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Lesson OneWhat is Biblical Interpretation?4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoA Short History of Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeBasic Principles of Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourInterpreting Narratives or Stories4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveInterpreting Poetry and Wisdom4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixInterpreting Prophecy4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenThe New Testament Use of the Old Testament4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightThe Theological Use of the Bible: Putting it All Together4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NineContemporary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenInterpreting the Cultural Aspects of the Bible4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ElevenWhen the Bible Doesn’t Address Our Questions4 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwelveInterpreting the Bible Devotionally4 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 228
Discussion Questions
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Do you agree with the lecturer that a person must be a born-again Christian in order to understand the Bible? Give reasons for your answer.
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45 Replies
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I agree in order for you to see the bible through the eyes of God you must be a born again Christian, anyone else outside of God can create it’s own understanding and it won’t line up with what God is actually saying.
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I don’t disagree with Dr. Kaiser. (However, I do know there are some very intelligent people in the world; and if they read the Bible with an open heart and without bias, it is still a POSSIBILITY to understand the Bible — even if they aren’t saved yet.)
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Yes. Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot have the help that only He can give. The Bible talks of Satan blinding the minds of them that don’t believe. How could someone properly interpret the Bible while being blinded?
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I agree with Dr. Kaiser in that for someone to understand the Bible, they must be born again. The word of God tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man cannot recieve things of the Spirit and that natural men are Spiritually discerned. The only way for someone to understand the Holy Bible is for them to give their life to God, then He can reveal things that only He knows.
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Yes, only a born-again Christian can understand the Bible because the natural man is hostile to God, and cannot and will not accept biblical truth. (This is evidenced in the concept of Total Depravity.) “The (unregenerate) heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9) “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Cor. 2:14)
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If we all come to the biblical text with bias and previous conditioning, how can we expect to arrive at an interpretation that resembles the authoritative Word of God?
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26 Replies
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Add prayer to the conversation which would allow everyone to have an open heart and understanding of what is being shared through others, so we then can can began to understand what God is saying to us.
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By asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and an open-heart before we begin reading!
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We come to everything in life with certain bias and conditioning due to our cultures and upbringing. But I believe that Biblical texts are revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. When we study God’s word, applying scripture to interpret scripture, we can find the true meanings and applications
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I think the most important things to combat our own biases and opinions is going to scripture in prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom.
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1. Stick with the Autographs and the literal definitions of the words.
2. Pray for wisdom. God promises wisdom to those who ask.
3. If you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, He will guide you to the truth.
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When believers interpret a passage differently (either within a church or across denominations), how should they relate to each other in a way that promotes unity in the Body of Christ and yet continues to minister God’s Word with conviction?
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43 Replies
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We should relate to each other with Love and patience
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I think it’s important to listen to other people’s understanding of the Bible so we can be open to hearing others’ perspectives. This gives both/all parties the opportunity for furthering our Biblical studies, personal education, and even mentorship. That’s an important aspect – inviting church mentors into the conversations to guide us toward spiritual understanding.
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Ask the Lord for clarification and the right words to say to glorify him and his word.
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They should relate to each other in gentleness and understanding. If one is clearly wrong, then explain with gentleness and encouragement the truth. If it’s something that is more widely not fully understood, prayer and further study together would be a great way to promote unity and understanding God’s Word.
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If it isn’t directly about salvation, it’s not worth arguing over. (“wood, hay, stubble”) Agree to disagree about the things that aren’t in defiance of Scripture and move on.