Application

Step 1: Grasp the text in their town by summarizing the original situation (historical-cultural context) and the meaning of the text for the biblical audience.

Step 2: Measure the width of the river to cross. What are the differences between the biblical situation and our situation?

Step 3: Cross the principlizing bridge. List the theological principles communicated by the passage.

Step 4: Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today apply the theological principles in their lives? This step consists of several substeps.

a. Observe how the principles in the text address the original situation.
b. Discover a parallel situation in a contemporary context.
c. Make your applications specific.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

When it comes to biblical interpretation, having the Holy Spirit does not mean that the Spirit is all we need, since he will not make biblical interpretation automatic. He expects us to use our minds, valid interpretive methods, and good study helps. The Spirit does not create a new meaning or provide new information, but does enable us to accept the Bible as God's Word and grasp its meaning. The Spirit will not change the Bible to suit our purposes or match our circumstances, but he will work in our lives as interpreters. He restores us to our senses and helps us grow up spiritually so we can hear his voice in the Scriptures more clearly. As you study the Bible, remember to pray that the Spirit will work in your heart so that you will have ears to hear what he is saying.

Levels of Meaning

Does the Bible have different levels of meaning? There is one level of meaning-the one tied to the historical-cultural and literary contexts. This meaning includes its meaning for the biblical audience and the theological principles behind that meaning. There can be different aspects of a text's meaning and even a number of principles behind those aspects. But there are not deep, "spiritual" meanings in the text that are unrelated to the historical and literary context.

Who Controls the Meaning?

Our approach to interpreting the Bible focuses on authorial intent rather than reader response. God has communicated with us through the Scriptures. He has worked through human authors to convey his meaning to us through the text. As readers we do not create the meaning; rather, we seek to find the meaning that has already been replaced into the text by the author (both divine and human). This is why careful reading, context, historical background, word studies, translations, and genre are so important. these are the items we must grapple with if we are to grasp the intended meaning of the author.

Bible Translations

Choosing a Translation

1. Choose a translation that uses modern English. The whole point of making a translation is to move the message of the original text to a language you can understand. History teaches us that languages change over time, and English is no exception. The English of John Wycliffe’s day of 1611 is simply not the same as the English of the twenty-first century. There is little to be gained by translating a Greek or Hebrew text into a kind of English that you no longer use and can no longer comprehend. For that reason, it is recommended that you choose among the many good translations that have appeared within the last fifty years.


2. Choose a translation that is based on the standard Hebrew and Greek text. The standard text for the Old Testament is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS). For the New Testament the standard text is reflected in the latest edition of the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (GNT) or Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece. The majority of scholars prefer an ecletic original text rather than the Tex tus Receptus used by the KJV and the NKJV.


3. Give preference to a translation by a committee over against a translation by an individual. Translating requires an enormous amount of knowledge and skill. A group of qualified translators will certainly possess more expertise than any one translator possibly could. In addition, a group of scholars will usually guard against the tendency of individual scholars to read their own personal biases into their translation.


4. Choose a translation that is appropriate for your own particular purpose at the time. When you want to read devotionally or read to children consider a simplified, functional translation such as the New Living Translation or the New Century Version. If you are reading to nontraditional or unchurched people, consider the Contemporary English Version or The Message. If you are reading to people with English as a second language, consider the Good News Bible. If you are reading to a “King-James-only” church, consider the New King James. But for your own personal serious Bible study, it is suggested that you choose the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, Today’s New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, or the NET Bible.

This writer uses the English Standard Version and if you want to know why visit
www.esv.com

Word Studies

Introduction

This unit is all about studying the words of Scripture. Even if you don’t know the original biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, you can still learn to use interpretive tools to do a word study properly, and we will show you how. The study starts by alerting you to common mistakes people make when studying words. It will then be explained how to identify words in a passage that need further study, how to determine what a word could mean, and finally how to decide what a word does mean in context.

Common Word Study Fallacies

English-Only Fallacy

The English-only fallacy occurs when you base your word study on the English word rather than the underlying Greek or Hebrew word and, as a result, draw unreliable or misleading conclusions.

Root Fallacy

One of the more common fallacies is the notion that the real meaning of a word is found in its original root. (i.e., in the etymology of the word). Think about how silly this can be even in English. Is a butterfly actually a fly that has lost control and crash-landed into a tub of butter? Is a pineapple a certain kind of apple that grows only on pine trees?

