Hermeneutics Students

MACEDONIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

How Should We Interpret the Bible, Hermeneutics?

Principles for Understanding God’s Word Apologetics

PART ONE

STUDENT’S WORKBOOK

Complete as you read

  1. In John 6:63 Jesus said His words lead to . A cultic reinterpretation of Scripture that yields another Jesus and another will yield only .
  2. The Bible was written over a period of roughly by or more authors using languages.
  3. The authors of the Bible wrote in different and had different , personalities, , and social standings.
  4. The Bible was penned so that in its pages , even children, can learn about God and what He has so that we can have a relationship with Him.
  5. We must also battle against our , which tempts us to think our own are always right... to make sure that what taught was true.
  6. God desires for His to know and understand His Word... and fathers to teach it to their children in the .
  7. A passage should always be looked at in , not only its context, but also in the context of the and the in which it is written.
  8. The interpreter allows his knowledge of genres... so he can determine what the author was to communicate.
  9. A literal method of Scripture gives each word its usual meaning... such a method, between God and man is .
  10. There are many and Christian groups... interpretations are clearly .
  11. alone makes a man capable and proficient.
  12. According to , those who heard Him would be able to what He communicated.
  13. While God's for man has never changed, His strategy has . He has dealt with man under different .
  14. Primary of the passage will be to those under that program... may be applications for others.
  15. Interpret scripture in harmony... never interpret scripture in a way that contradicts other .
  16. The approach to an study will differ depending on the .
  17. Those who accept the Bible believe there is only one interpretation — the one God intended when He "breathed" into the author.
  18. The Bible itself proclaims that believers of any may read and understand it.
  19. And these words I you... teach them to your children... when you , walk, lie down, and .
  20. When to interpret Scripture, remember it was written in the Jewish or culture.
  21. Many in the churches did not Hebrew... expected to understand scriptures in .
  22. is the inevitable result, which, if carried to its logical conclusion, fails to prove any interpretation.
  23. While word studies are , we must use them carefully as part of an overall method.
  24. Write “T” if the statement is “True” and “F” if the statement is “Not True”

