The most practical classes you can take in seminary are biblical languages.
Most seminaries are reducing their required language classes. Pastors make fun of having to learn the silent shewa in Hebrew class. Many times, students have to take elementary classes that don’t count towards their degree. Even though trends move the other direction, here are 2 reasons Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic are the most practical classes you can take in seminary
Original Languages Will Save You Hours Every Week of Your Ministry.
I loved every class in seminary. I found so much to learn and so many areas I needed to grow in seminary. I found practical advice from my professors in every class. I wouldn’t drop any class from my M.Div. However, only biblical languages classes give me extra hours every week. There are no other classes or series of classes you can take that can do that. Other classes help me minister better, but not faster. Evangelism class helps me share the gospel better, but not faster. Missions classes help me think about our church’s missions better, but not faster. Pastoral Ministry classes help me do hospital visits and lead change better, but not faster.
One professor at my seminary said that you can cut out 10 hours per week on your sermon preparation if you know the biblical languages. What they cut out is much of the time grasping what is happening in the text or searching commentaries to understand the flow, argument, and details. If you know the languages and outline the paragraph, scenes, or verse, then when you get to commentaries, you don’t need them to tell you the details. When you know biblical languages, resources like commentaries and word studies help check your interpretation and correct you. They answer questions instead of teaching you what’s there. Those resources don’t take as much time. It doesn’t mean you will never use commentaries; it just means that you don’t need to read 20 commentaries like some pastors I’ve heard of do.
Original Languages Force You to Pay Close Attention to the Text
I still remember the moment when I was studying Genesis 22 for my Hebrew class where Abraham sacrifices Isaac. I knew the story, but when I was reading/translating it my first time in Hebrew, the story and the drama came to life so that when he raised the knife, I almost shouted with my kids asleep in the next room, “Abraham, no!” Hebrew and Greek don’t help me see what no one else sees. It helps me to read the exact words God inspired and be so immersed in the text that it comes to life. Then I can pass on that living word through my preaching and teaching.
When I spend an hour outlining a passage in Colossians, I feel like I understand the details and the emphasis of Paul better. I look at commentaries after that and usually see that they confirm the outline that I’ve already noticed. Sometimes they correct me, but most of the time the language alone leads me on the right path.
Since I do the work for myself, I also feel much more confident with the material. When I’ve done my own work on a psalm, I pick up the way that the psalm should be preached because I know its structure, mood, and point.
How Languages Helped Me in a Difficult Month
I rarely mention Greek or Hebrew in a sermon. I don’t believe pastors should show off their knowledge of biblical languages. That can lead to pride or discouragement for those who don’t know languages. Church members do get the benefit of the languages, though.
When I arrived at my current church 4 years ago, someone died each week in my first month. It seemed to always happen on a Tuesday evening because my kids rejoiced one Wednesday morning, “Dad, no one died last night!”
My first day in the office, our secretary expressed surprise that I used Monday and Tuesday morning to prepare my Sunday morning sermon. I explained that I had no idea what each week was going to hold, but I knew that we needed to hear from God’s word and that having my sermon ready would free up the rest of the week. I sat down each Monday morning with a large sheet of paper and a Sharpie to outline one chapter in Psalms in Hebrew. I used that outline to study and write my sermon.
Each week, I couldn’t predict that somebody else was going to die, but I could make sure that by Tuesday at lunch, my soul was filled up and my sermon was ready. I was free for whatever else ministry brought. Most of the time, I had little time between Tuesday and Sunday morning to review, but because I had spent time on my own intimately with God’s word, I carried with me to hospitals, funeral parlors, and homes the conviction “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” Psalm 3:3 (ESV).
Joe Radosevich is married to Emma and father to 7 kids. He is pastor of Manchester Baptist Church in Manchester, IL and graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He writes at josephfradosevich.com.