1. Harborside Singles Group An Introduction to Biblical Exegesis and Interpretation.

2. Welcome Prayer Announcements Overview

3. Dr. Jones

4. So why a connect group about Reading the Bible? Why are you here? Practical goals for this class. What can go wrong when we miss the mark?

5. Goals for the next 7 weeks! You will get more from your personal Bible studies, devotions and even listening to sermons You can better prepare for Bible studies and Sunday School classes (either ones you lead or participate in) You can research and investigate the answers to difficult doctrinal or biblical questions You can speak more confidently regarding different Bible topics and themes

6. Can’t we just simply read the Bible? Why must reading the Bible become so complicated? Why do we have to "interpret" anything? Can't we simply read the Bible and do what it says? So other than my joke a moment ago about the Bible telling my unlucky reader to go and hang themselves, isn’t the Bible meant to be simple?

7. A Quick Sample Check out Mark 12:30: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (NRSV) Pretty straight forward.. Right? Well yes, but there’s so much more here than we see just on the surface.

8. Mark 12:30 continued First we can gain a lot of how to understand this passage by understanding the verse in the context of the rest of the passage and the larger book What does that look like … well Jesus is talking here … check out the previous verse “Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;” (NRSV). It’s in the context of Jesus teaching in Jerusalem and he’s being questioned by one of the scribes (who are they) after a passage about the resurrection with a Sadducee (who are they).

9. Mark 12:30 … even more! Beyond all of the setting for Jesus proclamation, he’s quoting scripture himself. The passage is about loving God and harkens back to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (NRSV) So what traditions and meaning would a group of well educated, and devoted Jews understand when Jesus quotes this to them?

10. Mark 12:30 and Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Ok so the Deuteronomy passage … well it’s probably one of the most well known passages of scripture … it’s the basis of the Shema prayer in Jewish tradition and the foundation of what it means to be faithful to God in the Old Testament. The passage is part of a summary of the “contract” between God and the Israelites who have been wandering in the desert for 40 years after their parents generation fled from Egypt. Moses is reminding them of who they are and what makes them different from the rest of the people in the promised land they are about to enter. So just spending a moment here, we have Jesus repeating a covenant statement to the scribe about obedience.

11. Defining Exegesis and Hermeneutics Exegesis is the first part of the bible interpretation process. Essentially, it is the grammatical, historical and cultural study of a passage of the Bible to try to determine its meaning to the original audience. It is trying to answer the question: "What was God trying to say to the original hearers of a particular text?" Too often we start from the perspective of what this texts means to me. It is a subjective way to read the Scriptures and has the potential to severely misinterpret a passage of Scripture. Thus, it is critically important to engage in exegesis to try to the original message of the author

12. Example of Exegesis In Leviticus 11, God instructs Israel not to eat the meat of certain animals, like those who chew the cud or have a divided hoof. By carefully studying the historical and cultural context of the passage and of the book of Leviticus (i.e. by doing an exegetical study) we might ascertain that God was trying to institute a new code of conduct among his people of how they were to govern their lives in the Promised Land.

13. Leviticus 11.. What to eat? Among the many goals, three stand out in this text: 1. Fidelity to God, which was demonstrated by avoiding the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations (some of which showed up in the prohibitions we see in Leviticus). 2. Identity of God's people - This was achieved in everything from the clothes that Israel was allowed to wear to the food they were allowed to eat. Thus, even when they sat down for a meal, their eating code would remind them that they were a unique people, special unto God. 3. A high moral standard, which would separate Israel from the practices of the other nations. This was best summed up by the phrase, "Be holy, because I am holy..." (Lev 11:44)

14. Leviticus 11 The prohibitions against eating certain kinds of food (as did the other prohibitions found in Exodus through Deuteronomy) all functioned to uphold these three values (among many others). Thus, our exegetical study would help us determine what God's word meant to its original audience in its original context. From here, the jump to a modern application is much easier to make. We could simply ask: What are the things in our culture that must be avoided in order to remain faithful to God, to maintain our identity as Christians and to maintain a high moral standard? Jumping directly from the text to a modern application (without exegesis) would require all of us to stop eating pork, which I would consider an incorrect "interpretation" of Leviticus 11 (and which would make me very sad since I love B-B-Q pork ribs or Bacon)