Time-Frame Fallacy

This fallacy occurs when we latch onto a late word meaning (usually a meaning popular in our own time) and read it back into the Bible, or when we insist that an early word meaning still holds when in fact it has since become obsolete.

Overload Fallacy

Most words can mean several different tings. The overload fallacy is the idea that a word will include all of those senses every time it is used. For example, the English word “spring” can refer to a season, a metal coil, an act of jumping, or a source of water. You would be overloading “spring: (pun intended…perhaps) to assume that in every passage in which it occurs, the word carries not just one, but all of those senses. Which meaning for “spring” does the context demand in the sentence, “Spring is my favorite season of the year”? If you said “all of the above” or even if you chose any meaning except a season of the yea, you would be guilty of the overload fallacy.

Word-Count Fallacy

We make this mistake when we insist that a word must have the same meaning every time it occurs.

Word-Concept Fallacy

We fall prey to the word-concept fallacy when we assume that once we have studied one word, we have studied an entire concept.

Selective-Evidence Fallacy

When we cite just the evidence that supports our favored interpretation or when we dismiss evidence that seems to argue against our view, we commit the selective-evidence fallacy.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Doing a word study properly takes time. Be realistic and admit that you cannot possibly study every word in your passage and still have any time for your friends. Use the following guidelines to help you choose the words you need to study.

1. Look for words that are crucial to the passage.
2. Look for repeated words.
3. Look for figures of speech.
4. Look for words that are unclear, puzzling, or difficult.

Determine What the Word Could Mean

Why do we need to determine what the word could mean before we decide what it does mean? Because most words can mean several different things (e.g., “spring”), but will usually carry only one of those meanings in a particular context. By clarifying what a word could mean, we will not confuse the various meanings of a word when interpreting a particular passage of Scripture.

Semantic Range

Once we see all the possible meanings of a word—what we refer to as a word’s range of meaning or semantic range—we will be in a better position to decide what the word actually does mean in a specific context.

Concordance Work

The first step is to use an exhaustive concordance to locate the original Hebrew or Greek word. As you see the definitions of the word and the different ways the word has been translated into English, you will begin to get a feel for what the word could mean (i.e., its semantic range).

Context Studies

This brings us to the second thing you can do to discover a word’s range of meaning. You must examine the context to see how your word is used. The one rule in doing word studies that overrules all other rules is this: Context determines word meaning.

Decide What the Word Does Mean in Context

In light of the context, the first thing you must do is to select from the possible meanings the one meaning that best fits your word. What we said earlier about the importance of context bears repeating: Context determines word meaning!

Conclusion

The process is simple, even though it takes time: (1) Determine what the word could mean, and (2) decide the most likely meaning of the word in context.

The Literary Context

Introduction

Imagine that you are a college student strolling to class one day when a total stranger hits you with a one-liner. “Go for it!” How would you respond? Would you say, “Sure,” and walk away thinking that he or she was one fry short of a happy meal? Or would you take the message with all religious seriousness and conclude God must be speaking to you through that person, answering your prayers about your dating dilemma or your decision regarding a major or your problem of whether to take the summer job?

To unveil the meaning of “go for it,” most of us would probably come back with a few questions of our own. “What exactly do you mean?” or “Go for what?” We would ask questions as part of our search for a context to give meaning to those three little words. Without a context, “go for it” can mean almost anything. Without a context, words become meaningless.

When it comes to interpreting and applying the Bible, context is crucial. In fact, we would go so far as to say that the most important principle of biblical interpretation is that context determines meaning. When we ignore the context, we can twist the Scriptures and “prove” almost anything.

What is Literary Genre?

Of every passage of Scripture, we must first notice the form it takes (i.e., how does it mean?) before we look at its content (i.e., what did it mean?). The word genre is a French word meaning “form” or “kind.” When applied to biblical interpretation, the expression literary genre simply refers to the different categories or types of literature found in the Bible. In the Old Testament you will encounter narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. The New Testament forms include gospel, history, letter, and apocalyptic literature. Both Old and New Testaments feature a number of subgenres (e.g., parables, riddles, sermons).

What is Surrounding Context?

Surrounding context simply refers to the texts that surround the passage you are studying. You can think of it as the textual world in which your text lives. This includes the words, sentences, paragraphs, and discourses that come before and after your passage.

