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

Please take as much time as you have available to answer these and other questions that the video brought out. In this session we saw how the Three-Step Model is an effective method of biblical interpretation designed to help us understand the truth of Scripture and bridge the gap between our ancient and contemporary worlds. As students of Scripture, we need a method that respects the nature of the Scriptures as ancient literature, as well as the living Holy Spirit in the Church who is our teacher and guide as we seek the mind and will of God (1 Cor. 2.9-16). Review the materials of the video segment through the following questions, and use the Scriptures themselves to support your claims. 1. What is the definition of the Three-Step Model of biblical interpretation? How is this method particularly designed to help us bridge the gap between our ancient and contemporary worlds? Why is this activity of overcoming the distance between us and the world of the Bible so important for an accurate interpretation of the Bible? 2. Where in the Bible does it mention that an attention to method is important for understanding its meaning (cf. Acts 17.11; Isaiah 8.20; Ezra 7.10; etc.)? 3. What are the benefits and cautions associated with using any method in biblical interpretation? What safeguards do we have against becoming overly dependent on methods and our own understanding as we seek to discover the truths of God in Scripture and apply them to our lives? 4. Why is it always important to keep the “big picture” and “whole message” of the Bible in mind when engaging in studies of particular “parts” of the Scriptures? In what way should any study of the Word of God somehow directly connect with and explain the meaning and message of God’s final revelation to us in the person and wok of Jesus Christ? Give examples of your answer. 5. What is the “grammatical-historical” method of Bible study, and how does the Three-Step Model relate to it? In the same way, how does the Three-Step Model help us understand the plain sense meaning of the text, and the overall unity of the Bible? 6. Why is it key to respect the integrity of the text as it has come to us in its various forms (e.g., poetry, songs, epistles, history, etc.), and how does the Three-Step Model do so? 7. Outline briefly the critical reasons involved in each step of the Three-Step Model . How does each of the three steps help us overcome some of the

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Student Questions and Response

Not Just Knowing What It Is, but Also How to Handle It

When Paul tells Timothy to strive to be someone who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2.15), the assumption is that it is dangerously possible to be someone who does not correctly handle the word of truth. And that raises important questions about how to interpret the Bible. necessary not only to know what it is, but how to handle it. ~ Donald A. Carson. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition . (electronic ed. of the 4th ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997. To approach the Bible wisely it is

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