Chapter 1: The Importance of Biblical Interpretation

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Chapter 1:The Importance of Biblical Interpretation

Gene Robinson

Why is Biblical Interpretation Important?What is Interpretation?The Scriptures Show the Need for Biblical InterpretationLanguage and Culture Show the Need for Biblical Interpretation

What Is Interpretation?Meaning The paradigm or principle that the author consciously willed to convey by the shareable symbols [i.e., writing] he or she used (Stein)

Interpretation the verbal or written expression of a readers understanding of the authors meaning (Stein)

The Scriptures Show the Need for Biblical Interpretation

2 TIMOTHY 2:15PSALM 119:182 PETER 3:15-16EPHESIANS 4:11-132 TIMOTHY 4:2-32 Timothy 2:15 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)Psalm 119:18 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (NIV)2 Peter 3:15-16 15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (NIV)Ephesians 4:11-13 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (NIV)2 Timothy 4:2-3 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2Ti 4:2-3 NIV)Language and Culture Show the Need for Biblical Interpretation .Chapter 2:General Principles for Interpreting the BibleAPPROACH THE BIBLE IN PRAYER

-Psalm 119:5-Psalm 119:10-Psalm 119:12-Psalm 119:17-20-Psalm 119:34-37READ THE BIBLE AS A BOOK THAT POINTS TO JESUS

LET SCRIPTURE INTERPRET SCRIPTUREMEDITATE ON THE BIBLEAPPROACH THE BIBLE IN FAITH AND OBEDIENCETAKE NOTE OF THE BIBLICAL GENRE YOU ARE READINGBE AWARE OF HISTORICALOR CULTUREAL BACKGROUNDISSUESPAY ATTENTION TO CONTEXT

READ THE BIBLE IN COMMUNITY

BEGIN THE JOURNEY OFBECOMING A MORE FAITHFULINTERPRETERChapter 3:Improving as an Interpreter of the BibleREAD THE BIBLE

READ AND LISTEN TO FAITHFULPREACHING AND TEACHING

UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIPBETWEENFAITH AND UNDERSTANDINGDO NOT JUST AFFIRMSOUND INTERPRETATIVE PRINCIPLES: APPLY THEM

WELCOME AND RECEIVEFEEDBACK GRACIOUSLYACQUIRE AND EMPLOY BIBLE STUDY TOOLS

PASS ON WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING

Chapter 4:Helpful Books and Tools for Interpreting the BibleSTUDYBIBLES

CONCORDANCES

WORD STUDY TOOLS-ILLEGITIMATE TOTALITY TRANSFER-ETYMYLOGICAL FALLACY

COMMENTARIES

SOFTWARE PROGRAMSWEB SITESADVANCED STUDYChapter 5:Determining the Meaning of a Biblical Text

The Reader?The Text?The Author?

THE READER AS DETERMINER OF MEANING

Do you have a favorite sweater, or jacket, or shirt that you like to wear? We know from this Bible verse [Gen 37:3] that Joseph had a favorite article of clothing to wear. It was his robe. Joseph loved his robe because his father made it for him. Whenever he wore the robe, he could imagine that it was his father giving him a hug. What colors do you see in Josephs beautiful robe?A boys grandma wanted to make something special for him. She wanted it to remind him of how much she loved him. She decided to knit him a sweater. When she gave the sweater to her grandson, she said, Imagine that this warm sweater is me giving you a hug every time you wear it. The boy loved the sweater. It was his favorite thing to wear. My Very First Devotional Bible (Zonderkidz)Joseph (with increased self-esteem)

THE TEXT AS DETERMINER OF MEANINGTHE AUTHOR AS DETERMINEROF MEANING

OBJECTIONS TO THE AUTHOR AS DETERMINER OF MEANING1. AUTHORIAL MEANING IS INACCESSIBLE TO US

2. AUTHORIAL WORLDVIEW IS TOO DISTANT FROM OUR OWN

3. AN AUTHORS MEANING IS IRRELEVANT FOR MODERN READERS

4. TO DELIMIT MEANING TO THE CONSCIOUS INTENT OF THE AUTHOR IS TO DENY THE DIVINE AUTHORSHIP OF SCRIPTUREDefinitions from SteinMeaning: The paradigm or principle that the author consciously willed to convey by the shareable symbols [i.e., writing] he or she usedImplication: Those submeanings of a text that legitimately fall within the paradigm or principle willed by the author, whether he or she was aware of them or not.Significance: How the reader responds to the willed meaning of the author. Upon being confronted with these implications, the modern-day reader/hearer will then respond with acceptance (obedience) or rejection (disobedience).