Dangers of Disregarding Literary Context

You have probably heard it said that you can make the Bible say anything you want. That is true only if you disregard the literary context. There are a number of dangers associated with disregarding literary context. Here we will discuss only two of the most common problems—the first associated with individual interpreters, the second with preachers.

Ignoring the Surrounding Context

The first danger is simply ignoring the surrounding context. This usually happens when individuals focus on a single verse without paying attention to how the surrounding verses might affect its meaning.

Topical Preaching

A second danger associated with disregarding literary context is that of topical preaching. Topical preaching is a valid approach to preaching when the various passages are understood in context and the overall message doesn’t violate those individual contexts. But far too often topical preaching distorts the meaning of Scripture by disregarding the literary context.

How to Identify the Surrounding Context

1. Identify how the book is divided into paragraphs or sections. Look at several different Bible Translations to see how the translators have divided the book into smaller units.
2. Summarize the main idea of each section in about a dozen words or less. When writing your summary, think about two things: (a) the topic or main idea of the section, and (b) what the author says about the topic or main idea. As you do this, you will have to resist the temptation to get lost in all the details. Stick with the main point, the big idea.
3. Explain how your particular passage relates to the surrounding sections. Now that you can see the author’s flow of thought through the entire book by reading your section summaries, it is time to look at how your passage fits into its surroundings.

Conclusion

We study literary context because the interpretation that best fits the context is the most valid interpretation. When we disregard literary context, we run the risk of forcing the Bible to say what we want it to say. This may appear to satisfy people’s immediate needs, but ultimately, this approach hurts people by robbing them of God’s liberating truth. People are seeking time-tested answers to problems that are stating them in the face, answers that contemporary culture simply cannot supply. When we take the literary context seriously, we are saying, “We want to hear what God is trying to say to us.”

The Historical-Cultural Context

Introduction

To grasp God's Word we must understand the meaning of the text in context and apply that meaning to our lives. Context takes two major forms: literary context and historical-cultural context (commonly referred to as "background"). In this lesson you will learn about historical-cultural context as we ask and answer some important questions. Why do we need to bother with studying the historical-cultural background of a passage? Is it really important? What exactly is involved in studying historical-cultural context? Are there any pitfalls along the way? What tools are available to help us get the job done? The goal of this lesson is to show you how to study the historical-cultural context of a passage and to persuade you that knowing the background of a text can help to clarify its meaning and reveal its relevance to your life?

Why Bother with Historical-Cultural Context?

We do so because it offers us a window into what God was saying to the biblical audience. Since we live in a very different context, we must recapture God's original intended meaning as reflected in the text and framed by the ancient historical-cultural context. Once we understand the meaning of the text in its original context, we can apply it to our lives in ways that will be just as relevant. God's Word is eternally relevant. Our task as students of his Word is to discover that relevance by doing our contextual homework.

What Is Historical-Cultural Context?

Generally speaking, this kind of context involves the biblical writer, the biblical audience, and any historical-cultural elements touched on by the passage itself.

The Biblical Writer: What is the writer's background? Where does he come from? When does he write? What kind of ministry does he have? What is his relationship with the people he addresses? Finally, why is he writing

The Biblical Audience: Discovering the historical-cultural context also involves knowing something about the biblical audience and their circumstances.

Other Historical-Cultural Elements: In the parable of the prodigal son, we think nothing of the father running to greet his returning son. But when we learn that elderly Jewish men were considered much too dignified to run, we begin to see that Jesus is telling us how God feels about and responds to sinners when they come home. If you have ever been in the far country spiritually, you'll be glad to know that when you decide to return home. god stands ready to "ditch his dignity" and run to meet you.

Dangers Associated with Studying Background

While the greatest danger is ignoring the historical-cultural context, there are also dangers associated with studying it. to begin with, you need to watch out for inaccurate background information. Look at Matthew 19:23-24 as an example.

You may have herd it explained that the "camel's gate" was a small gate through which a camel could squeeze if its load was removed and the animal got down on its knees. The problem with this explanation is that there is no evidence for this kind of gate. The "eye of a needle" meant essentially waht it means today (i.e., the eye of a sewing needle). Jesus is using the largest animal in Palestine and one of the smallest openings to make a forceful statement about how hard it is for the rich and powerful to enter God's kingdom.

This is just one example of how inaccurate information can get passed down through generations of preachers and teachers. Just because background material makes a great sermon illustration does not mean that it is accurate. Your information will only be as good as your resources, and not all resources are created equal.

