and general sense, and had no particular physical or aesthetic connotations, but could describe a person's excellence of character (ethical virtue), for example their bravery. It also describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life, through faith. 

An example of this is the word love. In Greek there are 6 different words for love.
Agape: which is charity, the love of God for humanity. 
Eros: Love, mostly of the sexual passion type.
Philia or Philos: Brotherly love, love between friends, equals.
Storge: Love/Affection between children and parents
Philautia: to love oneself
Xenia: hospitality --the reciprocal relationship between a guest and a host. 

Martin Luther said 

Let us be sure of this: We will not be long preserve the gospel without the language. The languages are the sheath in which this sword of the Spirit [Eph. 6:17] is contained; they are the casket in which this jewel is enshrined; they are the vessel in which this wine is held; they are the larder in which this food is stored...If through our neglect we let the languages go (which God forbid!) we shall...lose the gospel.

I personally like the analogy of a basic TV vs. a curved 80" UHD 4K television with stereo surround sound. 

Reading the Bible without knowing Greek and Hebrew is like watching a basic television, while reading the Bible knowing Greek and Hebrew is like watching a curved 80" UHD 4K television with stereo surround sound. You can fully understand what is going on with the basic television, but the curved 80" UHD 4K television with stereo surround sound gives added depth and clarity. With the help of the Holy Spirit, anyone can accurately understand the Bible in English. However, knowing Hebrew and Greek helps to better understand the nuances and richness of the biblical texts. 

I completely agree with the gospel coalition when they say that not everyone has to know Biblical Hebrew and Greek.  That being said, I think it is beneficial, as it lends context to the scripture, it allows for deeper understanding, for me, it brought the book to life, I could hear the people speaking and chatting to each other. It, as the analogy stated provided me a better understanding of the nuances and richness of the Biblical Texts.