Standard Jet DBnb` Ugr@?~1y0̝cßFNb7ݜ(T/` {6߱0mC63sy[,|*|5o,f_Љ$g'DeFx -bT4.0dv Y S  Y   Y Y  Y Y  Y  Y  Y  r Y s Y E Y a Y d Y 2Y  Y   Y  jY ConnectDatabaseDateCreateDateUpdate FlagsForeignNameIdLvLvExtraLvModule LvPropName OwnerParentIdRmtInfoLongRmtInfoShortTypeniYYIdParentIdName        OYS Y Y Y  Y 2ACMFInheritableObjectIdSID YObjectId YSY  Y Y Y  Y  Y Y  Y AttributeExpressionFlagLvExtra Name1 Name2ObjectId Ordernzf edY"ObjectIdAttribute -YSY Y Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y ccolumn grbiticolumnszColumnszObject$szReferencedColumn$szReferencedObjectszRelationship   YYYszObject$szReferencedObjectszRelationshipYv1b N  : k & W  C t/ @@X  @@OJmJLJkQkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmJL^Qk`kvkJMQk`kvkdL[QMmk`kvkhoQiYQk`kvkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmdfYMbdmQk`kvkOL  @~  @ @           d k f  /k'(@/k'(@Topic NotesВ@DDD88888886 @z%(@z%(@MSysRelationshipsDDDDDDDDDDB z%(@z%(@MSysQueries88888888886 z%(@z%(@MSysACEs22222222220 z%(@z%(@MSysObjects88888888886 z%(@z%(@MSysDb.........., z%(@z%(@Relationships<<<<<<<<<<: z%(@z%(@Databases44444444442 z%(@z%(@Tables.........., x{hUB/                   jYܖܖܖNY Y d YID TitleCommentsܖܖYYIDPrimaryKeyHv1b XLVALnMR28AllowZeroLengthRequired( Title  .Comments MR28AllowZeroLengthRequired( Title  .Comments    @ @            @ @          f V k  k , 13 Appendices and IndicesV D8 12 Getting it all togetherF: 11 Helps on Hebrewa6* 10 The Greeks had a word for it. RF 09 Allegories and Typesei@4 08 The Language of Analogy (especially Parables){2rf07 Figures of Speechp:.06 Bible Study Approaches~SrD805 The Interpretive ProcessdCH<04 Interpretive Principles.0@H<03 The Goal of Bible Study}(F:02 Is Anybody Listening?w &B601 Words of LifelO2&00 SmithR - Basics of Bible InterpretationTBfZLVAL{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab709{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sl240\slmult1\lang2058\b\f0\fs28 Basics of Bible Interpretation\par \b0\i\fs24 by Bob Smith\par \i0\fs20\par Contents\par Introduction\par Acknowledgments\par \par \b PHASE 1: BACK TO BASICS\b0\par For everyone who wants to understand what God has said to man in his Word.\par \par 1. Words of Life\par 2. Is Anybody Listening?\par 3. The Goal of Bible Study\par 4. Interpretive Principles\par 5. The Interpretive Process\par 6. Bible Study Approaches\par \par \b PHASE 2: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE\b0\par A look at the fascinating world of metaphoric and symbolic language.\par \par 7. Figures of Speech\par 8. The Language of Analogy (especially Parables)\par 9. Allegories and Types\par \par \b PHASE 3: BIBLICAL LANGUAGES\b0\par A bit of insight into the thought patterns of the Hebrew and Greek language behind our English text.\par \par 10. The Greeks Had a Word for It\par 11. Helps on Hebrew: What Every Bible Student Needs to Know About Hebrew (by David H. Roper)\par \par \b PHASE 4: STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS\b0\par The final step: analyzing structure and summarizing in outline form.\par \par 12. Getting It All Together\par \par INDEX to the APPENDIX and APPENDICES\par \par \b\fs24 Introduction\par \b0\fs20\par A constant source of encouragement to me and to many others has been the example of my dear friend and compatriot, Bob Roe. His diligent, careful study of God's Word, his obedient response to its truth, and his able teaching ministry which is the result, are a challenge to anyone who sees the possibility of being taught by God. Without formal theological training, he rates in my book as able apologist, thorough theologian, compassionate pastor and all-around man of God. I'm glad he's also my friend. I LVALdedicate this book to him. May his tribe increase.\par \par I hope that this book will meet a need. Many of God's people have expressed to me that they do not have a handle on how to approach the Bible to become good, accurate interpreters of its contents.\par \par There are seminary courses on hermeneutics (the art of Bible interpretation) and books on the subject, but the courses are out of reach for most and the books are often too voluminous and imposing to invite reading. Yet I believe that God wants all of us to be able to study the Bible intelligently and understand its message...hence this book.\par \par I have a thing about thick books and big words, so if you're expecting an exhaustive (and exhausting) tome, replete with all the theological jargon, you'll be disappointed. This is not a scholarly treatise with a high fog rating. As did Paul the apostle, I want to use great plainness of speech, for no one should be excluded from the profitable and exciting possibility of discovering the truth of God through his own independent study of the Bible.\par \par I have tried to assume as little as possible on the part of the reader, so some of the material is on a rather elementary level. If it seems too basic, remember that every year football teams go back to the basics of blocking, tackling, running, kicking, and passing--so reviewing the basics of Bible interpretation is not altogether bad. I believe you may find plenty to challenge your thinking, however, even if you are already somewhat skilled in interpreting the Scriptures.\par \par This is a study book. If you do not have your Bible side by side with it as you study you will miss much of its value. The format I have used is simple. I have cited principles by which one can interpret the Scriptures, then I have illustrated the use of those principles to analyze a portion of scripture. You will want to follow my analysis step by step in your own Bible to really appreciate what I'm trying to do. You may not agree with all of my interprLVALetive opinions, but I hope you will have gained the capability of reaching your own conclusions based on your personal application of interpretive principles.