Posts Tagged ‘Interpretation’
That’s Just Your Interpretation, Part I
Many mistakenly believe the Bible to be a hopelessly obscure book, the meaning of which can never be understood due to its antiquity. However, the primary reason varying interpretations of the Bible’s message exist is that all do not play by the same rules. The consistent application of the principles of normal interpretation will yield…
Read MoreWhy Interpretational Disagreements?
Besides the Fundamentals, is there anything that all Fundamentalists agree on? The question is facetious … sort of. But somewhere in the tagline of most of our churches are three words: Baptist, Fundamental, and Independent. It’s the ramifications of that last one that this column addresses, especially the hermeneutical ramifications— that is, our differences in…
Read MoreApplying the Bible after the Manner of the Bible
In my previous article, I explained that the nature and teaching of the Bible calls for its application to our present circumstances. This article will, I trust, uncover examples in Scripture that model direct application in preaching. “Direct application” refers to going beyond the explicit statement of the biblical text and discovering relevance for the…
Read MoreUnderstanding Narrative Passages
We are all probably very familiar with the narratives of Scripture. If you are a new Christian, the narratives might still be new to you. Over time, they will all become familiar. We love to tell and retell these stories. Familiarity breeds, not contempt in this case, but probably some loss of understanding. In addition,…
Read MoreApplying the Bible According to the Bible
I’d like to address an important topic for any preacher: how to apply the text to the contemporary audience. Application scares many pastors, with some asserting that they leave application entirely to the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit is the power behind both the interpretation and application of Scripture, trying to “leave it all…
Read MoreA helpful blog on Applying Narratives
posted by Don Johnson Today I’d like to highlight a blog post I ran across called: Implications or Applications?: Preaching Biblical Narratives Lest the average reader be put off (i.e. average reader = not a preacher) this article is helpful for personal application as well. When you read the narrative sections of Scripture, how do…
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