Bible & the Gospel Copy
Biblical Clarity
"The clarity of Scripture is that quality of the biblical text that, as God's communicative act, ensures its meaning is accessible (and epistemically knowable) to all who come to it in faith" (Mark Thompson, A Clear and Present Word, 169-70). • "Scripture is clear, but hard." Michael Shepherd, The Textual World of the Bible, 90-92.
Biblical Inerrancy
"The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything which is contrary to fact" (Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, 42).
Verbal-Plenary
"verbal" = words; "plenary" = full/every: Emphasis is placed upon the inspiration of texts, not authors. The Bible is inspired at the level of sentences and words, not just its message. God has "breathed-out" exactly what he wanted to say through his chosen prophets and apostles to produce the written Word of God. Every written Word of Scripture is equally inspired by God.
The Bible is a Fully Divine and Fully Human Book
1. Historical particularity: written by particular people at a particular time. 2. Overemphasize the divine and you can lead to over-spiritualization. 3. Overemphasize the human and you end up with a boring, ordinary book, with morals & principles, but seems irrelevant.
1. What do Beynon and Sach mean by calling biblical interpretation both a science and an art?
Biblical interpretation is a science in that there is a method for interpretation with principles, but it's also an art in that it takes practice to interpret correctly and is learned by doing. It is both "caught" and "taught."
Biblical Inspiration
It is the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit to speak through the human authors of Scripture so that what they wrote was what God intended to communicate about his truth and the gospel.
Infallibility
The Bible does not lead us astray in matters of faith and practice. • "The idea that the Bible is 'infallible' means that it does not deceive. To say that the Bible is 'inerrant' is to make the additional claim that it does not assert any errors of fact" (Timothy Ward, Words of Life, 130).
Biblical Illumination
The Spirit-inspired nature of the biblical texts leads to the necessity of the same Spirit to grant illumination to what has been "spiritually" revealed (1 Cor 2:6-16; Eph 1:16-18). Illumination not only makes the reading of Scripture effectual, but also it is the means of the Bible's ability to be "self-authenticating/attesting."
Biblical Authority
The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God" (BD, 33)
2. What are the three main interpretive questions that one should ask for understanding the Bible?
1. What is the Bible all about? 2. What is this biblical book about? 3. What is this passage about?
The Adamic covenant
- By nature of creation, Adam and Eve are in a covenant relationship with God. The covenant stipulation is to not eat of the tree of knowledge, and "to worship and obey" (Gen 2:15). The covenant blessings include, "Be fruitful and multiply",dominion over creation, peaceful relationship with God and trusting God to determine what is "good". The covenant is broken when Adam and Eve's lack of trust cause them to eat of the tree that will give them their own "knowledge of good and not good." In the midst of the curses that result from the Fall, a redeemer is promised who will be a descendant (seed) of Eve and will crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15) - Genesis 1-2
The Noahic covenant
- Humans spiraled downward in evil inclinations. Noah's faith and obedience are recognized by the Lord. After being delivered from the flood, Noah offers a pleasing (faith-filled) sacrifice. God offers a covenant with the blessings: "Be fruitful and multiply", dominion over creation, and peace in the relationship with God.The blessings of the Noahic Covenant seem to be a reversal of the curse of the fall (that God will no longer curse the ground, and Noah can now be fruitful). This covenant made with all humans demonstrates that God will withhold his righteous judgment on human sin in order that humans might have the opportunity to worship Him. Note also the presence of sin (drunkenness) and curses following the scene of covenant renewal. - Genesis 6-9
The New covenant
- The New Covenant is promised even in Moses' last words that there will be a circumcision of the heart. The New Covenant is not a renewed version of the Mosaic Covenant. The covenant blessings include an internal law. The Old Covenant (i.e., the Mosaic Covenant and not the OT) is rendered obsolete by this New Covenant. The one who made redemption is now the mediator of the New Covenant. The New Covenant is the means of bringing the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant into actuality. - Hebrews 8-10 & Deuteronomy 30:6-10 & Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:22-32
The Abrahamic covenant