Tools for Identifying Historical Cultural Context

To identify the historical-cultural context you need to (1) grasp the historical-cultural context of the book that contains your passage and (2) recognize the specific historical-cultural context of the passage itself.

Bible Handbooks: Bible handbooks usually begin with general articles about the Bible and the world of the Bible.

Old Testament and New Testament Introductions and Surveys: These resources supply detailed background information on each book as well as an overview of the book's contents.

Commentaries: In most cases a good commentary will be your best bet for up-to-date, detailed information about the historical-cultural context of the book that contains your passage.

Historical-Cultural Context of the Passage Itself

After you have a good sense of the background of the book that contains your passage, you need to identify the historical-cultural context of the passage itself. This involves examining any elements of history and culture that are connected to or mentioned in the passage (e.g., geography, politics, religion, economics, family life, social customs). To accomplish this, the following resources are recommended.

Bible Atlases: If you want to learn more about the people, places, and events mentioned in your passage, take a look at a Bible atlas.

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: This is a place to go when you need information about a particular topic mentioned in your passage. for instance, if you want to know more about the Garden of Gethsemane, consult a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia.

Commentaries: Commentaries are mentioned again because the good ones are also extremely helpful in shedding light on background matters within your passage.

Background Commentaries: This relatively new type of commentary focuses not on the meaning of each passage, but on historical-cultural background essential to grasping the meaning.

Old Testament and New Testament Histories: Histories are most useful when you want detailed background information on particular topics within your passage.

Special Studies in ?Ancient Life and Culture: These resources provide detailed discussions on selected topics. They can be helpful when you really want to dig deep on a particular topic.

Computer Software and the Internet

You will be able to find some of the resources mentioned above in electronic format.

Conclusion

We study the historical-cultural background of the Bible because God chose to speak first to ancient peoples living in cultures that are radically different from our own. As we recapture the original context of God' Word, we will be able to grasp its meaning and apply that meaning to our lives. Remember, a valid interpretation of any text must be consistent with the historical-cultural context of that text.

What Do We Bring to the Text?

What Do We Bring to the Text?

For the next few lessons we will be discussing the importance of context to biblical interpretation. One context that is often overlooked is the context of the reader—the world from which the reader approaches the text. We as readers of the Bible are not by nature neutral and objective. We bring a lot of preconceived notions and influences with us to the text when we read. Thus we need to discuss and evaluate these “pre-text” influences, lest they mislead us in our search for the meaning of the text.

Preunderstanding

One major influence that can skew our interpretive process and lead us away from the real meaning in the text is what we call preunderstanding. Preunderstanding refers to all of our preconceived notions and understandings that we bring to the text, which have been formulated, both consciously and subconsciously, before we actually study the text in detail.

Preunderstanding is formed by both good and bad influences, some accurate and some inaccurate. It includes all that you have heard in Sunday school, at church, in bible studies, and in your private reading of the Bible. However, preunderstandings of biblical texts are also formed by hymns and other Christian music, pop songs, jokes, art, and nonbiblical literature, both Christian and secular. Likewise, culture constantly creeps in.

Note that your preunderstanding of any given passage may indeed be correct. The problem, however, is that often it is not, and until you study the text seriously, you simply do not know whether it is accurate.

Another dangerous aspect of preunderstanding surfaces when we come to the text with a theological agenda already formulated. That is, we start into a text with a specific slant we are looking for, and we use the text merely to search for details that fit with our agenda.

A related danger is that of familiarity. If we are thoroughly familiar with a passage we tend to think we know all there is to know about it and are prone to skip over it without studying it carefully. Familiarity with a passage creates preunderstanding. As we revisit these familiar texts, we must resist the temptation of letting our familiarity dictate our conclusions before we even get started studying a text.

One of the most powerful, yet subtle, aspects of preunderstanding is that of culture. Our theology tells us to ask, What would Jesus do? Our culture, however, may subconsciously be telling us to ask, What would Stallone do? Undoubtedly, our culture has a tremendous influence on how we read and interpret the Bible. For example, even though we believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, when he tells us to turn the other cheek, a voice in the back of our head objects. After all, turning the other cheek is not really the American way. Thus, when we read of such a command from Jesus, we immediately try to interpret it in such a way that it does not conflict with cultural norms, especially those set by culture’s heroes, be they Sylvester Stallone or Mel Gibson. This culture driven predisposition we call cultural baggage. What exactly is meant by culture? Culture is a combination of family and national heritage.

