Bible 405: HERMENEUTICS - Philosophy, Theology, History ...

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. 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 .

2 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. 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.

3 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 ..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?

4 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 ..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?

5 (Figuring out Figurative Language)Class Notes:Figures of Speech Reading:Zuck, Rightly Divided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS , pp. 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. 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 .

6 (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. 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.

7 227-249 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? (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.

8 258-296 Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pp. 279-292 Project:By end of Week 13 read the Book of Jude and list as many interpretive questions asyou can, going through the book verse by verse. The more, the better. "Bombard"the text with all kinds of questions (pertaining to meaning not the application of thetext). Try to list from Jude several questions in each of the categories of:backgrounds (historical/cultural), terms (grammatical/syntactical), structures, andforms (genre/rhetorical). Keep in mind these statements: "The interpretative question is in reality theintermediate step between observation and interpretation." (Traina,Methodical Bible Study, p. 97.) ".. the key to interpretation ofScripture lies in the kind of questions that are put to it. The right questionsprovide the right combination to unlock the treasure.

9 " (Paul Helm, "Historyand Biblical Interpretation," The Banner of Truth, March 1973, p. 28.)WEEK 14 Overall Evaluation Summary Class Notes:Creative Use of Paraphrase Synthetic Bible StudyProcess of Developing Biblical Theology Sermon StructureProject:Report last 75 pages of collateral reading from approved listChafer Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor6 AIMS FOR THIS COURSE IN HERMENEUTICSGENERAL AIMSTo provide a method for the understanding the Word of GodTo produce doers of the WordTo spread the truth of god 's Word through capable expositorsSPECIFIC AIMSTo know basic facts pertaining to the History , principles,and practice of gain insight into issues in both general and special appreciate the significance of a proper hermeneutical approachto the Bible and to develop a lifelong attitudeof excitement toward gain skill in appropriating principles of hermeneuticsto various kinds of biblical Theological Seminary Dr.

10 Stephen R. LewisHermeneuticsInstructor7 REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COURSE IN HERMENEUTICSREADING 1. Read the course textbooks, Basic Bible Interpretation by Roy B. Zuck, and RightlyDivided: Readings in Biblical HERMENEUTICS edited by Roy b. Zuck according tothe schedule in the Class Calendar. Fulfillment of this requirement will be demonstrated bysuccessfully completing projects from assigned readings. (10 % of class grade) 2. For collateral reading, choose 300 pages from one or more of the following (or a bookapproved by the instructor): (20 % of class grade)The Hermeneutical Spiral by Grant OsborneHas the Church Misread the Bible ? by Moises SilvaMultipurpose Tools For Bible Study by Frederick DankerFoundations for Biblical Interpretation edited by D. Dockery, K.