What is the Word of God? Revealed Word – God “speaks” through his acts in history Written Word – Acts become “inscripturated” Living Word – Holy Spirit inspires, preserves, illuminates & empowers

Four Steps: 1 – Grasping the Text in Their Town What did the text mean to the biblical audience? 2 – Measuring the Width of the River What are the differences between the biblical audience and us? 3 – Crossing the Principlizing Bridge What is the theological principle in this text? 4 – Grasping the Text in Our Town How should individual Christians today apply the theological principle in their lives?

Culture Bubbles Ancient Near East Jewish Egyptian Canaanite Assyrian Babylonian Persian Greek Roman Modern – Post-Modern Western U.S.A./Regional Economic Educational Social Political Religious/Non Liberal/Conservative Pentecostal/Non

There/Then Here/Now

Hermeneutics is described as the art and science of biblical interpretation. A key phrase is "the plain meaning” of the text.

We must take into consideration two key factors that can hinder us: The first factor is the reader. We bring with us our preconceived ideas, pet theologies, and proof-texts support systems.

Exegesis is the attempt to discover the original, intended meaning of the scripture, to reach an understanding "from" the text. Eisegesis is an attempt to read “into” the scripture one's biases or preconceived ideas.

The second factor that should be considered is the nature of Scripture. Scripture was also given in a particular culture. The interpreter must bridge the gap between the "there and then”and the "here and now." A passage cannot mean something today which it did not mean originally.

General hermeneutics addresses rules governing the interpretation of the entire biblical text and includes historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, and theological analysis. Special hermeneutics deals with rules for specific genres within the biblical text, e.g. parables, allegories, types, prophecy, etc.

Inter-Cultural hermeneutics addresses the perspectives that various ethnic and sub-cultural groups bring to the task of interpretation; i.e.; African-American, Hispanic, feminist and Pentecostal communities of faith. historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, and theological analysis.

Two facets relative to the meaning of the text. (1) There may be a great difference between what a passage means to me, and what God meant in that passage. (2) The text has only one valid interpretation, but it may have more than one application.

Related areas of study: The study of canonicity investigates the history of the acceptance or rejection of books. Textual or lower criticism, is the study of the different manuscripts of the books of the Bible. Higher or historical criticism, deals with the areas of authorship, date, authenticity, and the literary unity of each book.

Begin by looking at historical context in order to discover what the passage originally meant. Ask: to whom, when, and why was the passage or book written. A passage singled out for study is called a pericope.

The next step is literary or contextual analysis. To discover the "point" the exegete must consider what the author is saying before and after the pericope under consideration.

The next step is theological reflection The next step is theological reflection. Ask: What is the relation of the pericope to similar passages, and to the central message of the Bible.

Finally, Apply the truth which has been discovered through the hermeneutical process. Emphasize the primary meaning for today based on what the passage originally meant!