- The covenant blessings include: a great land, a great people, and a blessing to the nations. The promise will be fulfilled in Abraham's descendant (seed—12:7). Through this promise, the children of Abraham who have the faith of their father will become God's chosen people. The faith of Abraham is a central part of this covenant. Though it has an unconditional aspect to it, the conditional aspect has to do with enjoying the blessings. The blessings of the Abrahamic covenant come to those living by faith. This covenant is the background (context) for God's gracious dealings with Israel and for His blessings to be extended to the nations. - Genesis 12-17
The Davidic covenant
- The son of David would come and bring the covenant blessings of rest in the land, worship of the Lord (cf. the house of the Lord), an eternal kingdom, eternal dwelling in Jerusalem and the son of David being God's Son. One of the promises is that this coming son of David will be God's son. The Davidic Covenant comes in correlation to the previous two (Abrahamic Covenant & Mosaic Covenant). It is important to see the correspondence between these two covenants and the Davidic Covenant. In spite of the failure of the Mosaic Covenant (due to the heart of the people), the Davidic Covenant is the means by which the Abrahamic Covenant can be fulfilled. - 2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17
The Mosaic covenant
- This covenant formalized the Hebrews into the LORD God's "holy nation" of Israel by making them his "treasured possession" and a "kingdom of priests." Upon "faith-filled obedience" to God's Law, Israel may receive the blessings of a former covenant wherein God promised to make them a great people with a great land. The primary cause of the failure of this covenant is the "heart-problem" of the people. - Exodus 19-20
Interpretive Presuppositions
1. Confessional - Inspiration & Revelation; the Word(s) of God 2. Compositional - Communion of Divine and human authorship; biblical authors use literary strategies to compose units into a literary whole 3. Canonical - Biblical books are associated, collected, and circulated; a two-Testament Christian Bible = diverse voices bearing witness in unity to the same, one Triune God and the one gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
*In chapter 5, "Keys," Ferguson borrows the analogy that it takes learning the "keys" of a piano to play it properly and well to say that there are also "keys" to reading rightly the Holy Scriptures. Name and describe in detail each of the "five keys" that Ferguson proposes. Ideal responses will take into account the significant sub-discussions that some of the "keys" cover.
1. Key One: Context - Ultimately read a passage in the context of the whole biblical narrative. - Clarifies passages that may have puzzled us A. Justification by faith or works (Paul is dealing more along the lines of legalism and James is dealing with the fact that good works are not irrelevant). - Safeguards against a concordance mentality A. Words take their specific meaning from their particular context (ex. Flesh meaning physical nature vs. fallen nature). - Preserves us from the amplified mentality A. The context in which the word is used considerably narrows the particular nuance it will have in a given context. - Application A. Better equipped to apply its teaching in a practical way. 2. Key Two: Jesus - The Lord Jesus is the center of the Bible's message, and is the key to everything in it. - The Old Testament as a whole is a preparation for Jesus. 3. Key Three: The Unfolding Drama - Keep an eye on the plot line - Ask: What is happening to the covenant promise as God keeps his word and establishes his kingdom, or as his people rebel against him and experience covenant judgment? - Read each narrative in the light of the ongoing conflict promised in Genesis 3:15 - Understand that those involved in the advance of the plot will have their lives drawn into the pattern by which God will ultimately fulfill his promise through Jesus. - Connect the dots to see how God establishes his kingdom. 4. Key Four: Biblical Logic - Biblical imperatives (Do this) are always based on and resourced by biblical indicatives (I the Lord have done this for you). - This will help us to not fall into the trap of thinking salvation in the old covenant was by works and that in the new covenant it is by grace. It is always grace. 5. Key Five: Each part of Scripture to be read according to literary character - We must have an understanding of the kind (type) of literature we are reading, and we must be able to read different kinds of genres.
Three Main Literary Types of the Bible
1. Narrative: Biblical narrative is a text that makes its point primarily by telling a story. 2. Poetry: Biblical poetry is a text where normal language is modified to intensify its impact. Various poetic devices are used that affect how sentences are structured, and there is usually a high concentration of figures of speech (word pictures). 3. Discourse: Discourse is a text that presents a logical sequence of ideas.
