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Interpretation in Bible Study - Coggle Diagram
Interpretation in Bible Study
Understand Context
Literary Context
Know genre. Read verses and passages before and after. Understand how passage fits into book's story line. If part of narrative, read complete story.
Theological Context
Consider which covenant it is under and how it relates to Bible teaching as a whole. What aspect of God does it show and how does that relate to other Bible passages?
Historical Context
Ask who wrote, why they wrote and to whom. Study geography, topography, values, surrounding culture
Analyze Content
Words. Look for figures of speech, imperatives, action verbs, being verbs, verb tense, conjunctions, names, unusual words
Paragraphs. Find units of thought. Look for dialogue. Watch for tone, irony, and bigger picture structure like chiasmus.
Sentences. Look for comparisons, contrasts, lists, dependent clauses, independent clauses, the way sentences fit together and build from each other.
Form Conclusion
Build an outline summarizing each unit within your passage.
Form a single sentence proposition summarizing the big picture idea. The longer the passage, the broader and more general your proposition will need to be.
Much easier to throw a baseball than a handful of sand.
Understand the Game Rules of Genre
Gospel
Pay attention to how stories are connected and what that says about overall message
Biographies of Jesus
Poetry
The Psalms are poetry, as well as a considerable amount of prophecy and wisdom literature. Also mixed into narrative at times.
Hebrew writers used two main poetic tools: imagery and parallelism, both translatable across cultures and languages.
Prophecy
Prophecy consists largely of exhortation, only a small part future events.
Prophecies usually include 1. call to repentance 2 prediction of coming judgement to unrepentant people 3. Looking forward to a future restoration after judgement
View prophecies as you would view a chain of mountains. Though the peaks look inches apart, in reality may be separated by huge valleys of time.
Narrative
Narrative written around rising action, climax, and denouement. Note who, when, where, why, and how.
Narrative captures our imagination and leads us to think holistically, understanding the nuances of life and seeing a more complete picture of God, rather than thinking in a set of propositions.
Acts
Similar to Gospels, but this is a biography of the Gospel going out into the world, fulfilling the Great Commission to both Jews and Gentiles
Written in conjunction with Luke.
Revelation
An eclectic mix of letter, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature
Much visual language and figures of speech used. Should be interpreted seriously but be careful about taking it literally.
Epistle
Letters from apostles to early churches
Each letter contains an opening with a greeting, identification of writer and those addressed, and often a prayer; a body that builds on concepts introduced in the opening; and a closing with final instructions
Wisdom Literature
Wisdom literature teaches us how to think and reveals a more nuanced picture of life.
Proverbs gives general rules for living. Song of Solomon shows a picture of romantic love. Job explores why bad things happen to good people. Ecclesiastes explores the futility of life and its only true purpose.
Law
Laws were given in a specific narrative setting during the Mosaic covenant and should be viewed similarly to narrative in that they are telling about a certain time and place.
Interpret laws in the same way you would interpret other texts. First consider what that law meant to that people at that time, the difference between old and new covenants and theologies, and then what big principles from this law is universal and overarching.