15. Hermeneutics Hermeneutics, properly speaking is the art and science of biblical interpretation and comes from the Greek term, hermeneuo, which means to interpret or to explain. Hermeneutics essentially incorporates all of the tools and techniques that make up the process of biblical interpretation. It not only includes exegesis (the study of the Bible to understand a passage in its ancient context), but also includes models for applying a biblical passage to a modern context. As mentioned in our previous example, you cannot jump directly from the biblical passage to our modern context without doing an injustice to the Bible and without coming up with some strange doctrine or practice within the Christian church.

16. General and Special Hermeneutics General Hermeneutics General hermeneutics are the rules of interpretation that govern any passage of the Bible. These would be applied first in trying to understand and interpret a particular text of Scripture. Special Hermeneutics Special hermeneutics are the rules of interpretation that govern specific genres of the Bible.

17. Special Hermeneutics (continued) As you may or may not be aware, there are different categories of literature in the Bible. The Psalms should be read and interpreted very differently from the Gospels. Revelation is apocalyptic literature which has different rules of interpretation than say the Book of Joshua which is mostly historical narrative. Special hermeneutics also incorporates the study of literary figures such as metaphors, parables, proverbs, hyperbole, similes and other such devices which lend variety to biblical texts, but which also require certain interpretive nuances.

18. How wrong can it be? For example, when Jesus says we must forgive our brothers 70 x 7 times, he is using hyperbole. You do not literally count up a certain number of divine mulligans for your brother! Rather, the essence is to have a limitless space for forgiveness in the same manner that God has for you. The same would be said of Jesus' command that if your hand causes you to sin, you should cut it off! Believe it or not, history is strewn with many one-handed Christians who took this hyperbolic command literally. Too bad they didn't have good hermeneutics.

20. Interpretation: A 3 Step Process Step 1 – Exegesis – The Bible Applied to An Ancient Audience If you recall, we earlier defined exegesis as the analysis of a text in order to determine its meaning to the original audience. This places the starting point of your interpretation of a text where it belongs, with the original author and the original audience. If you begin from your cultural viewpoint or lens (i.e. “What does this passage mean to me?” then you can end up seeing things in the Bible which aren’t really there.) Step 1 then begins with a careful study of a biblical passage within its own cultural, linguistic and historical context, in other words, with exegesis. Once you have a good understanding of God’s word for its original audience you can move on to Step 2.

21. Interpretation: A 3 Step Process Step 2 – Theology – Finding the Universal Principle in a Particular Text In Step 2 of the Bible Interpretation Process we seek to take a particular biblical event, narrative or command and convert it into a universally applicable principle. In our earlier example of our “exegesis” of Leviticus 11, we determined that Israel’s food laws had to do with maintaining their identity as God’s chosen people and their holiness amidst a pagan culture. This was God’s particular word to a particular people at a particular time. Though the particular food laws no longer apply to God’s people as Christians, the principle (the theology) still remains. Thus, the theology of Leviticus 11 has to do with maintaining our Christian identity and with maintaining a high moral standard. These are universal principles that would be in effect whether we were Jews at the Exodus, Christians in first century Palestine, Christians during the Middle Ages or modern Christians.

22. A Word About Theology Let me also say something about this term “theology.” A lot of folks are scared of the concept and only associate it with scholars, seminary professors, and “professional” clergy. But the truth is that every day we all practice some form of theology without being aware of it. Theology in its simplest form is a word about God (theo-logos). Going further it is essentially the beliefs and ideas we have about God, the Bible, life and its ultimate meaning. Thus, the question isn’t whether we have a theology or whether we do theology. The question is whether we have a good or bad theology, which informs our actions. In Step 2 we want to develop theology (universal principles) that is based on a good understanding of the Bible's original message.

