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The Method Behind My Madness — Randy Smith

PART ONE—OVERVIEW

Introduction

This work was originally intended to record and understand the principles of biblical hermeneutics for my own personal study. Writing down these guidelines helped me to think through these techniques and apply them in my own personal exegesis. Since then this shortened/customized guide has been expanded and formatted to assist others in the rich experience and privilege of personally studying God's Word.

Why Study the Bible?

Simply put: The Bible is the revelation of God! For hundreds of years the Spirit has composed progressive revelation regarding God's character and His will for humankind. Though there are aspects we can learn about God through nature and the human conscience (Psm. 19:1–6; Rom. 1:18–20; 2:15), the Scriptures are the only complete and sufficient source (Psm. 19:7–14). In these latter days God has spoken and continues to speak through His living Word, the Bible.

Therefore, God's Word is to be treasured (Jos. 1:8; Job 23:12), mediated upon (Psm. 1:2; 119:27) and obeyed (1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Ti. 3:16–17) because it was written for our instruction (Rom. 15:4) with the ability through the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14; Lk. 24:34) to renew our minds and transform our lives (Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29). For this to occur we must begin with sound biblical study.

What is Exegesis?

Exegesis is determining what the biblical author meant. In other words, how did he intend his original audience to understand the message? Exegesis means understanding the meaning "out of" or "from" the text. Eisegesis, on the other hand, is the process where the interpreter reads his or her meaning "into" the text. So it is necessary we acknowledge the meaning inspired from the Holy Spirit and not "credit" the Holy Spirit with our meaning. We must not begin exegesis with the question, "What does this text mean to me?" 1

The Bible should be viewed as God's "love letter" to us. It only has one meaning, God meaning! Once we determine the authorial intent, we are on the right road to discerning God's meaning.

Once this exegetical meaning from the text has been discovered, only then can and must we state the timeless truth in a homiletical way appropriate for our time and culture ("go there and come back" – C.H. Dodd). All good exegesis ends with the appropriate application of the Scripture.

In a nutshell, this booklet will deal with the three Steps of what is commonly called hermeneutics: observation, interpretation and application.

Why Do We Need Exegesis?

By now you may be asking the question, why do we need to learn these exegetical principles? Why can't we just read and apply the Scriptures? The answer is because the Scriptures were written centuries ago and they employ historical, cultural, linguistic and philosophical distinctives unfamiliar to the 21st century today. These "gaps" need to be studied to determine the correct meaning and consequently arrive at the correct application.

Specific Keys to Good Exegesis

  • Remember, each text has only one interpretation, but the potential of many applications.
  • It is always best to first do your exegetical work for yourself and then check it with secondary sources.
  • Prayer should initiate and permeate this process.
  • Rely on the Holy Spirit throughout the process ultimately for conviction on the authority/sufficiency of Scripture and subsequent application. The Holy Spirit does not: magically provide us with exegetical answers, contradict interpretations, or guarantee godly people will make correct interpretative conclusions. 2
  • A key to good exegesis is to read the text carefully and ask the right questions.
  • The "common-sense," literal meaning should take precedence unless there is an exception (which you must personally justify).
  • We all enter exegesis with presuppositions, different "lenses" we bring to the text. Be sure to evaluate yours carefully! While many can be negative, here are some positive ones for your consideration:
    1. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
    2. God is sovereign over everything.
    3. Already, not yet eschatological perspective. In other words, the Kingdom has arrived (spiritually), but is not fully consummated (physically).
    4. The Bible is the inspired 2, inerrant 4, sufficient, authoritative Word of God.
    5. God has communicated His thoughts in an understandable and logical fashion. This is called the clarity or perspicuity of the Scriptures.
    6. Christ is the key to interpreting the Old Testament.
  • Be aware of those with "deeper meanings" as such are often the birthplace of cults and heresies.
  • Purchase some of the essential study tools. These tools are often found in "Study Bibles," but the serious student of the Word will want a more exhaustive collection. Some of my favorites are listed in the back of this pamphlet. Computer programs today offer these tools at a cheaper price and afford quicker results.
  • There are many poor interpreters of the Bible. This is God's Word so be sure to avoid sloppy exegesis as the consequences are substantial (2 Tim. 2:15).

