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How do we go about choosing a good bible translation?
A good translation of the bible will reflect the realities of the original texts.
What is hermeneutics?
The process of devising the best methods for understanding and interpreting Scripture. The term comes from the Greek word for hermeneutic, “to interpret.”
What are other helpful tools to help with reading the bible in context?
Other helpful study tools include a lexicon which explains the words of scripture and a theological dictionary to develop a deeper understanding of words and their usage.
. Is postmodernism compatible with orthodox Christianity?
Many theologians are disturbed by the postmodern focus on self
What are free translations?
Free Translations: attempt to translate the ideas from one language to another, with less concern about using the exact words of the original. A free translation, sometimes also called a paraphrase tries to eliminate as much of the historical distance as possible and stil be faithful to the original text. (NEB,LB,MSG)
What is the goal of deconstruction?
They strive to deconstruct a writer's motive for writing a text instead of trying to learn the truth about the world, they dissent an author’s words, trying to discern and then expose an author’s underlying worldview.
Why is it important to read the bible for ourselves?
We can’t get into shape by watching other people exercise. Nor can we grasp the Bible by reading about it. We have to get seriously into the for ourselves.
When is it appropriate to ask, “what does this text mean to me?”
It is appropriate to ask once we ask two other questions which are:
What does it say? (exegesis)
What does it mean? (hermeneutics)
Then we cann ask what does this text mean to me
What is a helpful tool when trying to ensure we read the bible in context?
One helpful tool in understanding both the content and context of scripture is a bible commentary a book written by a theologian to help people better understand scripture.
What does postmodernism teach?
Postmodernism teaches that ultimate reality is inaccessible knowledge is a social construct and truth claims are political power plays.
What is Exegesis?
Exegesis refers to the proper interpretation of a passage of scripture based on careful study and analysis
deconstruction is a method of literary analysis that questions the ability of languages to represent reality adequately and seeks to discern and expose the purported underlying ideologies of a text.
What are Functional Equivalence Translations?
Functional Equivalence Translations: Attempt to keep the meaning of the Nebrew or Greek but to put their words and idioms into what would be the normal way of saying the same thing in English. (NAB,NLT)
How did the printing press change the Bible’s impact on civilization?
people were inspired to learn to read and it established a Christian tradition embraced by nearly a billion people today
What are Functional Equivalence Translations?
Functional Equivalence Translations: Attempt to keep the meaning of the Nebrew or Greek but to put their words and idioms into what would be the normal way of saying the same thing in English. (NAB,NLT)
What is wrong with making Jeremiah 29:11 a personal life verse?
it was originally directed toward the nation of Israel and not specifically to any of us.
When studying the bible, which questions should we be asking?
What does it say? (exegesis)
What does it mean? (hermeneutics)
What does it mean to me? (application)
How should Christians handle doubt?
When you experience doubt or have questions, don't bury them. Share them with a trusted pastor, teacher, or mentor.
WHat re the ten common mistakes made when
We assume the bible doesn’t need to be interpreted
We assume the bible applies uniquely to us
We ignore passages that don’t fit our theology
We treat the bible allegorically
We feel that our study is fruitless if we have not discovered new truth
We focus on what the text “means to me”
We assume the bible isn’t relevant to us today
We take the bible out of context
We interpret the Bible based on contemporary moral standards
We try to make the bible fit contemporary standards for political correctness
What are the types of genres in the bible and Why is it important to understand them?
Genres in the bible include poetry, historical narratives, legal prescriptions, prophecies, psalms, proverbs, parables, letters, and apocalyptic literature.
Understanding the genre helps us to determine how to interpret a passage properly.
What is the difference between descriptive passage and prescriptive passage?
.Most of the Bible is descriptive in nature. It tells of past events, explores the lives of our ancestors he good, the bad, and the ugly), and provides a record of God's active plan of redemption. A descriptive passage teaches us through inference and example, giving us a sense of where the people of God have been, so that we might discern our future more clearly.
A prescriptive passage, on the other hand, provides specific hallmarks of how we ought to live, how we ought to make decisions, and how we ought to think. There are many "prescriptive passages" in the Bible, passages that reflect something of God's nature and the created order and, thus, form commands to be obeyed or values to be adopted: Good examples are these:
Exodus 20:2–17 (the Ten Commandments)
Matthew 5:1–16 (the Sermon on the Mount)
Matthew 28:16–20 (the Great Commission)
What is the historical context?
Historical context refers to "the time and culture of the author and his readers, that is the geographical, topographical, and political factors that are relevant to the author's setting; and the occasion of the book, letter, psalm, prophetic oracle, or other genre."
How can reading the Bible change us?
1. The bible is part of the means by which, in the power of the Spirit, the living God rescues his people and his world
2. The bible takes them forward on the journey toward his new creation, and makes us agents of that new creation even as we travel.
What is the literary context?
Literary context refers to the genre, structure, and grammar of a text. As Fee and Stuart phrase it, "Biblical sentences for the most part only have clear meaning in relation to preceding and succeeding sentences." They continue, "The most important contextual question you will ever ask—and it must be asked over and over of every sentence and every paragraph—is, 'What's the point?'"
What is postmodernism and what are their beliefs?
Postmodernism is a skeptical worldview founded as a reaction to modernism which is suspicious sof metanarrative
Postmodernism denies the existence of objective truth
They believe texts claiming to speak “the truth” must undergo a deconstruction to reveal their underlying assumptions and intentions.