23. Interpretation: A 3 Step Process Step 3 – Exposition – The Bible Applied to a Modern Audience Once I understand the biblical message given to the original audience, and once I have converted that message to a universal principle, the act of applying the Bible to a modern context is actually the easiest part. As we demonstrated in Leviticus 11, Israel's food laws were given in order to define their identity as God's people and in order to maintain a high moral standard (i.e. they were not to practice the habits of other nations.) This original message becomes the principle of the need to maintain a Christian identity and a high moral standing regardless of the time period, culture or context we live in.

24. Interpretation: A 3 Step Process These principles can now be applied in a wide variety of modern life contexts. Let's take the business world for example. Applying the principles of maintaining a Christian identity and a high moral standard would yield the following possible applications: No cutting of corners in any aspect of your job Fair contract negotiations and wages with your employees Placing a high value on people and on healthy relationships within your organization No stealing from or otherwise cheating your employer Not compromising your integrity to get ahead or close a deal And so on. In all ways, the application should be consistent with the original message of the Scriptures.

25. What Happens When You Short-Circuit the Bible Interpretation Process? If I move directly from Step 1 => Step 3 - Ancient practices given to specific people and for specific reasons are required of people in a modern context. Some Christian groups, for example, insist that Israel’s food laws are still in effect, as is the Sabbath. Some churches still prohibit women to wear jewelry or other ornamentation. If I move directly from Step 3 => Step 1 - The thoughts, ideas and attitudes of a modern world are read into the text of the Bible: Paul had a bi-polar disorder; Schizophrenia and epilepsy explain demon possession. If I move directly from Step 1 => Step 2 - Theology has no application. Theology is just a collection of abstract doctrines that are disconnected from everyday life. To say that "God loves you" or that "God forgives you" is harder to accept unless people experience God’s love and God’s forgiveness through YOU! Theology without application is just a bunch of words.

26. What Happens When You Short-Circuit the Bible Interpretation Process? If I move directly from Step 2 => Step 1 – My doctrine and my theology is formed first and then I look for proof texts in the Bible to support and confirm them. If I move directly from Step 2 => Step 3 - My theology has no biblical base to support it. My life is lived based on beliefs that are not connected to the historical events or the words of the Bible. “It does not matter whether Jesus Christ was raised from the dead,” some might say, “what matters it that we live by the principles of the resurrection.” But of course, this is hogwash. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then my faith is in vain and I am still dead in my trespasses. If I move directly from Step 3 => Step 2 – Modern thoughts, ideas and attitudes form the basis of my theology. This is what we would normally call “popular theology.” The devil has horns and a tail. Angels play harps. The movie "Ghost" presents the popular belief that ghosts are real and that one can communicate with the dead (sorry if you believed this to be true).

27. "Our Bible Interpretation Biases" In order to advance in our Bible interpretation ability it is important to acknowledge up front that we all possess a set of interpretation biases. Now when I use the term bias, I do not mean it in a negative or pejorative sense, the way someone would be wrongfully biased against a particular ethnic group or gender. Instead, when I say bias, I am simply stating that we all approach the Bible with many preconceived notions, some of which could color our interpretation of Scripture.

28. Bias #1 in our Bible Interpretation – Our life experiences Most of us have experienced things in this life (both for good or for bad) that have strongly shaped our belief systems. This is inevitable since as human beings it is in our nature to respond to the things we have seen, heard or experienced. However, these experiences can often color our understanding of the Bible. Does the Bible sound different if you were brought up with one parent or two? Rich or poor? What about if you’re a man or a woman? How about the color of your skin or any of a list of other variables?

29. Bias #2 in our Bible Interpretation – Our Religious Tradition A second interpretive bias has to do with our inherited religious / theological tradition. Whether we attend a Calvinist or Armenian church, a strict fundamentalist or holy roller Pentecostal one, much of our thinking, ideas, doctrines and beliefs on what the Bible teaches is likely to be shaped by the church we attend / or the churches we have attended in the past. (This is also true if we come from a non-churched or Catholic background.)

