and continuing Modern Greek Students are recommended to join the Beginners New Testament Greek Class. Contact instructor to register. The New Testament Greek start with lessons from the Liturgy and continue over time with the Gospels and Apostles letters.
(a donation for the needs of Greek School directly to the teacher or a donation to the Church on behalf of the Greek School is optional and appreciated)
Middle and High School Students of the Koene will be taught enough to participate in the National Greek Exam with subsequent opportunity for a show of Academic Excellence and an opportunity for Scholarship.
The National Greek Examination in 2025 enrolled 1580 students from 166 high schools, colleges, universities and home schools in the US and around the world. Of these students, 52% earned purple, blue, red, or green ribbons. The battery of six examinations consisted of four Attic Greek exams (Introduction, Beginning, Intermediate, Prose) and two Homeric Greek exams (Odyssey and Iliad). In 2026, high-school seniors who earn purple or blue ribbons in the Attic Prose exam will be eligible to apply for one scholarship in the amount of $2,000, renewable for four years. The scholarship will be paid to the winner’s college or university on condition that s/he earn six credits of Greek during the school year. The winner will be selected by the NLE/NGE Scholarship Committee. Teachers of eligible students will receive application forms via email in mid-May. Winners will be announced at the ACL Institute in June, and notified directly thereafter by mail.
Κοινή - Adult/Teen (beginners) <> TBD -FREE CLASS - contact instructor
Κοινή - Adult/Teen (continuing) <> Fridays 3:45pm
The Entire Treasure of all texts published in the Greek Language, including all Patristic and religious texts until the 20th Century can be found at TLG, Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, hosted by the University of California and funded by the Packard Foundation thanks to the love and philanthropy of David Packard and the labor of love of Dr. Maria Pantelia, former instructor of Koine at the Holy Cross College.
Subscribe today. It is free for individual users
Print the Powerpoint presentations and PDF's that contain the vocabulary for Liturgical Texts and for the National Greek Exam and the related grammar analyses.
Print the text to be studied. Look through the text and circle the words that you already recognize.
Open the corresponding audio file. Read the whole text while listening to the audio file.
Restart the audio file looking at the grammar analysis powerpoint page by page, and stopping the audio file to comprehend each part.
Once done, look at the vocabulary powerpoint.
Make flashcards.
Memorize words and phrases.
Ancient Verbs Conjugation Rules Document (requires instructor permission; please email)
what Greek distinguishes
what English flattens
what meaning is lost
Greek
πιστεύω — present: ongoing, living belief
ἐπίστευσα — aorist: belief as a single act
πεπίστευκα — perfect: belief completed with lasting result
English
“I believe”
“I believed”
“I have believed”
English can mark these differences, but almost never insists on them, and speakers slide between them casually.
Greek forces the speaker to choose a theological stance.
Loss:
Without grammatical resistance English allows belief to be:
a moment
a memory
a habit
Greek does not allow belief to be anything but.
Greek can say: ὁ ἐλθών “the One-who-came”
That’s in one word:
identity
action
history
“the one who came”
This requires:
a relative pronoun
a verb
an implied timeline
Loss: In theology, that difference is huge. It leads to Sola Sciptura - one is not defined by what they do
Example: σῶσαι — to save (entire saving act)
This does not say:
how long
how often
how it felt
Only: that it happened, decisively
“to save” - English infinitives have no aspect at all.
So English readers may imagine:
a process
a gradual improvement
an ongoing effort
Loss:
Greek presents salvation as an accomplished act;
English leaves it open-ended.
This is one of the biggest collapses.
μὴ εἰς κρῖμά μοι γένοιτο
This is:
not a request
not a command
not a statement
It is a wish spoken with fear and humility.
English uses:
modal verbs (may, might)
tone
context
But grammatically, this is indistinguishable from:
polite requests
uncertain guesses
formal hopes
Loss:
Greek encodes reverence into grammar.
English relies on vibe.
Example:
δέομαι — I beseech
(not “I beseech someone” as an external act, but an inward plea)
Or:
μετασχεῖν — to partake
(not consume, not take, but enter into participation)
English has:
active
passive
That’s it.
So English translations must guess:
reflexive?
emotional?
reciprocal?
Loss:
Greek lets participation be grammatically different from consumption.
English collapses them.
Is faith ongoing? → present
Is Incarnation once-for-all? → aorist
Is deification real now? → present
Is Communion dangerous? → participle + optative
That sentence:
does not say how
does not say once or always
does not say with what effect
Loss:
Greek grammar protects doctrine.
English paraphrase exposes it to interpretation.
Greek grammar guards meaning by force; English grammar allows meaning by suggestion.
Students who only read English:
think Greek is “wordy”
think tense = time
think theology is interpretive
Students who read Greek:
see theology embedded in grammar
see prayers as precise statements
understand why translations disagree
indicatives confess truth, participles define identity, infinitives name holy actions, subjunctives express shared hope, imperatives ask boldly for mercy, and the optative alone speaks with trembling before judgment.
This grammar is not stylistic—it is doctrinal architecture.
Τὸ Σύμβολο τῆς Πίστεως
1. Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα, Παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων.
2. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸνἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο.
3. Τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα.
4. Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα.
5. Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς.
6. Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός.
7. Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
8. Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.
9. Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν.
10. Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
11. Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν.
12. Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος.
Ἀμήν.
