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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 203
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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To understand yes but to apply the general principles of the bible I don’t believe that one has to necessary be a Christian to do that. Case in point, the world for decades has monetized biblical principles and passed them off as “original thought” and use them to build world systems. Ecclesiastes 11 talks about a method of trade and diversification of assists. Sounds like financial planners of today to me. In Exodus 18 Jethro told moses to appoint able men over groups of people, sounds like corporate structure.
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Yes because the word says spiritual only can be understood spiritually
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Absolutely yes. I do see some with a lot of head knowledge, and no application. However, the Bible is God’s inspired word (2 Tim 3:16). In several places we can find where Jesus has spoken in ways that we need His understanding to interpret correctly. The parables were a great example with the apostles having to seek out meaning. In surrendering our lives to Christ, He indwells our spirit with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide and direct us (John 16:13).
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Absolutely. Scripture supports this view through Jesus’ words during His earthly ministry that only those who have ears will hear the truth of His message, a point He makes repeatedly. And we see in the account of Philip and the Ethiopian official in Acts 8, for example, where Philip interprets scripture for him, then he asks to be baptized as an outward display of his understanding and acceptance of the Gospel. Our acceptance of salvation and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gives us hunger and means to feed ourselves spiritually by understanding how to feast on the “meat” of the Bible.
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The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), therefore to fully understand the Bible one has to be in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit. It is possible to understand the Bible from a purely academic point of view, but to understand the spiritual truth needs prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit, whose mind we should seek.
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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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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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They should remember that the interpretation of a passage is based on different factors. Some for example are the study tools, ones knowledge and understanding of the entire passage and most importantly spiritual guidance and revelation. Therefore, they should think about whose interpretation is correct? Was it through exegesis that they came up with their interpretation or eisegesis? Interpretation is also based on the passion for the word. It takes time to carefully study and interpret the word. We should always be careful and treat each other with love.
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With Love
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Listen with the intent to understand and leave room for there could be more and then add to what was said by giving verbatim words from scripture
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First of all, when Jesus came the people expected a conquering king. The apostles needed explanations to the parables. We are finite in our interpretation and our intellect. No one person or denomination has a lock on all that is right and true. That said there are certain principles that are cornerstones in faith; (ie. born of a virgin, was crucified, died and was buried). Yet rose again. Secondly, i do not see any stand alone verses. All that said, i think we respond with humility and love. Accepting someone else’s thought or opinion does not make it your own. But being able to love our neighbor as ourselves is a commandment. Eph 4:1-6
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First, it’s important to acknowledge that we should approach interpretation in humility and understanding that more unites than divides us as Bible-believing Christians. There are many unknowns in this scenario – what points of different interpretation? Is this meaning or application? And, as others have mentioned, did the differing groups both adhere to the rules of hermeneutics, prayerfully going into the Scriptures seeking meaning rather than applying their contemporary to the passage in question? Is the goal to find common ground along the lines of central truths in the Bible that both groups accept and to test these interpretations against these truths to see if they align or veer away from accepted doctrine? If our goal is to seek the Lord’s will through understanding His Word and submitting to testing our own understanding against central truths of the Bible, we can agree to hold different interpretations without misaligning our fellow believers. If their interpretation goes against or negates a central truth of Scripture, we can try to guide them to these truths by sharing evidence from the Bible, but we cannot affirm what seems to go against it.