30. Bias #2 in practice Think of some of the doctrinal debates that exist in the evangelical church today: The age of the earth Can a person lose their salvation or are some just predestined for salvation? Should children be baptized or only confessing adults? Should women pastor churches? Should we worship on Saturday or Sunday? Will there be a rapture and what about Israel in God’s prophetic calendar? Are the miraculous gifts of the Spirit still in operation today? What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

31. Bias #2 We could list a great many more. The point here is that it is likely that your church (or past churches) have / had some very strong views on many of these issues. These things were preached on, or books on these subjects were passed around, or certain views were encouraged or discouraged, or pastors made very convincing arguments for one or another of these positions. And all of these views have become part of your religious heritage. You approach the Bible with a preconceived set of beliefs because someone in authority has already told you exactly what the Bible says on any of these subjects. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

32. Bias #3 in our Bible Interpretation – Your Culture and Your Language This is a huge bias for many of us since we are rarely aware that our view of the world is completely shaped by our culture and our language. Think about this example: When you read the word “church” in the New Testament, it may conjure up images of a building of some sort, with a pulpit front and center, a male senior pastor, seats facing forward, an order of worship, choirs, ushers, carpet floors, stained glass windows, Sunday school classes, thin little communion wafers, and a host of other ideas that have zero, absolutely, no connection with the meaning of that word in the New Testament. This is your cultural assumptions at work. By contrast, the word “church” in the New Testament is better translated as assembly or congregation. It would likely be a small, intimate gathering, in someone’s house, with no discernible leadership structure (many folks would probably be active in ministering to people) and the Lord’s supper would be an actual meal with enough wine flowing that some people by their abuse would be getting drunk (See 1 Cor)

33. Bias #3 continued By the same token, all of our attitudes about work, money, marriage, women, careers, raising children, parents, dating, etc. are set by our ingrained cultural attitudes. Thus, when we encounter any of these concepts in the Bible, it is very natural to bring our own cultural assumptions to the text and so misinterpret what the Bible says on these topics. (Our cultural sensitivities may even be offended by what the Bible says on these topics because we are yet to understand the real message on these concepts.)

34. Bias #4 in our Bible Interpretation – Our Previous Biblical Knowledge A fourth interpretive bias is the knowledge we already have about certain biblical verses. We all know what John 3:16 says and means and the same goes for Psalm 23, so why bother going any further in our analysis. But it is much more difficult to approach the Scriptures with a fresh perspective and a willingness to wrestle even with well-known verses. For example, we have all heard the refrain, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst” (Matt 18:20) to invoke the Lord’s presence at the beginning of a service. We think we know what this verse means, and yet very few of us have probably ever stopped to understand the context in which that promise was given.

35. The Context is King Matthew 18:15-20 is essentially a process of trying to restore an errant brother back into a proper relationship with the person he has hurt. The passage tells us to speak to that person in private, then bring in a small committee and then finally appeal to the entire congregation. But if that person refuses to cooperate and repent, then the instruction is to remove that person from fellowship with the community. It is at this point that Jesus says, what you bind / loose on earth will be done in heaven and “where two or three are gathered in my name I will be there in your midst.” I contend, based on the context, that Jesus is here saying, he will be in our midst to help us deal with this very volatile situation and that whatever decision we make (bind / loose or forgive / expel) he will support that decision. This is simply one small example of how our prior biblical knowledge can get in the way of a deeper understanding of what the Bible is actually saying.

36. Ok, so what now? First I’d like to say that none of the 4 Biases are bad things … we just need to be aware of them when we come to Scripture and ask if they are getting in the way of hearing God in our reading. The next couple slides are going to go deeper here so hang in there with me!

37. “Our Ignorance Also Affects Bible Interpretation” I want to highlight another personal factor that is also a hindrance to a good understanding of the Bible: our ignorance of the biblical world. Now when I say ignorance, I am not referring to your intelligence, but rather to your lack of knowledge. I, for example, am ignorant about chemistry, physics, engineering or astronomy. I have a superficial understanding of these subjects, and would never be able to work in these industries without acquiring more knowledge (quite a bit more). Fortunately, for your understanding of the biblical world, you needn't get a PhD or even a Masters. Nevertheless, there is still a huge distance between our world and that of the Scriptures. Thus, in order to understand certain passages we must cross the cultural divide that exists between these two worlds.

