Is the level of Koine Greek taught in baptist seminaries truly that low?

The Greek always enhances the KJB, never correcting the KJB, unless you pull something deceitful and limit the definition of any Greek word or phrase.

 

The Greek always enhances the KJB, never correcting the KJB

 

Even though they were linguists par excellence, I'm struck by how rarely the older commentators referred to the original languages to clarify a meaning. It was usually when the English translation was obscure.

 

How old do you mean when you say "older"? I have Alford's commentary on the Greek with the first volume printed in 1854, and it is still a real treasure on the original Greek! Another one I consult is Vincent's Word Studies from 1887, with copious notes on the Greek. John Broadus on Matthew (1886) has notes on the Greek on virtually every page. And I could go on.

Now if you are going back as far as Matthew Henry and his generation, you may be right.

 

I am speaking of Matthew Henry, John Calvin, and Martin Luther, and folks from that era.

It also depends on the purpose of the commentary. I have The Complete Word Study New Testament by Spiros Zodhiates. Illuminating the Greek text was his goal.

Systematic Theology was Calvin's goal, preaching and teaching was the goal of Luther and Henry.

 

But Calvin did comment quite a bit on the original languages in his commentaries.

 

They all comment on the original languages. But it was usually to illuminate a passage that was difficult even in the English. That's my point.

 

...or in German or Latin or French. Neither Luther nor Calvin wrote in English.

 

Okay, Aaron, point granted.

So to bring it back to the OP, most writers in modern times do about the same, unless they are writing a technical commentary. So my answer to the OP question is, no, the level of koine Greek taught in Baptist seminaries is not that low. What happened back then and what happens now is that those who are gifted do really well, and those who are not struggle. In every age there have been those who were fluent and those who were not. So may John Chrysostom really struggled with his Latin!