Beyond the Book with Dr. Merkle: “1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader”
Chad Burchett | March 27, 2024
As Ben Merkle, research professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Seminary, reminds us, learning the biblical languages should fuel faithfulness to Jesus and his Great Commission. Written to help beginning and intermediate Greek students better know God and understand his word, “1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader” walks readers through the vocabulary, syntax, and interpretation of 1 John, encouraging and equipping them to be lifelong learners of the Greek New Testament.
Combining insights from two respected Greek scholars, “1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader” was written by Rob Plummer, Collin and Evelyn Aikman professor of biblical studies and chair of the department of New Testament studies at Southern Seminary, and Ben Merkle, who also serves as the M.O. Owens Jr. Chair of New Testament studies at Southeastern and as the editor of the “Southeastern Theological Review.”
In the following Q&A, Merkle takes the time to answer a few questions about this new book:
What is the scope of the book, and who is the target audience?
This book is designed for second semester Greek students. The book is essentially a guided reader through 1 John that explains the grammar and syntax so that Greek students can see the significance of the Greek text.
What motivated you to write the book?
The simple answer is my students. I desire to have level-appropriate material that will give my students the best opportunity to have Greek for life, not just Greek for seminary. Having taught Greek for more than 25 years, I thought it best to have a new textbook that serves the needs of my students.
I desire to have level-appropriate material that will give my students the best opportunity to have Greek for life, not just Greek for seminary.
What are a few of the unique features of this book, and how will they benefit readers?
The goal of the book is for readers to better understand the meaning of 1 John through their knowledge of Greek. Although other books exist that might accomplish this goal, this book has several unique features. Each chapter includes: (1) 12 vocabulary words (taken from 1 John and from a frequency list); (2) a brief overview of Greek syntax, highlighting examples from 1 John; and (3) level-appropriate reading notes of every clause of 1 John.
Why is 1 John an ideal book for beginner and intermediate Greek language learners?
First John is ideal for second semester students because the Greek of 1 John is easier than most of NT Greek. Why is it easier? (1) Its limited vocabulary, (2) its paratactic writing style (i.e., lots of coordinate clauses instead of subordinate clauses), and (3) its repetition (John uses many of the same words and phrases over and over again).
What is one significant insight that readers may encounter for the first time when studying 1 John in Greek?
In 1 John 1:1, the apostle John notes that as an eyewitness he had seen, looked at, and “touched” the “word of life” (i.e., Jesus). The verb rendered “touched” is used only three other times in the NT (Luke 24:39; Acts 17:27; Heb 12:18). Most notably, in Luke 24:39 Jesus states, “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (CSB). So, from the beginning of his epistle, John is emphasizing that he and the other apostles physically touched the body of Jesus. The physical reality of Jesus’s body then becomes a major theme in 1 John — a theme that John emphasizes from the opening sentence.
As your fifth book coauthored with Dr. Rob Plummer, how has studying, teaching, and writing with your colleague and friend been particularly rewarding, and how does this book model scholarly collaboration even at times when your textual interpretations differ?
Dr. Plummer is a godly man, a great teacher, and a gifted writer and communicator. So, I am always happy to be able to collaborate with him. Because of our similar training and similar life trajectories, we agree on issues way more than we disagree. Even in this book, however, there were points of disagreement. With this book, when there was a disagreement regarding a particular syntactical question, we often placed one of our positions in the main text, and the dissenting opinion in the footnote — though this only happened a few times.
How does this book help readers to better serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission?
Because God is known primarily through his word, this book helps facilitate not only knowledge of Greek but also knowledge of God. It is when we come to know God and know his word that we can best serve him in his Church and among the nations.
It is when we come to know God and know his word that we can best serve him in his Church and among the nations.
How has writing this book shaped you spiritually?
Whenever we have the opportunity to spend significant time reading and explaining God’s word, it is a great privilege and should be a great joy. Additionally, 1 John has several wonderful summaries of the gospel, such as 1 John 4:10: “not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” What a blessing to get to think about such profound statements.
1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader
Discover the beauty of reading the New Testament in Greek. Authored by experienced Greek scholars Benjamin Merkle and Robert Plummer, “1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader” is perfect for beginner and intermediate students. Each of the book’s 14 units begins with a vocabulary list and is followed by the assigned text. Merkle and Plummer provide lexical and grammatical help, while also taking students deeper into syntax. “1 John: A New Testament Greek Reader” is a useful tool for professors, pastors, and students alike.
Paperback, 208 pages
April 1, 2024