Your family background is also a central element in your cultural world. You have inherited many, many values, ideas, and images (for good and for bad) from your family. Your family also provides you with your strongest frame of reference regarding relationships.

This lesson has merely delineated the problems we as readers bring to the text—the cultural baggage and preunderstandings that we must deal with as pre-text issues. The solution to the problem lies within the Interpretive Journey.

How to Read the Bible-Discourses

How to Read the Book-Discourses

This teaching focuses on discourses. The term discourse refers to units of connected text that are longer than paragraphs. The Bible is not a collection of short, disconnected sentences or unrelated paragraphs. The Bible is a story. Themes are intertwined throughout the text from paragraph to paragraph. Much of the message of the Bible is embedded in larger units of text. The basic discipline that you developed in the previous lessons involving focused, intensive observation is exactly the skill you need to sink your teeth into longer units of text. However, in this lesson we will add a few more items to your list of things to look for-items that are more specific to reading at the discourse level. These features will be illustrated for you with some intriguing passages.

Things to Look for in Discourses

1. Connections Between Paragraphs and Episodes.

After reading carefully and observing thoroughly at the sentence level and at the paragraph level, it is important to ask how your paragraph (in the letters) or your episode (in the narratives) relates to and connects with the other paragraphs/episodes that come before and after the one you are studying.

Example: Mark 8:22-26

Let’s look at the episode in Mark 8:22-26 and see if we can determine any connections between it and the episodes that precede (8:14-21) and follow (8:27-30).

First, read Mark 8:22-26

22And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." 25Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

The previous episode is Mark 8:14-21:

14Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20"And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

The following episode is Mark 8:27-30

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." 29And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Conclusion about the connection.

In the first episode Jesus asks his disciples some questions and realizes that they do not really understand who he is. They see only partially. By the third episode, however, they see clearly, acknowledging him as the Christ. The middle story, the blind man episode, is an illustration of the process that the disciples are experiencing. It is not so much a story about Jesus’ healing as it is about a man’s seeing. He only sees partially at first, as do the disciples. Then he sees clearly, as do the disciples. So the blind man episode is really an interruption in the flow of a section about the disciples’ understanding of Jesus. It provides a colorful, real-life illustration of what was occurring in the lives of the disciples.

2. Story Shifts: Major Breaks and Pivots

In the first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he presents a doctrinal explanation about the Ephesians’ new life in Christ and the implications of that new life, especially regarding the unity of Jews and Gentiles in that new life. Ephesians 4:1, however, signals a major break, for Paul now begins to give practical exhortations about how the Ephesians ought to put the doctrine of Chapters 1-3 into practice. So while chapters 1-3 deal primarily with doctrine, chapter’s 4-6 focus on practical living.

In 2 Samuel the difference between the first half and the second half of 2 Samuel is striking. The strong, victorious, confident David in the first half of the book is contrasted sharply with the insecure, weak, indecisive David in the second half. What happens in the middle that leads to this change? Where does the pivot occur and what happens to bring it about?

The pivot event is in 2 Samuel chapters 11-12. David sins by sleeping with Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah killed. Prior to this episode, David cruises through life as the beloved, respected, national hero; afterwards, David’s magnificent reputation begins to unravel. It is crucial for understanding 2 Samuel to see this pivot and to note the central role it plays in changing the direction of the story.

3. Interchange

Interchange is a literacy device, used primarily in narrative, that involves contrasting or comparing two stories at the same time as part of the overall story development. Usually the narrative will move back and forth from one story to the other, often to show contrast.

The early chapters of Samuel 1 exhibit this feature. In the first few chapters the story develops two contrasting families. Eli, the fat, lazy priest, and his two decadent, disobedient sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are contrasted with devout Hannah and her pious, obedient son, Samuel. The two stories unfold at the same time, with the narrative moving back and forth from one to the other. As you read narrative, look for some purpose in the interchange. Why does the author employ this literary device in the telling of his story? In Samuel the interchange is used to underscore the strong contrast between Samuel and the corrupt priesthood he replaces.

