Hermeneutics (2)

4. Look for literary form.

Teaching

Discourse material like Jesus’ sermons.

The epistles could also be included.

Is the author teaching his audience something?

These passages explain Christian truths.

They are generally fairly easy to interpret and apply.

The challenge is figuring out what caused the author to teach the truth.

Clues can often be found in other parts of the Bible.

Narratives

A narrative is when the author simply records things that happened.

Much of the Old Testament narrates portions of the lives of the men that the character of the Bible lived.

These are commonly referred to as “stories”. Be careful using that word.

They are not simply stories.

They are true and accurate accounts of people and events.

You will also find narratives in parts of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts.

It is important to remember that these accounts are of people who both succeeded and failed.

We have both good and bad examples.

Learn where they did well and determine what Biblical principles they were exercising.

Learn where they went wrong and determine what attitudes and actions led up to that.

Poetry

This is found primarily in the Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and others.

Parables

This is found primarily in the parables of Christ.

It is very important to understand what parables are.

It is easy to misinterpret them.

Parables are short, imaginative, stories that have an important message.

They were used much like we would use a sermon illustration today.

Keep it simple.

Don’t “spiritualize” them.

Find out the reason the parable was given.

Miracles

These are primarily found in three periods of history.

You will find them prevalent when reading about Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and the apostles.

Prophecy

This type of literature is found primarily in parts of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, and also the Major and Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.

It is probably one of the most difficult genres to interpret. Prophecy is a word from God to warn, judge, instruct, or encourage people.

It can come in the form of warning about future events.

These are often difficult to deal with because the authors use a lot of symbolism in their language.

A key question to ask and answer during observation:

Is what I am ready descriptive or prescriptive?

Step 1: Observation

Step 2: Interpretation

Answering the question:

What does the passage mean?

The goal of interpretation is to determine the author’s original intended meaning by bridging the gaps.

A. Bridge the language gap.

There are two languages primarily used in the Bible.

The Old T was written in Hebrew.

The New T was written in koine Greek.

Some was probably written in Aramaic

Rome ruled the world and promoted the use of the Greek language as the trade language.

This is what most of the NT was written in so writers could reach the broadest audience.

It is vitally important to be able to define original greek words.

B. Bridge the historical and cultural gap.

We are separated from the authors by thousands of years and thousands of miles.

Most of us will never get the privilege of walking where the authors walked.

Even we we do, we will never see it as they saw it.

Immersing ourselves in the history and culture is incredibly helpful.

C. Bridge the literary gap.

This ties closely with the cultural gap.

Understand that each generation has a way of talking.

Things you used to say when you were younger are no longer said today, but we have new terms and phrases we use.

Imagine if you wrote something today that used these phrases: “That argument won’t hold water.”, “You must be pulling my leg.”, or “I’m under the weather today.”

Now imagine someone else trying to understand what you were saying three thousand years from now.

It isn’t hard to see that we simply need to slow down and think about what we are reading.

Don’t be discouraged by these gaps.

The bible is generally easy to understand.

It is not mystical.

God’s design is that every Christian can read and understand it.

Step 1: Observation

Step 2: Interpretation

Step 3: Application

Asking the question:

What am I going to do about what it says and means?

James 2:14–20 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

This passage teaches us that true faith must have a story to go with it.

This means if we say we have faith, there will be actions to back up what we say.

Hebrews 11 wouldn’t be so great if there was no action, no obedience to go with the faith.

Unfortunately, some Christians stop the Bible study process after the first two steps.

Bible study is not simply for the purpose of gaining knowledge, but to allow God’s Word to change us!

If we become very proficient at the first two steps, but not the last, we have failed as students of God’s Word.

Why is application so difficult?

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

A. Be honest with yourself.

God already knows your heart.

You can’t hide if from Him. Face the sin that His Word is revealing to you.

B. Be specific.

Often people make generic applications.

The Bible is not generic. God is communicating with you.

What specific things is He showing you that need to change?

Once you have identified these things,

C. Determine a course of action.

We are not going to change accidently. We need to be intentional.

We have not applied it until we have practiced it.