Lesson 1 | Introduction & Vocab
Memorization
An important part of this course is memorizing a short passage of Scripture in Greek. As we’ve done in our previous Greek courses, we want to remind you why we're having you memorize Bible verses in Greek.
1. It will help you learn inductively.
Learning new vocabulary from a list isn’t the most natural way to learn a language. As children, we learned words as adults talked to us; we learned phrases and idioms that we didn’t understand, but could use; our full understanding came later. The ultimate way to learn a language isn’t through paradigms and rules but through extensive exposure.
So in Revelation 21:1-5, the passage you’ll memorize in Greek IV, you’ll learn words as they occur “in the wild,” in the text of Scripture itself. The more you memorize and even just read, the more words and syntactical constructions (groups of words) you’ll absorb in the process.
2. It will help you quickly improve your Greek through a passage you’re already familiar with.
No doubt you're familiar with many phrases from Revelation 21:1-5. Memorizing it in Greek is a way of "cheating," so that you can learn words and phrases faster than through a textbook.
3. It will be a means of grace.
The psalmist wrote,
When you internalize God's words, they will guide your heart and mind into righteous ways and away from sinful ways. May God “equip you with everything good that you may do his will ... through Jesus Christ” as you memorize these verses (Heb 13:21).
Setting The Stage
Here's the process you'll follow in each memorization step:
1. Listen to me read all of Revelation 21:1–5, following along in the text below.
Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν· ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ πρώτη γῆ ἀπῆλθαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι. καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς. καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου λεγούσης· Ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκηνώσει μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτοὶ λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς μετʼ αὐτῶν ἔσται, καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι. τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ· Ἰδοὺ καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα. καὶ λέγει· Γράψον, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί εἰσιν. —ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΙΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ 21:1–5, SBLGNT
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2. Then listen to me read verse 1. Do so at least five times.
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Working On Pronunciation
3. Now listen to me read each phrase of verse 1, and then say each phrase after me.
Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν (and I saw a new heaven)
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καὶ γῆν καινήν· (and a new earth)
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ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς (for the first heaven)
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καὶ ἡ πρώτη γῆ (and the first earth)
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ἀπῆλθαν, (had passed away)
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καὶ ἡ θάλασσα (and the sea)
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οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι. (existed no longer)
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Committing It To Memory
In this audio track, I read through verse 1 a phrase at a time, giving you time to repeat after me. After two run-throughs, the phrases that you are to repeat become longer. Again, this is done twice. The goal is for you to repeat this in its entirety.
Of course, you will need to listen through the full track many times before you have it down. Be patient with yourself and persevere! (Download the MP3 to listen as you drive, etc.)
4. Listen to verse 1 and repeat during the pauses. Repeat until you have this text memorized.
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