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

7. What is a concordance, a lexicon, and a expository dictionary, and how do they function in terms of enhancing our understanding of the biblical text? How ought they be used, and what cautions should we be aware of as we employ them? 8. What are exegetical commentaries, and how might they help in our efforts at interpreting the text of Scripture? 9. What particular principle must we keep in mind as we seek to liberally use the basic tools available to us? What must we always be careful of as we employ these tools in our Bible study?

Biblical Studies: Using Study Tools in Bible Study

Segment 2: Additional Theological Tools

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

In addition to the basic tools of biblical interpretation (i.e., a good translation of the Bible, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, Bible dictionary, concordance, and credible exegetical commentaries), there are additional tools which can enrich our understanding of the Word of God. These include several different translations of the Bible, a Bible atlas and handbook, a topical Bible, a dictionary of theology, and theological commentaries. Each of these tools focus on a particular challenge of biblical interpretation, from issues of language, culture, history, and theology. As with any tool, we must be careful to use them to enhance our knowledge of the text, neither denying nor downplaying the essential message of the Bible as it speaks to our salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. Our objective for this segment, Additional Theological Tools , is to enable you to see that: • In addition to the basic tools of biblical interpretation (i.e., a good translation of the Bible, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, Bible dictionary, concordance, and credible exegetical commentaries), there are more tools which can enrich our understanding of the Word of God. • The additional tools we ought to learn how to use include several different translations of the Bible, a Bible atlas and handbook, a topical Bible, a dictionary of theology, and theological commentaries.

Summary of Segment 2

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