\par \par The theme song you should be singing throughout is:\par \par "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).\par \par God has spoken! His are words to live by! So we must seek to understand the Basics of Bible Interpretation.\par \par Acknowledgments\par \par While I will attempt to acknowledge sources where possible, I'm sure I have borrowed much from many faithful teachers and authors whose material I have absorbed over the years so that they seem like my own. I am especially indebted to Milton S. Terry's Biblical Hermeneutics, a comprehensive treatment typical of the careful scholarship of the nineteenth century. I marvel that anyone had the time and scholarly persistence to produce such a thoroughly documented and illustrated volume. I'm also amazed I got through its 782 pages! This book won't be half that hard, but I hope it will be at least half as helpful.\par \par I owe so much to so many, I hardly know where to start and where to stop in acknowledgment of my indebtedness. But I must say "thanks" to many of my fellow-workers for their help in the preparation of this book, to those whose kindly critiques have been so valuable: Bob Roe, Dick and Judy Grant, Jim Blain, David Roper, Ron Ritchie, Steve Newman, Bev Blake, Patrick Cunningham, Carleen Brooks, Jean McAllister, Paul Winslow, Steve and Erica Lawry.\par \par Special thanks are due David Roper for his contribution on Old Testament Hebrew and his study questions on 2 Timothy. Then, last but far from least, there is the labor of love represented in the multiple typings and retypings by Dottie Canoose. Thanks, Dottie.\par \par It's always a special joy to work with our son, Dave Smith, on the art work for my books. I like the father/son act. Besides, it means he has to read what his "ole dad" writes, anLVALd I love to share the great truth God has given us with him and all our loved ones.\par \par About the Author\par A Tribute\par \par \par The man---a combination of lively intelligence, subtle humor, keen insight into people, gentleness of spirit plus an aggressive attitude of "Let's get the job done."\par \par The pastor---an engineer by training with thirteen years of experience in steel fabricating prior to an equal number of years as an associate pastor at Peninsula Bible Church. His impact on PBC has been greatest in expository Bible teaching to adult groups, scriptural marriage counseling, home Bible class development, and church government.\par \par The believer---an overwhelming belief that Christ will be head of his church and head of each believer if only w allow him opportunity; a quiet unshakable confidence in Christ's power to live in and through each member of his Body. An acceptance of responsibility as an elder and pastoral spiritual leader which is based on total commitment that the ministry of the church is to be carried out by each believer.\par \par The husband and father---a successful husband of thirty-seven years and father of twin sons. A compassionate neighbor and father figure to many youngsters and young adults who prize highly their friendship with Bob Smith.\par \par \par Online version created April 7, 1997.\par \par First published in book form in 1978 by Word Books, Waco, Texas. Copyright (C) 1997 Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. This data file is the sole property of Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. It may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part, edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of Discovery Publishi8 LVALH ng. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Discovery Publishing, 3505 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, CA. 94306-3695.\cf1\par \cf0{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.raystedman.org/leadership/smith/"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf2 http://www.raystedman.org/leadership/smith/}}}\cf1\f0\fs20\par \cf0\par \pard\cf1\fs23\par } LVAL{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab709{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sl240\slmult1\lang2058\f0\fs20 Basics of Bible Interpretation: Phase 1. Chapter 1\par \b\fs28\par Words of Life\par \b0\fs20 \par God wants everyone to be able to understand the Bible, for its message is essentially how we can have and enjoy the greatest kind of life, free from the futility of pointlessness, free from the limitations of our human, earthly thought patterns, free from the fear of death and dying.\par \par Not everyone understands it this way. In fact, many are so convinced they can't understand the Bible that they never give it a second look. It's strange how we will study most any other subject with diligence only to have the acquired knowledge perish with us. But the words of the Bible are words of life!\par \par ...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you...(Deut. 30:19, 20, italics mine).\par \par Even here in the Old Testament, which many think offers only wrath, God plainly wants us to choose life. And there are many similar expressions in the Old Testament:\par \par Thou cost show me the path of life...(Ps. 16:11).\par \par The fear of the Lord leads to life: and he who has it rests satisfied...(Prov. 19:23).\par \par ...the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore (Ps. 133:3).\par \par Thy commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.\par \par I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation.\par \par I understand more than the aged, for I keep thy precepts.\par \par I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep thy word.\par \par I rejoice at thy word like one who finds great spoil. (Ps 1LVAL19:98-101, 162).