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Lesson OneWhat is Biblical Interpretation?4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoA Short History of Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeBasic Principles of Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourInterpreting Narratives or Stories4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveInterpreting Poetry and Wisdom4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixInterpreting Prophecy4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenThe New Testament Use of the Old Testament4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightThe Theological Use of the Bible: Putting it All Together4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NineContemporary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenInterpreting the Cultural Aspects of the Bible4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ElevenWhen the Bible Doesn’t Address Our Questions4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwelveInterpreting the Bible Devotionally4 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 1
Discussion Questions
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Do you agree with the lecturer that a person must be a born-again Christian in order to understand the Bible? Give reasons for your answer.
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4 Replies
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Yes to fully understand biblical truth you must be born again as the bible is a spiritual book the Holy Spirit is reveals and makes its truth spiritually discerned.
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I do agree, but I think that also a not born again person, can have an understanding of the bible, you can I think interpret book by book, like how are things woven together. Of course, a born again person, can receive the communicates revelations from God, through the Holy Spirit, which is a Gift from God.
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Yes, 1 Corinthians 2:14
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Yes. Consider 1Cor2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
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If we all come to the biblical text with bias and previous conditioning, how can we expect to arrive at an interpretation that resembles the authoritative Word of God?
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5 Replies
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This is probably the most difficult area to overcome but we can through prayer and an openness to understanding the truth being conveyed in the Scriptures by the help of the Holy Spirit.
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We need exegesis to understand the true meaning of what the author intended it to mean.
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How is the thought woven together.
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We must be reliant on Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into His truth and wisdom of the Word.
Doing so enables us to lay down any pre-concieved notions and open to understanding the meaning of scripture as intended
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We have to dispose of bias so that we can exegete rather than eisegete.
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When believers interpret a passage differently (either within a church or across denominations), how should they relate to each other in a way that promotes unity in the Body of Christ and yet continues to minister God’s Word with conviction?
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6 Replies
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Look at the Scriptures with the aid of biblical helps, I.e. Commentaries, Dictionaries or Concordances together to see what God intended the author to convey with arguing over the interpretation.
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relate to each other in a loving and understanding way to ensure unity but ensure that the true meaning is properly understood through prayer and Holy Spirit.
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The Unity of the Bible
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Micah 6:5,8
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Consider the text as written to the audience, contextually. Exegete rather than eisegete. Consider the whole Bible. Apply proper tools (concordance, commentaries, dictionary, atlas, history).