As a Presbyterian on the path to ordination I am required to pass both Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew. Two summers ago I took Greek, and this summer I am taking Hebrew. Now I took Hebrew in my senior year of college, but it's a different level at seminary. Everything's a different level at seminary...
You may be thinking "why are the biblical languages such a big deal?" I'm glad you asked. And, yes, the answer does go back to John Calvin. Calvin and many others of his time were Humanists, and one of the Humanists' main emphases was learning original languages to better understand a text. This idea has trickled down through Reformed history to make itself known in current Presbyterian systems by having all potential pastors learn the original languages well enough to inform our preaching. Before ordination I will have to pass an exam where I translate, exegete, and write a sermon on an assigned passage. Don't worry, we get almost a week to do it. But that's later on. For now, I need to go quiz myself on vocabulary.
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