BIBLICAL GREEK course in ATHENS

Biblical Greek course in Athens (Greece)

ὃν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγώ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. Acts 17: 23

June 1 2020 – June 12 2020

Mission statement:

The Biblical Greek language seminar in Athens (Greece), organized by Alexandria Institute with the mission to offer the basic and necessary tools to those who are passionate about studying Ancient Greek language and the Word of God in an exegetical context and in the original language in which the New Testament was written, that is in Biblical or Koine (Κοινή) Greek.

Why is learning Greek important?

Learning Biblical Greek is essential for Christian education. Even though there is a variety of good translations in English and other languages, the mere number and variety of these works shows that there is always something lost in translation. Motivated Christians who read and study and possibly teach the Old and the New Testament in the original language can advance their understanding of the Bible and improve their exegetical skills.

What does the Biblical Greek course offer?

One of the chief goals of this seminar is to inspire more Christians to learn Greek and to offer all the essential tools to build a solid foundation of linguistic knowledge, exegetical skills and Biblical understanding. The Curriculum includes a comprehensive study of the basic elements of Biblical Greek, historical insight of the evolution of the Greek language, an introduction to the cultural and social context of the period in which Biblical Texts where written and essential bibliography for the study of the Holy Scriptures. The course also includes the study of various software programs that help in the analysis of the Greek text with a special focus on Software that is available on line . Finally, the course complements the study with an exegetical study of the book of Acts, based on the material studied.

When and where will this course take place?

The Biblical Greek course takes place from in the city of Athens, in Greece. The duration of the course in total is 10 days and includes over 40 hours of language and exegetical classes and workshops. Various cultural activities are optional and visits to some Greek sites mentioned in the book of Acts, as well as excursions to monasteries, and other historical and religious sites.

Who can participate?

The Biblical Greek Course is open to all motivated Christians who are currently studying or want to read and study the Holy Scriptures in the original language. People from different countries and cultures are invited to join this course. However, the course is taught in English.

Apostle Paul in Athens - Ancient Greek Acts 17: 16-34

16 ᾿Εν δὲ ταῖς ᾿Αθήναις ἐκδεχομένου αὐτοὺς τοῦ Παύλου, παρωξύνετο τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ θεωροῦντι κατείδωλον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν. 17 διελέγετο μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν πρὸς τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας. 18 τινὲς δὲ τῶν ᾿Επικουρείων καὶ τῶν Στοϊκῶν φιλοσόφων συνέβαλλον αὐτῷ, καί τινες ἔλεγον· τί ἂν θέλοι ὁ σπερμολόγος οὗτος λέγειν; οἱ δέ· ξένων δαιμονίων δοκεῖ καταγγελεὺς εἶναι· ὅτι τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εὐηγγελίζετο αὐτοῖς. 19 ἐπιλαβόμενοί τε αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ῎Αρειον πάγον ἤγαγον λέγοντες· δυνάμεθα γνῶναι τίς ἡ καινὴ αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ σοῦ λαλουμένη διδαχή; 20 ξενίζοντα γάρ τινα εἰσφέρεις εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν· βουλόμεθα οὖν γνῶναι τί ἂν θέλοι ταῦτα εἶναι. 21 ᾿Αθηναῖοι δὲ πάντες καὶ οἱ ἐπιδημοῦντες ξένοι εἰς οὐδὲν ἕτερον εὐκαίρουν ἢ λέγειν τι καὶ ἀκούειν καινότερον. 22 Σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ᾿Αρείου πάγου ἔφη· ἄνδρες ᾿Αθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ. 23 διερχόμενος γὰρ καὶ ἀναθεωρῶν τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν εὗρον καὶ βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο, ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ. ὃν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. 24 ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς Κύριος ὑπάρχων οὐκ ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ, 25 οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσι ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν κατὰ πάντα· 26 ἐποίησέ τε ἐξ ἑνὸς αἵματος πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν, 27 ζητεῖν τὸν Κύριον, εἰ ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν καὶ εὕροιεν, καί γε οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ὑπάρχοντα. 28 ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν, ὡς καί τινες τῶν καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς ποιητῶν εἰρήκασι· τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν. 29 γένος οὖν ὑπάρχοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ ἢ ἀργύρῳ ἢ λίθῳ, χαράγματι τέχνης καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως ἀνθρώπου, τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον. 30 τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεὸς τανῦν παραγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πᾶσι πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν, 31 διότι ἔστησεν ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισε, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. 32 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπον· ἀκουσόμεθά σου πάλιν περὶ τούτου. 33 καὶ οὕτως ὁ Παῦλος ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν. 34 τινὲς δὲ ἄνδρες κολληθέντες αὐτῷ ἐπίστευσαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ ᾿Αρεοπαγίτης καὶ γυνὴ ὀνόματι Δάμαρις καὶ ἕτεροι σὺν αὐτοῖς.