Πηγές: Ιερά Μητρόπολη Μονεμβασιάς και Σπάρτης
Ιερά Μητρόπολη Θεσσαλονίκης
Βασιλεῦ οὐράνιε, Παράκλητε, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁ πανταχοῦ παρών, καὶ τὰ πάντα πληρῶν, ὁ θησαυρὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ζωῆς χορηγός, ἐλθὲ καὶ σκήνωσον ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ καθάρισον ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης κηλῖδος, καὶ σῶσον, Ἀγαθέ, τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.
ὁ Ἱερεὺς: Δι’ εῦχών τῶν Αγίων Πατέρων ἡμῶν, Κύριε Ἰησού Χριστέ ὁ Θεός ἡμῶν, ἐλέησον καὶ σῶσον ἡμάς.
Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός, Ἅγιος Ἰσχυρός, Ἅγιος Ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς (ἐκ γ´).
Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Παναγία Τριάς, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Κύριε, ἱλάσθητι ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν. Δέσποτα, συγχώρησον τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῖν. Ἅγιε, ἐπίσκεψαι καὶ ἴασαι τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν, ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός Σου. Κύριε, ἐλέησον (ἐκ γ´).
Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Ἀναγνώστης: Ἀμήν. Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά Σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία Σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά Σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον· καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν· καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
ὁ Ἱερεὺς: Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα, τοῦ Πατρός, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, νῦν καὶ ἀεί, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
ὁ Ἀναγνώστης: Ἀμήν. Κύριε, ἐλέησον (ἐκ ιβ´). Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Δεῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν Θεῷ. Δεῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν Χριστῷ, τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν Θεῷ. Δεῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν αὐτῷ Χριστῷ, τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ Θεῷ ἡμῶν.
Πιστεύω, Κύριε, καὶ ὁμολογῶ, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ἀληθῶς ὁ Χριστός, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὁ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτος εἰμὶ ἐγώ.
Ἔτι πιστεύω, ὅτι τοῦτο αὐτό ἐστι τὸ ἄχραντον Σῶμά σου καὶ τοῦτο αὐτό ἐστι τὸ τίμιον Αἶμά σου.
Δέομαι οὖν σου· Ἐλέησόν με, καὶ συγχώρησόν μοι τὰ παραπτώματά μου, τὰ ἑκούσια καὶ τὰ ἀκούσια, τὰ ἐν λόγῳ, τὰ ἐν ἔργῳ, τὰ ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ· καὶ ἀξίωσόν με ἀκατακρίτως μετασχεῖν τῶν ἀχράντων σου Μυστηρίων, εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
Ἔθελξας πόθῳ με, Χριστέ, καὶ ἠλλοίωσας τῷ θείῳ σου ἔρωτι· ἀλλὰ κα‐ τάφλεξον πυρὶ ἀΰλῳ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου, καὶ ἐμπλησθῆναι τῆς ἐν σοὶ τρυφῆς καταξίωσον, ἵνα τὰς δύο, σκιρτῶν μεγαλύνω, Ἀγαθέ, παρουσίας σου.
Ἐν ταῖς λαμπρότησι τῶν Ἁγίων σου, πῶς εἰσελεύσομαι ὁ ἀνάξιος; Ἐὰν γὰρ τολμήσω συνεισελθεῖν εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα, ὁ χιτών με ἐλέγχει, ὅτι οὐκ ἔ‐ στι τοῦ γάμου, καὶ δέσμιος ἐκβαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀγγέλων. Καθάρισον, Κύ‐ ριε, τὸν ῥύπον τῆς ψυχῆς μου, καὶ σῶσόν με, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος.
Δέσποτα φιλάνθρωπε, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ εἰς κρῖμά ‐ μοι γένοιτο τὰ Ἅγια ταῦτα, διὰ τὸ ἀνάξιον εἶναί με, ἀλλ’ εἰς κάθαρσιν καὶ ἁ‐ γιασμὸν ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος, καὶ εἰς ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς καὶ βασιλείας.
Ἐμοὶ δὲ τῷ προσκολλᾶσθαι τῷ Θεῷ ἀγαθόν ἐστι· τίθεσθαι ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας μου. Τοῦ Δείπνου σου τοῦ μυστικοῦ, σήμερον, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, κοινωνόν με παρά‐ λαβε· οὐ μὴ γὰρ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου τὸ Μυστήριον εἴπω· οὐ φίλημά σοι δώσω, καθάπερ ὁ Ἰούδας· ἀλλ’ ὡς ὁ Λῃστὴς ὁμολογῶ σοι· Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Ἀ‐ μήν.
Ἰδού, βαδίζω πρὸς θείαν Κοινωνίαν·
Πλαστουργέ, μὴ φλέξῃς με τῇ μετουσίᾳ·
Πῦρ γὰρ ὑπάρχεις τοὺς ἀναξίους φλέγον.
Ἀλλ’ οὖν κάθαρον ἐκ πάσης με κηλῖδος.
Θεουργὸν Αἷμα φρίξον, ἄνθρωπε, βλέπων·
Ἄνθραξ γάρ ἐστι τοὺς ἀναξίους φλέγων·
Θεοῦ τὸ Σῶμα καὶ θεοῖ με καὶ τρέφει·
Θεοῖ τὸ πνεῦμα, τὸν δὲ νοῦν τρέφει ξένως.