Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Read the Bible in Greek and Hebrew—the most rigorous undergraduate biblical language preparation available at ACU
Greek & Hebrew
Both New Testament Greek and Biblical Hebrew—read the entire Bible in its original languages.
20 Credits of Language Study
8 required Hebrew credits plus 12 credits of upper-division language electives.
Seminary Ready
The strongest undergraduate language preparation for seminary and graduate study.
Full Theological Core
Systematic theology, church history, apologetics, and biblical survey alongside your languages.
The Biblical Languages concentration is ACU’s most rigorous biblical studies track, designed for students who want to read the entire Bible in its original languages. Every student in the Biblical and Theological Studies program takes two semesters of elementary Greek. This concentration adds two semesters of Biblical Hebrew plus 12 credits of upper-division language electives—giving you a total of 20 credits of concentrated language study on top of the 35-credit academic core.
This level of language training is rare at the undergraduate level. Most students don’t encounter both Greek and Hebrew until seminary. By completing this concentration, you’ll arrive at seminary or graduate school already able to work in both biblical languages—which puts you significantly ahead of your peers and allows you to go deeper in advanced exegesis, textual criticism, and biblical theology from day one.
The 12 credits of upper-division language electives give you the flexibility to pursue advanced Greek, advanced Hebrew, or a combination of both. Whether you want to specialize in New Testament exegesis, Old Testament studies, or develop balanced competency in both testaments, you can shape the concentration to match your academic and ministry goals. Combined with the full theological core—systematic theology, church history, apologetics, and biblical survey—this is a comprehensive preparation for serious biblical scholarship.
Biblical Hebrew
Complete two semesters of Biblical Hebrew (8 credits), learning to read the Old Testament in its original language. You'll master Hebrew grammar, vocabulary, and syntax—and develop the ability to work with scholarly Hebrew tools.
New Testament Greek
Build on the two-semester elementary Greek sequence (8 credits) that all BTS students complete. You'll be able to read, parse, and interpret the New Testament in its original language.
Advanced Language Skills
Choose 12 credits of upper-division language electives to pursue advanced Greek, advanced Hebrew, or both. You'll develop the depth needed for serious exegetical and scholarly work.
Biblical Exegesis
Apply your language skills to careful exegesis of specific biblical texts. You'll learn to move from the original languages through grammatical analysis to theological interpretation.
Theological & Historical Foundation
Complete the full BTS core—systematic theology, church history, apologetics, and biblical survey—ensuring your language skills are grounded in a comprehensive theological framework.
When you can read the Bible in Greek and Hebrew, you encounter God's Word without the filter of translation. This isn't about academic prestige—it's about the conviction that Scripture deserves to be studied with every tool available. At ACU, your language study is grounded in the belief that these ancient texts are living and authoritative.
Scripture in Its Original Languages
Study Hebrew and Greek not as academic exercises but as acts of devotion and stewardship. You'll learn to read God's Word in the languages He chose, gaining access to nuances that no translation can fully capture.
Pastors and teachers who can work in the original languages preach and teach with greater precision and confidence.
Careful Interpretation
Language study produces careful interpreters. You'll develop the discipline to slow down, examine words and grammar, and let the text speak for itself—a habit that protects against careless or eisegetical reading.
Leaders who handle Scripture carefully earn the trust of their congregations and colleagues.
Historical & Cultural Context
Learning biblical languages also means learning the cultures in which they were written. You'll understand the historical and cultural context of Scripture at a deeper level than English-only study allows.
Missionaries, teachers, and writers who understand biblical culture communicate the gospel with greater clarity and sensitivity.
Scholarly Stewardship
Rigorous language training is a form of intellectual stewardship—using your mind to honor God by studying His Word with the best tools available. This concentration prepares you to contribute to biblical scholarship for decades to come.
Scholars, seminary professors, and translators who begin with strong undergraduate language training have a lasting impact on the church.
The Biblical Languages concentration is the strongest undergraduate preparation for seminary and biblical scholarship. It also prepares you for any career that demands the ability to work with the Bible at the deepest level—pastoral ministry, Bible translation, academic research, and teaching.
Seminary / Graduate Study
Enter seminary with Greek and Hebrew already complete—giving you a significant head start in advanced exegesis and biblical theology.
Pastor / Preaching Minister
Prepare sermons and teach from the original languages, bringing depth and precision to your pastoral ministry.
Bible Translator
Work with organizations like Wycliffe or SIL, bringing Scripture to languages and people groups that don't yet have it.
Biblical Scholar / Professor
Pursue a Ph.D. and contribute to academic biblical studies, teaching the next generation of pastors and scholars.
Missionary
Serve cross-culturally with the linguistic skills and biblical depth to communicate the gospel effectively.
Bible Teacher
Teach Scripture in churches, schools, or parachurch settings with the confidence that comes from working in the original languages.
Curriculum Developer
Create Bible study materials, commentaries, and educational resources grounded in original-language scholarship.
Chaplain
Serve as a military, hospital, or university chaplain with deep biblical training and theological preparation.
Most seminary students encounter Greek and Hebrew for the first time in graduate school, often under time pressure and alongside heavy coursework. Our Biblical Languages concentration gives you both languages at the undergraduate level, which means you arrive at seminary already able to read the biblical text. That’s a genuine advantage.
You’ll take two semesters each of Greek and Hebrew, plus 12 credits of upper-division language electives. By graduation, you’ll be able to work in both testaments in their original languages. Whether you’re planning for seminary, academic research, Bible translation, or pastoral ministry, this kind of language foundation changes everything about how you engage with Scripture.
This concentration is demanding—there’s no shortcut to learning ancient languages. But if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll graduate with skills that serve you for the rest of your life and ministry.
Steven Rutt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies
For students who want to read the Bible in its original languages and prepare for serious biblical scholarship.
Both Greek and Hebrew
Most undergraduate programs offer only one biblical language. This concentration gives you both—8 credits of Greek and 8 credits of Hebrew.
20 Credits of Language Study
The concentration adds 20 credits of dedicated language coursework on top of the full 35-credit theological core.
12 Credits of Language Electives
Customize your advanced language study with upper-division electives in Greek, Hebrew, or both.
Seminary Head Start
Arrive at seminary with both biblical languages already complete—putting you ahead of your peers in advanced exegesis courses.
Full Theological Core
Language study is paired with systematic theology, church history, apologetics, and complete biblical survey—so your linguistic skills are theologically grounded.
Rare Undergraduate Preparation
Very few undergraduate programs offer this level of biblical language training. It's typically reserved for seminary.
Capstone Research
Apply your language skills to original research in the Biblical Studies Capstone course.
Seminary Partnerships
ACU's partnership tracks with Dallas Theological Seminary and Phoenix Seminary offer accelerated paths to graduate study.
Take the next step toward the deepest undergraduate biblical language training available at ACU.