\par \par Then there is Isaiah's word:\par \par For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace...(Isa. 55:10-12).\par \par Notice, in the same way God blesses man with rain and snow--to feed him and sustain his life--so he also sends forth his word. His purpose is that we may have joy and peace (v. 12).\par \par As one might expect, the New Testament overflows with the same thought. Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus:\par \par Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24).\par \par ...the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63).\par \par ...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10: 10).\par \par The rest of the New Testament uses terms like: "holding fast the word of life" (Phil. 2:16) and "...the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance..." (Acts 20:32). Peter calls it "the living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:23).\par \par The writer of Hebrews tells us: "...the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit...and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).\par \par So we seem to have ample evidence from the Bible itself that it is eminently worthwhile for us to read and understand the Bible. From the Scriptures we have cited, we could even put it stronger: it is really a "life and death" matter.\par \par God's Problem\par \par But God had a problem. Since he is obviously bigger thanLVAL both of us--infinite, eternal and utterly unchanging--he could find it difficult to communicate with the likes of us who live on an entirely different plane. As Isaiah puts it, speaking for the Lord,\par \par For just as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours (Isa. 55:9, Living Bible).\par \par Yet God was so concerned that we know the beauty of his plan and the surpassing scope of his love for us that he broke through the communication barrier. He took the trouble to put his thoughts toward us in a book, so we can know what life is all about, in time and eternity. But more than that, we can know him, this God who cares about us. His communication went even further: He sent his personal emissary, his Son, to show us what he is like and what we should be like. So we have both a written and a personal revelation.\par \par In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature...(Heb. 1:1-3, italics mine).\par \par First we are told, "God spoke in many and various ways by the prophets..." Multi-media communication we call it today. Then the Bible tells us he sent his Son, a living, walking, talking, loving demonstration of his own nature, in three-dimensional, living color. He really wants us to understand and know him! I suspect that no one has ever taken such initiative and such care to be understood.\par \par His Book tells us more. It says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth...(John 1:1 and 14).\par \par He even called his Son "the Word" (and, I might add, the last word ) so concerned is he about communication with man--for "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of thLVALe Father, he has made him known" (John 1:18). God records the life and love of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus, in his Book in written words. The concern of God's heart to reveal himself to us is beautifully expressed by the apostle Paul in these words:\par \par ...we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written,\par \par "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him."\par \par For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words (1 Cor. 2:7-13 NASV, italics mine).\par \par Did you catch the import of that?\par \par * What man could not understand through his eyes, or ears, or heart, God has revealed to us. Some revelation, I'd say! Just what I always wanted to know, but could never find out. But that's not all.\par * We have received the Spirit who is from God--that we might know the things God has freely given us. God sent us a private tutor to teach us of his good gifts so we might enjoy them. That's illumination. How good can it get? But that's still not all.\par * He communicated in words taught by the Spirit, matching up spiritual concepts with spiritual words! That's inspiration. He took man's words, used human writers and speakers wit LVAL0h all their fallibility and frailty, to say exactly what he wants us to know--in human language. \par \par And what did he say? Well, you'll have to read his Book to get it all, but primarily he wants us to know that he loves us and is available to live our lives with us and in us to make life great--in time and eternity. But he doesn't kid us about the real problems and difficulties we'll face either. He just tells us the truth.\par \par How does he say it? He isn't stuck with limited imagination and creativity as we often are, so he uses all of the various and varied means of communication available in human language. He uses straight-from-the-shoulder talk like logical, reasoning discourse; commands as to exactly what we must do; real-life stories about real people; as well as less direct but equally effective teaching through parables, figures of speech, poetry, songs, history, intrigue, prophecy, and all kinds of blood-and-thunder stories.\par \par But in all of its various moods and modes of expression he tells us the truth about himself--and about us.\par \par \par Phase 1:\cf1 \cf2\ul <\cf0\ulnone Chapter 2\cf2\ul >\cf1\ulnone\par \cf0 Page\par \par First published in book form in 1978 by Word Books, Waco, Texas. >Copyright (C) 1997 Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. This data file is the sole property of Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. It may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part, edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of Discovery Pu