In 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottoman Turks. This was a disaster for the Greeks but it became a blessing for Western Europe. It was inevitable that those who had the means, that is, the educated elite, sought refuge in the West and they took with them valuable manuscripts.
The spark that ignited the Reformation
For the first time there was significant interaction between Western scholars educated in Latin and Eastern scholars educated in Greek. Direct access to classical Greek works and the Greek New Testament was now possible. There was a keen interest in classical literature, art, drama and philosophy.
Are seminaries failing in the teaching of New Testament Greek?
In 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottoman Turks. This was a disaster for the Greeks but it became a blessing for Western Europe. It was inevitable that those who had the means, that is, the educated elite, sought refuge in the West and they took with them valuable manuscripts.
The spark that ignited the Reformation
For the first time there was significant interaction between Western scholars educated in Latin and Eastern scholars educated in Greek. Direct access to classical Greek works and the Greek New Testament was now possible. There was a keen interest in classical literature, art, drama and philosophy.