Bible 405: HERMENEUTICS

1 Bible 405:HERMENEUTICSTHE STUDY OFTHE INTERPRETATIONOF SCRIPTURESCOMPILED FROM VARIOUS SOURCESINCLUDING DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,MULTNOMAH Bible college , ANDPERSONAL RESEARCHDR. STEPHEN R. LEWISC hafer Theological SeminaryChafer Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor2 INTERPRETATION"Bridging the Gaps"CLASS CALENDARINTRODUCTION TO HERMENEUTICSWEEK 1 HERMENEUTICS ? What's That? (Challenges, Definitions, Problems, Results) andWhose View Is Valid? (Axioms and Maxims, or The Principal Principles) Class Notes:Lockhart's Axioms of HERMENEUTICS Greek words for HERMENEUTICS Definitions of HERMENEUTICS and Related Terms Reading: Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp.

2 1-81 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 9-26, 59-75 Project: Suppose a friend of yours, a new believer, whom you recently led to the Lord, haswritten to you about the Bible . He/she writes, "I'm reading the Bible as yousuggested I do, but frankly I'm having difficulty understanding it. I talk to oneperson about problems in a passage I read, and he explains them one way. I talk toanother person and he explains them differently. And they both claim to be taught bythe Holy Spirit. How can I know which views are correct?"Write a letter (of 250-500 words) answering his/her questions.

3 Be sure to speak tothese issues: basic principles of interpretation, the place of the Holy Spirit ininterpretation, and qualifications of a Bible ONE: THE HISTORICAL WORLD OF Bible INTERPRETATIONWEEK 2 How Did We Get Here? ( HERMENEUTICS then and now)Class Notes:Highlights in the History of HermeneuticAncient Jewish Exegesis Greek and Jewish Allegorgate Early Church Fathers Apologists Alexandrian and Antiochene Fathers Late Church Fathers Middle ages (590-1517) The Reformation Post Reformation (1550-1800) Modern era (1800-present) Reading: Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp.

4 27-58 Project: Report first 75 pages of collateral reading from approved listChafer Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor3 UNIT TWO: THE WORLD BEHIND THE TEXTWEEK 3 What is Literal, Historical (Cultural), Grammatical, Rhetorical Interpretation Class Notes:Where's the Author Coming From? (Bridging the Cultural Gap) HERMENEUTICS andthe Historical-Cultural Context Reading: Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 245-257 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 76-97 Projects:Do the Exercise on pages 91-92 in Zuck, Basic.

5 Write a paper (of 250-500 words) on this question: Was Jesus' practice offootwashing a "cultural" custom only for His time, or is it "trans-cultural" and to bepracticed today? Why or why not? How do we know which commands in the Biblewere culture-bound and which ones are trans-cultural?WEEK 4 What Does the Text mean by That? (Bridging the Grammatical Gap) Class Notes: HERMENEUTICS and the Grammatical InterpretationReading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 85-101,133-182 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 98-122 Project:Do the Exercise on pages 119-120 in Zuck, Basic.

6 UNIT THREE: THE WORLD IN THE TEXTWEEK 5 What Kind of Book Is It? (Bridging the Rhetorical Gap)Class Notes: HERMENEUTICS and the Rhetorical Interpretation Reading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 85-101,133-182 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 123-142 Project: Report second 75 pages of collateral reading from approved listWEEK 6 Why is it laid out that way?Class Notes:Structure Analysis Mid-Term ExamWEEK 7 Why Did He Say It That Way? (Figuring out Figurative Language)Class Notes:Figures of Speech Reading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp.

7 102-142 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 143-168 Project:Do the Exercises on pages 163 & 168 in Zuck, Basic ..Chafer Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor4 WEEK 8 When Is a Type a Type? (Testing the Types and Sensing the Symbols) Class Notes:Typology SymbolsReading: Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 169-193 Project:Write a paper 500-1000 words answering the following questions (due at end ofweek 9):Is tupos a technical term in scripture? By a narrow definition, some of the uses ofthe word may be non-technical.

8 How do we know that it is a technical term at all? The opposing idea would be that it just means pattern, and that nothingdistinguishes it from skia (shadow) and other similar words. (see Louw & Nida,domain and , for example). In this case, could Scripture use a word otherthan tupos to designate a typology, even narrowly defined as Caird or Zuck would have it, a legitimate fieldof inquiry at all? What biblical basis do we have for establishing such a category?WEEK 9 Psalms (Poetry), Parables, Allegories & Apocalyptic LiteratureClass Notes:Psalms (Poetry), Parables, Allegories & Apocalyptic LiteratureReading: Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp.

9 194-226 Project: Report third 75 pages of collateral reading from approved listPaper concerning typology due at end of this weekWEEK 10 Narratives & Prophetic LiteratureClass NotesNarratives: Allegorizing or Principlizing? & Prophecy: Bugaboo or Blessing?(Penetrating the Prophetic "Sound Barrier")Reading: Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 227-249 Project:Analyze two sermons you have heard where someone used Narrative portions of theOT or NT and determine if the speaker principlized or allegorized the passage inapplying the people and/or circumstances to the 11 Why Quote the Old Testament Like That?

10 (Using the Old in the New)Class Notes:Use of in Reading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 183-230 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 250-278 Project:Do the Exercise on page 270 in Zuck, Basic ..Chafer Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor5 UNIT FOUR: THE WORLD IN FRONT OF TEXT WEEKS12 & 13 How Does the Bible Apply to Today? (Bridging the Time Gap)Class Notes:ApplicationReading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 258-296 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp.