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

Bible handbooks, study Bibles, and guides to biblical imagery provide background information on the author, date, and circumstances on the book, and certain uses of special language in interpretation and exegesis (symbol, metaphor, figurative language, etc.). Care should be used to distinguish between the commentators own views and the text itself . Commentaries help interpret the meaning of a particular book of Scripture from the vantage point of a pastor, scholar, or biblical interpreter. There are four major kinds of commentaries: devotional, doctrinal, exegetical, and homiletical. While invaluable in understanding the text, they are no substitute for our own firsthand study of the text itself. We rightly use these basic and additional tools as aids to help us bridge the gap between the two worlds: the world of the text and our contemporary world. No explanation or speculation from any interpreter should be accepted that denies or contradicts either the testimony of the Scriptures themselves, or the plain confession of the Scriptures about the person of Christ and his work of redemption through the Cross. Now is the time for you to discuss with your fellow students your questions about the use of tools in biblical interpretation. Thank God for such a rich and abundant amount of tools to aid us in our study of the Bible. We must be careful, however, never to substitute these tools for our study of the text itself. You must carefully assess your own use of tools in your personal use of the Bible, and seek to discover the right appropriation of them for your own growth’s sake. Use the questions below to assess how you currently employ these tools in your own study and use of the Bible. * How many of the basic tools do your currently own in your personal library? Of them, which tool do you use most often in your own study of the Scriptures? * How would you rate your awareness of the gap between the biblical world and our own contemporary world; how would you further grade yourself in overcoming that gap through your use of tools?

Student Application and Implications

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* Do you understand how the various tools function , in other words, how and in what way each tool provides knowledge to help you overcome some