Midterm Flashcards
What are the 3 spiritual eaters?
- Ones that do not eat.
- Fast food eaters
- Gourmet eaters.
Christians that don’t spiritual eat:
They may be spiritually dead. Individuals who do not have strength and discipline
Fast food Christians:
Christians that want an instant answer to every biblical and spiritual question.
Christian gourmets
They feel superior to all other food eaters. They are super-spiritual experts
The proper diet
Christians in terms of maturity are to have an adult diet.
I Peter 2:2 “ like new born babes, long for pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
Hebrews 5:12-14
Tensions of biblical interpretation:
Divine - human
Absolute - relative
Clear - ambiguous
Holy Spirit - scholarship
Literal/historical — figurative
Objectively— subjectively
What are the tensions really about?
This tension is really about the radial middle between the two, because some parts are very clear and s some parts are not as clear.
5 dimensions of scripture from God:
1.revelation
2.inspiration
3. Authority
4. Interpretation
5. Application
Revelation in the New Testament
God revealed himself in a unique and totally unprecedented way — in a person: Jesus, who is God in the flesh. Jesus explained God ( John 1:18), he has exegeted God for humanity.
Jesus also affirms this in verse John 14:9.
There is a general revelation of the existence and power of God in creation (Romans 1:20), and of the moral purpose of God in conscience (Romans 1:21), the more important, saving is found in Jesus, in whom, Paul writes “all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians)
The fact of inspiration
The Bible is the written record of God speaking to humans in specific, historical circumstances. This the bible is both divine and human (2 Timothy 3:16)
Inspiration describes the process by which the words of God become Th human words of the bible. (2 Peter 1:21)
Both scripture and prophet are inspired
5 elements between revelation and inspiration:
- Revelation is solely in the domain of God.it is God who chooses to reveal himself to his creation. Content and amount God is the one who determines to reveal
2.inspiration, on the other hand, is a joint-process by which God initiates the revelation towards humanity and humans are inspired to report what they have received in their own words.
3.revelation comes inmany forms (spoken words, visions, dreams). Variety is key.
4.inspiration comes in similar forms however, it is related in human words and pictures so that the audience can relate and understand the message.
5.The Bible as the written record of God’s revelation to us is a combination of sovereign will and human obedience.
Consciousness of inspiration:
Authors were conscious that there was an identity between the word of God and their words.
The OT formula “this says the lord”, this reflects an overwhelming consciousness of inspiration.
The apostles were promised the spirit as the guarantee of their witness. Jesus promised there would be an identity between their words and his words.
3 aspects the spirit guaranties
- Advocate (comforter)
Teach and remind - Spirit of truth
Obligation to testify, to speak out the truth, truth tellers. - Guide
Guides into all truth. Making known what is to come. Glorifies Jesus.
Latin word for revelation:
Revelo
Purpose of biblical revelation?
So that it can be known. When the Bible speaks a revelation it speaks of God actively disclosing to humans his power and glory’ nature, and character, his will, ways, and plans in order that we may know him.
Levels of revelation:
1.General revelation: Romans 1:19 -20 shows creation. Eternal power and divine nature. Romans 2:15 shows that consciousness reveals aspects of moral matters.
2. Special revelation:rom.2:17-18 shows the law as an example a special revelation.The righteousness of God was been manifested in the public Death of Jesus Christ
- Aspects of revelation
- creation
- Conscience
- law
- Jesus
Revelation in the old testament
In the Old Testament God reveals himself both directly and indirectly.
Genesis 17:1 reveals himself to Abraham as “God almighty”.
In exodus 3:14 the lord reveals himself as “iam who 1 AM”.
Forms a indirect revelation
1.episodic reports or narrative history: revelation of God’s Justice and righteousness. Found mostly in the Pentateuch and historical narratives.
- Heartfelt expressions:in the psalter there is are at the greatness of God, community, and individual praise / laments.
- Pragmatic observations: telling it like it is.in regard to the moral order of the universe. Poetry and wisdom literature
4.proclamation / exhortation: this is based on observation of the present and the application of covenant theology (past revelation) to present (prophetic literature).
Definition of consciousness of inspiration
It is a consciousness that the words are directly from God. Diversity, there is no one way God reveals himself.