Please Note: Many of the techniques in this packet may appear overwhelming at first. Start with what is familiar, get accustomed to those principles and then begin to progress deeper in your study. Like anything else, the more you implement these techniques, the more comfortable you will be with them.

PART TWO—STUDY PRINCIPLES

Step 1

Read the document through in one sitting (if possible).

  • Get a feel for the whole. Try to understand the "big picture." Don't miss the forest on account of a few trees.
  • Do this as many times as possible before you begin your specific study (Repetition! Repetition! Repetition!).
  • Get a feel for the overall content and author's heartbeat.
  • Possibly also try listening to an audiotape of the Scriptures as you read, as this will now involve two senses.
  • Make any preliminary notes such as key words and themes. Write down your personal questions.

Step 2 (NT Survey, Commentaries)

Outline the Book.

  • Write an outline, as it will assist in determining the author's thought flow and specific sections of study (pericopes).
  • Usually chapter and paragraph breaks are helpful, but remember, chapter breaks and verse references are not inspired and are occasionally misplaced.
  • Start with broad headings; be general (i.e. Romans 1–11 = Doctrine; 12–16 = Application). Then break the broad headings down into smaller sub-sections and so on.
  • List Scripture references after each point on the outline.
  • To save exasperation, realize some biblical writers were more organized that others!
  • Persevere! This at times can be difficult. Personal outlining will serve as a great tool to get you to think through the content of the book systematically, critically and theologically.
  • Consult commentaries later.

Step 3 (NT Survey, Maps)

Learn as much as you can about the historical context of the entire document.

  • Who was the author? Does he identify himself? What do we know about this person?
  • When was the book written?
  • Where was the book written from?
  • Who were the recipients? 5 What can be known about their culture, philosophies, spiritual orientations, manners, traditions, lifestyle, ethnicity and history?
  • What were the geographical/topographical or political factors that need to be considered?
  • What was the relationship between the author and the recipients? Were there any previous or later correspondences?
  • What was the present circumstance(s) at hand?
  • What was the occasion for this writing?
  • What was the purpose of the document? Is it specifically stated or is it implied? 6
  • What appears to be the dominant theme/thesis of the document? Consult your outline! Can it be summarized in one sentence and a verse or two from the text? Are there any sub-themes?

Step 4 (English Bible Translations)

Become thoroughly acquainted with your section of study (pericope/paragraph/segment).
  • Determine the set boundaries of the passage you are preparing to study.
  • Read it specifically through many times; familiarize yourself thoroughly with the content.
  • Can you memorize the passage?
  • If you know Greek, can you translate it without a Lexicon?
  • Make a list of general observations. Ask "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," "how" and "so what."
  • Read the Bible as a "love letter." Assume a meaning in every word, sentence and paragraph.
  • Make a list of any exegetical difficulties such as textual variants, grammatical concerns, theologically loaded words, words used repetitiously, etc.
  • Read the paragraph in several translations. Some suggested translations are: NIV, NASB, NLT, NJB, RSV, KJV and REB. Color code and mark any differences as they usually have key exegetical significance!

Step 5 (Background Commentary, Bible Dictionary, Bible Encyclopedia)

Research the historical-cultural background. 7

  • This is similar to Step 2, but specifically pertaining to a deeper study of the section under consideration.
  • Determine the meaning of persons, places and events.
  • Identify any political and economic obscurities.
  • What is the cultural-social milieu of the author and his readers? Is it Jewish or Greco-Roman or a combination of both?
  • What customs and practices need further explanation?
  • How do these events pertain to the "thought-world" of the author and his readers?

Step 6 (Greek Bible, Textual Commentary)

Establish the original text.

  • Do the English translators base their rendering on an adequate translation of the Greek manuscripts?
  • Are there any textual variants? Check apparatuses in both NA27 and UBS4. NASB, for example, lists all the questionable textual variations in the margin.
  • Only analyze those that have exegetical significance affecting the meaning of the passage.

Step 7 (English Grammar)

Seek to determine the main point by analyzing sentence structure.

