Sing Koine Greek

As you may know, I am teaching 1st year Koine Greek, and we are working on getting the lectures up on YouTube as well as on my website.  Something that has been a blessing has been having my students sing passages from the Greek New Testament.  The verse-songs we have sung in class are ones I have also been singing at home.  For the Christian who knows or is learning Greek, singing the New Testament is a great way to memorize God's Word and have the Holy Spirit effect His transforming work within through the Word.  You can see how we do it by watching the beginning and end of the lectures (starting in lecture #3, I believe; we sing the Greek alphabet to the tune of the Greek national anthem in class #2, though, if you want to learn the Greek alphabet).  Here are some of the songs we have sung, in Greek and then translated into English.  If you know Greek or are learning Greek, I commend these verse songs to you.  If you teach Greek, I commend them to both you and your students.

Please also feel free to add more in the comment section if you have done something like this yourself.

The Greek font below is the one for Accordance Bible software's Greek text, in case it does not appear clearly on your computer.

Praise of the blessed and most holy Trinity:

1 John 5:6-9

Tune: “Holy, holy, holy”

ou∞to/ß e˙stin oJ e˙lqw»n di∆ u¢datoß

kai« aiºmatoß, ∆Ihsouvß oJ Cristo/ß:

oujk e˙n twˆ◊ u¢dati mo/non aÓll∆ e˙n twˆ◊ u¢dati kai« twˆ◊ aiºmati.

kai« to\ Pneuvma¿ e˙sti to\ marturouvn,

o¢ti to\ Pneuvma¿ e˙stin hJ aÓlh/qeia.

o¢ti trei√ß ei˙si«n

oi˚ marturouvnteß

e˙n twˆ◊ oujranwˆ◊, (2x)

oJ path/r, oJ lo/goß,

kai« to\ ›Agion Pneuvma:

kai« ou∞toi oi˚ trei√ß eºn ei˙si. . . .

au¢th e˙sti«n hJ marturi÷a touv Qeouv . . .

oJ path/r, oJ lo/goß, kai« to\ ›Agion Pneuvma:

This is he that came by water

and blood, even Jesus Christ;

not by water only, but by water and blood.

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,

because the Spirit is truth.

For there are three

that bear record in heaven, (2x)

the Father, the Word,

and the Holy Ghost:

and these three are one. . . .

This is the witness of God . . .

the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.

Praise of God and the Lamb:

Revelation 4:11; 5:12, 13

Tune: Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

⁄Axioß ei•, Ku/rie,

labei√n th\n do/xan

kai« th\n timh\n kai« th\n du/namin: o¢ti su\ e¶ktisaß

ta» pa¿nta, kai« dia»

to\ qe÷lhma¿ sou

ei˙si« kai« e˙kti÷sqhsan. . . .

⁄Axio/n e˙sti to\ aÓrni÷on to\ e˙sfagme÷non labei√n

th\n du/namin kai« plouvton

kai« sofi÷an kai« i˙scu\n

kai« timh\n kai« do/xan kai« eujlogi÷an. . . . ei˙ß tou\ß ai˙w◊naß tw◊n ai˙w¿nwn.

Thou art worthy, O Lord,

to receive glory

and honour and power: for thou hast created

all things, and for

thy pleasure [“will”]

they are and were created. . . .

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive

power, and riches,

and wisdom, and strength,

and honour, and glory, and blessing . . . for ever and ever.

Praise of the incarnate Son:

Philippians 2:5-11

Tune: Adeste Fideles

Say the first line and then begin to sing with the o§ß.

touvto ga»r fronei÷sqw e˙n uJmi√n o§ kai« e˙n Cristwˆ◊ ∆Ihsouv:

o§ß e˙n morfhØv Qeouv uJpa¿rcwn,

oujc arpagmo\n hJgh/sato to\ ei•nai

i¶sa Qewˆ◊, aÓll∆ e˚auto\n e˙ke÷nwse,

morfh\n dou/lou labw¿n,

e˙n oJmoiw¿mati

aÓnqrw¿pwn geno/menoß:

kai« sch/mati euJreqei«ß

wß a‡nqrwpoß, e˙tapei÷nwsen

e˚auto/n, geno/menoß uJph/kooß

me÷cri qana¿tou,

qana¿tou de« staurouv. (Repeat last two lines)

dio\ kai« oJ Qeo\ß aujto\n

uJperu/ywse,

kai« e˙cari÷sato aujtwˆ◊ o¡noma

to\ uJpe«r pa◊n o¡noma:

iºna e˙n twˆ◊ ojno/mati ∆Ihsouv pa◊n go/nu ka¿myhØ

e˙pourani÷wn kai« e˙pigei÷wn kai« katacqoni÷wn,

kai« pa◊sa glw◊ssa e˙xomologh/shtai

o¢ti Ku/rioß

∆Ihsouvß Cristo/ß,

ei˙ß do/xan Qeouv patro/ß.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery to be

equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,

and took upon him the form of a servant, . . .

in the likeness . . .

of men . . . was made:

And being found in fashion

as a man, he humbled

himself, and became obedient

unto death,

even the death of the cross. (Repeat last two lines)

Wherefore God also . . . him

hath highly exalted,

and given him a name

which is above every name:

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess

that . . . is Lord . . .

Jesus Christ, . . .

to the glory of God the Father.

The glorious Gospel:

1 Corinthians 15:1-5, 22, 57-58

Tune: Amazing Grace

Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον . . .

δι᾿ οὗ καὶ σώζεσθε· . . . εἰ μὴ εἰκῆ ἐπιστεύσατε. . . .

ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν

ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς· καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη·

καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ

κατὰ τὰς γραφάς· καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη . . . ὤφθη . . .

ὥσπερ . . . ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν,

οὕτω . . . ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται. . . .

τῷ . . . Θεῷ χάρις τῷ διδόντι ἡμῖν τὸ νῖκος

διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. . . .

ἀδελφοί . . .  ἀγαπητοί, ἑδραῖοι γίνεσθε . . .

ὁ κόπος ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστι κενὸς ἐν Κυρίῳ.

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel . . .

by which also ye are saved . . .

unless ye have believed in vain. . . .

that Christ died for . . . sins

our [sins] according to the scriptures; and that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures: and that he was seen . . . was seen . . .

for . . . in Adam all die,

so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .

Beloved brethren, be ye stedfast . . .

your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

TDR