Mentor's Manual

Append i x 171

between the biblical world and our own contemporary world, to take advantage of the 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. 3. Recognize and explain what are considered the basic and elemental tools to all biblical interpretation including 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. 4. Recognize and explain those tools which can provide additional insight into the meaning of biblical texts, includ- ing several different translations of the Bible, a Bible atlas and handbook, a topical Bible, a dictionary of theology, and finally theological commentaries which focus on the larger theological context of the passage. 5. Explain the three languages in which the Bible was written (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), and identify the particular challenges associated with making good translations, including the difficulties of word usage, cultural distinctions, contextual considerations, and differences among the translators themselves. 6. Explain the meaning of concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, and commentaries, and show how to use the particular tools in the context of biblical interpretation, as well as offer a suggestion for each that could enhance our exegesis of Scripture. 7. Define the role of cross-reference aids in biblical exegesis (e.g., topical bibles, cross-reference bibles, and topical guides and concordances), define their benefits for study, and lay out some of the major cautions we should be aware of when we use such tools. 8. Lay out the reasons for employing Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and handbooks dealing with customs and history, identifying the benefits of such tools, as well as the caution of what wrong use or over-reliance on them can produce in our own interpretation. 9. Cite the definition, benefits, and cautions associated with the use of Bible handbooks, study Bibles, and guides to biblical imagery, demonstrating their usefulness and our caution in employing them in our study.

Teaching Objectives for Capstone, by Module