An Overview of Christianity and the Greek Language

Christianity has deep historical roots in Greece, dating back to the 1st century AD, when the Apostle Paul visited the region and established some of the earliest Christian communities. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, written in Greek, are part of the New Testament and were foundational for spreading Christian teachings throughout the Greek-speaking world. As the Roman Empire adopted Christianity, Greece’s position in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire made it a center of Christian theological thought and education. Greek became the language of early Christian doctrine, influencing key works like the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament, both of which were written in Koine Greek.

The Byzantine period solidified Christianity’s place in Greek society, with Greek Orthodoxy emerging as a distinct form of Christian worship and theology. Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and Greece’s occupation by the Ottoman Empire, the Greek Orthodox Church played a crucial role in preserving Greek identity and faith under foreign rule. Modern Greece remains predominantly Greek Orthodox, and the Bible in Greek is central to worship and religious education. Today, ancient Christian manuscripts and Greek-language Bibles continue to be significant resources for understanding Christianity’s theological and historical development.