GKNT.ORG exists to help facilitate the faithful interpretation and communication of the Greek New Testament, the Septaugint, and other early Christian literature. Why is it important to learn Greek?
An excerpt from: “To the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany That They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools” (1524) by Dr. Martin Luther
“All right,” you say again, “suppose we do have schools; what is the use of teaching Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and the other liberal arts? We could just as well use German for teaching the Bible and God’s word, which is enough for our salvation.” I reply, Alas! I am only too well aware that we Germans must always be and remain brutes and stupid beasts, as the neighboring nations call us, epithets which we richly deserve. But I wonder why we never ask, “What is the use of silks, wine, spices, and other strange foreign wares when we ourselves have in Germany wine, grain, wool, flax, wood, and stone not only in quantities sufficient for our needs, but also of the best and choicest quality for our glory and ornament?” Languages and the arts, which can do us no harm, but are actually a greater ornament, profit, glory, and benefit, both for the understanding of Holy Scripture and the conduct of temporal government – these we despise. But foreign wares, which are neither necessary nor useful, and in addition strip us down to a mere skeleton – these we cannot do without. Are not we Germans justly dubbed fools and beasts?
