How To Read The Bible

For All Its Worth!

Goals For This Class

To give a basic approach to understanding the biblical text

To examine historical methods of interpretation

To consider other methods of interpretationTo promote unity of shared understandingTo relate elders’ views on interpretation

Not Goals For This Class

To ensure everybody believes what I doTo ensure everybody believes the same thingTo debate controversial passages of scriptureTo negate or endorse any particular

interpretative approachTo confuse, frustrate, or agitate truthseekers

Biblical Tools And Translations

Biblical Tools And Translations

Why Use Them?

What do you see?

Right or Left Window

Is this window on the right or left of this building?

Do the two lines appear to be Straight Or Crooked?

Sender

INTENT

Pre-natalGeneticGeographyCulturalGenderRacialPhysical

EmotionalMentalEducationalSocialSpiritualFamily Origin

MESSAGE

WordsLooks

GesturesTones

PosturesSilence

Receiver

Pre-natalGeneticGeographyCulturalGenderRacialPhysical

EmotionalMentalEducationalSocialSpiritualFamily Origin

I SAID YOU HEARD

FILTERS FILTERS

IMPACT

Paul

INTENT

Pre-natalGeneticGeographyCulturalGenderRacialPhysical

EmotionalMentalEducationalSocialSpiritualFamily Origin

MESSAGE

WordsLooksLooks

GesturesGesturesTonesTones

PosturesPosturesSilenceSilence

You

Pre-natalGeneticGeographyCulturalGenderRacialPhysical

EmotionalMentalEducationalSocialSpiritualFamily Origin

I Wrote YOU READ

FILTERS FILTERS

IMPACT

Tim

e –

2000

yea

rs

Lan

guag

e -

Tra

nsla

tion

s

Basic Tools For Bible StudyA Good ConcordanceA Good Bible AtlasA Good Bible DictionaryA Good Bible HandbookA Few CommentariesPalm PilotComputer

Bible Software Packages Internet Web Sites

Bible Concordance

An alphabetical index of all the words in a text or corpus of texts, showing every contextual occurrence of a word

Most Bibles have a concordance in the back

Allows you to quickly find most passages containing a particular word

Probably the most common tool used

Bible Atlas

A book or bound collection of maps, sometimes with supplementary illustrations and graphic analyses that shows the different places found in the Bible.

EgyptEgypt

NileNile DeltaDelta

Great SeaGreat Sea(Mediterranean)(Mediterranean)

Red SeaRed Sea

CanaanCanaan

Mt. SinaiMt. Sinai

TraditionalTraditionalRoute of Route of

the Exodusthe Exodus

NASA Photo© EBibleTeacher.com

SinaiSinaiPeninsulaPeninsula

Bible Dictionary

An alphabetical index of all the words in a text or corpus of texts, showing the meaning of the word and where it is found in the Bible.

Example of Bible Dictionary Use

The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

Ezra 2: 63 (NIV)

The New Bible Dictionary:The Urim and Thummim were kept in the high priest’s breastplate (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8), a pouch fastened to the ephod*, and sometimes, with it, simply referred to as “the ephod.” By the Urim and Thummim the priest could declare God’s will to both leader (Num. 27:21) and people (Deut. 33:8-10).

*Definition of EPHOD1. a linen apron worn in ancient Hebrew rites; especially : a vestment for the high priest 2. an ancient Hebrew instrument of priestly divination

The Bible Handbook:A Bible Handbook provides a short Bible commentary, maps, historical backgrounds, archaeological background, tables of weights and measures, lists of kings and genealogies and much more information. Much of the information found in Bible Handbooks can now be found in modern study Bibles.

The Bible Handbook:

Handbooks are particularly good for those with limited budgets, or those who travel and do not want to bring a more comprehensive library with them. Without a doubt, the classic Bible Handbook is "Halley's Bible Handbook". As of 1986, over 4.6 million copies of "Halley's Bible Handbook" have been sold. It has also been published in a number of other languages.

Halley’s Bible Handbook:

An island, also known as Candia, southeast of Greece, on the border between the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, about 150 miles long, and 7 to 30 wide. The people were kin to the Philistines, thought to have been identical with the Cherethites (I Sam 30:14). Daring sailors and famous bowmen, with a very bad moral reputation.

Example of Bible Handbook Use(5)The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

(12)Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”

Titus 1:5, 12 (NIV)

Bible Commentaries

1. A series of explanations or interpretations.

2. An expository treatise or series of annotations; an exegesis. Often used in the plural.

3. An apt explanation or illustration: a scandal that is a sad commentary on national politics.

4. A personal narrative; a memoir. Often used in the plural.

Bible CommentariesBible commentaries provide background information

about the author, history and theme of each book, as well as interpretation of the verses by Bible scholars. While some commentaries cover the whole Bible, others focus on just one book of the Bible. Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry and John Calvin wrote some of the most renowned Bible commentaries).

Commentary Warning

Based on the very definition of commentary we must be very careful when using them

A commentary has been written to support every belief on every subject

Use a commentary to organize your thoughts after you have studied and know what you believe

New Tools Available Today

Palm PilotBible Software PackagesInternet Web Sites

Questions or Comments?