The process of inspiration:
- Direct inspiration:
A.The lord dictated the actual wording of the law to Moses.
i. Oracle: is where you yourself practice
ii. Vision: you are watching the events take place
b. John being “raptured” (Rev. 4:1) → oracle
C. God spoke through famous humans and he also spoke through anonymous people (Hebrews) - Indirect inspiration:
A. The use of scribes (Silas, tertius, Baruch). Solomon’s proverbs.
b. Carefully researched history (chronicles, Luke - acts)
→ 1 chronicles 29:29, Luke 1:1-4, Luke 2, acts 1-5.
The model of inspiration
The duel nature of Jesus is the model that helps us understand the paradoxical nature of scripture.
The incarnation of Jesus illustrates how scripture can be both fully God’s word and yet, at the same time, fully the words of humans.
Why is the authority of the scripture important.
The authority of the bible is the necessary corollary to the inspiration of the Bible.
What are the 4 folds of authority?
Teaching
Rebuking
Correcting
Training in righteousness
Authoritative in teaching
Contrast to fast teachers. Guard carefully what has been entrusted to you (2Tim. 1:13-14)
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness
Authoritative for correctingy
The word means to censure or to correct.
Authoritative for correcting
The emphasis here is not to censure but on restoration. Scripture is to be useful for improvement.
Authoritative for training in righteousness
The emphasis here is in guiding a disciple in a life-long instruction of the character of God. Righteousness in this context, if following after the example of God in how he treats others.it includes how we are to conduct ourselves with the poor, lonely, the disenfranchised in life. Timothy 3:17 is the result.
2 main approaches for translation
- The formal approach (word-for-word, literal): tries to stay as close as possible to the structure and words of the original source.
- The functional approach (Idiomatic, thought-for-thought): tries to express the meaning of the original source into todays language.
Approach that most christians take in interpreting scripture?
they employ a more intuitive or feels-right approach, or a spiritualizing approach
(an approach that boarders on allegorizing the biblical text.
Step 1 of the basic journey
Grasping the text in their town:
Read the text carefully and observe it. After the observations, synthesize the meaning of the passage for the biblical audience into one or two sentences. Write out what the passage meant for the biblical audience.
Step 2 of the basic journey
Measuring the Width of the River to Cross:
What is the difference between r the biblical audience and us today?
One will look for significant differences between our situation and the biblical audience. Try to identify any unique aspects of the situation in your passage.
Step 3 of the basic journey
Crossing the principlizing bridge:
In this step you will try to discover the meaning of the text intended by the author. Every passage has specific expressions to a specific audiences, but God is also giving a universal theological teachings for all his people through the same texts.
To determine the theological prince, first recall the differences, identify any similarities between the biblical audience and us today. Then try and identify a broader theological principle reflected in the text. The theological principle is the same as the main point of the message.
Criteria for formulating a theological principle:
The principle should be reflected in the text.
The principle should be timeless and not tied to a specific situation.
The principle should not be culturally bound.
The principle should correspond to the teaching of the rest of the scripture.
The principle should be relevant to both the biblical and contemporary audience.
Step 4:
Deals with the question of: how does our theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible?
Reflect back and forth between the text and the teachings of the rest of scripture. at the end of this step one may need to reword their theological principle slightly to ensure it fits with the rest of scripture.
Step 5:
Deals with the question of: how should individual Christians today live out the theological principles?
We apple the theological principle to the specific situation of individual Christians in the church today. We cannot leave the meaning of the text stranded in an abstract theological principle.
Features of observation:
Repetition of words, contrasts, comparisons, lists, causes and effects, figures at speech, conjunctions, verbs and pronouns.
Repetion of words
Note and words that are repeated within the sentences you are studying, then see if its repeated in the larger passage.
Contrasts
Look for items ideas, or individuals that are contrasted to each other.
Comparisons
Comparisons focuses on similarities. Items ideas, individual that are compared with each other.
Lists
When you encounter two or more itemized things.
Cause and effect
Will state a cause and then state the effect of that cause.
Figures of speech
Are images in which words are in a sense other than the normal, literal sense.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions hold phrases and sentences together.
For example: and, for, but, therefore, since, because, like
Verbs
They communicate the action of the sentence.
Active verbs are those in which the subject is doing the action.
Passive verbs are those verbs where the subject is acted upon.
Pronouns
Pronouns identify the antecedent, to whom or to what the pronouns refers.