4. Chiasm

Chiasm is a fascinating literary feature that is seldom used in English but is employed frequently by the biblical authors, especially in the Old Testament. In a chiasm a list of items, ideas, or events is structured in such a manner that the first item parallels the last item, the second item parallels the next to the last item, and so forth. For an illustration of chiasm consider the following silly example:

I got up this morning, got dressed, and drove into town. I worked hard all day, returning home, put on my PJ’s, and went to bed

To analyze the chiasm we list the events and look for parallels. We will list the first item as a and the corresponding parallel item as a’. The parallels of the story line up as follows:

a I got up this morning

b got dressed

c drove into town

d I worked hard all day

c’ returned home

b’ put on my PJs

a’ went to bed

If the middle event does not have a parallel, it functions as the main point or the focal point of the chiasm. The stress of this ridiculous example is on the narrator’s working hard all day.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that we are still only at the first step of grasping God’s Word. Later in the book we will move on to discovering the meaning and applying the meaning. These first four lessons, however, are critical, because if you bypass the careful reading step and move straight to application after only a superficial reading, you will almost certainly miss the meaning of the passage. In addition, the Bible will become boring for you because you will never see anything in it that you haven’t already seen. If you read carefully, however, and observe, observe, observe, you will be much more likely to arrive at the true meaning, and the Bible will become interesting to you because you will be seeing new things.

How to Read the Bible-Paragraphs

In the last lesson you learned to make observations at the sentence level. Now the focus will shift the focus of your observation from the sentence level to the paragraph level. Learning to see details is a skill that does not come naturally, but one developed through practice.

Things to Look for in Paragraphs

1. General and Specific-Sometimes an author will introduce an idea with a general statement-that is an overview or summary of the main idea. The author will them follow this general statement with the specifics of the idea. An example of this would be Galatians 5:16 being a general statement and Galatians 5:19-21 being the specific statement.

2. Questions and Answers-Occasionally an author will raise a rhetorical question and then answer that question. Paul does this several times in Romans. An example of this would be the question asked by Paul in Romans 6:1 and the answer given in Romans 6:2.

3. Dialogue-When you encounter a dialogue ask the following questions. Who are the participants? Who is speaking to whom? What is the setting? Are other people around? Are they listening? Are they participating in the dialogue? Is the dialogue an argument? A discussion? A lecture? Friendly chitchat? What is the point of the dialogue? You may find it helpful to color-code the dialogue. Assign one specific color to each participant and then color the conversation accordingly.

4. Purpose Statements-Always identify purpose statements. These are phrases or sentences that describe the reason, the result, or the consequence of some action. Examples are Ephesians 2:10, John 3:16, John 15:16, Deuteronomy 6:3, and Psalm 119:11.

5. Means (by which something is accomplished)-When an action, a result, or a purpose is stated, look for the means that brings about that action, result, or purpose. How is the action or result brought into reality? How is the purpose accomplished? Psalm 119:9 is an example. The purpose or action desired is for a young man to keep his way pure. What is the means? Living according to God’s Word.

6. Conditional Clauses-Identify all conditional clauses. These are clauses that present the conditions whereby some action, consequence, reality, or result will happen. The conditional aspect will usually be introduced by the conditional conjunction “if.” The resultant action or consequence will occasionally be introduced by “then.”

7. The Actions/Roles of People and the Actions/Roles of God-Biblical passages often refer to actions of people as well as those of God. Identify these and mark them separate. Ask the questions: What does God (further identify as the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit) do in this passage? What do people do in this passage? Then ask whether there is any kind of connection between what God does and what people do.

8. Emotional Terms-The Bible is not a book of abstract, technical information. It is a book about relationships, primarily relationships between God and people. Emotions play a big role in relationships. This is frequently overlooked in biblical interpretation. As part of your careful reading, when you observe the text, be sure to underscore words and phrases that have emotional overtones-that is, words that convey feeling and emotion. Also be sure to note words such as “father,” “mother,” “child,” “daughter,” “son,” and the like.

9. Tone-Try to identify the tone of the passage. This will often be closely related to the identification of emotional terms. However, once you have noted any emotional terms, continue on to determine the overall tone of the passage. Is it one of anger? A scolding tone? A sorrowful tone? Or a tone of unimpassioned explanation?

How to Read the Book-Sentences

If you move straight from your initial reading of a passage to the application of that passage, you will remain tied to your previous understanding of that text. You will rarely see anything new and exciting in the text, and the Bible will become boring for you. Any teaching or preaching you do will likewise tend to be flat and boring or a reflection of something other than Scripture. The Bible, however, is the Word of God, and it is not boring. We simply need to learn how to read it with more insight and understanding.

