Deciphering and interpreting Greek demands practice. You can begin by learning how the alphabet is pronounced and how it appears in written form. Greek includes seven vowels and 17 consonants. It also has three accent marks above letters: acute, grave and circumflex. Review the alphabet and take note of other similarities and differences. For example, the Greek "P" sounds like an English "R," while the Greek "H" is vowel, sounding like the English "E." Practice drawing the letters.
Learning parts of speech is somewhat easy for English speakers, because Greek nouns can be singular or plural, just like English. However, nouns can also be masculine, feminine or neutral. Greek verbs, as in English, can be active or passive, but there is also a middle voice. The order of words in sentences is not arranged the same, which can be confusing for native English speakers. Greek sentences are organized by thought. That is, the most important words come first. Greek is said to the most perfect language for expressing thoughts, and this may be why many learn to read the Bible in this language, so as to better understand the original intentions of Biblical authors.
Improve your ability to interpret words by reading Bible passages such as John 1: 1-5. If you can translate, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word," you are on your way to success. Spell and pronounce the Greek translations repetitively. Recognize frequently occurring words like ...γιον (which means "holy" in English) to build your command of the language. Now you can achieve your goal of reading the New Testament in Koine Greek as it was written! Choose to simply recognize keywords and phrases, or go on to establish competency in grammar, vocabulary and syntax, enabling you to more comprehensively appreciate the New Testament in the language it was first read.