38. The cultural-historical gap The Old Testament was written somewhere between 3,500 and 2,000 years ago and the New Testament is going on its second millennium since its last book was penned. There are so many foreign cultural elements in the Bible that it can literally make your head spin. The cultural-historical gap expresses itself in many different ways: Distinct customs: What is the relationship between a father and his firstborn son in Jewish culture? How does an engagement function in first century Palestine? (Do you suppose knowing this would inform the image of the bride (the church) waiting for its groom (Jesus)? Religious factors: What is holy war? What is the Passover and how is it related to the Last Supper? What is Corban? Political factors: What is the relationship between Jew and Samaritan? (The parable of the Good Samaritan is an extremely offensive story given the state of relations between the two former groups!) What is the attitude of Jews in the first century toward the state and the Roman occupation of Palestine? Geographic factors: Where is the Garden of Gethsemane located? How does Corinth's location affect the city's population and religious / cultural ethos?

39. An Example of the Cultural Gap An example of the cultural gap can be seen in the conception of engagement in the biblical world. To be engaged is nearly synonymous to being married. Thus, acts of infidelity are practically synonymous to acts of adultery (and carry the same severe disapprobation and penalty). This was the case when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant (without his help!) Since he was a just man and did not wish to harm Mary or cause her disgrace, he was going to divorce her quietly until God intervened in the form of a divine message. Because of our ignorance of these cultural factors, we may miss the crucial points of the story and fail to appreciate many of its interpretive nuances.

40. The Linguistic Gap The Bible was written in three different languages. Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. Some parts were written in Aramaic (the language during the exile). The New Testament was written in Greek. These languages contain phrases, idioms, structure and grammar that is very foreign to us. For example, when we read "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated..." (Rom 9:13) we are facing a Hebrew idiom that feels quite shocking at first glance. Our ignorance betrays us. What the author is saying is that God chose Jacob and not Esau as the whom through whose lineage Messiah would come. The idiom is not concerned with love or hate, but rather election vs. non-election.

41. The Philosophical Gap There are large scale perspective and worldview differences between the Hebrew, Greek and modern world. How are bodies of water (lakes, oceans, seas) perceived in 1st century Palestine? How does someone in ancient Hebrew culture perceive dreams? Or even Hebrew cosmology?

42. An Example of a Philosophical Gap The ancient conception of the cosmos provides an incredible window into the philosophical gap that exists between a modern world and that of the Bible. Hebrew cosmology conceived of a bowl-like firmament (the sky), held up by the pillars of the earth, with the stars, moon and sun trapped under the firmament. Above the sky (or firmament) there were waters, which would fall to earth when the windows of heaven were opened. If we are not aware of this philosophical gap, we will find the accounts of the Genesis flood to be very strange indeed or we will make the mistake of trying to reconcile a Hebrew perception of cosmology with a modern scientific understanding. In either case, our understanding of the Bible is diminished (not to mention our standing within the scientific world.)

43. "How Should We Approach Our Interpretation of the Bible?" We should approach Bible interpretation in a spirit of humility This is probably the most useful trait you can have whenever you read and study God’s word. Stay humble with the tools you learn in this course. Do not become puffed up just because you have a little knowledge. Following a few interpretive rules does not mean you can become a master over the text. We should approach Bible interpretation in prayer asking for the Holy Spirit's guidance. Remember, God is the author of Scripture and he desires to make his truths known. So when you approach the Scriptures, come with an expectant heart asking God to illuminate his word to you.

44. "How Should We Approach Our Interpretation of the Bible?" We should not try to look for unique or mysterious interpretations of the text. Most passages will yield their riches without having to resort to finding exotic codes, unique interpretations or hidden messages in the Bible. Learn to live in ambiguity This is very hard for folks who like to have everything black and white and theologically neat. You cannot know everything there is to know about God or his word. Some things were meant to remain a mystery or a paradox. Don't sweat it. Just doing and acting upon the 95% you do know will lead to a happy, virtuous and adventurous life for you!

