1. BIBLE STUDY BASICS September – November 2016 NHCC
biblestudybasics

2. Personal Study 2015 – 2,036 responders Bible Reading 88% own a Bible
48% - non-Bible readers
14% (of 52%)- Daily Readers
Bible Reading
46% - No Time
61% - Wish read it more often

3. Personal Study Where are you in your own personal study?
Wishes they had more time?
Doesn’t understand it as well as they’d like?
Don’t know how to study?
Don’t know why they don’t study more?

4. Course Objectives Study Principles Appreciation Tools
Context, Approach, Attitude
Appreciation
Depth, Richness, Fun, Necessity
Tools
Data Collection, Lexicons, Commentaries, Internet resources, methods

5. Why Study? Christianity is an individual relationship within a body
Scripture was written for everyone to read & understand -1st Tim.2:4
Scripture is
Applicable – 2nd Tim. 3:16-17
Living & Active- Heb. 4:12
Helpful & Guiding – Psalm 119
Basis of Transformation-Rom. 12

6. Ignorance Prejudice Improper Methodologies Cultural Blindness
Reasons for Not
Understanding Scripture
Ignorance
Prejudice
Improper Methodologies
Cultural Blindness
Arrogance
Lack of authority
Translations
Attitude

7. Wrong Approaches Illumination
Letting the Spirit “guide” you into “truth”
Existentialism/Relativism
“You interpret it your way and I’ll interpret my way” without discussion
Despair/Ignorance
“Hard sayings”
Arrogance
My interpretation or the highway

8. Right Approaches God wants us to understand We worship God
We respect the Word
Excellent Literature
Scripture is relevant & fresh
It’s powerful
It’s indispensable
It’s God’s own Book

9. Rules of Interpretation
One meaning, different applications
Simple & obvious is often right
Let the writer’s explanation be the primary explanation
Context, Context, Context
Interpret Scripture in light of Scripture

10. Rules of Interpretation
Let plain passages interpret obscure ones
Find out about circumstances & culture
Rightly divide the Word
Use logic & common sense
Know the limits of our understanding & divine revelation

11. Terms & Definitions Exegesis Eisegesis Narcigesis
Critical explanation; Bringing out the meaning of the text
Eisegesis
Putting meaning into a text; reading in your own ideas
Narcigesis
Putting yourself, your culture, your principles in the text

12. Terms & Definitions Hermeneutics Epistemology Homiletics
Branch of knowledge dealing with interpretation; method of study
Epistemology
How you know what you know; why you believe what you believe
Homiletics
The study of preaching; organizing preaching & teaching points

13. What parts of the Bible “scare” you?
Discussion
What’s been a time you’ve been changed by what you learned in Scripture?
What’s your confidence level of opening the Bible anywhere & learning something from that spot?
What parts of the Bible “scare” you?

14. My personal goal for this course is…
Write Down
My personal goal for this course is…

15. Next Time The Richness of the Text Sitz-en-leben Bible Literature
Psalm 119 Exercise