General to specific:
Author will introduce an idea with a general statement, then will follow this general statement with the specifics of the idea.
Or vice versa, specific → General
Questions and answers:
A rhetorical question can be raised and then answer that question.
Dialogue
Dialogue taking place con also overlap with question and answers.
Purpose / result statement
These are phrases or sentences that describe the reason, the result, or the consequence of some action. Frequently introduced by result orientated conjunctions such as: that, in order that, and so that
Means
By which something is accomplished. Looking for the means that bring about that action, result or purpose.
Conditional clauses
These are clauses that present the conditions where by some action, consequences, reality, or result will happen. The conditional aspect will be introduced by the conditional conjunction “if”. The resultant action or consequence will occasionally be introduced by “then”, but often the resultant action or consequence has no specific introductory words.
The actions/roles a people and God
What does God (further identify as the father, son, or the Holy Spirit) do in this passage? What do people do in this passage? What then is the connection between what God does and what people do.
Emotional terms
Words and phrases that have emotional overtones, like: mother, father, son, daughter, child.
Tone
Will often be closely related to the identification of emotional terms. Continue to determine the overall tone of the passage.
Definition of discourse:
Refer to unitsanger stop of connected text that are longer than paragraphs. A discourse can be a smaller episode within a story, or a longer story itself. I
Connections between paragraphs:
How your paragraph or episode connects and relates to with the other paragraphs/episodes that come before and after the one your studying.
Story shifts: Major breaks and pivots
Usually a shift in the direction of the story will be signaled by an unusually significant episode. One way to spot this kind of break is by closely observing the change in verbs.
Interchange
Is a literary device used primarily in narrative, that involves contrasting or comparing two stories at the same time as part of the over all story development.
chiasm
chiasma is a List of items, ideas, or events is structured in such a manner that the first item parallels the last item. The second item parallels the next to last item, and so forth.
inclusio
Is a literary technique in which a passage has the same or smelter word, statement, event, or theme at he beginning and at the end. Also called “ bracketing” or “framing”.
Two major forms of context:
Literary context and historical context.
Historical- cultural context
Involves the biblical writer, the biblical audience, and any historical- cultural elements touched on by the passage itself. Relates to just about anything outside the text that will help you understand the text it self.
First thing to look for to help with the historical - cultural context
The writers background, and why his he writing.
Second aspect to look for for historical - cultural context
Knowing something about the biblical audience and their circumstances.
Elements to look for for historical- cultural contexts:
Economic and political issues.
What ave 3 dangers when looking into background:
- Watch out for macerate background information
- Elevating the background of he text above the meaning of the text.
- Not to let yourself slowly evolve into nothing more than a walking database of ancient facts.
Definition of preunderstanding:
Refers to all of our preconceived notions and understandings that we bring to the text, which have been formulated, both consciously and subconsciously, before we actually study the text in detail.it is formed by both good and bad influences, some accurate and some inaccurate.
Danger of preunderstanding
Thinking that your preunderstanding is always correct.
- Foundational beliefs
- The Bible in the word of God, although God worked through people to produce it, it is nonetheless inspired by the Holy Spirit and is God’s word to us
- The Bible is trust worthy and true
- God has entered into human history; thus the supernatural (miracles, etc) does occur.
- The Bible is not contradictory: it is unified yet diverse. Nevertheless, God is bigger than we are, and he is not always easy to comprehend. Thus, the Bible also has tension and mystery to it.
Historical context
Back ground of the text
Literary context
Relates to the particular form a passage takes.
Type of literary found in the ot
Narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom
Literature in the nt
Gospel, history, letter, and apocalyptic literature
Surrounding context
Refers to the texts that surround Th passage you are studying
Passage → immediate context → rest of the larger section→rest of the book → rest of the book
English-only fallacy
Occurs when you base your word study on the English word rather then the underlying Greek or he brew word, and as a result, draw unreliable or misleading conclusions..
Root fallacy
It is true that a words individual parts may accurately portray its meaning, but only of the context supports such a meaning.
Time - frame fallacy
Confusing the meaning of two words like this is misleading and dangerous
Over load fallacy
Is the idea that a word will include all of those meanings every time it is used.
Word count fallacy
That a word must have the same meaning every time it occurs
Word as concept fallacy
A concept is bigger than any one word
Selective -evidence fallacy
Cite just the evidence that supports our favored interpretations or when we dismiss evidence
