There is a not so accurate Vietnam war movie, which I watched in my youth, that has a rather memorable scene in it. The new recruits are in the middle of basic training. They have been given their rifles. Their drill sergeant expects them to bond with their rifle. They must master their rifle. They must know their rifle. It is the only thing that will keep them alive. In that scene, the new recruits rattle off a “prayer” about their rifles. I have adapted that “prayer” to express the past few days with Robertson’s massive tome.
This is my A. T. Robertson. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My Robertson is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it, as I must master my life. Without me, my Robertson is useless. Without my Robertson, I am useless. I must use my Robertson true. I must exegete better than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. . . My A. T. Robertson and myself are defenders of good exegesis. We are the masters of our enemy. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace…
Hahahah. Sorry for laughing Jacob. I used to be a keen shooter and could also virtually clean and assemble my rifles blindfolded – though I never tried. As a slow student of greek, who in 5 years of learning has just nearly mastered the case endings for 1st and 2nd declension nouns . admittedly there has been some memory issues caused by poor health over this time. 😦
However I find that by writing and reciting the Greek Alphabet, the case endings and using flash cards on a regular basis is very similar to the never ending drill that a soldier goes through in rifle training.