# Mounce Is Frustrating Me!



## KMK (May 26, 2007)

I am concerned about the unconventional approach of Mounce.

I began my Greek studies with Machen and Crosby & Schaffer. Mounce does not require memorization of paradigms and has you memorize only the last letter of case endings. I am finding the transition difficult and am considering a return to Machen. 

I don't have a lot of extra time. SHould I just continue with Machen or Crosby & Schaffer? Or should I plw through Mounce because his approach is so much better?


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## Brian Bosse (May 26, 2007)

Hello KMK,

I learned through Mounce; so, I am probably not the best person to give advice. However, from an intuitive perspective, I think it would better to learn Mounce's system precisley because you do not have to memorize so many paradigms. You learn several rules and wala! Well, maybe it is not quite that easy. 

Brian


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## RamistThomist (May 26, 2007)

I did not learn through Mounce and struggled for about 2 weeks with his system. Once it clicked I thought this was the greatest achievement in the world since Newton's invention of gravity.

Seriously, I like Mounce.


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## ReformedWretch (May 26, 2007)

Newton *invented* gravity?!


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## 3John2 (May 26, 2007)

I'm currently using Machen but I also bought Baugh's. Available I believe through Westminster CA. Pretty good for excercises. You guys are getting me interested in Mounce.


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## 3John2 (May 26, 2007)

Which one of the books? I mean title wise? The beginning Greek or the other one? I'm going to buy it.


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## Kenneth_Murphy (May 26, 2007)

I've been working through Mounce (am about half way) and have enjoyed it so far. I have the workbook as well as the answer key pdf from the website.

If you plan to use Mounce I would highly recommend downloading the free visual greek pdf.

http://www.visualgreek.com/

This has mneumonic cartoons for all the vocabulary in Mounce.


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## staythecourse (May 26, 2007)

*I learned through Mounce*

Hello brother Ken,

It depends how far engrained the system of memorizing paradigms is to you. If you have memorization is now easier for you then stay with paradigm memorization. I am grateful I found Mounce first. It's an easier approach as there is less rote memorization. The exceptions are what have to be memorized.

SBTS uses Mounce and we go through twice the material in a semester as most other seminaries. Mounce himself is impressed at our rate, so says the prof.


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## JonathanHunt (May 26, 2007)

Brian Bosse said:


> You learn several rules and wala!
> Brian



Wala?

It is voila, Monsieur!


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## Kenneth_Murphy (May 26, 2007)

Brother Bryan,

What textbooks are being used at SBTS after finishing with Mounce's BBG? I'm trying to decide how to proceed once I finish BBG.


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## Brian Bosse (May 26, 2007)

My Dear Bother Johnathon,



> It is voila, Monsieur!



I am sorry but voila is the second instrument in a string quartet. 

Brian


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## Sydnorphyn (May 26, 2007)

I agree, I teach Greek and find Mounce too pedantic. I have chosen to use it this Summer, but am also looking to return to Machen, ot something similar to it, in the Fall. Hang in there, brother.

Grace and peace

John


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## staythecourse (May 26, 2007)

*Dr. Plummer's Greek*

Hello Kenneth,

There is more diversity of opinion as to which method is best after basic Greek.

Professor Robert Plummer uses a combination of S.M. Baugh's _A First John Reader_, David Allen Black's _It's Still Greek to Me_ for those of us still learning grammar, David Allen Black's _New Testament Textual Criticism_, George Guthrie's _Biblical Greek Exegesis_, and John Stott's _The Letter's of John: An Introduction and Commentary_

I got much out of Stott's commentary, and Baugh's book helped quite a bit. Sentence diagramming was revealing for me for exegesis. I had access to Bibleworks which is on my "buy soon" list. All those are things which helped me.

We translated 1 John by midterm and then hit Sentence Diagramming, Mark 1:1-11, Romans 5:1-11, James 1:1-11, 1 Peter 1:1-12 with Sentence Diagramming throughout. The final paper was on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 where we put text criticism, diagraming, and grammar together for a 15 page paper. We memorized vocabulary down to 17 occurances or more.


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## KMK (May 28, 2007)

Is anyone familiar with the Study Guide for J. Gresham Machen's New Testament Greek for Beginners?

Or A Practical Workbook to J. Gresham Machen's New Testament Greek for Beginners?


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## Dieter Schneider (May 28, 2007)

The following books have proved to be useful when studying Greek, though G Wenham I would class as the best for beginners. 

William Douglas Chamberlain – An Exegetical Grammar of the Greek NT
Eric G Jay – NT Greek 
Wm G Morrice – The Durham NT Greek Course
H P V Nunn – The Elements Of NT Greek
Molly Whittaker - NT Greek Grammar – An Introduction
Walter Mueller - Grammatical Aids For Students Of NT Greek
J W Wenham – The Elements Of NT Greek


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## jawyman (May 28, 2007)

I use Mounce's "Basics of Biblical Greek" and I learned a lot through Mounce. I would say however that he only provides a decent foundation and cannot compare to an actual Greek class through a college or seminary, but I do like Mounce. And that is my worth.


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## 3John2 (Jun 15, 2007)

Jeff is Mounce what is being used at PRTS?


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## jawyman (Jun 15, 2007)

3John2 said:


> Jeff is Mounce what is being used at PRTS?



Yes, we use Mounce for beginning Biblical Greek. I again have to agree that Mounce is easier with his rules as opposed to learning all the paradigms. Mounce is great for foundational study.


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## gwine (Jun 15, 2007)

houseparent said:


> Newton *invented* gravity?!


Nope. It was Icarus who invented gravity. Al Gore re-invented it. His new book, An Inconvenient Fall, comes out in November.


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