  25. Since the goal of interpreting the Bible is to determine the Author’s Intended meaning, we must follow principles derived from God’s Word.
  26. The Bible is God’s Word. But some of the interpretations derived from it are not.
  27. We need, as best as can be had, the guidance of the Holy Spirit in interpreting God’s Word.
  28. Because we are sinners, we are incapable of interpreting God’s word perfectly all of the time.
  29. The body, mind, will, and emotions are affected by sin and make 100% interpretive accuracy impossible.
  30. One must recognize that what a passage means is fixed by the author and is not subject to alteration by readers.
  31. Only by objective methodology can we bridge the gap between our minds and the minds of the biblical writers.
  32. When two interpretations are claimed for a passage, the one most in agreement with all the facts of the case should be adopted.
  33. Holy Spirit's work to throw light upon the Word of God so that the believer can assent to the meaning intended and act on it.
  34. The function of the Spirit is not to communicate new truth or to instruct in matters unknown, but to illuminate what is revealed in Scripture.
  35. Scripture seen through the lens of a Church is "profitable for doctrine, and reproof,"
  36. Scripture furnishes all that one must know to be saved and to grow in grace.
  37. The average man cannot understand Scripture without relying upon a church for the "authoritative teaching".
  38. Hermeneutics and perspicuity are two closely related areas of bibliology.
  39. The goal of biblical hermeneutics is to ascertain as closely as possible the meaning intended by the original author.
  40. While there may be many valid applications of a text, there is only one valid interpretation.
  41. An interpretation is the author's intended meaning; an application is how the reader should respond.
  42. Animal sacrifices, dietary laws, Sabbaths, holy days, festivals, priests and liturgy have all been fulfilled in Christ and are thus obsolete.
  43. Theocracy was commanded in the Old Testament, but secular government is affirmed in the New Testament.
  44. If a passage can be legitimately interpreted in more than one way, choose the interpretation that doesn't contradict other scriptures.
  45. The inductive overview will provide deeper insight into a particular doctrine. It reveals how to apply an individual passage to your own life.
  46. Scripture is able to be understood by all, by unbelievers who read it sincerely seeking salvation, and by believers who read it seeking God's help in understanding it.
  47. Inspiration is divine guidance, not dictation.
  48. Scripture indeed interprets Scripture.
  49. It is not exegetically valid to deny what Scripture does not explicitly or implicitly affirm.
  50. A wide range of fallacies can result from a misunderstanding or misuse of grammatical tools.
  51. Examine the following. Put “H" beside the inquires that describe Biblical Hermeneutics and “E” besides those that describe Exegesis.
    1. a. Grammar: Who is it that “wills” in 1 Corinthians 12:11
    2. b. Theory: What role does divine illumination play in the interpretation of Scripture?
    3. c. Principles: What are the limits of the Christocentric Principle?
    4. d. Methods: What process can we follow to determine whether an apparent chiasm was intentional by the author?
    5. e. Referent Identification: Who is the author of Hebrews quoting in Hebrews 10:38?
    6. f. Literary Criticism: What significance does John perceive in the piercing of Christ's side and the flow of blood and water?
    7. g. Terminology: What does “Under the Sun” mean in Ecclesiastes?
    8. Complete the following principles as guidelines for examining a passage.
      1. Who wrote/spoke the ?
      2. What does the ?
      3. Are there any words or phrases in the ?
      4. What is the immediate ?
      5. What is the broader context ?
      6. What are the related verses to the passage’s ?
      7. What is the historical ?
      8. What do I conclude ?
      9. Do my conclusions agree or disagree ?
      10. What have I learned and what ?
    9. Complete the following to show the literary type of Biblical books.
      1. a. Genesis - Esther
      2. b. Poetry, Wisdom
      3. c. Malachi; Revelation
      4. d. Mark, Luke, John
      5. e. Epistle
    10. Name some exegetical fallacies resulting from the misuse of hermeneutic principles.
    11. List Three (3) Principles that should guide our interpretation
      1. a.
      2. b.
      3. c.
    12. Define each of the following:
      1. A). Hermeneutics
      2. B). Biblical hermeneutics
      3. C). Eschatological
      4. D). Competent evidence
      5. E). Satisfactory evidence
      6. F). Exegesis
      7. G). Biblical exegesis
      8. H). Eisegesis
      9. I). Immediate scripture
      10. J). Broader scripture
      11. K). Allegories
      12. M). Parables
      13. N). Broader Scripture
      14. O). Revelation
      15. P). Numerology
      16. Q). Inspiration
      17. R). Illumination
      18. S). Interpretation
      19. T). Grammatico-Historical Hermeneutics
      1. Discuss the relationship between hermeneutics and exegesis:
      1. Differentiate between interpretation and application:
      1. Why do Christian groups disagree on essential Biblical doctrines?
      1. a. The rule of definition:
      2. b. The rule of usage:
      3. c. The rule of context:
      4. d. The rule of historical background:
      5. e. The rule of logic:
      6. f. The rule of inference:
      7. g. The rule of genre judgement:
      8. h. The rule of dependence upon the Holy Spirit:
    13. Give the five practical rules that will help you to arrive at a critically sound interpretation.
      1. a.
      2. b.
      3. c.
      4. d.
      5. e.
    14. Give the five practical rules that will help you to arrive at a critically sound interpretation.
    15. How did Jesus use the scriptures during his ministry on earth?
    16. A friend of yours who is a sceptic of the Bible has expressed to you that the Bible can't tell us anything of any real value because everyone interprets it differently. How would you respond to her?
    17. Briefly explain to your friend some factors we must take into consideration as we interpret the scripture.
    18. Explain to her some important points we must consider when trying to understand God’s word.
    19. Bible-believing Christians generally follow a method of interpretation known as the historical-grammatical approach. Explain:
    20. You have just completed this hermeneutics course. You have been invited to participate in a discussion on principles used to interpret the scriptures. Summarize the main points that you will bring to the discussion on the following principles.
      1. a. Carefully Observe the text Principle
      2. b. The principle of Context Is Key.
      3. c. The principle of Clarity of Scripture.
      4. e. Compare Scripture with Scripture Principle
      5. e. The principle of Classification of Text.
      6. f. The principle of Church’s Historical View.
      7. g. The Grammatical Principle
      8. h. The Historical Background Principle
      9. i. The Literal Interpretation Principle
      10. j. The Progressive Revelation Principle.
      11. k. The Accommodation Principle.
      12. l. In the One Interpretation Principle
      13. m. The principle of Harmony of Scripture Principle
    21. Summarize these hermeneutics system, giving their definitions, history, examples and critics
      1. A. Allegorical
      2. B. Literalistic
      3. C. Rationalistic
      4. D. Neo-Orthodox
      5. E. Devotional
      6. F. Ideological Interpretation (Postmodernism)
      7. G). The Liberal Interpretation:
    22. Discuss the ways in which God has made His main message clear to us.
    23. A. What is the importance of using the inductive Bible Study Methods?

      B. Give a summary how to do an inductive overview of an epistle:

    MACEDONIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

    How Should We Interpret the Bible, Hermeneutics?

    Principles for Understanding God’s Word Apologetics

    PART TWO

    For part two of this course, you will write:
    A) an inductive overview on the book of Philemon.
    B) an inductive overview of the book of Titus