1. Biblical Interpretation: Step 1
Biblical Interpretation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:27
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Grasping God’s Word, by Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays
Grasping God’s Word, by Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays
Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. Third Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
Step 1: Grasping the text in their town.
Assumption:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
If all Scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, then all Scripture was included in the Bible for a reason. God intends every single verse to be instructive and beneficial to the reader. There are no filler verses. If you don’t understand why the passage is included in the Bible, you don’t understand the passage.
If you move straight from your initial reading of a passage to the application of that passage, you will remain tied to your previous understanding of that text. You will rarely see anything new and exciting in the text, and the Bible will become boring for you. Likewise, it is unlikely that you will hear anything new from God, and your relationship with him is likely to be stagnant. God wants to have deeper and more mature conversations with you, but if you are tied to superficial and surface readings of the Bible or if you always assume that you have already seen and understood all there is, then your relationship with God will tend to stay at the same level. Likewise, any teaching or preaching you do will tend to be flat and boring or a reflection of something other than Scripture. The Bible, however, is the Word of God, and it is not boring. We simply need to learn how to read it with more insight and understanding.
Interpreting Jonah 1:1-3
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
Interrogate the text.
Interrogate the text.
Who?
If Dialogue/Epistle/Prophecy: Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to/for?
God (“Yahweh”) speaks to Jonah the prophet, the son of Amittai
If Narrative/Poetic: Who is the author? Who are they writing to/for?
Probably Jonah, but unnamed.
Written for the benefit of pre-exilic Israel and Judah
Who are the characters in the story?
Jonah the prophet, the son of Amittai
God
Nineveh
“Assyria was a militaristic society with a reputation for violence and cruelty in warfare. Their religion was polytheistic. Ashur, Adad, Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar were the chief deities of the Assyrian pantheon, Ashur being regarded as the most powerful. The Assyrian gods were patron gods, worshiped for their blessing and protection of specific cities. The patron deity of Nineveh was Ishtar, goddess of love and war.” John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jon 1:2.
Assyria would later be one of God’s instruments of judgment upon Israel. Sennacherib was one of the Kings of Assyria who lived at Nineveh (2 Kgs 19:36)
Crew of the ship (minor characters)
What?
What is the author saying? What is going on in the passage?
The author describes Jonah’s calling to go preach to Nineveh and Jonah’s subsequent refusal and attempt to flee from God.
Instead of going where God told him, Jonah flees.
What happened before this passage?
Probably a long, sordid past of offenses and prejudices between the two peoples
What happens after this passage?
Jonah is swallowed by the whale, he repents, etc.
When?
When does this passage take place?
Probably during the reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel ca. 786-746 BC (See 2 Kgs 14:25)
When was this written?
Sometime after Jonah preaches and Nineveh repents
Where?
Where is this passage unfolding?
Gath Hepher—Jonah’s birthplace, a town in Galilee near Nazareth (See 2 Kgs 14:25)
Nineveh, Assyria—one of four great Assyrian cities
Tarshish—“Probably Tartessus in southern Spain, perhaps the most distant city known to Israel. Tartessus was a Phoenician colony. At this time, Phoenicia was a close ally of Israel, an alliance solidified with the marriage between King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel, a Phoenician princess.” John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jon 1:3.
Joppa—the closest port city to Jerusalem, about 30 miles NW of Jerusalem on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Where was it written?
Probably in his hometown, Gath Hepher
This can be more significant in some cases (i.e., Paul’s final instructions to Timothy are written while sitting in jail awaiting execution, Jeremiah’s Laments are probably written in exile in Egypt.)
Where was the original audience?
Israel
Judah
Why?
Why does the author say what he says?
Why is this in the Bible? (For now, answer from the perspective of the original audience.)
To help Israelites understand that God cares for even their enemies
To help Israelites understand that they can’t escape God’s presence or evade his commands
How?
How is the author communicating? What genre or style is he using?
Some think Jonah is allegorical
Most likely it is historical; most objections to its historicity seem to come from an anti-supernatural bias.
