Bible Interpretation, Student Workbook, SW05

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B I B L E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

Now is the time for you to discuss with your fellow students your questions about your understanding of the Three-Step Model , and methodical Bible study in particular. The kinds of relationships between our own attitude, our chosen method of study, the Spirit, resource tools, other Christians, and our leaders demand clarity and wisdom. Scholars, church workers, pastors and preachers, and lay-persons alike have struggled with the questions of biblical interpretation for centuries, and now is your chance to join the conversation! Use the questions below to start you on your journey of exploration about the nature of your own biblical study. * With all the confusion and doubt caused by modern biblical criticism, should we be skeptical at using any method, including the Three-Step Model as our way of studying Scripture? How do we know that even the Three-Step Model won’t be twisted and lead to a denial of the orthodox doctrines of the Christian faith? * How can we say that employing a method like the Three-Step Model is not merely an enlightened form of “don’t lean on your own understanding” (Prov. 3.5-6)? * With the abundance of studies being done on every imaginable subject under the sun, how do we ensure that all of our insights line up with the message of the whole Bible? How do we avoid “majoring on the minors” in our study of the Bible? Give practical examples. * What role do our leaders (i.e., bishops, pastors, mentors, well-known Christian leaders, etc.) play in taking our own personal interpretations as authoritative ? Should we hold to an interpretation of Scripture that we have found in our study if it is contradicted by what Christianity has taught in the creeds and throughout Church history? Explain. * Why should we be open to having others criticize our findings and ideas before we begin to suggest that we have discovered general principles that are binding on all members of the Church? What kind of attitudes should we demonstrate when we speak about new things we have learned from the Lord in our studies? * How should we take a person, however scholarly or well-studied, who is unwilling to have their own ideas weighed and checked against the teaching of the Scriptures themselves? How does the Berean example and reaction to

Student Application and Implications

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