  • Diagram each sentence in your segment under study.
  • How do the sentences relate to each other? What is the "thought-trip" of the author?
  • Remember that biblical verses are connected like links on a chain and not pearls on a string to be individually admired.
  • What is the main point of the segment based on the logic of the author? It helps to look for words such as "for" and "in order that" and "therefore."
  • How does this main point relate to the main point in the preceding and succeeding segments and the book as a whole?
  • Be sure to read Scripture in context! Remember, "Context is king!"8

Step 8 (English Grammar, Greek Grammar, Interlinears)

Analyze the grammar (morphology: structure of words, syntax: relationship of words).

  • Are any grammatical points in doubt?
  • Identify all parts of speech such as nouns/pronouns, verbs, conjunctions/particles, prepositions and participles/infinitives.
  • Are there any figures of speech (i.e. "I am the door")? Figures of speech often come in the forms of similes 9, metaphors, 10 allegories, 11 parables, 12 paradoxes, ironies, personifications, proverbs 13 and anthropomorphisms.
  • Could any sentences, clauses or phrases be read differently if the grammar was constructed differently?
  • Does the relationship of the words (syntax) have any significance?

Step 9 (Word-study book, Lexicons, Concordance)

Analyze specific words (Lexicology). 14

  • Isolate the key words in your passage that need specific study (i.e. words that: appear to make a difference, are repeated, are used nowhere else in the New Testament and have well known theological meanings such as "justified," "world" and "atonement."
  • What is the etymology (history) of the word? (Roots don't always guarantee the answer, i.e. "butterfly".) 15
  • The following Steps below help determine the "ranges of meanings" for words.
    1. How did contemporary authors (200BC–200AD) use the word? Check classical Greek writings, pagan literary texts, non-literary texts, apostolic fathers, Jewish literary texts (Qumran, Philo, and Josephus) and the Septuagint (LXX).
    2. How is the word used elsewhere in the New Testament?
    3. How does the author himself use the word if the word reappears in the section being studied, in the overall document and in his other writings (if applicable)? See if the author defines the word himself through explanatory phrases (i.e. "perfect" in 2 Ti. 3:16–17). 16
    • NOTE: The priority of sources above is listed in reverse order. The most valid way to determine a word meaning is to discover the various denotations a word possessed at the time it was used by the author. Sometimes it is interesting to see if the word was commonly used in a cluster of other words. Always remember the meaning of the word must fit in the author's context!

Step 10

Consider the genre of the document under study (many of these principles overlap with those mentioned above).

Epistles

  • What is the character? Does it read like a letter (Philemon) or formal epistle (Ephesians)?
  • Most epistles carry a formal structure of organization (salutation, thanksgiving, body, exhortations, closing). Which one of these is your segment a part of?
  • What rhetorical devices/different forms of argumentation do you notice (verbal forms, irony, hyperbole, appeal, application, etc.)? How do they affect the mood?
  • All New Testament epistles are occasional documents. Be sure to capture the reason and need for the author to write this epistle.
  • Can you trace the author's flow of thought? What is his point in relation to the rest of the book? Be sure to stay within the context.

Gospels

  • The gospels, unlike the epistles, are usually three-dimensional historical context (narratives about Jesus, church tradition preservation and the Gospel writers own contribution).
  • Was the author's concern to simply record and preserve or present the material with a distinctive agenda from a distinctive point of view?
  • Is the segment of study a narrative (miracle, etc.) or saying (parable, wisdom, prophetic, etc.)?
  • Compare your gospel account with other gospels that mention the same account (check: context, arrangement, adaptation).

Historical (Acts)

  • Clearly define the historical and theological aspects. Good exegesis combines both of these.
  • Determine precisely what Luke said.
  • Look up people, places and ideas in a Bible dictionary.
  • Speeches may be exegeted very much like the epistles. Yet realize in their present form they reflect the author's style and vocabulary (even though he reports essentially what was said).
  • Don't over-exegete Acts. Avoid making too much of silence and assuming that exact precision was being sought after. Hellenistic historians print vivid pictures of real events, not police reports.
  • Don't base your entire theology on Acts. It is a transitive book, primarily descriptive, not prescriptive. 17

Apocalyptic (Revelation)

  • Determine the literary type of your section (apocalypse, prophecy or letter).
  • Be careful with images. How is the image related to the rest of the book, the Old Testament, ancient mythology and contemporary culture? Does John interpret the image?
  • Do not treat visions like an allegory; interpret them like parables.

