Final Exam Study Guide Flashcards
Define Genre
A genre is a type of literature with the rules that govern its interpretation.
Why is narrative not simply what happened, but is also the divine interpretation of what happened?
The biblical authors tell us how to feel about the characters and the outcomes. Not just the facts, but the divine interpretation. Not just the Exodus, but we are called to identify with the people of Israel and to rejoice with them. If God doesn’t save his people in the narrative of the Bible, He can’t save all people. Essentially, because that narrative, while no longer being recorded and canonized, is the narrative in which we live in this very day and age.
Figures of speech
Anthropomorphism=>ascription of human characteristics to God
Euphemism=>substitution of a less offensive term for an offensive one
Hypocatastasis=>comparison implied by direct naming
Image=>word picture that makes an abstract idea concrete and reified
Metaphor=>imaginative identification of two distinct objects or ideas
Metonymy=>substitution of one word for another
Define a proverb
Short memorable statements of the true state of things as perceived and learned by human observations over extended periods of experience. In the Bible: short, witty, and instructive saying that has currency among those who fear the Lord.
What are the major themes of Ecclesiastes and Job?
Ecclesiastes=>teaches the value of wisdom by means of a positive-negative tension-filled logical argument exploring all the big “meaning of life” philosophical questions. 5 toils=wisdom, hedonism, wealth and power duty/social service/honor, piety. 5 features of this world that will kill meaning=sameness and indifference of all things, everyone dies, time is the cycle of endless repetition, evil is perennial and unsolvable, God is an unknowable mystery. What is the point of it all? God.
Job=> about the sufficiency of a sovereign God and the problem of evil. Can God be trusted for every situation in life? Why is there evil in the world and why does God allow it? What happens when what we run up against go against what we think we know?
What are the reasons why prophecy is so important?
God tells us the future to vindicate his exclusive claims to deity.
To show us a future reality that has already invaded the present.
To show us a future reality that will shape and direct our present course of life.
Foretelling vs Forthtelling
Forth-telling is speaking the word of God to people, calling them to return back to the covenant. Foretelling is predictive prophesying was meant to strengthen and assist the the forthtelling.
What are the different approaches to interpreting prophecy with regard to fulfillment, double fulfillment, sensus plenior, conditional prophecy, etc.?
Double fulfillment/multiple fulfillment=>A prophet might see an event as mountains on the horizon. Can’t tell how far they are. May be present, near future, or future, or multiple.
Sensus plenior=>”A fuller sense” (a deeper meaning), the possibility of the text having a deeper meaning than what the author intended to convey… God had one intention, the author’s was different. Things get wishy washy and there is no absolute truth. This goes back to our early studies about realism
Conditional prophecy=>A prediction of what will happen if certain things do or do not occur and that condition can be explicit or implicit.
What are the differences between prophecy and apocalyptic literature?
Apocalyptic is a sub-genre of prophetic literature in which there is 1. revelatory communication 2. angelic meditation 3. discourse cycles 4. ethical discourse 5. esoteric symbolism 6. a recital of history pessimism toward present age promise of salvation should encourage the saints
What is typology? What are the steps to determining whether a text is typological?
God has ordained events in the old testament that look ahead to something that comes later.
- Resemblance (antitype always greater)
- Evidence of divine intent
- Prefiguration
Define a parable and discuss the principles of interpretation
A particular literary genre whis is not interpreted allegorically but by its own rules of interpretations. There are always two parts to a parable: The fictional story, and the reality part which is a comparison to which the story is likened.
How to interpret:
1. Generally teach one point
2. Historical context is very important
3. Gospel writers were interested in interpreting parables for the readers
4. Seek to understand how its relevant to our lives
Be able to identify the logic of an argument as presented in the epistolary literature. This would include identifying the kind of logical argument employed.
Look for the kind of argument being made. Look for alternatives, comparisons, concession, condition result, contrast, explanation, interruption, progression, purpose, quotation, reason, rhetorical question, series
Be able to state and defend your understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in interpretation.
Illumination=> work of the Holy Spirit by which he makes the Bible understandable and applicable to the believer’s life.
What is perspicuity? Why is this important hermeneutically?
=> the bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it. it means that if we differ in interpretations, somebody is wrong. somebody is not submitting to the clarity of Scripture
