“We all have sinned.” “Formless and void.” “It is finished.” Christians may know these familiar phrases from the Bible. But to understand what they really mean, students need an extensive knowledge of biblical languages, an area of study Hillsdale College should develop.
Sin, as it is commonly written in the original biblical Greek, means both a missing of a mark — such as when an archer just narrowly misses a bullseye — and a tragic flaw that destroys the protagonist. “It is finished” — the last phrase Jesus uttered — is a legal term meaning to completely wipe someone’s debts away. “Formless and void” is a Hebrew word rendered “tohu wabohu” in English, meaning a combination of chaotic nothingness. As biblical scholar Marty Solomon put it, “If you put nothing in a blender, and hit ‘WHIP’, you get tohu wabohu.”
Examining the original language of the Scriptures — Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic — gives students a depth of understanding they miss by only reading the Bible in English. Learning these languages opens the door to a richer theology, furthers understanding of Western civilization, and aligns perfectly with Hillsdale’s mission. Hillsdale College needs a specified Biblical Languages minor.
Christian theology is foremost among the academic pursuits, as it is the only one that teaches mankind how to gain eternal life. Being versed in biblical languages allows one to see the beauty of the Scriptures more clearly. Believers can find teachings they have missed in the major biblical narratives through methodical analysis of the original texts.
Biblical studies also allow students to analyze literary works that cast light on Christian teaching and practice. Early Christian texts like the “Epistle to Diognetus” give early evidence for the Church’s pro-life stance. The Hebrew Talmud, the oldest commentary on the Bible, shows how the original Jewish audiences understood the Old Testament. Learning Hebrew can also help students understand Jewish society and culture, the context of the Holy Scriptures.
Finally, having a Biblical Languages minor will foster the college’s mission. Hillsdale’s second president and former Greek teacher at Oberlin College, Edmund Burke Fairfield, noted the word choice found in Psalms 137:1-6 and Romans 13:4 formed the basis for his belief in Christian patriotism. Ransom Dunn, “The Grand Old Man of Hillsdale,” referred to God as the Greek “Theus” at the start of his work on systematic theology. Hillsdale’s founding fathers were Baptist ministers who took basic knowledge in the ancient Scriptures as a given. A Biblical Languages minor will help students align with their aspirations and values.
While it is true that biblical Greek is taught here already, it is usually grouped with other Ancient Greek dialects. This can be confusing, as grammar and spelling differ greatly between them. A specific minor in biblical languages would persuade students to return to these courses in Hebrew and Greek.
Professor of Theology Donald Westblade said that since the teaching of languages such as Greek moved from the theology to the classics department, many students have stopped taking them. Currently, students who wish to specifically study Greek for biblical understanding may have to take three semesters of Homeric Greek superfluous to theological study. Finally, there are no classes for Aramaic, preventing students from gaining an understanding of biblical books originally written in that tongue, such as Daniel and Ezra.
The study of biblical languages is the cornerstone of a richer understanding of Christian theology and church history, integral to Hillsdale’s founding. These courses are sadly unavailable to the students who would benefit from them. It is vastly important that Hillsdale have an independent Biblical Languages minor. By restructuring our teaching of these ancient tongues, we will foster more mission-oriented, Christ-centered learning at the college.
Blake Schaper is a freshman studying the liberal arts.
