What is the Bible, really? (Intro to Hermeneutics, Part 2)
Our not-boring crash-course in Bible interpretation continues
What is the Bible, really?
In “Part 1” of our Intro to Hermeneutics class I made the case that answering this question well is the most important first step to properly interpreting the meaning of Scripture. I outlined two not-so-helpful answers to that question which were
The Bible is a roadmap for life, and
The Bible is a moral instruction manual.
In “Part 2” I cover two more not-so-helpful answers to the question, “What is the Bible?” which are
The Bible is God’s love letter to meeee, and
The Bible is a collection of verses I can pull out, organize, and apply to various topics.
Most of us have been taught to think of the Bible at least one of these four ways. While seeing the Bible as a roadmap or verse collection probably isn’t going to ruin anyone’s life, it will inevitably lead to all sorts of misses when it comes to determining the meaning of a text. And if we don’t get the interpretation right, there’s no way we can get the application right either.
Knowing what the Bible is matters.
So, after exploring the not-so-helpful answers I offer an answer to the question What is the Bible? that will set us up for a lifetime of drawing better conclusions about what we’re reading and (most importantly) what we’re supposed to do with it.
Welcome to class, friends.
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