How should we understand or interpret the passage? Is it symbolic, allegory/parable, narrative, exhortatory, prophetic, wisdom, etc.?
It’s a historical narrative with a theological lesson
Now, summarize the passage in third person in your own words (i.e., “Paul tells the Corinthians to…” or “Samuel describes a time when David...”)
Reading Carefully
Reading Carefully
As we’re reading Scripture, we will gain a better understanding of the text if we read it carefully and pay attention to key details, including the following:
Repetition of words—Look for words and phrases that repeat.
This can give us an idea of what the predominant theme(s) of a passage is/are.
John 15:1-10 Key words: abide/remain branch vine fruit
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
Contrasts—Look for ideas, individuals, and/or items that are contrasted with each other. Look for differences.
Rom. 6:23
wages contrasted with gift
death contrasted with life
sin contrasted with God
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Comparisons—Look for ideas, individuals, and/or items that are compared with each other. Look also for similarities.
3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
Jas. 3:3-6, the tongue is compared to:
A bit for a horse
A rudder for a ship
A fire
Lists—Anytime the text mentions more than two items, identify them as a list.
Gal. 5:19-23
Fruit of the Spirit vs. Works of the Flesh
For lists: is there an order of priority?
Cause and effect—Look for cause-and-effect relationships.
Pro. 15:1
Rom. 12:2
Q: What is the cause stated for being able to discern the will of God?
A: Transformation caused by the renewal of your mind
1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Figures of speech—Identify expressions that convey an image, using words in a sense other than the normal literal sense.
Is. 40:31
Mt. 23:27
Mt. 5:29
How do we know if it’s a figure of speech or literal?
Does the author use “like” or “as” in the construction or give human attributes to non-human things? (Similes, metaphors, anthropomorphisms, etc.)?
Is the author/speaker prone to using figures of speech? Are there any others in the immediate context?
Does a literal interpretation make sense? Would a literal interpretation contradict other passages?
How do other biblical authors understand the passage?
Conjunctions—Notice terms that join units, like “and,” “but,” “for.” Note what they are connecting.
“Whenever you see a “therefore,” find out what it’s there for.”
Rom 12:1
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Connects the following imperative back to the preceeding 11 chapters concerning God’s grace
“In light of all that God has done for you…present your bodies...”
Verbs—Note whether a verb is past, present, or future; active or passive; and the like.
Active verbs—the subject is the one doing the action
Passive verbs—the subject is the recipient, beneficiary, or victim of the action
Identify the verbs in these passages:
Col. 3:1
Eph. 1:11
Eph. 2:8-10
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Pronouns—Identify the antecedent for each pronoun.
What are the primary pronouns Jeremiah uses of God in Lam. 3:13-22? He & His (third person pronoun)
Who is Jeremiah speaking to? His reader(s)
Who is he speaking about? God
What about in Lam. 3:23?
Who is Jeremiah speaking to? God
Who is he speaking about? God
In the midst of our lamentation, we must not forget to speak to God and not just about him!
13 He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver; 14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the object of their taunts all day long. 15 He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood. 16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; 17 my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 18 so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.” 19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Questions and answers—Note if the text is built on a question-and-answer format.
Make sure you understand why the question is being asked. Why does Paul pose this question in Rom 6:1?
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Because he stated previously in Rom. 5:20 that God pours out more grace where there is more sin
Paul doesn’t want his readers to misunderstand and think that God’s grace is an excuse for licentious living.
Sometimes biblical authors use stories to answer questions (which may be explicit or implicit).
Example of explicit questions answered by stories: Mk. 2:1-3:6
Q: Mk 2:7, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” A: Mk 2:10
Q: Mk 2:16, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” A: Mk 2:17
Q: Mk 2:18, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” A: Mk 2:19
Q: Mk 2:24, “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” A: Mk 2:25, 28
Q: Mk 3:4, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” A: none.
