TP 13

I was reminded of a piece of advice - or should I say wisdom - our OT professor in my previous studies gave us. He said that anyone could become a world authority on OT by learning really well three books:

• Hebrew (/Aramaic) Old Testament
• BDB Hebrew&Aramaic OT Lexicon
• GKC Hebrew Grammar

I am sure he was exaggerating - but not much! He stressed the point that the Hebrew Bible is the primary source, and therefore it would make perfect sense to know it inside out.

My colleague shared a few weeks ago that his advisor had instructed him to be reading the particular book over and over again that he is going to do his dissertation on. That means no commentaries, nothing but the Bible and it in its original language(s) - the whole semester!

Another instructor, whom I had several years ago when I was doing my BA, said that he belongs to the generation of scholars who still know their Bible. He did not want to critique younger scholars because of their youth (he was about 55 at that time), but because he had seen that it was possible to "theologically shine" just by knowing your commentaries.

Since theology means words about God, why would you want to concentrate on the secondary sources? I understand it as kind of a temptation of a scholar, when the tempter takes you to the Tyndale House at Cambridge, and offers you a great career and extensive knowledge (and the books, of course). Jesus resisted the tempter by quoting the Bible that he knew by heart. I guess quoting the commentaries would not have had the same effect (and everybody marveled since he taught with authority, and not like the pharisees and the scribes). Therefore I have determined to do what it takes to familiarize myself with the primary source(s), and to do it in the original languages, no matter what it takes.