If you want to dig out real gold from the Bible-if you desire to pull out of God’s Word some of the serious “meat” that he has placed there for us to sink our teeth into-you have to exert considerable effort. It takes work-hard work! And you, the reader, have to decide whether you are content with shallow “baby food” that comes from casual reading or whether you want to work for the “mature food” that comes from serious reading.

One of the most critical skills needed in reading the Bible is the ability to see the details. Most of us read the Bible too quickly, and we skip over the details of the text. However, the meaning of the Bible is intertwined into the details of every sentence. Our first step in grasping a biblical text is to observe as many details as possible.

So, how do we develop the skill of observing the Bible? We read the text over and over, noting the details of the text. There are several basic features to look for that will help us to get started with this observation stage. These features include repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, cause and effects, figures of speech, conjunctions, verbs, and pronouns. This list, however, represents only some of what you might search for. Observation includes looking carefully at all the details of the text.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN SENTENCES

1. Repetition of Words-Look for words that repeat. First, be sure to note any words that repeat within the sentence you are studying. Then survey the sentences around the text you are reading and look for repetition in the larger passage.

Look, for example, at 1 John 2:15-17:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Which word repeats in the first sentence? Does this word (“world”) appear in the next sentence as well? How many times in this passage does “world” occur? Is it in every sentence? Does it always have the definite article “the,” as in “the world”? Did you also notice the repetition of “love”? How many times does “love” occur? Simply by observing the repetition of words, we have an early indication of what the passage may be about. It has something to do with the world-in particular, about loving the world.

2. Contrasts-Look for items, ideas, or individuals that are contrasted with each other. For an example of contrast, take a look at Proverbs 14:31:

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Two different types of people are contrasted in this passage. Both in the way they treat the poor and in the way this behavior toward the poor reflects their attitude toward God. One type oppresses the poor, an action that reflects contempt for God, their Creator. The other type of person is kind to the poor. His action towards the poor honors God.

3. Comparisons-Contrasts focuses on differences. Comparison focuses on similarities. Look for items, ideas, or individuals that are compared with each other.

Proverbs 25:26 provides a good Old Testament example:

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

How is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked like a muddied spring? Because the spring, like the man, was once clean, pure, and useful, but know is contaminated and useless for service.

4. Lists-Any time you encounter more than two itemized things, you can identify them as a list. Write the list down and explore its significance. Is there any order? Are the items grouped in any way? For example, what three things are listed in 1 John 2:16?

What is listed in Galatians 5:22-23?

And what is listed in Galatians 5:19-21?

5. Cause and Effect-Often the biblical writers will state a cause and then state the effect of that cause. Proverbs 15:1 has two cause-and-effect relationships.

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The first cause is a “soft answer.” What is the effect of this cause? It “turns away wrath.” The second cause is a “harsh word.” What does that result in? As we all well know, it “stirs up anger.”

6. Figures of Speech-Figures of speech are images in which words are used in a sense other than the normal, literal sense. For example, think about the lamp image in Psalm 119:105:

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

God’s Word is not a literal “lamp” to light up a dark trail for us. Rather, it is a figurative lamp that allows us to see our way through life (feet/path) clearly. Note that both “lamp” and “feet/path” are figures of speech.

7. Conjunctions-If we imagine the biblical text to be like a brick house, then conjunctions are the mortar that holds the bricks (phrases and sentences) together. One critical aspect of careful reading is to note all of the conjunctions (“and,” “for,” “but,” “therefore,” “since,” “because,” etc. Our tendency is to skip over them-but don’t do it! Without the mortar the bricks fall into a jumbled mess. So always take note of the conjunctions and identify their purpose or function. That is, try to determine what the conjunction connects.

For example, if you encounter the conjunction “but,” you might suspect some sort of contrast. Look in the text for the things being contrasted by this conjunction. Recall Romans 6:23:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The conjunction “but” indicates a contrast between the wages of sin (death) and the gift of God (eternal life).

8. Verbs-Where All the Action Is- Verbs are important because they communicate the action of the sentence. As you observe the text, be sure to note the verbal action. Try to identify what kind of verb is used. Is the verb a past, present, or future tense verb (I went, I go, I will go)? Does it present a progressive idea; that is, does it have a continued action (I was going, I am going, I will be going)? Is it an imperative verb (Go!)?

