7.1-7.4
What's wrong with making Jeremiah 29:11 a personal life verse?
It was a promise uniquely made to the Jews at a particular point in history and within particular circumstances.
What is deconstruction?
Deconstructions: A method of literary analysis that questions the ability of language to represent reality adequately and seeks to discern and expose the purported underlying ideologies of a text. Texts claiming to speak “the truth” must undergo a deconstruction to reveal their underlying assumptions and intentions.
Why is it important to read the Bible for ourselves?
We can’t get in shape by watching other people exercise. Nor can we grasp the Bible by reading about it. We have to get seriously into the text for ourselves.
What’s the difference between “historical context” and “literary context”?
Historical context refers to the time and culture of the author and his audience, that is the geographical, topographical, and political factors that are relevant to the setting. It also refers to the occasion of the book, letter, psalm, prophetic oracle, or other writing. Two good historical questions to ask are: “What occasioned the writing?” and “What is the purpose of the writing?” Literary context refers to the genre, structure, and grammar of a text. As Fee and Stuart explain, the “Biblical sentences for the most part only have clear meaning in relation to preceding and succeeding sentences… The most important contextual question you will ever ask is “what is the point?”
What are Formal Equivalence Translations?
An attempt to keep as close to the form of the Hebrew or Greek
How can reading the Bible change us?
The Bible isn’t simply a repository of true information about God, Jesus, and the hope of the world. It is, rather, part of the means by which, in the power of the Spirit, the living God rescues his people and his world, and takes them forward on the journey toward his new creation, and make us agents of that new creation even as we travel.
Is Postmodernism compatible with orthodox Christianity?
Many theologians are disturbed by the postmodern focus on self.
What is one helpful tool for understanding the Bible and what is it?
Bible commentary, a book written by a theologian to help people better understand scripture.
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 are Functional Equivalence Translations
An attempt to keep the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek but to put their words and idioms into what would be the normal way of saying the same thing in English
Who made the printing press and how did the printing press change the Bible's impact on civilization?
The printing press was made by Gutenberg. As Bibles became available, people were inspired to learn to read. The Bible and books about the Bible and theology changed civilization. Elizabeth Eisenstein shows that the mass production of Martin Luther’s writing gave life to the Protestant Reformation, establishing a Christian tradition embraced by nearly a billion people today.
What is the goal of "deconstruction"?
Instead of trying to learn the truth about the world, they dissect an author’s words, trying to discern and then expose an author’s underlying worldview.
How can we ensure we’re reading the Bible in context?
The term content refers to the meaning of words or the subject matter of a written work. Context refers to the content surrounding a written work.
What’s the difference between “descriptive passages” and “prescriptive passages”?
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 provides specific hallmarks of how we ought to live, how we ought to make decisions, and how we ought to think. Prescriptive passages reflect something of God’s nature and the created order, and this form commands to be obeyed or values to be adopted. Good examples are these: The 10 Commandments, The Semon on the Mount, The Great Commission
What are translations between formal and functional?
NIV and TNIV are between formal and functional translations
When studying the Bible we should ask the following of the text
What does it say? (exegesis)
What does it mean? (hermeneutics)
What does it mean to me? (application)
What is "hermeneutics"?
to interpret
What is Free Translations?
An 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 still be faithful to the original text.
What do Postmoderns believe?
Postmodernism denies the existence of objective truth. Truth changes from person to person.
What are the genres of the Bible?
Poetry, historical narratives, legal prescriptions, prophecies, psalms, proverbs, parables, letters, and apocalyptic literature.
What is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism: A skeptical worldview, founded as a reaction to modernism, which is suspicious of metanarratives and teaches that ultimate reality is inaccessible, knowledge is a social construct, and truth claims are political power plays.
What is the difference between "exegesis" and "hermeneutics"?
Large-scale interpretation (hermeneutics) must begin with the small-scale wrestling with each chapter, verse, line, and word (exegesis).
Why is it important to understand “genre”?
Understanding the genre helps us to determine how to interpret a passage properly. It also helps us grapple with some of the uncomfortable things in the Bible’s historical narratives.
A commentary should supply 3 things :
Lexicon, which explains the words of scripture, and a theological dictionary
The Bible is mostly ____ in _____.
Most of the Bible is descriptive in nature.