1. New Testament We have 4 lessons left. Covering one whole topic
– Ways of Interpreting Scripture

2. If I interpret something, I…
On your whiteboard:
If I interpret something, I…

3. Interpretation

4. Hermeneutics
Means the technique being used for interpreting the Bible. Source, Form and Redaction Criticism are all hermeneutic approaches, as is Wrede’s Messianic Secret theory.
Catholic Hermeneutics interprets the Bible in a way that fits with Catholic tradition. Liberal Hermeneutics takes a sceptical attitude towards the supernatural elements in the Bible and may view the gospel writers as redactors rather than eyewitnesses.

5. Principles of Traditional Hermeneutics
Literal Principle: unless a passage is clearly meant to be a figure of speech or metaphor, take it literally.
Historical Principle: use the historical context to aid understanding.
Grammatical Principle: use knowledge of the original language to trace changes in translation.
Synthetic Principle: treat the Bible as consistent and try to harmonise different books.

6. Hermeneutics vs. Exegesis
Hermeneutics is the general approach to interpreting the Bible.
Exegesis is the specific act of interpreting a particular passage. It is putting hermeneutic theory into practice.
(you are doing exegesis when you answer a CLARIFY question)

7. Inspiration/ being inspired means…
On your whiteboard:
Inspiration/ being inspired means…

8. Inspiration

9. Inspiration Literally means “God-breathed” 2 Timothy 3:16
What else do we know about God’s breath?

10. Inspiration Problems with each of these?
People have different meanings when they describe the Bible as ‘inspired’:
Natural inspiration – has no supernatural element. The gospel writers had no special connection to God. They were ordinary men, but they had great ideas. They sometimes made mistakes and they expressed many ideas of their time.
Conceptual inspiration – the gospel-writers’ thoughts were influenced by God. God gave them the big ideas in a supernatural way, but they wrote these down in normal human language, adding errors, biases and misunderstandings.
Dictation theory of inspiration – the whole process of writing was under God’s control. The exact words written down were the words of God.
Problems with each of these?