Biblingo's mission:
to advance God's Word in the world
the biblingo story
Est. 2020
Bible translation today is often a game of telephone.
Hey👋, I'm Kevin - co-founder and CEO of Biblingo.
Hey👋, I'm Kevin - co-founder and CEO of Biblingo.
In the summer of 2017, I assisted a Bible translation project in Mexico.
The team had translated the New Testament into Nahuatl – an Aztec language. And now they were working on portions of the Old Testament. But there was a problem: no one on the team knew Hebrew.
The team didn’t know the language of the Old Testament, so they couldn’t translate directly from Hebrew into Nahuatl. That’s why they brought me in as a Hebrew scholar: to check their work. They translated Old Testament texts from a Spanish translation into Nahuatl, then translated their Nahuatl translation into English for me to check against the original Hebrew text.
So by the time the text got to me, it had already been translated 3 times!
Because the translation team didn’t know Hebrew, they had to rely on an outsider like me for their Hebrew knowledge, hoping I could catch errors as I looked at a translation of a translation of a translation.
Bringing in a biblical languages expert to check a thrice-translated text is like bringing in a structural engineer after you’ve already constructed the building. And yet this is how many, many translations around the world are done today.
A few years before this experience, I had done a masters in linguistics for Bible translation at Dallas International University. Walking the campus in 2015, I had an ah-ha moment. Language learning apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone made modern languages accessible to the entire world. They put world-class learning tools in the hands of every person with a smartphone. And yet, no similar tool existed for learning the biblical languages.
How was it possible that there was no modern language learning app for the original languages of the most important text in history? The resources for learning these languages should be the best in the world, but instead, they were lagging far behind.
Biblical translators and pastors who don’t speak English have not had a good way to learn the biblical languages. On top of this, many seminary students are frustrated by their lack of progress in reading Greek and Hebrew. And for parents who want to teach their kids these languages, there weren’t many kid-friendly resources at all.
And so, I got to work. I started developing a curriculum built on all I had learned in years of linguistics and biblical language study at the masters and PhD levels. I incorporated the latest and best insights from the science of language learning. I worked with a film crew to shoot hundreds of videos and photos in Israel illustrating biblical vocabulary (see this old BTS video!). And I put together a team to make the vision a reality.
In 2020, Biblingo for web was officially launched, and the mobile app followed in 2023. Over the years, we’ve introduced major curriculum and user interface features. And we’re just kicking into gear. The roadmap ahead includes more gamification, a more social experience, drills designed specifically for reading fluency, and new languages like Latin, Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, and more!
Our goal from the start has been to make the biblical languages more accessible and easier to learn through technology so that anyone and everyone can rediscover the riches of God’s Word through reading the very words that He spoke. To every past and current Biblingo learner: thank you for joining us in that mission!
the biblingo team
The Faces Behind the Software
Kevin Grasso, Co-Founder and CEO
I love the Lord, language, lively conversation, lifting, my lovely wife, and my little ones.
Trying to figure out what the Bible says, and to live it, has been my primary occupation since high school. I feel like I’ve made a little progress in reducing my ignorance but know I have a long way to go. Learning Greek, Hebrew, and linguistics has been a big part of what little progress I’ve made. I have too many degrees related to these things, including a BA in Communications (UGA), an MA in Linguistics (DIU), an MA in Comparative Religion (HUJI), and a PhD in Hebrew Language (HUJI). Language has always fascinated me, and even outside of applying linguistics to biblical studies, I would enjoy reading about all kinds of extremely nerdy language things.
Deep conversations with others bring me life. This most often centers around the Bible, but I will happily engage in almost any thoughtful dialogue. Despite three shoulder surgeries, I love being active and playing sports of almost any kind (though basketball has always been my first love). I’m extremely competitive and will basically win at all costs, unless it would lead to severe trauma in a little person. I am quite into health stuff and spend a decent amount of energy chasing my lifetime fitness goals. I love my family and love being with them. Little else brings me more joy than playing with my four kids. My family and I live just outside of Atlanta.
Nick Messmer, Co-Founder
Colton Honeycutt, Head of Community
Isaac Hinchman, Curriculum Development
Isaac Hinchman received his M.A. in Biblical Hebrew and Cognate Languages from Jerusalem University College. While living in Jerusalem, he also completed spoken Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek courses from the Polis Institute. A firm believer in the benefits of internalizing the biblical languages through listening, reading, speaking, and writing, Isaac enjoys reading the biblical languages and is passionate about Biblingo’s mission. Isaac and his wife, Sylvia, love to discuss languages and theology, listen to Spanish and Hebrew worship music, travel, and host others in their home in Columbia, SC.
Joseph Justiss, Head of Live Courses
I have been studying the biblical languages as living means of communication for over a decade and developing reading fluency for two decades. I hold a doctorate in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from the University of Oxford, an MA in Ancient Philology from Polis in Jerusalem, and an MDiv in Biblical Theology. I’m 44 years old and live near Austin, TX with my wife, two college aged children, and the best of dogs: Henry the poodle. I am fascinated with the literary artistry of ancient Scripture and live to help my students experience it and appreciate it for themselves as deeply as possible by developing fluent reading.
Austin Curtin, Head of Homeschool
I’m thrilled to serve as Head of Homeschool for Biblingo. My life’s passion is helping students dive into Scripture in its original languages, equipping them to be “ready to give an answer for the hope that they have” (1 Peter 3:15). My favorite activity is singing Scripture in Hebrew and Greek with my wife and our two children. I also currently teach at Grand Canyon University as an adjunct professor of education, focusing on language acquisition, literacy, and assessment coursework. I hold a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from John Carroll University. Before joining Biblingo, I taught in Jewish education and English Language instruction. My wife and I both speak multiple languages, and we are raising our two children to speak them as well (English, Italian, Modern Greek, and Spanish). I look forward to supporting families in reclaiming our faith’s rich linguistic heritage, one student at a time.
Joah Pearson, Head of Marketing
I like selling stuff with words, and I work to do it under the kingship of the incarnate Word.
I’m intense about film and books, and I’d like to be intense about a lot of other things too. I live with my family (also very intense) and myriad animals on a small hill near Atlanta, GA.
