Basic HTML Version
March 2013
41
BIBLE 101
From
PREVIOUS
page
and women, there is an important
fact to remember: the Hebrews
were themselves slaves who had
just fled from Egypt. At this time,
people sold themselves into slavery
for financial reasons, not because
they were forcibly captured. God’s
laws were made to protect the
slaves and women from injustice.
Measure thewidth of the river
to cross
Think about the differences
and similarities between the
original audience and today. Are
there covenant, cultural, language,
and geographical differences?
Understanding the degree towhich
we are separated fromthe time and
location of the biblical characters
will enlightenus towhat the overall
message andbigger picture is. Bible
commentaries,
theological
journals, and Bible dictionaries are
very helpful tools inunderstanding
scripture. Look for works that are
scholarly and relatively recent to aid
you in studying the Bible. It may
also be helpful to compare various
Bible
translations.
Different
translations give different insight.
For example the NASB is a very
literal, word-for-word translation
while the NLT is a very practical,
thought-for-thought translation.
Cross the principilizing bridge
One of the most important
things about us is how we think of
God. When reading scripture,
think about what God is like and
what He is trying to communicate
to you. What is the primary
theological principle in the text?Do
not get too tied up in cultural
details and definitions. The
principle needs to be general and
universal across cultures, time, and
location. Consider what the main
point is. What is the central and
eternal underlying concept? Recall
the story of Jesus and the Gentile
woman mentioned earlier. At this
time, Jesus hadwithdrawnwith his
disciples to rest because they had
experienced a long and difficult
ministry thus far. Jesus’ focuswas to
minster to his disciples first. This
does not mean that others were
excluded; it just means Jesus had a
focus. When the woman found
them (despite their hiding), Jesus
did not send her away, but instead
tested her faith. The principle of
this story is that Jesus’ love is
available for all who have faith.
Correlation
While reading a Bible passage
think about how other parts of
scripture correlatewith and impact
your theology. What does the
passage address specifically, and are
there any other passages that
coincide with the topic? For
example: Is a prophecy fulfilled? Is
scripture quoted or referenced by
the
author?
An
important
illustration to note here is the story
of David and the Ark of the
Covenant. In Exodus 25:10-22,
God gave his people very specific
rules for handling the Ark and
warned them that to disobey the
lawswould result indeath. TheArk
was meant to be carried by the
priests and definitely not by cattle.
But David disregarded the
mandates and it resulted inUzzah’s
death.
Grasp the text in our town
Lastly, think about the
meaning of the passage for today.
How should individual Christians
today apply the theological
principle in their lives? The key to
this step is application and
relevancy. There should be a
hypothetical example of how we
can use this principle in today’s
world.
Now, of course, pray and seek
the Holy Spirit when reading the
Bible. Remember, he is ultimately
the one who inspires and
illuminates. God is the main
character of every story. He has the
lead role. He is always the hero. The
Word of God is living and
breathing. It is not just words
penned thousands of years ago. It is
being spoken tous today, right now,
by the lips of God himself.
Got a weird Word question? Let us
know! Finley can be reached at:
fwwalker@liberty.edu
>
What in the Word
Good News - Broward Edition