45. "How Should We Approach Our Interpretation of the Bible?" Respect others’ interpretation of a text Don't get into doctrinal fights with other Christians. Honestly, unless you are the foremost expert on everything Bible, you must remain humble in your pronouncements. Remember, even within conservative, evangelical circles there is a host of opinions on many subjects: the age of the earth, believers vs. infant baptism, Israel, the end of the world, the miraculous gifts of the Spirit and women in ministry to name a few. I believe we must be able to distinguish between primary and secondary doctrines. Primary doctrines include Christ’s divinity, his exclusive claims, virgin birth, atonement and resurrection, the Trinity, salvation by faith, even inerrancy of Scripture (though many Christians no longer uphold this as being as important). But whether a woman can be a pastor and preach from the pulpit, well that is on a whole different level. Honest Christians can disagree. Much of the controversies in denominations today (indeed much of the sad historical division and conflict) has to do with secondary doctrines being elevated to primary doctrines, in my opinion.

46. "How Should We Approach Our Interpretation of the Bible?" Trust that God’s word is faithful Before we believe that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions, let us first assume that we have incomplete information or a fallible interpretation. There are plenty of people willing to disparage the Bible. Let us not contribute to that suspicion and doubt To be certain, there are many things in the Bible that are hard to understand from a modern, Western, capitalistic framework. Thus, we cannot try to mold the Scriptures into that mindset. Again, some things may have to remain a mystery. We must apply what we learn "Faith without works is dead," says James. When we approach the Bible, we must be willing to bend our lives to its concerns and demands. Theology must be applied to our lives for it to take root in our souls and to have its effect.

47. "7 Steps to Bible Interpretation“ (or what we’re going to be doing for the next 7 weeks!) Throughout this first lesson, we have attempted to build a solid foundation from which to launch our biblical interpretation exercises. This foundation has included: - An understanding of why interpretation is needed - A model of interpretation that springs from the Bible text to a universal principle to a modern application - An acknowledgement of our interpretive blind spots (our biases and our ignorance). It is now time to briefly highlight the steps of biblical interpretation.

48. Steps to Bible Interpretation Step #1 - General Context Includes the study of the literary (author, date, audience, etc.) and historical background of a book, its purpose for being written and the main themes that it covers. Step #2 - Literary Context The literary context has two main emphases. First, how does our passage connect to what comes before and what comes after our text? Secondly, how does our passage connect to similar ideas in the rest of the book? Step #3 - Lexical-grammatical Context This is the study of specific words within a passage that may have a deeper meaning than their superficial reading. Step #4 - The Cultural Context This is the study of cultural factors (ideas, customs, geography) within the text that must be explained to a modern audience. (For example, if our passage includes fishermen in Palestine, the cultural context would seek to explain a bit about the fishing industry during this time period.)

49. Steps to Bible Interpretation Step #5 - Biblical Context The study of parallel passages to our text in other parts of the Bible. Often, there may be an Old Testament quote within a New Testament passage. The biblical context would take us back to that Old Testament context to see what light can be shed on the interpretation of our passage. Step #6 - Theological Context In this step we begin to move away from strict exegesis of a passage (what did the text say to its original audience) to more of a universal application or principle. This is where we begin to make the transition from the biblical world to the modern world in terms of how to apply the Bible to our lives. Step #7 - Application In this step, we have now fully crossed over from the Bible to our current context. This is where we really seek to make a practical application from any text of the Bible. The truth is, however, that we need not wait until Step #7 to apply the Bible to our lives. We can begin doing this work at any step as we discover more and more about the text.

50. A Word about Bible Interpretation I think it’s important to clarify a few points. First of all, we need to view all of this information as a set of tools that give us a deeper understanding of Scripture. Each tool provides just a little more insight, a few more details, a little deeper theology into God’s word and that should make us very happy. We should all want to skip over a superficial reading of the Bible and really dig deep into some of its history, culture and language in order to gain a fuller understanding of its message for today.

51. Our Sample Text: Philippians 2:5-11 With our time remaining I’d like to introduce you to an old friend. I’ve prepared handouts with copies of the text from Philippians 2 in a few different translations. I’d like to all to take some time to read it … feel free to make notes or even write on your copies … they are yours to keep. Please note where you see differences in the text from one translation to another. Next week we are going to use this text as a springboard for discussion and start diving into the Literary context.