Bible Translations

Complete assignment 8-1 if you have not done so.

Read pages 161 through the middle of 166 for understanding, underlining 5 sentences that are most impacting to you.

Word Studies

Do not wait until too late to start this homework as the reading is detailed, and you will need to access a Bible concordance for completing the exercise.  I am advising you to begin the reading early, so as to not have to complete it all in a rush near the end.  You will be far more blessed by this process and appreciative of this skill if you take the needed time to comprehend it and then also practice it just a little bit!  It is not too hard for you.

If you do not possess a concordance at home, you may consider using your church library this week or borrowing the concordance from a friend.  (I have 2 which may be borrowed if needed.)

Read chapter 8; do exercise 8-1, page 153.

The Literary Context!

To complete your test, click on the link in the extra pages on the right of this blog.  Print and complete and bring it to class this Tuesday.  If you are unable to print it, you may write your answers on paper; please make sure to number them accurately.  Take care that you do not skip any questions if you use that method of completing the test.

Read pages 119 through the top of page 126 in chapter 7.  

Study Guide

I did not draw attention in class to the particular part on page 107 "Historical-Cultural Context of the Entire Book."  Therefore, please read this section of the page.  We will use class time on Friday to practice using some of the tools for learning about historical-cultural contexts.

Have you learned these things?  I think you have!  Use this as a guide to be sure you have gained these points of knowledge thus far.  Friday's  test will be a take home test, but you may not use your book or notes in order to complete it.  Please do not wait to study for the test, as your homework this week is light in order to provide valuable study time.

Chapter 1:  The 4 basic steps of the interpretive journey in order; why is the order important?

What is a theological principle?  To whom do they apply?

What difference exist between modern readers and the biblical audience?

Chapter 2:  In making observations about a text, what is not being done?

What are the elements that should be observed within sentences?

Chapter 3:  Be able to describe the general to specific literary feature often used by biblical authors.

What literary and grammatical features are important in the observation of paragraphs?

Chapter 4:  What is meant by the term "discourse" in the text?

What does the term "interchange" describe?

What are the literary and structural features important to observe in discourses?

Chapter 5:  Be able to define and distinguish between preunderstanding and presuppositions.  Is preunderstanding positive, negative, or both?  Can it be avoided?

How does the text view presuppositions as it relates to their impact on biblical interpretation?
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What Do You Bring to the Text?

Before reading chapter 5 in your text, copy the following theme verse for this class 3 times to help commit it to memory.

II Peter 1:20-21   "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,²¹ for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."

Observation Assignment

Remember to read the introduction to chapter 4, pages 65 through the top of page 67.

Your written assignment for exercise 3-2 found at the end of chapter 3 is due this Friday.  It should be in the same format as the sample posted on the blog titled "Observations" under "Sample Assignments."

Paragraphs of Scripture

So.....do you like snow-crab claws...? Mmmmmm...tasty, right?  When I was younger I never cared how delicious people thought any crab claws were because I did not care to get my hands messy with crab juice and smelliness and such, much less to have to work to crack them.  But much later in life I learned how delicately delicious especially snow-crab claw-meat tastes!  Wow!  I had been missing out on a delightful thing!  And honestly, getting into a snow-crab claw is not even that hard to do at all, as I learned.

You already know to what the metaphor alludes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ so...., get cracking!

Start with reading chapter 3 of your text.  Then proceed to begin the observation process of the passage of Scripture in 3.2 at the end of chapter 3.  Remember the idea of copying and pasting the Scripture from Bible Gateway which is linked at the top of this blog.  Then you can print out the passage and double space it apart on your Word document in order to have note-making space.  A written analysis of this observational process will be due in 1 week on Friday, September 14th.

You may view an example of what I expect from your work in the Extra Page section of this blog.

Make use of your textbook of all the MANY observations that can be made from within a portion of Scripture.  Return periodically over time to your work in this process, coming back with fresh eyes to see even more than what you saw in your previous viewing.  The Holy Spirit wills to guide and help you also to learn of the Lord!

Prep. Work

Read the Introduction of Chapter 1, pages 19-21.

Do the assignments 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 at the end of chapter 1, page 27.  You should provide enough description for it to be understandable, but you do not have to get super detailed in it.

Read the Introduction of Chapter 2, pages 28-29.

Read pages 37-38, seeking to understand the notes of the photocopied example on page 38.  This is an example to us so we can get used to doing this for ourselves.

The Interpretive Journey

"The Interpretive Journey" (chapter 1) will present an overview of the process we will use throughout this study to better grasp God's wonderful Word!  

If you are able to do any preparation before our fist class tomorrow, please read the "Foreword" of your text on pages 9-10 and chapter 1, "The Interpretive Journey."  It is short and would not take too long, so if you can at all make time to do this reading, it will make our first class easier!

I look forward to traveling this journey with you over the next 16 weeks; may God teach us as we also seek to enjoy the journey together, learning how to more fully understand God's Word and thus also God Himself.

For it is He of whom Isaiah spoke:

      "You did awesome things which we did not expect,You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.  For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,

Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways."  Isaish 64: 3-5a