Questions of the Text
1. Textual: Questions that reflect the compositional strategies and the literary forms and practices of biblical authors to convey their meaning through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 2. Theological: Questions that reflect the primary character of Scripture as THEOlogical, that is, the Bible as special revelation foremost reveals the Triune God made known through the Lord Jesus Christ. God's discloses himself as supremely absolute, and all else as relative to him.
▪ *In "Getting Started," chapter 2 of From the Mouth of God, Ferguson outlines the OT and NT canon that joined together constitutes the one revealed, written Word of God, Holy Scripture. First, identify the threefold shape of the OT canon, and briefly describe their interrelationships. And second, identify the parallel shape of the NT canon, and explain how its writings understand themselves as "the mind of the apostles" alongside (1) the OT Scriptures and (2) intended for a life beyond their first readers.
Old Testament: 1. Law - Moses permanently wrote down what was given to him as a revelation from God. As God had appointed Joshua, he had already given them a written canon. The latter had authority over the former. Responding in faith and obedience had them living in God's blessings, unbelief and disobedience placed their lives outside the sphere of covenant blessing. 2. Prophets - The prophets called God's people back to the covenant privileges and obligations. That they would live according to the divine canon written in the law. The prophets not only foretold but forth-told the Word of God. Faith or unbelief, obedience or disobedience, life or death, blessing or cursing. 3. Writings - Despite differences in authorship, style, type of literature, and time of composition, the same covenant principles given to God's people at Sinai were demonstrated and illustrated in these books. New Testament: The apostles were writing to their first readers, but were not writing only for them. They believed what they were writing carried his authority, and as a part of their commission, they must give God's word to the world until Christ's return. They believed what they said and wrote was to be heard and read as God's word. 1. Paul believed his writings should be read in the church in the same way the Old Testament was read in the Synagogue. - Paul commanded the Thessalonians under oath to read his letters alongside God's word in worship services 2. The test of true spirituality is not the exercise of spiritual gifts, but the recognition that the word of the apostolic letter is also the word of the Lord. - Paul realized the significance of what he himself was writing.
Biblical Sufficiency
Scripture is sufficient in every way to make God known for each successive generation, revealing all that we need for salvation and godliness to live in a manner that pleasing to him by faith.
*In chapter 4, "Do-It-Yourself," Ferguson challenges Christians to be "workmen" in the Scriptures. First, describe the model of a "workman" that he bases upon 2 Timothy 2:15. Next, list some of the "big points" of the "principles of interpretation" that he gleans from The Westminster Confession of Faith. And last, summarize what it means to "read Scripture in the natural sense," noting important cautions he submits while highlighting how this approach to Bible study will keep us from mistreating Scripture as merely a "promise-box" or a compilation of "daily pick-me-ups."
So, according to Paul, Bible study requires hard work (a worker) and a correct approach (rightly handling), involving mental activity (think). That is why our forefathers used to speak about digging into Scripture. Paul is conveying a picture of strenuous effort being made in order to make a straight and reliable pathway into the Bible's message. 1. All we need to know in order to love and glorify God is found in Scripture. 2. Although there are difficult sections in the Bible, all the basics of the Christian faith are clearly and simply stated or can be deduced from Scripture. 3. We are in constant need of the Spirit's help to understand Scripture and apply it. 4. The way in which we come to understand the central teaching of Scripture is by disciplined use of the means God has given us to interpret it. 5. When we read and apply Scripture we should read it in its own terms, and not impose on it what we think it should be saying. 6. Each passage of Scripture has its own basic meaning within its context, not multiple possible (and equally valid) meanings. - Understand meaning within immediate context in a book and wider context within Scripture - Consequences of not reading Scripture in the natural sense include: -When biblical truth is expressed, although not properly derived from the text under examination, no solid foundation undergirds it, and biblical truth is undermined - There are no real controls in this system of interpretation - He has given us Scripture as a whole so that its entire message will become the framework of reference for the rest of our lives. We don't engage in bible study for a quick fix but rather to learn how to think, feel, and act in a way that honors God. They are life-long investments, not pick-me-ups.
