of a conscious human author and at the same time the exact word that God intends for the revelation of himself. b. Variation within Dual Authorship – Bible authors were prophet, historian, etc., and also God’s revelatory agent. Much of the Bible is situational literature; that is, addressed to specific persons facing particular historical situations with applications for today. God has revealed himself in history through repeated, consistent, and anticipatory ways. c. Implications of Dual authorship The purpose of the human author. God included patterns, or foreshadowing, of which the human authors were not fully aware. The biblical authors were conscious of being used by God to convey his word and believed that their revelation was part of a grand scheme of history. Inspiration and Incarnation The divine-human dual authorship of Scripture can be compared with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both fully human and fully God. The divine=human dimension of the Bible concerns is authorship, not its very nature. II. Outline Summary of Chapter 4 The Vocabulary of Inerrancy – Bible accepted as completely truthful in all matters that it asserted until mid-seventeenth century. Within the last 50 years, a vocabulary has evolved to summarize various claims of Biblical truth. Inerrancy – The Doctrine of Inerrancy means that the Bible is completely truthful in all things that the biblical authors assert, whether in
Additional Activities Handout: The Canon(s) #1 Jewish Scripture (24 Books) Christian Old Testament (39 Books) Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1-2 Samuel 1-2 Kings 1-2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Former Prophets Joshua Judges Samuel Kings Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Major Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Minor Prophets Hosea –– Malachi (The 12) Psalms Job Proverbs Ruth Song of Solomon Ecclesiastes Lamentations Esther Daniel Ezra-Nehemiah Chronicles Major Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Minor Prophets Hosea –– Malachi (The 12)
opened. The Internet has so many resources that are much easier to navigate. I also have an NIV Study Bible, which I previously used often, but then I received the ESV Study Bible as a gift and have not opened the NIV Study Bible in a few months. Of the resources discussed above, what are the top ones on your wish list of future acquisitions? The two guidebooks for commentaries (“Old Testament Commentary Survey” by Tremper Longman and “New Testament Commentary Survey” by D. A. Carson) are at the top of my wish list because I want to begin collecting specific commentaries for specific books. I am most interested in a commentary on Romans and 1 and 2 Thessalonians currently. Have you ever engaged in any of the word study fallacies discussed above? Do you feel that you sufficiently understand the fallacies to avoid them in the future? I’m sure I have engaged in some of the word study fallacies discussed above but no specific examples come to mind. It might be because I have not used word study tools very often. Yes, I feel that I sufficiently understand the fallacies to avoid them (or at least attempt to avoid them) in the future. If someone were to ask you, “What book can you recommend to help me understand Ecclesiastes?” where would you go for trustworthy advice on relevant resources? I would recommend “Old Testament Commentary Survey” by Tremper Longman, “New Testament Commentary Survey” by D. A. Carson, and potentially give them Dr. Plummer’s email address. Additional Activities Activity #1: Get in groups of 2-3, designate one scribe, and write out the positive aspects of reading and studying the Word. Encourage the use of Scripture. See who
where meanings are consciously in the author/speaker’s mind, implications are not always consciously conveyed. 2. With reference to Ephesians 5:18, discuss meaning, implications, significance, and subject matter. Ephesians 5:18 states that we are to “not get drunk of wine”. What this verse doesn’t say, however, is that we are not supposed to get drunk on beer, liquor, bourbon, whiskey, etc. Someone may look at this passage and try to say that since Paul did not mention all of these other types of intoxicating elements that he was obviously saying we can drunk on those, just not on wine. Whereas that may seemingly be the meaning of the text, its implications surely imply that Paul simply does not want us doing anything that could impair our judgment and decision-making skills. The significance of this text is how we, as the readers and hearers of this text, should respond; not only should we abstain from alcohol, but we should also stay free from marijuana, hallucinogens, huffing, and anything else that is known for impairing one’s judgment the same way that alcohol does. The subject matter of this text is simply that we should stay free of judgment impairing substances and instead be filled with the Spirit. 3. It is not uncommon to hear someone speak of applying a biblical text to his or her life (or the application of a text). Using the interpretive vocabulary introduced above, explain what people mean by application. When most people say they have applied a text to his or her life, what they mean is that the text has significance to them. Upon understanding the meaning and implications of a text, the modern-day reader/hearer has a choice of what he/she will do. This choice, regardless of which they choose, is the significance the text has on their life. Significance, remember, is simply how a person responds to what they have read/heard; either they will accept or reject the claims Scripture makes and its subsequent meaning and implications. 4. Which of the four approaches to Isaiah 7:14 seems the most convincing to you?
Jesus is the Christ. Do you feel alone? Remember that God is with us. Where do we trust in human strategy and not God? Where do we need to repent? Additional Activities Worksheet for Biblical Texts for Chapter 23-24 Text: Genre Identification: Literary Context: Author: The audience: Historical setting: Historical/Cultural Context: Interpretation (Statement of Meaning): What do we see in the immediate context? Distinguish between conditional and unconditional How the original hearers would understand the prophecy? Fulfilled or unfulfilled? Where does this text fit in the overall structure of divine revelation? Modern-Day Implications? Section 12 – Chapters 25 - 27 Summary – Chapter 25 Apocalyptic literature employs symbolic imagery to reveal God’s on-going providential workings and coming interventions. Various biblical books occasionally exhibit apocalyptic features, but only the books of Daniel (esp. ch. 7–12) and Revelation are classified as “apocalypses.” One of the most important hermeneutical caveats with
this because of parables like the prodigal son where it seems that each main character (Father and two sons) is conveying a point. The father represents our heavenly father and his willingness to forgive sinners despite their horrible sins. The older brother represents the hardened Pharisees and religious leaders who are greatly disturbed by God’s mercy and grace towards sinners. And the prodigal son represents all sinners who are enticed by the world and give into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These main characters come together and ultimately show that God is merciful and gracious towards all sinners if they will only repent and trust in Christ. 2. Why, in your opinion, do Christian speakers and writers so frequently stray into allegorical interpretation of parables? It is easier than trying to figure out the authors intended meaning. Using the historical grammatical method of interpreting Scripture requires much more work. It is much easier to follow the presuppositions that you already have in your mind rather than spending hours trying to figure out what the real meaning is. Pride. People want to find things that others have not. Everyone wants to be known as smart and insightful, so they concoct fanciful meanings from the text so that they will have something that is original and never been heard before. 3. Besides a donkey and elephant, can you think of any other widely recognized stock imagery in modern American culture? Some of the most dominant images in our culture are those relating to sports. My hometown is San Antonio and we only have one professional sports team, the San Antonio Spurs. Therefore, whenever I see a picture of a spur I think of our basketball team. Another widely recognized symbol in our culture is the cross. Although many people wear the cross on their jewelry as some type of religious statement, most do not have a clue as to what it really means. Finally, there are symbols that relate to different companies and businesses. For example, an apple with a bite in it is known as the image for Mac computers or a big red circle with a red dot in the middle is known as the