Step 11 (Cross Reference Book, Concordance)

Compare your passage with appropriate cross-references.

  • Scripture never contradicts Scripture so a wise guideline is to allow Scripture interpret Scripture! Remember, the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself!
  • Do any cross-references shed light on your passage? How is your passage compared or contrasted to these references?
  • Be careful not to download one meaning into another (c.f. Eph. 2:8–9 and Jas. 2:24).
  • Are any of your verses taken from the Old Testament?

Step 12 (Theology Books, Bible Dictionary)

Analyze your conclusions against the broader biblical and theological contexts.

  • How do your conclusions complement the rest of Scripture (section, book, division, Testament, Bible-in that order)?
  • How do your conclusions compare and contrast other similar cross-references?
  • How do your conclusions compliment God's total revelation of Scripture?
  • How do your conclusions relate to Christian doctrine? 18

Step 13 (Commentaries)

Investigate what others have said about the passage through secondary literature.

  • Arrive at your conclusions prior to this Step. Don't rob yourself the joy of personal discovery!
  • This Step will help affirm your work and assist in what you might have overlooked.
  • Remember that humans wrote Commentaries—they are not infallible!

Step 14

After coming to your exegetical conclusions, determine key points of appropriate application.

  • This is the most important aspect and end result of your study! All your hard work is meaningless until you achieve and personally implement this Step.
  • How does the timeless truth apply to the church today? Do your principles of application come from the intent of the biblical text itself (c.f. 3 Jn. 2)? 19
  • Ask yourself, "How does this truth affect my thinking about God?" and "How should this truth change my lifestyle?"
  • It often takes much work to arrive at this Step, specifically, solid exegesis beforehand and a prayerful spirit.
  • Prove yourself a doer of the Word (Jas. 1:22)! Live out what you have gleaned from the text, especially BEFORE you plan to teach it (Jas. 3:1)!

May your personal study be a great blessing as you mine rich nuggets of truth from God's eternal Word! "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

PART III—APPENDIXES

Appendix A

Common Views of Inspiration

  1. Liberal Position: The Bible was written similar to any other great piece of literature throughout the ages. Primitive authors expressed their conception about God.
  2. Neoorthodox Position: The Bible becomes the Word of God when individuals read it and the words acquire personal, existential significance for them. God revealed Himself in the acts, not the words. The event must be removed to discover the truth
  3. Orthodox View: All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Ti. 3:16–17). God used the biblical writers without compromising their distinctive personalities to compose His Word, so that the result they produced was literally "God-breathed."

