Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Basic Bible Interpretation 2 Peter 1:20-21 & Selected Scriptures Peter & the other apostles gave eyewitness accounts of the life & teachings of Jesus They became bold after the resurrection The origin of the Bible is in God, not the myths, fables, stories, musings or speculations of man

Basic Bible Interpretation 2 Peter 1:20-21 & Selected Scriptures A Biblical mindset is characterized by striving to be transformed by the renewing of your mind It is very difficult to develop a Biblical mindset if you do not know how to study God’s word for yourself

Basic Bible Interpretation 2 Peter 1:20-21 & Selected Scriptures The key to protecting yourself & others from false teachers is comparing their teachings against the Bible Biblical interpretation is not a matter of one’s opinion. We must handle the word of truth accurately – 2 Timothy 2:15

Wrong Methods Allegorical - the Bible is a collection of stories that reveal a hidden meaning. Arose in Gentile Christianity, continues in Roman Catholicism, orthodox & mainline denominations Gives multiple interpretations Can be very fanciful

Wrong Methods Devotional / Mystical - the Bible is spiritual food for edification Often uses excessive typology & allegory Seeking to apply the Bible to life is good, but interpreting it by one’s own thoughts & feelings is bad

Wrong Methods Rationalism - Whatever is not in harmony with a materialistic paradigm is to be rejected. The approach of theological liberals in rejecting Genesis 1-11 as history The deity & miracles of Jesus

The Grammatical - Historical Method Primacy is given to the language & historical settings to determining the meaning of the writer Word definitions & grammar are put in their historical context Literary types are interpreted accordingly (poetry, didactic, wisdom, prophecy, prose, historical narrative, various figures of speech, etc.)

The Grammatical - Historical Method It accepts God as He reveals Himself Genesis 1-11 is historical narrative Prophecy is true Jesus is God & performed miracles, died for man’s sin & rose again Some theological systems selectively use various methods as needed to support their system

Preparation for Bible Study Be a disciple of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 The Holy Spirit enables us to understand & apply God’s word Pray Confess sins (Ps 139:23-24; 1 Jn 1:9) Ask for wisdom (James 1:5)

Preparation for Bible Study Humbly seek to discover what the Scriptures mean: The Inductive method – exegesis Trying to make the Bible back up pre- conceived ideas: The Deductive method – eisegesis Proof-texting – Improper Bible study

Proper Biblical Interpretation Hermeneutics – proper Bible study Observation - What does this say? Read - become familiar with the book in which the passage you are studying occurs. Write notes & ? for later study Helpful to read several times, & in different versions.

Types of Bible Translations Literal: strive to render word for word as possible Excellent for in depth Bible study KJV, NKJV, NAS, ESV, Darby, Young’s

Types of Bible Translations Dynamic Equivalence: strives to translate thought / idea Good for reading – NIV Fair for general study

Types of Bible Translations Paraphrase: strives to make it more understandable to the reader Extremely poor for Bible study original Living Bible

Proper Biblical Interpretation Set the context: How does the passage fit in with: Surrounding passages, Its book, All of Scripture? What type of literature is it? The first rule of Bible study: Context is King!

Proper Biblical Interpretation Lexical Study: Carefully define important and unfamiliar words Grammatical Study: Identify type (verb, participle, noun, adjective, adverbs, prepositions, etc Identify their respective tenses, moods, cases, person, number, etc.

Proper Biblical Interpretation Syntactical Study: Identify sentence structure - main thought & supporting phrases Note repeated words, cause & effect statements, commands, figures of speech, linking words

Proper Biblical Interpretation Questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? & How? Any other questions that come to mind.

Proper Biblical Interpretation Comparison with related passages: Parallel passages – same events Topical similarity – same subject Usage of the same words / phrases

Proper Biblical Interpretation Interpretation - What did this mean to those to whom it was first written? Gather information on the history & culture of those mentioned, geographical features of places. Paraphrase the passage in your own words - keep it simple, but accurate

Proper Biblical Interpretation Application - How does this apply to my life? This requires an understanding of the passage, its principles of truth and a commitment to obey them

Proper Biblical Interpretation Questions for self examination: How does it affect my Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavior, Relationships,

Proper Biblical Interpretation Questions for self examination: What does it reveal about my Motives, Values, Priorities, Character

Realistic Bible Study We do most of these things nearly automatically with most things we read Use these steps when: You do not understand, A question arises, To understand in depth

Bible Study Aides Computer programs make information available in moments that used to take hours. List of different Bible study aides Bible study outline sheet

Conclusions God has done His part in communicating His word to us We must read & study to understand it. It can be hard work – 2 Peter 3:16 Not all questions are answered – Deut. 29:29

Conclusions Will you make Bible study a priority in your life? Will you receive the blessings of Ps 19? A restored soul A rejoicing heart Enlightened eyes Wisdom

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