Apostle Paul in Athens Acts 17:16-34 (English translation)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c] 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. New International Version (NIV)

PROGRAM OF THE COURSE

• Monday, June 1– Friday, June 5 and Monday, June 8– Friday, June 12, from 9:00 to 13:00 Biblical Greek lessons.

• Saturday, June 6: Excursion and lesson in Corinth.

• Sunday, June 7 is free for the students to use for optional excursions and activities.

• Friday, June 12, 2020. Graduation with representatives of Alexandria Institute.

CURRICULUM OF BIBLICAL GREEK COURSE:

Introduction in the history of Greek language. Biblical Greek – a “continuum” in the evolution of Greek language.
Introduction in the historical and linguistic context of the period in which New Testament was written. Discussion about transmission of the text of Holy Scriptures.
Basic Elements of Greek language: Alphabet and Pronunciation.
Comprehensive overview of all basic mechanisms of the language and introduction in grammatical and syntactical phenomena.
An exegetical insight into basic terms of the Bible.
Useful websites and internet resources in studying the Bible.

CULTURAL ACTIVITES – EXCURSIONS

Our teachers will be available to accompany and guide you in some of the most historical and characteristic places of Athens and surrounding area, such as Corinth and other locations: Our pilgrimage course is enriched by visiting places of religious and historical importance, such as monasteries and libraries provided with byzantine manuscripts and rare books, archaeological sites, churches and other monuments that they will enlighten and support the study of the Bible. These activities and excursions are optional, entrance fees in museums and various archaeological sites are extra and they are not included in the cost of the course. For more information about our optional cultural activities please contact us.

LOCATION

The lessons will be held in our new offices in Nea Ionia, 25 min by metro from the centre of Athens, 28th October 10-12, 14231, Nea Ionia. Classes are taking place from Monday to Friday, from 09:30 to 13:30 It is up to the Alexandria Institute to make changes in the schedule or the location of the lessons if necessary.

ACCOMMODATION

It’s up to the students to organize their accommodation in Athens. They have a wide variety of hotels and B&B to choose from: Here is a list of hotels in the centre of Athens. And here a list of apartments and rooms very close to our school in Nea Ionia.

INTERESTING LINKS AND TOURIST GUIDES OF ATHENS

In the following links you will find useful information about sightseen in Athens, how to get there, transportations, cultural events and all you want to learn about it during your visit.

REGISTRATION AND COST OF THE LESSONS

For registration or information about the Greek language and culture course in Athens, please fill in the registration form or contact welearngreek@gmail.com or +30 6972 526 788 or + 30 215 25 8787(Greece).

The fee for the course is 490 Euro. The fee includes:

The course: 40 hours of lessons divided into 10 days with native teachers with experience in teaching Greek as a second language. That is 5 + 5 days of lessons with a break of 2 days dedicated to excursions and various cultural activities (optional).
Extra cultural activities that include optional walking tours of Athens museums, galleries and other sites (entrance fees are not included).
Wi-Fi facilities.
Use of library.
Free tea and coffee
All teaching material (books, photocopies, CD).
A dinner at the end of the course in a typical Greek tavern.

ONE WEEK COURSE

Those without the possibility of staying for 2 weeks in Greece can choose a 1 WEEK COURSE, being the first week of every 2-week intensive course. The fee for the one week course is 350 Euro.

THE ONE WEEK PACKAGE includes:

The course: 20 hours of lessons divided into 5 days with native teachers with experience in teaching Greek as a second language.
Free access to movie evenings organized by the Alexandria Institute.
Extra cultural activities that include optional walking tours of Athens museums, galleries and other sites (entrance fees are not included).
Wi-Fi facilities.
Use of library.
Free tea and coffee
All teaching material (books, photocopies, CD).

ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS

A minimum number of 4 participants per level and a maximum of 8 students per class is required. However, it is up to the Institute to activate courses with a fewer number of students. If a class (level) has less than 4 students, the teaching hours will be reduced to 3 hours per day in case of 3 or 2 students, or to 2 hours per day (private lessons) in case of 1 student for the same course fee. Usually lessons take place from 09:30 to 13:30. Alexandria Institute reserves the right to change the schedule or the location of the place in case this is necessary.

PAYMENT

Bank transfer to Alexandria Institute (Athens). Please contact us for bank details at welearngreek@gmail.com or +30 6972 526 788

DEADLINES :

Deadline for registration and payment for the Greek language and culture course in Athens ONE MONTH before the beginning of the program.

REGISTRATION