Appendix B

Brief Historical Overview of Interpretation Practices

  1. Ancient Jewish Exegesis: Biblical interpretation began with the Israelites (Neh. 8:8). Even the Scribes took great care in copying the Scriptures since they believed that every letter was the inspired Word of God. As good as this preciseness was, many rabbis went too far and sought meaning and hidden elements in every element of the text. To some, even the shapes of the letters had significance! By the time of Christ, Jewish exegesis was classified into four primary categories:
    1. Literal — a basis for other interpretation, but often unstated in Talmudic literature due to is obviousness).
    2. Midrashic — emphasized the comparisons of words, ideas and phrases found in more than one text and the relationship of general principles to particular instances. Though context was initially stress, eventually it was ignored and similar texts were combined with common words or phrases whether or not the text was referring to the same idea).
    3. Pesher — Particularly amongst the Qumran communities. It was a form borrowed extensively from midrashic practices, but included a significant eschatological focus. It sought a veiled prophet meaning from Scripture that specifically applied to their covenant community)
    4. Allegorical — Based on the idea that beneath the literal meaning of Scripture lay the true meaning of the text. People, events and things are given a symbolic meaning. Philo, best know for employing this method belied that the literal meaning of Scripture represented an immature level, the allegorical meaning was for the mature)
  2. Patristic Exegesis (AD 100-600): Primarily used the allegorical method and ignored the author's intended/literal meaning of the text (i.e. Clement of Alexandria, Origen). Augustine believed that Scripture had a fourfold sense (historical, aetiological, analogical and allegorical). Though he articulated many principles of sound exegesis, he often failed to apply them himself. The Syrian School of Antioch laid the groundwork for modern evangelical hermeneutics advocating a grammatical-historical interpretation.
  3. Medieval Exegesis (600-1500): Little scholarship was done during this period, most exegesis was allegorical. The fourfold sense of interpretation advocated by Augustine was the norm for exegesis (letter, allegory, moral, analogy). The source of dogmatic theology was not the Bible alone, but the Bible as inspired by church tradition.
  4. Reformation Exegesis (1500's): The Reformation was ushered in on the heels of biblical ignorance and the Renaissance which called attention to knowing the original languages of the Bible (i.e. Erasmus). Luther called the allegorical method "dirt" and "scum" and advocated a literal understanding of the text based on history, grammar and context. He said that the church should not determine what the Scriptures teach, but rather the Scripture should determine what the church teaches. One of Luther's distinctions was distinguishing without merging Law (wrath, holiness, hell) and Gospel (grace, love, salvation). Calvin was probably one of the greatest exegete of the Reformation. He rejected allegory as a work of the devil and commonly exclaimed, "Scripture interprets Scripture." Calvin studied Scripture based on context, grammar, words and parallel passages. Calvin highly upheld the authorial intent.
  5. Post-Reformation Exegesis (1550-1800): Many different schools arose which helped and hindered good exegesis. Rationalism for example, accepted reason as the only authority for determining one's opinions or course of action. Reason was placed alongside of revelation and soon took more precedence...eventually judging what parts of Scripture are considered acceptable.
  6. Modern Exegesis (1800 to the Present):
    1. Liberalism — Began by rationalism. The doctrines of divine authorship, inspiration, supernatural influence (Schleiermacher) were questioned and rejected. Whatever that was not in conformity with "educated mentality" was to be rejected (i.e. hell, human depravity, virgin birth, vicarious atonement and miracles). Exegesis was examining the "primitive religious cult" and asking, "What does this text mean to me?" That was then considered the "inspired meaning."
    2. Neoorthodoxy — It is the 20th century phenomenon between liberal and orthodox views of the Scripture. It generally believed that Scripture is man's witness to God's revelation of Himself. Revelation happened at a certain point of time, but it must now be transmitted in a personal experience by a personal existential response. The Scriptures to not teach literal history, the exegete must determine what is the theological truth in the incident. There is no such thing as inerrancy or infallibility.
    3. Orthodoxy — Scripture represents God's revelation. We must understand the authorial intent and original readership through careful study of the history, culture, language and theological meaning of the text.

Appendix C

Old Testament in the New Testament

It is estimated that approximately 10% of the NT is direct quotations, paraphrases or allusions to the OT. Most books in the OT are referred to in the NT. Christ handled the OT as true facts regarding their information about people, places and events. He made application based on the literal, historical meaning of the text, using idioms acceptable to His culture (i.e. Matt. 27:9–10). Even His opponents never accused Him of using Scripture in an unnatural or illegitimate way. The Apostles followed the practices of our Lord and likewise viewed the OT as the inspired Word of God (2 Ti. 3:16). At least 56 times they refer to God as the Author of the Scriptures. With few exceptions, their interpretation was literal.

PART IV—REFERENCE BOOK BIBLIOGRAPHY

Please Note: This is just a sample of some of the excellent reference tools available to assist you in your inductive study of the Word. The books that are boldfaced are some of my personal favorites.

Concordances

  • NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Goodrick and Kohenberger)
  • NASB Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Thomas)
  • Exhaustive Concordance to the Greek NT (Kohlenberger and Goodrick)
  • Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Strong)

Topical Bibles

  • NIV Naves Topical Bible (Kohlenberger)
  • MacArthur Topical Bible (MacArthur)

Greek Grammars

  • Basics of Biblical Greek (Mounce)
  • New Testament Greek for Beginners (Machen)
  • Essentials of NT Greek (Summers)
  • Greek Grammar, Beyond the Basics (Wallace)
  • A Manuel Grammar of the Greek NT (Dana and Mantey)

Commentaries

I believe it is best to buy commentaries by the authors name as compared to sets. With that in mind I recommend the following scholars (the list ranges from homiletical to very technical commentaries...the buyer needs to evaluate):

J. MacArthur
D.A. Carson
P.T. O'Brien
D. Moo
J.M. Boice
W. VanGemeren
S. Kistemake
F.F. Bruce
W. Hendrickson
I.H. Marshall
C. Hodge		 J.Walvoord
C.H. Spurgeon
A.W. Pink
G.K. Beale
H. Wolf
J. Stott
L. Morris
K. Hughes
G. Fee
G. Hawthorne		 S.Hafemann
G. Knight
H. Kent
D.E. Hiebert
R. Thomas
W. Mounce
C. Feinberg
J. Calvin
G. Zemek
J. Sailhamer

Theology Books

  • Systematic Theology (Grudem)
  • Christian Theology (Erickson)
  • Systematic Theology (Hodge)
  • Systematic Theology (Berkhof)
  • Concise Theology (Packer)
  • Essential Truths (Sproul)
  • Fundamentals In The Faith (Boice)

Greek Lexicons

  • A Greek English Lexicon (Bauer)
  • The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Kittel)
  • Vines Complete Expository Dictionary (Vine, Unger and White)
  • The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the NT (Zodhiates)
  • New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Brown)
  • New International Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis (VanGemeren)
  • Word Pictures in the New Testament (Robertson)
  • Word Meanings in the New Testament (Earle)

Bible/Theological Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

  • The New International Dictionary of the Bible (Douglas and Tenney)
  • Evangelical Dictionary Of Biblical Theology (Elwell)
  • Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Elwell)
  • Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Green, McKnight and Marshall)
  • Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Hawthorne, Martin and Reed)
  • Dictionary of the Later NT and it's Developments (Martin and Davids)
  • Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Tenney)
  • New Bible Dictionary (Tyndale-pub.)
  • The New Dictionary of Theology (Ferguson and Wright)
  • Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Elwell)
  • The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Orr)

Parallel Bibles

  • The Eight Translation New Testament (Tyndale-pub.)

Harmony of the Gospels

  • The NIV (or NASB) Harmony of the Gospels (Thomas and Gundry)

Background Sources

  • The IVP Bible Background Commentary-NT (Keener)
  • The IVP Bible Background Commentary-OT (Walton, Matthews, Chavalasi)
  • Dictionary of New Testament Background (Evans and Porter)

Survey Books

  • Survey of the NT (Gundry)
  • New Testament Survey (Tenny)
  • An Introduction to the NT (Carson, Moo, Morris)
  • Talk Thru the Bible (Wilkinson and Boa)
  • Eerdman's Handbook to the Bible (Eerdmans-Pub.)
  • Introduction to the Old Testament (Harrison)
  • An Introduction to The Old Testament (Dillard and Longman)
  • A Survey of the Old Testament (Walton)

Interlinears

  • NASB-NIV Parallel NT in Greek and English (Marshall)

Hermeneutics

  • How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Fee and Stuart)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (Terry)
  • A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible (Stein)
  • An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics (Kaiser and Sliva)
  • Hermeneutics (Virkler)
  • Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard)

  • Is There a Meaning in this Text (Vanhoozer)-Advanced

Footnotes

  1. It was T.S. Eliot who commented, "The best poetry is impersonal, objective and autonomous; that it leads an afterlife of its own, totally cut off from the life of its author." Such a belief may be fine in the world of poetry, but has no place in biblical study.
  2. Virkler commented, "The unbeliever can know (intellectually comprehend) many of the truths of Scripture using the same means of interpretation he would use with nonbiblical texts, but he cannot truly know (act on and appropriate) these truths as long as he remains in rebellion with God... By refusing to act on the appropriate spiritual truths (unbelievers increasingly are) less and less able and willing to comprehend these truths" (Rom. 1:18-22; 1 Cor. 2:6-14; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 2:11).
  3. For a brief overview of three dominate views of inspiration, see Appendix A
  4. Jesus highly upheld the inerrancy of the Word. He treated the historical narratives as true records of fact; He often taught from stories that most critics dismiss (Noah, Sodom, Jonah); He used Scripture to challenge wrongful interpretations of the religious leaders; He upheld the duration of the Scriptures (Mt. 5:17-20; Jn. 10:35); and He used Scripture in His rebuttal to each of Satan's temptations, upon which there was no further argument.
  5. An example would be the book of Hebrews. Although the author does not identify himself, we can tell from internal evidence that the letter was to Jewish-Christians based on the numerous allusions to the OT and insuperiority of the Mosaic covenant. These facts would be meaningless to pagan Gentiles.
  6. Sometimes it is explicitly stated, however other times the exegete must mine out this crucial information. For some hints examine the hortatorical portions of the book since the author's exhortations often flow from the purpose (i.e. Heb. 10:19-23, 32-35; 12:1-3). Looks for the words that follow a "therefore." Also, it is helpful to observe points that are omitted or issues that are focused upon. Explicit accounts: (Lk. 1:1-4; John 20:31; 1 Pet. 5:12).
  7. Examples would include an ancient landmark (Prov. 22:28), corban (Mk. 7:11) and lamps/bridegrooms/oil (Mt. 25:1-13)
  8. I can't stress enough how important context is in the study of Scripture. Many well-intended Christians engage in prooftexting which jars Scripture out of its context and thus assigns to it a meaning not intended by the original author (i.e. 3 Jn. 2; Mt. 18:20; Rev. 3:20). Imagine if you instantly turned to Mt. 27:5, Lk. 10:37 and Jn. 13:27 and applied these verses out of context!
  9. Expressed comparison typically using like or as. Emphasis on some point of similarity though the two items are to be kept separate. Parables are extended sillies.
  10. Unexpressed comparison, not using like or as. The subject and thing being compared are intertwined rather than kept separate. Though the two are identified as one, the author does not intend his words to be taken literally.
  11. Allegories are extended metaphors; the subject and the thing compared are intermingled.
  12. Parables are extended similes. Comparisons are expressed and kept separate. To interpret, read in context and find the one central-focal point.
  13. Proverbs are compressed parables or allegories, sometimes partaking in the characteristics of both. They emphasize the practical moral aspect of the law. They usually have a single point (thought or comparison).
  14. Lexical-syntactical analysis is based on the premise that words can have different meanings in different contexts (i.e. green [inexperienced, sick, colored, envious]), but they have only one intended meaning in any given context. This is an assumption in all logical and normal communication.
  15. "Enthusiasm" originally meant, "Possessed by a god." Probably most authors (like today) are unaware of these previous connotations. Furthermore, we should not read transliterations back into the original language of the ancient text (i.e. dunamis = dynamite)
  16. Along these lines, Hebrew parallelism helps to shed light on a specific word meaning as well as repetition (synonymous parallelism), contrast (antithetic parallelism) or further/completed idea (synthetic parallelism).
  17. Descriptive texts relate what was said or happened at a particular time. Though God works in certain ways, it cannot be assumed that He works in that exact way with every person throughout history. The exegete must determine which ways are considered norm for today. Prescriptive passages claim to articulate normative principles. When various passages concur with each other, the precept is usually prescriptive. Contextual analysis is the best way to determine the differences between these two categories.
  18. Without some sort of organizational framework, the bulk of biblical data would be too difficult to comprehend. However, remember that one's system should be derived from biblical data and not imposed onto biblical data.
  19. In a narrative, the exegete must "principlize" the text. He/she must attempt to discover the spiritual, moral and theological principles that have relevance for the contemporary believer. It is assumed that the Holy Spirit chose historical incidents to make a point, illustrate an important truth. Principlizing seeks to recognize what timeless principles are being taught. In a command, determine the difference between principles and behaviors to express the principles. The exegete has three options, 1. Retain the principle and behavior, 2. Retain the principle and alter the way the principle is culturally expressed, 3. Change both the principle and behavior, realizing both are culturally bound.