Bibliology 101. Isaac shared that if we are going to base our lives on the teachings of a Book, it would make sense that we really know what the Book has to say. And with that idea he dove into the fascinating world of Bibliology--the study of God's inspired Word.
Isaac mentioned a classic book on the subject, How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. So I went to the section of my library that has my old seminary books, pulled this one off the shelf, and took a fresh look. This book is well worth the read (or re-read).
Fee and Stuart mention in their introduction that often times the problem we encounter with the Bible is NOT in understanding it. The problem is in obeying it and putting it into practice. The Bible itself teaches that there is a direct correlation between how well we understand the Bible to our willingness to do what it says. For example in Psalm 111:10 David tells us, "A good understanding have all those who DO Thy commandments." And in Hebrews 5:14 it says, "But solid food is for the mature, who because of PRACTICE have trained their senses to discern good from evil." Some call this the hermeneutic of obedience--recognizing our understanding is tied to our doing.
Fee and Stuart break down the study of God's inspired Word into two major steps. The first is exegesis. In this step, we set out with careful and systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original and intended meaning. Since the Bible is really a collection of 66 different writings, written by 40+ different authors, writing over a 1,500 year period of time; it is important to discover what was the occasion and purpose for this the book of the Bible you may be studying. In this step we look to discover the historical context for the text. Additionally, for proper exegesis it is important to grasp the literary context. What is the genre of the writing? What are the normative ways a reader in that historical time would have understood the text? What language is it in? By asking the right questions of the text, we can move towards a proper understanding of the original intent.
The next step per Fee and Stuart is hermeneutics. While this word in its broadest meaning can cover the whole field of interpretation, including exegesis, its narrow use means to understand the contemporary relevance and application of the text. Proper hermeneutics (application) begins with proper exegesis (interpretation). The authors go on to give very helpful training in how to approach the various genre of the Bible. How should we interpret the letters to the churches, the Gospels, the Law, the Prophets, Psalm, Wisdom literature, and Revelation?
It was a very helpful message. Bottom line: I walked out of the church service with a renewed appreciation for God's word. And a renewed desire to spend time with it.
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