What are the best languages for Christians to learn?

[Dansiph]

For example you could learn Hebrew and Greek to study the original Bible Languages. You could learn a language to spread the gospel to those who do not speak your language.

Arabic would be a good language for Europeans and British to learn in this regard whereas Spanish might be good for Americans.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Dave-W]

If you are called to a mission field, learn that language.

If you are called to do serious bible study, learn biblical Hebrew from the Jews (not a Christian university) before you study Greek.

 

[Not David]

Arabic and Greek. Those are the languages that could help someone who wants to be in the Middle East.

 

[St_Worm2]

Kon'nichiwa @Aspzan, Biblical Hebrew/Koine Greek/Latin would be my top three picks.

And as Dave mentioned above, the language most common to the region you are living in helps too

--David

 

[JIMINZ]

The Tongues of men and of Angels.

An interpreter could always be found in whatever Country a person went to, but if they do not have an ongoing dialog with God they might as well stay at home.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Depends on the vocation, interests, and/or hobbies of the individual. Someone who is going to study medieval Western texts probably should learn Latin. Someone who is going to open a shop in a primarily Vietnamese speaking area probably would find Vietnamese far more helpful.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[BryanParry]

For example you could learn Hebrew and Greek to study the original Bible Languages. You could learn a language to spread the gospel to those who do not speak your language.

Arabic would be a good language for Europeans and British to learn in this regard whereas Spanish might be good for Americans.

What are your thoughts?

I learnt ancient Greek to read the New Testament. Well worth it! Hebrew, likewise, although I've not had time to learn Hebrew.

As for spreading the word, I would say go for a major growth area: China or South Asia. I mean, Spanish speakers are already, by and large, Christians. I feel personally that Islam is so imbedded in the Middle East that learning Arabic may not needfully bring the rewards you seek. So, I humbly suggest that Mandarin or Hindi might be good languages to learn in order to spread the Good News, as the combined population of China and India is about 2.7 billion, most speak Mandarin or Hindi to some extent, yet there are only around ?100 million Christians in these two countries. This is a huge number, of course! But nothing next to 2.7 billion.

 

[Dansiph]

I learnt ancient Greek to read the New Testament. Well worth it! Hebrew, likewise, although I've not had time to learn Hebrew.

As for spreading the word, I would say go for a major growth area: China or South Asia. I mean, Spanish speakers are already, by and large, Christians. I feel personally that Islam is so imbedded in the Middle East that learning Arabic may not needfully bring the rewards you seek. So, I humbly suggest that Mandarin or Hindi might be good languages to learn in order to spread the Good News, as the combined population of China and India is about 2.7 billion, most speak Mandarin or Hindi to some extent, yet there are only around ?100 million Christians in these two countries. This is a huge number, of course! But nothing next to 2.7 billion.

I'd defnitely enjoy learning ancient Greek to read the NT. If I can ask, how did you learn the language?

I know what you mean about Arabic and the Middle East but my logic was there is so many Arabic speaking and mainly Muslim people here in the UK I could talk to them about Christianity here. I just need more knowledge and experience first.

I do have some basic knowledge of Islam and I've read the majority of the qu ran. I'll defnitely take your suggestions of Mandarin and Hindi and travelling to China and India on board. Thanks for your reply

 

[Dave-W]

I learnt ancient Greek to read the New Testament. Well worth it! Hebrew, likewise, although I've not had time to learn Hebrew

I would suggest learning Hebrew first. All of the Greek texts in the NT were from native Hebrew and Aramaic speakers, and the mindsets are quite different than if the texts came from native Greek speakers.

 

[icxn]

There's a story of a Greek nun, actually she was a nurse at the time, helping the poor in India. Her's was the best list of languages to know, imo of course.

Quote:

– Once when I was in India, some foreign missionary came and said to me, “You may be a good woman, but you’re not a good Christian.”
– I said, “Why?”
– “Because you have been here so long and you only go about speaking English. What local languages have you learned?”
– I said to him, “I haven’t managed to learn any of the local languages, because I travel a great deal from place to place. As soon as I learn one dialect, they start speaking another. I’ve only learned ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good evening.’ Nothing else.”
– “Bah, you’re no Christian. How can you evangelize? All the Catholics and Protestants learn all the local dialects in order to ...”
– Then I said, “Lord, give me an answer for him.” I asked it with all my heart, and then I said, “Ah. I forgot to tell you. I know five languages.”
– “Really? What are these five?”
– “The first is the smile; the second is tears. The third is touch. The fourth is prayer, and the fifth is love. With these five languages I go all around the world.”
– Then he stopped and said, “Just a minute. Say that again so I can write it down...”

 

[BryanParry]

I'd defnitely enjoy learning ancient Greek to read the NT. If I can ask, how did you learn the language?

I know what you mean about Arabic and the Middle East but my logic was there is so many Arabic speaking and mainly Muslim people here in the UK I could talk to them about Christianity here. I just need more knowledge and experience first.

I do have some basic knowledge of Islam and I've read the majority of the qu ran. I'll defnitely take your suggestions of Mandarin and Hindi and travelling to China and India on board. Thanks for your reply

Hi there, Aspzan. I mainly used this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elements-N...536617579&sr=8-1&keywords=new+testament+greek. Obviously with some supplementary materials, of course. I did it as part of my MA.

:-D

 

[BryanParry]

I would suggest learning Hebrew first. All of the Greek texts in the NT were from native Hebrew and Aramaic speakers, and the mindsets are quite different than if the texts came from native Greek speakers.

I'm not sure if I would say you need to learn Hebrew first, to be honest. But certainly, I think a full understanding requires both, certainly Hebrew for the reason you state.

 

[Dansiph]

Hi there, Aspzan. I mainly used this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elements-N...536617579&sr=8-1&keywords=new+testament+greek. Obviously with some supplementary materials, of course. I did it as part of my MA.

:-D

Ok thank you. I wanted to ask, what's the difficulty level of learning from the book?

 

[FireDragon76]

Depends on the vocation, interests, and/or hobbies of the individual. Someone who is going to study medieval Western texts probably should learn Latin. Someone who is going to open a shop in a primarily Vietnamese speaking area probably would find Vietnamese far more helpful.

-CryptoLutheran

In other words, this is not a question that has a necessarily religious response.

 

[jayem]

I remember reading what one of the old King Louis's of France supposedly said about languages: he spoke French to his court, Italian to women, Spanish to his servants, Latin to God, and German to his horse.

 

[Nithavela]

Mandarin and Hindi.

 

[Ana the Ist]

For example you could learn Hebrew and Greek to study the original Bible Languages. You could learn a language to spread the gospel to those who do not speak your language.

Arabic would be a good language for Europeans and British to learn in this regard whereas Spanish might be good for Americans.

What are your thoughts?

Esperanto.