Subject Matter: The content or stuff talked about in the text (that is, the textual details in and of themselves without reference to their use in conveying the authors meaning)Proverbs 11:1Ephesians 5:18Deut 24:19-22Deut 6:6-91 Cor 16:20Exod 21:28-30Deut 22:8Psalm 150:1-6Galatians 5:2

Identify the following statements (from Stein)Meaning/InterpretationImplicationSignificanceSubject MatterThe reason why Luke wrote this was to assure Theophilus that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

I wonder if Moses would have thought that cheating on ones income taxes would be stealing.

Paul tells us that by grace we have been saved through faith and that this is not our own doing but on the contrary it is a gift of God. It is not of works lest we should boast.

I think that what God is saying to me through this text is that I should go to the foreign mission field.

I dont care what the passage says. I cannot believe that God would place such a restriction on me.

When Acts 6:1f. refers to the Hellenists, this reveals that within the early church in Jerusalem there existed two kinds of Jewish Christians- an Aramaic-speaking group and a Greek-speaking group. Probably the greatest work ever written by an American author on Paul is J. Greshham Machens The Origin of Pauls Religion. Machen understood Paul. My problem is not with Machen but with Paul. I just dont accept what Paul says. I just cannot believe that God really wants us to do what Paul says here. Another way of expressing what Paul is saying here is that the cross of Christ has removed every legal charge that God had against the Galatians. Another way of expressing what Paul is saying here is that the cross of Christ has removed every legal charge that God had against us. From this passage we discover that the practice of hospitality was very important in biblical times. I think that the commandment not to take the name of the LORD God in vain means that I should not say Oh God! anymore. The name Caesarea Philippi in this saying must be part of the tradition before Mark wrote this account in his Gospel. Not to commit adultery means not to lust. What Mark meant by You cannot serve God and Mammon is that a person cannot serve God and things! Is swearing allegiance to the flag part of giving to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar? Probably Ezekiel was not thinking of this, but it seems to be applicable. Paul evidently teaches by these words that even though the Roman Christians were ruled by an unbelieving emperor, they should still obey him. What the Biblical author of this passage tells us is that Jesus is also able to forgive me of my sins if I put my faith in him.I know that Paul states that he saw the Lord on the road to Damascus, but how exactly did he see him? Chapter 6:The Role of the Holy Spirit in Interpreting the BibleTHE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRITTHE ILLUMINATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

BIBLICAL TEXTS SUPPORTING ILLUMINATION

-PSALM 119:17-20-MATTHEW 13:11-16-I CORINTHIANS 2:14-2 CORINTHIANS 3:13-16-LUKE 24:44-45 / JOHN 20:22

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ILLUMINATION

Chapter 7:The Overarching Message of the BibleTHE PERSON AND SAVING WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

PROMISE-FULFILLMENTKINGDOM ANTICIPATEDKINGDOM INAUGURATEDKINGDOM CONSUMMATED.

KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE BIBLEKINGDOM STAGESPATTERN OF THE KINGDOMPERISHED KINGDOMPROMISED KINGDOMPARTIAL KINGDOMPROPHESIED KINGDOMPRESENT KINGDOMPROCLAIMED KINGDOMPERFECTED KINGDOM

BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL PERIODGENESIS 1-2GENESIS 3GENESIS 12:1-3GENESIS 12-2 CHRONCLESEZRA-MALACHITHE GOSPELSACTS-REVELATIONINAUGURATED AT JESUS SECOND COMINGOLD COVENANT NEW COVENANT

LAWGOSPEL

SALVATION HISTORYDISPENSATIONALISM

1. DISPENSATION OF INNOCENCE (CREATION TO THE FALL)2. DISPENSATION OF CONSCIENCE (FALL TO FLOOD)3. DISPENSATION OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT (NOAH TO BABEL)4. DISPENSATION OF PATRIARCHAL RULE (ABRAHAM TO EXODUS)5. DISPENSATION OF MOSAIC LAW (MOSES TO DEATH OF CHRIST)6. DISPENSATION OF GRACE (PENTECOST TO 2ND COMING)7. DISPENSATION OF THE MILLENNIUM (1000 YR REIGN OF CHRIST, ENDING IN GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT)