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

many of these accusations are overstated, it does seem that these claims do accurately capture what many seem to suggest about these translations. Do you feel that too much attention has been given to issues of political correctness in many of the modern translations, or are they simply updating the Word of God in a way that postmodern readers can understand it?

Biblical Studies: Using Study Tools in Bible Study

Segment 1: The Basic Tools

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

Thanks to the works of hundreds of dedicated scholars who cherish and love the Scriptures, we have access to a remarkable array of scholarly tools which can enable us to understand the meaning of the biblical text. The essential purpose of our use of scholarly tools is to help us bridge the various gaps between the biblical world and our own contemporary world. This bridging helps the diligent biblical interpreter to be more faithful to the Word of God by enabling him or her to reconstruct the meaning in its original context. The basic tools of biblical interpretation include a good translation of the Bible, Greek and Hebrew lexicons keyed to the Strong’s numbering system, a solid Bible dictionary, a concordance, and credible exegetical commentaries which focus on the biblical meanings of the passage. Used in their proper place and times, these tools can prove invaluable in bridging the gap between the biblical world and our understanding of that world. • As a result of hundreds of dedicated biblical scholars and new technologies, we now have access to a vast array of solid scholarly tools which can greatly enhance our ability to understand, apply, and teach others on the meaning of biblical texts. • Three purposes of using scholarly tools in biblical interpretation are their ability to help us bridge the various gaps between the biblical world and our own contemporary world, their ability to expose us to the vast explosion of remarkable tools that have emerged in our day, and their value in helping us be more faithful to the Word of God by enabling us to reconstruct their meaning in its original context. Our objective for this segment, The Basic Tools , is to enable you to see that:

Summary of Segment 1

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