BIB 121 Hermeneutics
FINAL EXAM PREP!
Session 1
Define hermeneutics
Define “Verbal plenary”
How do we determine what a verse means? By carefully using/applying
hermeneutical/interpretive principles
Know II Timothy 3:16 ... “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching.”... The Bible is divinely inspired!
What are commentaries, lexicons, concordances, and Bible dictionaries?
Remember, spiritual understanding requires being obedient to what we
understand scripture say
1st goal of interpreting Scripture is to find the one meaning that the
author intended
Session 2
There are 6 teachings of Rabbinical rules that modern interpreters still use:
1. A word must be understood in the way it is used in its sentence, and a
sentence must be understood in the context
2. Passages of verses on similar topics should be compared
3. A clearly stated verse is preferred than a difficult verse on same topic
4. Pay attention to spelling, grammar, and figures of speech
5. We can apply verses to problems in life that the scripture has not mentioned
6. The God of Israel has spoken in man’s language, revealing Himself to them
Session 2 continues:
OT symbols –often found fulfilled in the NT as allegories
What is the historical-grammatical method of
interpretation?
What was one of Martin Luther’s contribution to modern
hermeneutics?
What is the International Council of Biblical Inerrancy?
Session 3
What is the first thing we consider when we try to determine the
meaning of a passage?
What was Paul’s point about slavery in Eph 6: 5 – 9?
Session 4
Remember: if we take a verse out of context, we lose the true
meaning of the verse
Likewise: when stating a Biblical principle, state principles that
are true to the author’s meaning
Session 4 cont...
When dealing with chapter and verse divisions: remember those are not
“inspired” but help us identify complete thoughts and segments
When identifying Biblical principles, observe the most significant or
important principle
What do you do when verses seem to contradict each other? Use the
clear and explicit passages to help understand
When looking for the meaning of Moses’ writing, always check other
passages Moses may have written about that topic
When you find an OT quote in the NT, always go back to find it’s meaning
in the OT first before determining it’s meaning in the NT
Session 5
The meaning of a word may depend on the way it is used in its
context
In speech, an article (the) and indefinite article (a or an)
functions as an adjective
What does an adjective do?
What does an adverb do?
Know how to identify the subject of a sentence or phrase
Session 6
Understand the difference between ‘figurative’
speech and ‘literal’ speech
When Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life” – is that literal
or figurative?
Session 7
A basic assumption of hermeneutics is that the
interpretation of a passage is a summary of the
author’s intent
Be able to identify what is ‘normative’ and
‘descriptive’
Session 8
What is ‘progressive revelation’?
When examining the moral laws of the
OT, we learn that they are universal
expressions of righteousness
Session 9
When interpreting the Psalms, what is synonymous parallelism?
What type of Psalm does “Hallel” identify?
Psalms 119 is an alphabetic acrostic because each verse
begins with a letter of the alphabet
Session 10
Define what is a Biblical proverb
To help understand what seems to be some
contradictions in proverbs, the interpreter must
understand that each proverb has a specific
time to apply each proverb.
Session 11
The prophet’s calling is centered around the protection of the
covenant
It is critical to understand the place and times of a prophet because
that historical perspectives gives much meaning to the message
Because there is a span of time between the message/event and its
fulfilment prophesies that predict the future are more challenging to
interpret
Session 12
Define pericope and how do we know when there is a
change
Again, be sure to be able to identify if a statement/verse is
normative or descriptive
Session 13 & 14
The Law of the old covenant is often said to serve as a ‘school master’ to
lead us to Christ
The concept of ‘already-not yet’ is used when defining the Kingdom of
God, apply the same concept to the concept of wealth in the Bible
(14) A principle is often understood as a statement that is true no matter
who says it
Principles should always be stated in one short sentence
Session 15
Remember: As we ask the Holy Spirit to
guide us, we can be confident that God
will work with us to accomplish His will in our
lives!
