How to read the Bible for all its worth

Which group of parables emphasizes the urgency of Jesus' proclamation through an "already/not yet" thrust?

"the kingdom of God is like..." or the kingdom parables

list four minimum tool necessary for doing good exegesis

A good bible dictionary a good bible handbook a good translation good commentaries

State the two basic rules for hermeneutics

A text cannot mean what it never could have meant to its author or his readers. Whenever we share comparable particulars with the first century setting, Gods word to us is the same as his word to them

Since we are illuminated readers, rather than inspired writers: "we can only perceive a sensus plenior with any certainty, _____. unless it is identifies as a sensus plenior in the NT, it_______.

After the fact. cannot confidently be identified as such from the OT by us on our own authority

Define the term "literary context"

Essentially literary context means that word only have meaning in sentences, and for the most part biblical sentences only have meaning in relation to preceding and succeeding sentences.

Define the term "exegesis" and state what it attempts to accomplish?

Exegesis is the careful, systematic study of the scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. It is the attempt to hear the word as the original recipients were to have heard it, to find out what was the original intent of the words of the Bible.

Narratives are precious to us because they so vividly demonstrate ____ in the world and ____ his principles and calling.

God's involvement. illustrate

"Thus the task of interpreting involves the student/reader at two levels. First, one has to ________________: he ore she must try to understand what was said to them back ___________. Second, one must learn to hear that same _______ in the _________.

Hear the Word they heard then and there Word here and now

what is the unique hermeneutical problem presented by the Psalms

How do these words spoken to God functions as a word from God to us?

What is the hermeneutical task in dealing with story parables

How do we recapture the 'punch' of the parables in our own times and our own settings

sense plenior (fuller meaning) or a secondary meaning is a function of ___ not ______

Inspiration, illumination

What is the function of the story parable?

It functions as a means of "calling forth a response" on the part of the hearer. It is told to address and capture the hearers, to bring them up short about their own actions, or to cause them to respond in some way to Jesus and His ministry.

In order to understand the arguments and discover the point in the various Epistles, how must one learn to think when reading the material?

Learning to think paragraphs of thought

Your textbook states that the one thing the Epistles have in common is that they are all _______ and they are from the _______

Occasional documents first century

What do we bring with us in our reading of the Epistles that creates the lack of consistency in our common hermeneutics resulting in selectivity or 'getting around' certain texts?

Our theological heritage Our ecclesiastical traditions our cultural norm our existential concerns

State two kinds of question that one should ask of every biblical passage.

Questions that relate to context Questions that relate to content

What were the two principles at work in the composition of the Gospels?

Selectivity and adaptation

What is the aim of good interpretation and what is the most important ingredient the interpreter brings to that task?

The aim is to get the "plain meaning of the text" and the most important ingredient one brings to that task is enlightened common sense.

Briefly define the following basic theories of translation Literal Free Dynamic equivalent

The attempt to translate by keeping as close as possible to the exact words and phrasing in the original language, yet still making sense in the receptor language. The attempt to translate the ideas from one language to another, with less concern about using the exact words of the original. The attempt to translate words,Idioms, and grammatical constructions of the original language into precise equivalents int the receptor language.

Which of the basic theories of translation does the textbook present as the best?

The best translational theory is dynamic equivalent

On dare not think he or she can properly interpret the gospels without a clear understanding of____

The concept of the kingdom of God in the ministry of Jesus

Define the following technical terms: Original language- Receptor language- Historical distance- Theory of translation-

The language that one is translating from; in our case, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek. The language that one is translating into; in our case, English This has to do with the differences that exist between the original language and the receptor language, both in the matters of words, grammar, and idioms, as well as in matters of culture and history. This has to do with the degree to which one is willing to go in order to bridge the gap between the two languages.

What two factors hinder the interpreter from finding the "plain meaning of the text"?

The nature of the reader and The nature of the scripture

why must one not begin with the "here and now" when doing hermeneutics?

The one proper control for hermeneutics is to be found in the original intent of the biblical text

Explain the top three levels of narratives in the Old Testament

The top level is that of the whole universal plan of God worked out through His creation. The middle level centers on Israel. The bottom level contains individual narratives that make up the other two levels.

State this sentence positively: " A text cannot mean what it was never meant."

The true meaning of the biblical text for us is what God originally intended it to mean when it was first spoken.

In the regard to some of the unusual prohibitions of the Old Testament law, fill in the blanks of this sentence. " The answer is that these and other prohibitions were designed to forbid the Israelites to engage in the fertility cult practice of the canaanites.. Knowing the intention of such laws____________ helps you see that they are not arbitrary, but __________"

To keep the Israelites from being led unto the Canaanite religion where salvation was not available. Crucial- and graciously beneficial.

What kind of notes should one take while trying to reconstruct the historical context?

