First John Reader

S.M. Baugh identifies the "interlinear approach" as the reason many Greek students end up throwing their hands up in frustration. Many tend to assume that by simply matching the appropriate English word to its Greek form they will be able to translate Greek passages accurately. This is hardly the case. Greek grammar and syntax are radically different from those found in English, and in order to properly translate the student must be aware of these differences and of how Greek sentences are organized and constructed. The First John Reader is an attempt to provide students with the basics of such a background.

How Does This Work?

Using the Epistle of First John as a rubric, Baugh guides students through the often confusing maze of Greek grammar. This is not a translation course. Rather, it is intended as a bridge between introductory Greek (a primer-level course) and the complex Greek grammar texts that assume some degree of technical familiarity with the language. Neither is this a full Greek grammar; while there is extensive information concerning syntax and grammar, it is meant to lead into study of an advanced grammar text.

There are two sections to this reader: the Reading Notes and the Syntax Sketch. The Reading Notes come first, and include review of information included in Baugh's Primer, as well as verse-by-verse investigations of the text. These investigations are really a series of observations and descriptions of various words and their use, designed to give students a feel for the mechanics of the language. The Syntax Sketch is a more straightforward look at Greek grammar, with lots of identification of terms and examples.

There are twelve formal lessons in the Reading Notes section; the Syntax Sketch is divided only according to topic. While the text doesn't look too long, this will definitely take up the better part of a year, if not longer. The information is fairly advanced, and unless you took multiple years of Greek in college, your kids will be more or less on their own. There are no teacher support materials or even answers to the exercises. Though the book is non-consumable, your student will probably want to make notations of his own in the text.

Our Honest Opinion:

This is the most advanced Greek program we carry. The author's insistence on continual review of past material and his dedication to clear presentation make it very good, though the lack of teacher support is a genuine weakness. Don't buy this for your student (or yourself) unless he is dedicated to learning Koine Greek; it will require lots of effort and careful study to yield any appreciable results. If he can stick with it, however, he will be more than ready to move on to more advanced study of the Greek language.