Lecture 5

Introduction to Biblical Interpretation Lecture 5 Shepherds College Scott Jacobsen, Instructor 29 October 2024 1 Agenda • Be read through the textbook up through chapter 10. • I have switched the presentations from Epistles as the first one to Gospels. • We are somewhat behind, but we will get through all the material. 2 Working through a text Step 1: Grasp the text in their town. What did the text mean to the original audience? Step 2: Measure the width of the river to cross. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us? Step 3: Cross the principlizing bridge. What is the theological principle in this text? Step 4: Consult the biblical map. How does this theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible? Step 5: Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today live out the theological principles? J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, Fourth Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 199. 3 Revelation 2:1-11 Steps 1&2 Ephesus Acts 18:19 Acts 18:21 Acts 18:24 Acts 19:1 Acts 19:17 Acts 19:26 Acts 19:35 Acts 20:16 Acts 20:17 1 Corinthians 15:32 Smyrna 1 Corinthians 16:8 Ephesians 1:1 1 Timothy 1:3 2 Timothy 1:18 2 Timothy 4:12 Revelation 1:11 Revelation 2:1 Revelation 1:11 Revelation 2:8 4 Information Ephesus Smyrna • Information on the • No Biblical church’s founding information • Information on • Historical future false teachers information • Polycarp lived and • Incidental was martyred in information Smyrna. • Polycarp was a disciple of John 5 Finding the “Principleizing Bridge.” Smyrna (them, then) Us, now • Facing immanent persecution. • False Jews • “synagogue of Satan.”” 6 Questions • Why does it matter what it meant? • We have to reject random an novel applications. • The original meaning is foundational to all meaning. 7 Some rules 8 Nonsense “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” False Dichotomy “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 1. Knowledge (even Bible knowledge) is contrary to caring. 2. I want to show you I care. 3. What I know is unimportant, until you know I care. Question to ask yourself: 4. Is this true in any other field? 5. Is Bible knowledge somehow incompatible with caring? Nonsense 2.0 “Always preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” Nonsense 2.0 “Always preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” 1. This assumes that the Gospel is preached by actions, not by words. 2. Creates a False dichotomy between words and action. Try this: “Feed the hungry. If necessary, use food.” Further Nonsense: Last One Today “Deeds not creeds.” Review of Approaching the Text 1. Read it several times, more than one translation. 2. Read the book (context) 3. Be aware of the genre (Epistle) 4. Be aware of the book in the Canon 1. New Testament 2. After the Cross 3. Relationship to the rest of Paul’s ministry— consider especially the book of Acts. 5. Always ask, “What did the first readers/hearers understand from this text?” 6. Outline the Text More on Approaching the Text (8 parts of speech) 1. Noun 2. Pronoun 3. Verb 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection Epistles What is meant by the term “occasional,” when referring to an epistle? Epistles: Historical Context 1. Consult a Bible Dictionary 2. Read the whole letter through in one sitting 3. Ask questions 1. “what you notice about the recipients themselves (e.g., whether Jew or Greek, whether wealthy or slave; their problems, attitudes, etc.) 2. Paul’s attitudes 3. any specific things mentioned as to the specific occasion of the letter 4. the letter’s natural, logical divisions” Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), 62. Epistles: Literary Context 1. Think paragraphs 2. Look for the logical flow of the argument 1. Connecting words 1. And 2. Therefore 3. But 4. Then Hermeneutics What does the text mean to us? Two Basic Rules of Hermeneutics 1. “A text cannot mean what it never could have meant to its author or his or her readers.” 2. “Whenever we share comparable particulars (i.e., similar specific life situations) with the first-century hearers, God’s Word to us is the same as his Word to them.” Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2014), 77-78 Hermeneutics: What Matters? 1. What the Epistles specifically indicate as matters of indifference may still be regarded as such: food, drink, observance of days, etc. 2. Matters of indifference are not inherently moral but are cultural—even if they stem from religious culture. Matters that tend to differ from culture to culture, therefore, even among genuine believers, may usually be considered to be matters of indifference (e.g., wine and nonwine cultures). Hermeneutics: What Matters? 3. The sin-lists in the Epistles (e.g., Rom 1:29–30; 1 Cor 5:11; 6:9–10; 2 Tim 3:2–4) never include the first-century equivalents of the items we have listed above. Moreover, such matters of indifference are never included among the various lists of Christian imperatives (e.g., Rom 12; Eph 5; Col 3; etc.). Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), 83 Hermeneutics and Cultural Relativity 1. One should first distinguish between the central core of the message of the Bible and what is dependent on or peripheral to it. 2. Similarly, one should be prepared to distinguish between what the New Testament itself sees as inherently moral and what is not. 3. One must make special note of items where the New Testament itself has a uniform and consistent witness and where it reflects differences. 4. It is important to be able to distinguish within the New Testament itself between principle and specific application. Hermeneutics and Cultural Relativity 5. It might also be important, as much as one is able to do this with care, to determine the cultural options open to any New Testament writer. 6. One must keep alert to possible cultural differences between the first and twenty-first centuries that are sometimes not immediately obvious. 7. One must finally exercise Christian charity at this point. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), 85-88 25 Discourse and Pericope 26 Introduction What is a discourse? Units of connected text that are longer than paragraphs. Introduction God’s message is not restricted to small units of text. Much of the message of the Bible is embedded in larger units of text. Things to Look for in Discourses 1. Connections between Paragraphs and Episodes Ask how your paragraph or episode connects with the paragraphs/episodes that come before and after the one you are studying. Things to Look for in Discourses “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel Things to Look for in Discourses that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.” Colossians 1:3-8 Things to Look for in Discourses “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, Things to Look for in Discourses being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Things to Look for in Discourses For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14 Things to Look for in Discourses Paul refers to having heard of the Colossians’ conversion. because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus… (1:4) Since the day we heard about you… (1:9) The Connections Things to Look for in Discourses Paul and Timothy are praying for the Colossians. when we pray for you… (1:3) we have not stopped praying for you… (1:9) The Connections Things to Look for in Discourses The first paragraph is the cause for prayer, while the second paragraph is the content of the prayer. because we have heard of your faith…(and) love (1:4) to fill you with the knowledge of his will… (1:9) The Connections Things to Look for in Discourses In the first paragraph Paul and Timothy thank God, while in the second paragraph, they want the Colossians to thank God. The Connections We always thank God…(1:3) giving joyful thanks to the Father… (1:12) Things to Look for in Discourses The repetition of fruit as a figure of speech. the gospel is bearing fruit and growing…(1:6) bearing fruit in every good work… (1:10) The Connections Things to Look for in Discourses 1. Connections between Paragraphs and Episodes • Look for repeated words and themes. • Identify logical connections. • Note conjunctions between paragraphs. • Pay attention to time sequence. Things to Look for in Discourses 2. Story Shifts: Major Breaks and Pivots Look for critical places where the story seems to take a new turn. Things to Look for in Discourses Major Breaks occur in letters. Pivot episodes occur in narratives. Things to Look for in Discourses Ephesians 1-3 • who has blessed us (1:3) • he made known to us the mystery of his will (1:9) • you were dead in your transgressions and sins (2:1) • God made us alive (2:5) • it is by grace you have been saved (2:5) Things to Look for in Discourses Ephesians 1-3 • God raised us up (2:6) • he himself is our peace (2:14) • this mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel (2:6) Things to Look for in Discourses Ephesians 4-6 • be completely humble (4:2) • make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (4:3) • you must no longer live as the Gentiles do (4:17) • put off falsehood (4:25) • do not give the devil a foothold (4:27) Things to Look for in Discourses Ephesians 4-6 • be kind and compassionate to one another (4:32) • follow God’s example (5:1) • be filled with the Spirit (5:18) • husbands, love your wives (5:25) • put on the full armor of God (6:11) Things to Look for in Discourses II Samuel 1-10 David’s life is good and the nation of Israel prospers. II Samuel 13-21 David’s life goes into a downward spiral. Things to Look for in Discourses What precipitates this dramatic change in David’s life? Things to Look for in Discourses THE PIVOT EPISODE II Samuel 11-12 David sleeps with Bathsheba, then plots the murder of her husband, Uriah. Things to Look for in Discourses 2. Story Shifts: Major Breaks and Pivots • In letters pay special attention to verbs. • In narrative pay special attention to important choices made by characters. Things to Look for in Discourses 3. Interchange A literary device that contrasts or compares two stories at the same time as part of the overall story development. Things to Look for in Discourses I Samuel 1:1-20 We are introduced to the main characters: Hannah (the mother of Samuel), Eli and his two sons Hophni and Phineas. Things to Look for in Discourses I Samuel 1:21-2:11 Hannah’s devotion to God is on display as she gives her son into his service and then worships in prayer. Things to Look for in Discourses I Samuel 2:12-36 The wickedness of Eli’s sons is on display. Then, a man of God comes and prophecies against Eli’s house. But Samuel was ministering before the Lord… (1:18a) Things to Look for in Discourses 3. Interchange • Pay special attention when the narrator flows effortlessly between telling two stories. • Stories organized this way are meant to interpret one another. Things to Look for in Discourses 4. Chiasm A list of items, ideas, or events that is structured in such a manner that the first item parallels the last item, the second item parallels the next to last item, and so forth. Things to Look for in Discourses “God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.” Psalm 76:1 The Chiasm a God is renowned b in Judah b’ in Israel a’ his name is Great Things to Look for in Discourses 4. Chiasm • Search for repeated words, similar ideas and contrasted ideas. • Does the end of an episode parallel the beginning? • Do paralleling items fall in order? • Is there a center to the chiasm, which contains the central idea? Things to Look for in Discourses 5. Inclusio A literary technique in which a passage has the same or a similar word, statement, event or theme at the beginning and at the end. Things to Look for in Discourses Psalm 8 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! This statement occurs both in v. 1 and at the close of this Psalm in v. 9. Things to Look for in Discourses Joshua 2 Rahab who believed and is saved Joshua 3-6 The preparation and capture of Jericho Joshua 7 Achan who disobeys and is destroyed Things to Look for in Discourses 5. Inclusio • Pay careful attention to similar words, statements, events, or themes that occur at the beginning and at the end of an episode. • Remember inclusios may span many chapters. 63 Assignment! 1. How does the context inform the meaning of this passage? Please consider: a) the literary context (passages before and after the passage), b) the historical context (circumstances of the audience), and c) the biblical context (citations/allusions or historical connections to other books that the author is making). 64 Assignment! 2. How has the author organized this passage? Please a) show the structure in sections with verse references and b) explain what strategies you used to see this structure. 65 Assignment! 3. Drawing on your work to this point, state the author’s aim for his audience (in one short sentence). 66 Assignment! 4. What parts of this passage connect to the gospel of Jesus Christ? What part of the gospel is in view? 67 Assignment Drawing on your work to this point, what conclusion will you argue to your audience (in one short sentence)? What applications will you make for your audience? 68 Assignment 6. What is your sermon title and your preaching outline? 69