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible 2. Questions and Answers
This technique is not limited to Paul’s letters. Mark uses the question-and-answer format in several places as the backdrop for the story of Jesus. For example, in Mark 2:1–3:6 there are five episodes that revolve around a question and an answer. The five questions are:
1. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7)
2. “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (2:16)
3. “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” (2:18)
4. “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” (2:24)
5. “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (3:4)
The first four questions are raised by opponents of Jesus. The Pharisees and others are challenging the religious behavior of Jesus and his disciples. In the verses that follow each question, Jesus answers the inquiry with a clear justification of his actions.
1. “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” (2:10)
2. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (2:17b)
3. “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?” (2:19)
4. “Have you never read what David did …? The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (2:25, 28)
The fifth question, however, is asked by Jesus and is directed at the Pharisees. The answer to his question is obvious, for the lawful thing is to “do good,” as Jesus does by healing the man’s shriveled hand, and not to “do evil” and “to kill” as the Pharisees are plotting to do to Jesus (3:6). However, even though Jesus has answered their questions, they fail to answer his.
Note that Mark balances this five-question episode that occurs early in his book with another five-question episode at the end of his book (11:27–12:40). The opponents are the same in each episode. Also, in each episode the opponents ask the first four questions and Jesus asks the last question.
Example of implicit questions answered by stories: John 3
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Jeopardy-style: Author provides the answer, you have to supply the question!
Answer: John 3:3
What is the implied question?
Why are we (the Pharisees) not able to accept you even though we can’t refute your miracles or deny that you’re from God?
Dialogue—Note if the text includes dialogue. Identify who is speaking and to whom.
Some dialogues are obvious and easy to identify, like John 4
Some are more subtle, like Habakkuk.
Hab 1:1-4 Habakkuk asks God why he allows injustice to continue
Hab 1:5-11 God responds by promising an invasion
Hab 1:12-2:1 Habakkuk objects
Hab 2:2-20 God responds that judgement is inevitable
Means—Note if a sentence indicates that something was done by means of someone/something (answers “how?”). Usually you can insert the phrase “by means of” into the sentence.
What are the means by which we can avoid gratifying the desires of the flesh, as stated in Gal. 5:16-17? Living by the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Sometimes Scripture distinguishes between the immediate means and the ultimate cause.
Ultimate cause—the primary or ultimate factor or party responsible for something, without which it would not be possible; often marked with the word “by” in the Bible
Immediate means—the less significant, but still necessary, catalyst for something which cooperates with the ultimate cause; often marked with the word “through”
What is the ultimate cause and immediate means of the authorship of Scripture in 2 Pet. 1:21?
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Ultimate cause—Holy Spirit
Means—Men speaking
What is the ultimate cause and immediate means of our salvation in Eph. 2:8-9?
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ultimate cause—God’s grace
Means—Our faith
Purpose/result statements—These are a more specific type of “means,” often telling why. Purpose and result are similar and sometimes indistinguishable. In a purpose statement, you usually can insert the phrase “in order that.” In a result clause, you usually can insert the phrase “so that.”
Rom 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
1 Cor. 1:28-29
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Conditional clauses—A clause can present the condition by which some action or consequence will result. Often such statements use an “if … then” framework (although in English the “then” is often left out).
Deut. 28:1
1 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Rom. 10:9
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
General to specific and specific to general—Find the general statements that are followed by specific examples or applications of the general. Also find specific statements that are summarized by a general one.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Can you find an example of the general to specific pattern in Gal. 5:16-23?
What is/are the General exhortation(s)? To “walk by the Spirit” and to “not gratify the desires of the flesh”
What is/are the Specific exhortations which elaborate on these general exhortations?
to exercise love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (vv. 22-23)
to abstain from sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, etc. (vv. 19-21)
How does recognizing the general to specific pattern that is employed in these verses help us better understand them?
To walk by the Spirit means to live in love, joy, peace, patience, etc.
To gratify the desires of the flesh means to live in immorality, impurity, idolatry, etc.
Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:
Climax is reached in vv. 51-53 where Stephen makes a general conclusion: “Like your fathers, you always resist the Holy Spirit when he works”
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
If this is the general statement which summarizes his message, what are some of the specific examples he gives to support his conclusion? (See esp. vv. 9, 25, 35, 37, 39-41, & 48.)
