A friend asked me this morning, “What is the number one piece of advice you’d give a new Greek student?” Here’s my reply, assuming a seminary context:
The Goal
The end game is reading, and it is utterly possible. You must know that what you are doing is preparing for a life of reading Scripture in the language in which it was written. That is the goal, and no matter what anyone tells you, you can actually do this. It is worth it. It might seem impossible and impractical at the moment, but I’m telling you that it isn’t. You can do it, and it is worth it.
In the Meantime
You have to make peace with the fog. When the fog sets in — and it definitely will — you have to know that this is normal. It might happen with all the pronoun paradigms or maybe adjective positions or participles, but when it happens and you feel like you can’t keep everything neatly together in your mind, just know that this is normal. The fog will lift, but it might be a while. You have to press on. If you can just get through the basic grammar and start reading, the fog will lift.
Grammar is not the goal. Endure it, and reap the reading benefits for life.
Brian W. Davidson 