John Wesley — "I have often thought, that if I were to choose a language to speak, it should be…"
I have often thought, that if I were to choose a language to speak, it should be Greek.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from John Wesley
"We have nothing to do but to save souls."
"Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can."
"By Methodists, I mean such as profess to pursue a Christian life by Scriptural rules and methods."
"I believe that all true Christians are brothers and sisters, whatever their denomination."
"I am a debtor to all the world, to do all the good I can, in every place, to every soul."
About John Wesley (1703-1791)
English Anglican cleric and founder of Methodism, whose open-air preaching and class-meeting structure created the largest 18th-century evangelical revival. Closely associated with Charles Wesley (his hymn-writing brother) and George Whitefield (early co-revivalist, later doctrinal opponent). For an intellectual contrast, see George Whitefield, Calvinist evangelical revivalist — Whitefield's predestinarian Calvinism vs Wesley's free-grace Arminian theology split the early Methodist movement permanently in the 1739-41 break. The founding evangelical Calvinist-Arminian schism — the two parallel evangelical traditions American Christianity descends from.
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Wesley expresses a preference for ancient Greek above all other languages for speaking and communication. He values Greek for its precision, philosophical richness, and expressive range — qualities that make it uniquely suited for conveying complex theological and intellectual ideas with clarity and nuance that other languages struggle to match.
Relevance to John Wesley
Wesley was a classically trained Oxford scholar who read the New Testament in its original Koine Greek daily. His theological precision depended on accessing scripture without translation intermediaries. Greek mastery allowed him to interpret scripture directly, forming the exegetical foundation of Methodist doctrine and his meticulous sermon-writing that reached millions.
The era
In 18th-century England, classical education centered on Latin and Greek, but vernacular preaching was transforming religion. Wesley bridged both worlds — using scholarly Greek expertise while preaching in plain English to common people. The Enlightenment elevated rational inquiry, and Greek remained the prestige language of philosophy, medicine, and original Christian scripture.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].