YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!

[Johann]

Free Bible Commentary
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!

Biblical Interpretation Seminar
Lecture Notebook

By Dr. Bob Utley, retired professor of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. A GUIDE TO GOOD BIBLE READING: A PERSONAL SEARCH FOR VERIFIABLE TRUTH

II. INTRODUCTION

A. The Desperate Need for Personal Bible Study

B. Why Christians Neglect Personal Bible Study

C. An Ancient Bible Study Method

D. Some General Statements About the Seminar

III. THE BIBLE

A. Author’s General Presuppositions

B. Its Literary Limits—Assumed Canonization Principles

C. It Speaks for Itself

D. Its Basic Purpose

E. Author’s Basic Presuppositions About the Bible

F. Evidence For a Supernaturally-Inspired Bible

G. Problems Related to Our Interpretation of the Bible

IV. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

A. Author’s Presuppositional Definition

B. The Need for Verifiable Interpretations

V. THE INTERPRETER

A. We Are Historical Conditioned

B. Some Examples from Evangelicalism

C. What Can Be Done?

D. The Responsibility of the Interpreter

VI. THE HISTORICAL-GRAMMATICAL METHOD

A. Its History and Development

B. The Reactionary School of Antioch of Syria

C. Its Basic Tenets

D. Its Interpretive Questions

E. The First Interpretive Question

F. The Second Interpretive Question

G. The Third and Fourth Interpretive Questions

VII. APPLICATION

A. The Fifth and Sixth Interpretive Question

B. Some Possible Guidelines

C. The Interpreter’s Responsibility

D. Suggested Readings

VIII. POSSIBLE PITFALLS

A. A Logical, Verifiable Process

B. Documented Textual Evidence

C. Some Examples of Abuses

IX. PRACTICAL PROCEDURES

A. Preliminary Steps

B. Take Good Notes on Your Reading Observations

C. Proposed Order for Use of Research Tools

D. Final Exhortations

X. AIDS TO INTERPRETATION

A. Sample Categories for Note Taking

B. Exegetical Procedures

C. Basic Procedures for a Biblical Word Study

D. Recommended Research Tools by Category

E. Definitions of Hebrew Grammatical Forms That Impact Interpretation

F. Definitions of Greek Grammatical Forms That Impact Interpretation

G. Sample Work Sheet on Romans

H. Sample Work Sheet on Titus

XI. GLOSSARY

XII. EXAMPLES OF THE STUDY METHOD

Ephesians 2

Romans 5

Romans 6

XIII. BRIEF SUMMARY OF HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLES

XIV. DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

XV. POEM ON HERMENEUTICS BY PAT BERGERON

Biblical Interpretation Seminar Lecture Notebook

Biblical Interpretation Seminar Lecture Notebook, by Dr. Bob Utley, retired professor of hermeneutics.

www.freebiblecommentary.org

 

[Jack]

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!"

Yeah, by STUDYING the Bible, not men's opinions!

 

[Johann]

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!"

Yeah, but STUDYING the Bible, not men's opinions!

 

[Johann]

"YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE!"

Yeah, by STUDYING the Bible, not men's opinions!

Really sorry you feel that way-do you know that over 90% of people don't study anything?

 

[Jack]

Really sorry you feel that way-do you know that over 90% of people don't study anything?

I have found over many years that most sit in 'church' and listen to opinions rather than sitting at home STUDYING the Bible like their eternity depends on it.

 

[Johann]

I have found over many years that most sit in 'church' and listen to opinions rather than sitting at home STUDYING the Bible like their eternity depends on it.

Right-what do you do with this?

THE BASIC TOOL: A
GOOD TRANSLATION
The sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible were originally written
in three different languages: Hebrew (most of the Old Testament),
Aramaic (a sister language to Hebrew used in half of Daniel and two
passages in Ezra), and Greek (all of the New Testament). We assume
that most of the readers of this book do not know these languages.
That means, therefore, that for you the basic tool for reading and
studying the Bible is a good English translation, or, as will be argued
in this chapter, several good English translations.
As we noted in the last chapter, the very fact that you are reading God’s Word in translation means that you are already involved
in interpretation—and this is so whether one likes it or not. But to
read in translation is not a bad thing; it is simply inevitable. What
this does mean, however, is that in a certain sense, the person who
reads the Bible only in English is at the mercy of the translator(s),
and translators have often had to make choices as to what in fact the
original Hebrew or Greek was really intending to say.
The trouble with using only one translation, be it ever so good,
is that one is thereby committed to the exegetical choices of that
translation as the Word of God. The translation you are using may
be correct, of course; but it also may be wrong.
Let’s take, for example, the following four translations of 1 Corinthians 7:36:
31