What you notice about the recipients themselves; whether Jew or Greek, deathly or slave, their problems, attitudes. The author' attitude Any specific things mentioned as to the specific occasion if the letter. The letter's natural. logical divisions

to understand any one of the specific visions in the Revelation it is especially important not only to _____________ but also to ask ____________ in the book as a whole

Wrestle with the background and meaning of the images (the content questions). How this particular vision functions

What is the simple pattern one should look for when reading the Prophets

a. An identification of Israels sin or Gods love for her b. A prediction of curse or blessing depending on the circumstance

Define the following kinds of commands Apodictics law: Casuistic laws:

a. Commands that begin with do or do not. They are direct commands. These laws, though limited in wondering, are actually very comprehensive in spirit. b. Case by case law in the pentateuchal law. None of them is explicitly renewed in the NC since their applicability and unlikely to apply to christian.

What two things must one understand in general in order to understand the historical context of Jesus and the Gospels?

a. First century Judaism b. the form of Jesus' teaching

What are the three ways that the wisdom books have been misused

a. People often read the books only in part. They fail to see that there is an overall message according to the inspired authors intentions b. people often misunderstand wisdom terms and categories as well as wisdom styles and literary modes c. people often fail to follow the line of argument in a wisdom discourse, accordingly, they try to live by what was intended to be understood as incorrect

list the guidelines for understanding the proverbial wisdom

a. Proverbs are not legal guarantees from God b. Proverbs must be read as a collections c. Proverbs are worded to be memorable, not to be theoretically accurate d. Some proverbs need to be "translated" to be appreciated

What are the three basic benefits of the psalms

a. Psalms are a guide to worship b. palms demonstrate to us how we can relate honestly to God c.Psalms demonstrate the importance of reflection and meditation upon things that God has done for us

List six initial guidelines for understanding the relationship of the Christian to the OT law.

a. The OT law is a convent b. The OT is not our testament c. Some stipulations of the OT Convent have clearly not been renewed in the New Covenant d. part of the Old Covenant is renewed in the New covenant e. All of the OT law is still the Word of God for us even through it is not still the command of God to us. f. Only that which is explicitly renewed from the Old Testament law can be considered part of the the New Testament

What are the two kinds of historical context associated with prophetic literature?

a. The larger context or the era of the prophets and the related historical events b. The specific context including the date, audience, and situation when these things are known.

Define the three following styles of OT poetry used by the prophets. Synonyomus paralleism Antithetical parallelism Synthetic parallelism

a. The second or subsequent line repeats or reinforces the sense of the first line b. the second or subsequent line contrast the thought of the first c. the second or subsequent line adds to the first line in any manner which provides further information

In relation to the Gospels. what does it mean to think "horizontally" and "vertically"

a. To think horizontally means that when studying a pericope in any on Gospel, one should be aware of the parallels in the other gospels. b. To think vertically means that when reading or studying a narrative or teaching in the Gospels, one should try to be aware of both historical context, that of Jesu and that of the evangelist.

What are the contextual questions one must repeatedly ask in acts?

a. What is the point of this narrative speech b. How does it functions in Luke's total narrative c. Why has it been included here

a. An OT narrative usually does not _______ b. An OT narrative usually________ taught propositionally elsewhere. c. Not very narrative has an _____ of the story. d. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a ________ e. Most of the characters in OT narratives are _________ and their actions are, too. f. We are not always at the end of a narrative whether what happened was_______. We are expected to to be able to judge that on the basis of ____________. g. All narratives are ________. h. Narratives are not written to answer all our_______. They have ________ and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be dealt with else where, in other ways. i. Narratives may teach either _______ (by clearly stating something) or ______(by clearly implying something without actually saying it) j. In the final analysis, _________ of all biblical narratives.

a. directly tach a doctrine b. illustrates a doctrine c. individual moral d. good example for us e. far from perfect f. good or bad. What God has taught us directly and categorically already in Scripture g. selective and incomplete h. theological questions. particular, specific limited purpose i. explicitly. implicitly j. God is the hero

List three of the most common forms of prophetic oracles

a. the lawsuit b. the woe c. the promise

Describe the role or function of the prophet in Israel.

a. the prophets were covenant enforcement mediators b. the prophets message was not their own, but Gods c. the prophets message is unoriginal

One should first distinguish between the _________ of the Bible and what is ____________. One should be prepared to distinguish between what the New Testament itself sees as ______ and ________.

central core of the message, dependent upon or peripheral to it. inherently moral, what is not

List the seven different categories of Psalms:

laments thanksgiving psalms hymns of praise salvation history psalms psalms of celebration and affirmation Wisdom psalms songs of trust

The OT food laws had a _______ and the laws that require a substitutionary sacrifice __________.

serious protective purpose. set a precedent for the work of Christ's substitutionary atonement.

in understanding the historical context of Jesus in particular, the difficulty comes with that fact that________.

so many of Jesus' teachings were transmitted without their context

Historical context: what is the first thing one must try to do with any of the Epistles and how should one begin to do this.

the first thing is to form a tentative but informed reconstruction of the situation that the author is speaking to by using a bible dictionary or Introduction and reading the whole letter through in one sitting

State four factors with which historical context is concerned.

the time of the author and his reader the culture of the author and his readers the occasion of each biblical book and/or it various parts the purpose of each biblical book and/or its various parts

To see the prophets as primarily predictors of future events is to miss their primary function, which was

to speak for God to their own contemporaries