Let me remind the reader, no doctrine is lost over one verse. Moreover, the policy to follow is, let the textual evidence lead where it leads, the translation go where it goes, the translator do what needs to be done, and the exegete discover what the author meant by the words that he used. God does not need our help in manipulating verses to get our desired outcome.
How Are We to Understand the New Testament Author’s use of the Old Testament? [Abridged]
We, non-Bible authors, can only get at the meaning of any given text by grammatical-historical interpretation, which is an objective approach. We are not under inspiration while we are interpreting Scripture; otherwise, we would never err. We have to understand ... Continue Reading →
What Is Hermeneutics and Why Is It Important?
What did the Bible authors mean by the words that they used? How can Christians determine this instead of imposing their modern-day opinions into the text? What implications does a text have for Christians today? How can Christians rightly apply the Bible in their lives?
Why Is Deeper Bible Study Important?
The Bible is a revelation from our heavenly Father, about our heavenly Father, i.e., his will and purposes. (1 Thess. 2:13) If we take the things we learn and apply them in our lives, we will live a life far more beneficial than those who do not. As we grow in knowledge, we will draw... Continue Reading →
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION – Keys to Understanding
Recognize the Christocentric focus of the Bible The New Testament writers primarily viewed the Old Testament as Christological documents. They understood the Hebrew Scriptures as ultimately pointing to the person of Christ and the redemptive-historical fulfillment that he would bring: And He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up... Continue Reading →
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION – Finding the Normative In Acts
Does the book of Acts simply record the history of the early church? Or does it also provide a blueprint for the church today? Do we read Acts as an interesting true story of how Christianity began, a story that gives us our roots and our identity or is it still normative for today? A... Continue Reading →
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION – A Literal-Historical-Grammatical Approach
The historical-grammatical method of interpretation is necessary if one is going to interpret the Bible rightly. This means that the interpreter must be sensitive to the historical context and setting of the passage under examination. It also means that the interpreter must be sensitive to its grammar or word usage. Another term frequently used by theologians... Continue Reading →
Necessary Qualifications for the Biblical Interpreter
Spiritual truth can only be fully comprehended when the Holy Spirit illuminates a person’s mind. Spiritual regeneration is necessary in order to understand properly and apply Scripture. The Bible is a sacred book and is discerned best by those who are spiritually regenerated ~ i.e. born again. The apostle Paul said: The natural person does... Continue Reading →
Hermeneutics [Biblical Interpretation] Explained
There are dozens upon dozens of books on how to interpret the Word of God. The intention of these authors is that they might aid the Christian in getting at the correct interpretation of the Bible. Hermeneutics comes from the classical Greek, the word hermeneuo, which often means “to explain, to interpret.” We have book... Continue Reading →
Genesis 8:21 BDC: God had herein promised to never destroy the world again, did he change his mind?
At 2 Peter 3:10 we are told: “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." There are multiple things going on in 2 Peter 2:10, so let us take Genesis 8:21 first.... Continue Reading →