KJV: “If a man think that he behaveth himself uncomely
toward his virgin . . .”
NASB: “If a man think that he is acting unbecomingly
toward his virgin daughter . . .”
NIV: “If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward
the virgin he is engaged to . . .”
NEB: “If a man has a partner in celebacy and feels that he
is not behaving properly towards her . . .”
The KJV is very literal, but not very helpful, since it leaves the term
“virgin” and the relationship between the “man” and “his virgin”
ambiguous. Of one thing, however, one may be absolutely certain: Paul
did not intend to be ambiguous. He intended one of the other three
options, and the Corinthians, who had raised the problem in their letter, knew which one—indeed they knew nothing of the other two.
It should be noted here that none of these other three is a bad
translation, since any of them is a legitimate option as to Paul’s
intent. However, only one of them can be the correct translation.
The problem is, which one? For a number of reasons, the NIV
reflects the best exegetical option here. However, if you regularly
read only the NASB (which has the least likely option here) then you
are committed to an interpretation of the text that may not be the
right one. And this kind of thing can be illustrated a thousand times
over. So, what to do?
First, it is probably a good practice to use mainly one translation,
provided it really is a good one. This will aid in memorization, as
well as give you consistency. Also, if you are using one of the better
translations, it will have notes in the margin at many of the places
where there are difficulties. However, for the study of the Bible, you
should use several well-chosen translations. The best thing to do is
to use translations that one knows in advance will tend to differ. This
will highlight where many of the difficult exegetical problems lie. To
resolve these problems you will usually want to have recourse to your
commentary.

 

[Jack]

Right-what do you do with this?

THE BASIC TOOL: A
GOOD TRANSLATION
The sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible were originally written
in three different languages: Hebrew (most of the Old Testament),
Aramaic (a sister language to Hebrew used in half of Daniel and two
passages in Ezra), and Greek (all of the New Testament). We assume
that most of the readers of this book do not know these languages.
That means, therefore, that for you the basic tool for reading and
studying the Bible is a good English translation, or, as will be argued
in this chapter, several good English translations.
As we noted in the last chapter, the very fact that you are reading God’s Word in translation means that you are already involved
in interpretation—and this is so whether one likes it or not. But to
read in translation is not a bad thing; it is simply inevitable. What
this does mean, however, is that in a certain sense, the person who
reads the Bible only in English is at the mercy of the translator(s),
and translators have often had to make choices as to what in fact the
original Hebrew or Greek was really intending to say.
The trouble with using only one translation, be it ever so good,
is that one is thereby committed to the exegetical choices of that
translation as the Word of God. The translation you are using may
be correct, of course; but it also may be wrong.
Let’s take, for example, the following four translations of 1 Corinthians 7:36:
31

KJV: “If a man think that he behaveth himself uncomely
toward his virgin . . .”
NASB: “If a man think that he is acting unbecomingly
toward his virgin daughter . . .”
NIV: “If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward
the virgin he is engaged to . . .”
NEB: “If a man has a partner in celebacy and feels that he
is not behaving properly towards her . . .”
The KJV is very literal, but not very helpful, since it leaves the term
“virgin” and the relationship between the “man” and “his virgin”
ambiguous. Of one thing, however, one may be absolutely certain: Paul
did not intend to be ambiguous. He intended one of the other three
options, and the Corinthians, who had raised the problem in their letter, knew which one—indeed they knew nothing of the other two.
It should be noted here that none of these other three is a bad
translation, since any of them is a legitimate option as to Paul’s
intent. However, only one of them can be the correct translation.
The problem is, which one? For a number of reasons, the NIV
reflects the best exegetical option here. However, if you regularly
read only the NASB (which has the least likely option here) then you
are committed to an interpretation of the text that may not be the
right one. And this kind of thing can be illustrated a thousand times
over. So, what to do?
First, it is probably a good practice to use mainly one translation,
provided it really is a good one. This will aid in memorization, as
well as give you consistency. Also, if you are using one of the better
translations, it will have notes in the margin at many of the places
where there are difficulties. However, for the study of the Bible, you
should use several well-chosen translations. The best thing to do is
to use translations that one knows in advance will tend to differ. This
will highlight where many of the difficult exegetical problems lie. To
resolve these problems you will usually want to have recourse to your
commentary.

I have purchased many English translations over the years. I STUDY them! I compare them. They are so consistent.

 

[Johann]

I have purchased many English translations over the years. I STUDY them! I compare them. They are so consistent.

Excellent man-I am the last person to say you are NOT studying the Scriptures!