Pros

This online course is taught by Hans-Friedrich Mueller, the Thomas Lamont Professor of Ancient and Modern Literatures at Union College. He is a classicist and teaches Latin and ancient Greek, as well as famous works in those languages such as the Iliad and Aeneid so his credentials are impeccable. The course consists of video lectures geared toward total beginners and includes readings from the Gospels, the Iliad, and other ancient Greek literature.

Cons

It’s a bit pricey at $339 for 36 lectures of around 31 minutes each. Also, ancient Greek differed from era to era, like any language, and so the Greek of the Iliad, for example, is a bit different from Koine Greek, the Greek of the New Testament, which may confuse some learners.

Pros

Bill Mounce is the author behind Basics of Biblical Greek, one of the standard biblical Greek textbooks used in seminaries and theological schools worldwide, as well as a whole series of supplemental materials like workbooks. Many of the best Koine Greek courses feature such resources to enrich the learning process. This online starter course is not free, but it contains easy-to-understand video lectures you can watch and rewatch.

Cons

The only downside of this program, besides the price ($89 for a full year of online access), might be that it is confessional in nature. That is, Mounce is a devoted Christian and wants Christians to take the course to become better Christians. If you’re not a Christian, this might be slightly annoying but certainly doesn’t detract from the quality of the lessons.

Pros

For those seeking an alternative to the best apps to learn Koine Greek, this is a series of low-tech instructional videos made by Mark Schuler, professor of theology, Greek, and archaeology at Concordia University. It is entirely free and contains all the basic information, including history, grammar, and usage for a beginner to establish a useful foundation.

Cons

Because it is low-tech, this course is not an exciting or entertaining series. Schuler lectures behind the scenes with slides illustrating his points and providing visual support. In addition, while it’s nice that it’s free, the paid courses come with far more resources, like Greek-English dictionaries. This is a minimal approach.

Pros

This course is completely free and assumes you have no background in ancient Greek. It starts by teaching the alphabet, and by the end, you are reading ancient Greek inscriptions such as Alexander the Great’s dedication of the temple of Athena Polias.

Cons

The course is all text-based, with no video content, a format which may not work for some. It’s also brief, with a lack of detailed explanations that beginners could probably use.

Pros

Ginoskos is a website which has free courses in both biblical Greek and Hebrew, as well as other languages from early Christianity such as Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke), Coptic, and Syriac. It also has other free resources like lists of frequently used biblical vocabulary in Greek and Hebrew which are very helpful.

Cons

Like The Open University’s courses, these lessons are text-centered instead of video-based, which may be a turn-off for some people. Also, while beginners can certainly get a decent foundation from the free foundational course, those interested in more advanced language learning will have to look elsewhere.

Pros

People wanting an app-based alternative to the top Koine Greek courses should consider Biblingo because the app is very easy and intuitive to navigate. For total beginners who don’t even know the alphabet yet, there are video lessons to get them started. Instead of focusing on explicit grammar, the program mostly teaches the language intuitively, with interactive videos and exercises that I found engaging.

Cons

Frankly, it would be nice to have the grammar explained a bit more explicitly in some cases. A new learner can certainly pick up patterns of language through this app and learn to read adequately, but there are times when understanding the principle behind the pattern would be beneficial too.