I usually select a passage of scripture that either has intrigued me, or makes the point I am making. The question anyone should ask is: "What drives this, my point to make, or the scripture?" The answer is always the scripture.
As I often look at passages I muse and think about what the writer is saying. It's my job to figure out what the writer was saying when he wrote this - i.e., I need to go back and figure out what the writer was communicating, not the opposite of dragging his writing into my world to make it fit here. That is done after Interpreting the original writing and making application later.
The task of the Bible teacher, theologian, student is simply this:
1. Go back to the original time of writing and ask - "what was he writing about?" "who was his/her audience, and what did they understand the writer saying?"
2. Make a bridge from the past world to the present day...this is the struggle of language and meaning. For example, divorce in the biblical world is so dissimilar from our world that we have to understand the differences first before we try to make the application to today.
3. What does the passage mean in our present world? The text means something each time...but the ways in which it can be applied might be many.
In the end, the text of scripture is what rules...not my understanding or interpretation (which might be faulty).
One more thing...keep remembering that the BIG PICTURE is always in the background. When the writer selects his words to convey the idea that God is prompting him to write about, there's always a bigger idea in mind.
Context...Narrative...Big Picture. It's how we understand and apply scripture for us today.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Peace
As I often look at passages I muse and think about what the writer is saying. It's my job to figure out what the writer was saying when he wrote this - i.e., I need to go back and figure out what the writer was communicating, not the opposite of dragging his writing into my world to make it fit here. That is done after Interpreting the original writing and making application later.
The task of the Bible teacher, theologian, student is simply this:
1. Go back to the original time of writing and ask - "what was he writing about?" "who was his/her audience, and what did they understand the writer saying?"
2. Make a bridge from the past world to the present day...this is the struggle of language and meaning. For example, divorce in the biblical world is so dissimilar from our world that we have to understand the differences first before we try to make the application to today.
3. What does the passage mean in our present world? The text means something each time...but the ways in which it can be applied might be many.
In the end, the text of scripture is what rules...not my understanding or interpretation (which might be faulty).
One more thing...keep remembering that the BIG PICTURE is always in the background. When the writer selects his words to convey the idea that God is prompting him to write about, there's always a bigger idea in mind.
Context...Narrative...Big Picture. It's how we understand and apply scripture for us today.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Peace
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