Knowing The Bible Better BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION: READING THE BIBLE FOR TRANSFORMATION CLASS 1, JANUARY 11, 2015 PRESENTED BY AUSTIN ASHENBRENNER, ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF ADULT AND MISSION, SAMMAMISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Biblical Information 

66 books

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44 authors

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1,500 year period of writing from roughly 1450 BCE to 100 CE

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Contains genealogy, history, poetry, prophecy, bibliography, correspondence, wisdom literature

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Written in 3 different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek

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Canonized or assembled as 1 collection in 375 CE

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Longest book is Psalms, Shortest book is II John

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Bible was first book to ever be printed in 1454

More than Information “What we need are fewer Bible Studies and more Bible Action Groups” -Eugene Peterson

Recognizing Context

Locating Our Context  We

are hurried: we will tend to approach the text with a transactional

 We

live in a complex world: With more and more in our world being

assumption. We come to get something (ie: an encouragement, challenge, answer, etc..)

beyond our understanding we will tend to value concrete truths and definitive answers. We tend to be less tolerant of mystery or ambiguity.

 Change

is Constant: We live in a period of “discontinuous change”.

In this context applying scripture to our lives becomes a daily challenge.

Typical Approaches *See Handout

 Devotional

Nuggets

 Timeless

Truths

 Cultural

Document

Foundations for Study 

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” – II Timothy 3:16

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Leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can be expected to affirm that “... the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments ... are ... by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to them.” —Book of Order, W-4.4003b (emphasis mine)

Foundations for Study 

“It is the first business of an interpreter to let the author say what he does say, instead of attributing to him what we think he ought to say.” -John Calvin

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“If Christ was and is the point of God’s revelation, then he can be seen everywhere in the canon. In the end, then, Christ becomes the overwhelming central point of both theology and exegesis, making the two inseparable.” -Karl Barth

Case Study  7 Little

children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them I John 3: 7-9

If I mess up and sin does this verse tell me that I am outside of God’s love?

Case Study 

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.30 The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30

Jesus’ words bring us back to the foundational reality that nothing can remove us from God’s love and grace.

Knowing Our Bibles Better A Starting Point  1.

We work hard to give wait to the text and words/intent/context of the original author

 2.

We understand that God speaks most clearly through Jesus Christ. This means that our interpretive lens for all of Scripture is the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Knowing Our Bible Better  3.

We read the WHOLE Bible as God’s story of love for and redemption of all of creation.

 4.

We read the Bible as a living book that speaks to us today in our context in a voice that is needed for our day. Just as God spoke through scripture we affirm that the Holy Spirit continues to speak through scripture.

Next Week  How

to ask better questions.

OR  How

to write a sermon.