9. Pronouns-Note all pronouns and be sure to identify the antecedent (to whom or to what the pronoun refers).

Now it’s your turn. Take a look at Romans 12:1-2. Make as many observations as you can using the 9 things to observe that we have covered so far. The above list is far from exhaustive and is presented to help you get started. As you get into a text, observe as many details as possible. Spend time in the passage. Each sentence in the Bible has dozens and dozens of details just waiting for you to observe. Look carefully at the text. Read it over and over! Post your comments, reflections, or thoughts by clicking on the comments link below.

The Intepretive Journey

The Interpretive Journey

What do you do with many parts of the Bible that you do not understand? Do you desire to understand more of God’s Word? To understand what the Bible means today we must first understand what it meant to the biblical audience. To name a few things we are separated from the biblical audience by culture, customs, language, situation, and time.

The goal is to move from the world of the biblical audience to the world of today. There are 4 basic steps to the Interpretive Journey.

1. Step1: Grasping the Text in their Town-The question that is asked in this step is what did the text mean to the biblical audience?
2. Step 2: Measuring the Width of the River to Cross-The question that is asked in this step is what are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
3. Step 3: Crossing the Principlizing Bridge-The question that is asked in this step is what is the theological principle in the text?
4. Step 4: Grasping the Text in Our Town-The question that is asked in this step is how should Christians today apply the theological principle in their lives?

An Example of the Interpretive Journey using Joshua 1:1-9 (ESV)

1After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2"Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Step1: What did the text mean to the biblical audience?

God commanded Joshua, the new leader of Israel, to draw strength and courage from His empowering presence, to be obedient to the law of Moses, and to mediate on the law so that he would be successful in the conquest of the Promised Land.

Step 2: What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?

We are not leaders of the nation Israel (although some of us may be leaders in the church). We are not embarking on the conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land. We are not under the old covenant of law.

Step 3: What is the theological principle in this text?

To be effective in serving God and successful in the task to which he has called us, we must draw strength and courage from His presence. We must also be obedient to God’s Word, meditating on it constantly.

Step 4: How should individual Christians today apply the theological principle in their lives?

There are numerous possible applications. Here are a few suggested ones.

• Spend more time meditating on God’s Word by listening to Christian music as you ride in your car.

• If God calls you to a new, scary ministry, such as teaching fourth grade Sunday school, then be strengthened and encouraged by his empowering presence. Be obedient, keeping a focus on the Scriptures.
• If you are in church leadership position, realize that successful Christian leadership requires strength and courage that flows from the presence of God.

How to Read, Interpret, & Apply the Bible

Those who desire to live godly in today's world must be equipped with the Word of God. God's Word has to be read, interpreted correctly, and applied to your life for you to walk in His will.

What will follow for the next 22 weeks is an overview of Grasping God's Word A Hands-On Approah to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. The authors of the book are J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays. I strongly urge you to consider adding this book to your personal library of Christian literature as you will be tremendously blessed by it. A workbook is also available for the book that has exercises so you can apply what you learned in the chapters.

Part 1: How to Read the Book-Basic Tools

Week 1-The Interpretive Journey 08-27-07
Week 2-How to Read the Book Sentences 09-03-07
Week 3-How to Read the Book Paragraphs 09-10-07
Week 4-How to Read the Book Discourses 09-17-07

Part 2: Contexts-Now and Then

Week 5-What Do We Bring to the Text? 09-24-07
WeeK 6-The Historical-Cultural Context 10-01-07
Week 7-The Literary Context 10-08-07
Week 8-Word Studies 10-15-07
Week 9-Bible Translations 10-22-07

Part 3: Meaning and Application

Week 10-Who Controls the Meaning? 10-29-07
Week 11-Levels of Meaning 11-05-07
Week 12-The Role of the Holy Spirit 11-12-07
Week 13-Application 11-19-07

Part 4: The Interpretive Journey-New Testament

Week 14-New Testament-Letters 11-26-07
Week 15-New Testament-Gospels 12-03-07
Week 16-New Testament-Acts 12-10-07
Week 17-New Testament Revelation 12-17-07

Part 5: The Interpretive Journey-Old Testament

Week 18-Old Testament-Narrative 12-24-07
Week 19-Old Testament-Law 12-31-07
Week 20-Old Testament Poetry 01-07-07
Week 21-Old Testament Prophets 01-14-07
Week 22-Old Testament-Wisdom 01-21-07