Jealousy of Joseph
Misunderstanding God’s plan through Moses
Rejecting God’s appointed prophet, Moses
Rejecting the prophet whom Moses foretold, Jesus
Idolatry
Refusal to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit’s work cannot be contained within the temple
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’
39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
This last accusation hits at the heart of the conflict between Stephen and the temple rulers
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”
Stephen and the other disciples were working miracles through the power of the Spirit, preaching that the temple was passing away, and challenging the authority of the temple priests. Stephen’s sermon highlights numerous specific examples of how they and their forefathers “always resist the Holy Spirit.”
Actions/roles of God and people—Identify actions or roles that the text ascribes to God or to people
Eph 4:32-5:2
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Actions of God: forgiving sinners, self-sacrifice
Actions of People: being kind, forgiveness, imitation of God, love, self-sacrifice
Jn 15:1-5
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Actions of God: pruning fruitful branches, abiding in believers, producing fruit in the life of believers
Actions of People: abide in Christ
Emotional terms—Does the passage use terms that have emotional energy, like kinship words (“father,” “son”) or words like “pleading”?
When you’re reading, place emphasis on the emphatic and emotional words. If you don’t feel what the author is feeling, you probably either don’t understand what they’re saying or you have a heart problem!
Rom. 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Mk. 14:36, Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:6
36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Tone of the passage—What is the overall tone of the passage: happy, sad, encouraging, and so on?
What is the tone of Job 38:1-5? Sarcastic, rebuking
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
What is the tone of 1 Cor. 15:50-58? Victorious, encouraging
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Homework
Homework
Using the skills we have talked about in Step 1, make at least 30 observations on 1 Cor. 15:1-11. Pay particular attention to pronouns, means, causality, general-to-specific statements (and vice-versa), conditionals, lists, conjunctions, contrasts, etc.
Repetition of relative pronoun “which” in vv. 1-3 refers back to the antecedent “the gospel”
Past tense of “preached,” “received,” and “stand” indicates completed actions
“by which you also are being saved” in v. 2 indicates present, ongoing action
Two conditional statements in v. 2, “if ye keep in memory what i preached unto you, unless you believed in vain.”
“that which I also received” in v. 3 refers back again to the gospel in v. 1
“first of all” refers to “that which I also received” (aka, the gospel), and seems to mark this out as of primary importance in all Paul’s communication with the Corinthians.
the gospel is given in list format from vv. 3-8 (General to Specific: the gospel —> list)
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (v. 3)
He was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures (v. 4)
He was seen by Peter, the twelve, five hundred people at once, James, the rest of the apostles, then Paul. (List within a list)
Seems to be some hierarchy within the list based upon his listing of Peter first and himself last
“For” in v. 9 connects Paul’s previous statement “last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time” to his following statement “I am the least of the apostles”; implies a logical connection of causation between Christ’s appearing to Paul last in the list
“because” in v. 9 gives explanation for why Paul considers himself the “least of the apostles”
“Christ died for our sins” in the sense of “on behalf of”
Parallels in Heb. 5:1-3
1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
This contradicts the so-called “moral example” theory of the atonement in which Christ’s death is said to be merely an example of self-sacrifice rather than a substitutionary atonement.
“according to the Scriptures” appears twice—vv. 3 & 4—and probably refers back to the OT prophecies, possibly also NT scriptures
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
“by the grace of God” indicates the agency by which Paul is able to be an apostle, despite his inherent unworthiness (v. 10)
pronoun “they” in v. 10 refers back to the other apostles
“the grace of God” stands in as the co-subject of the phrase “I laboured more abundantly than they all” in v. 10
“we” in v. 11 refers inclusively to Paul and the apostles
The preaching of the apostles is connected with their belief in v. 11 and plays a central role in the proclamation of the gospel in vv. 1-3.
Paul spends a lot of time discussing and naming all the witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection
Paul spends a lot of time discussing the historical facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection and almost no time on abstract concepts like “confession,” “belief,” “repentance,” etc.
Verse 2 seems to hint at a rebuking tone with its conditional statements about salvation.
J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), ch. 3-5.