Lesson 10: Practicing Passage Study

(1) Practice applying the steps of interpretation to selected passages of scripture.

(2) Prepare a paper or oral presentation of a detailed study of a scripture passage.

Note to class leader: Reserve adequate time in class for the practice activities in this lesson, even if more than one class session is required.

In this course, we have looked at the steps of biblical interpretation: observation, interpretation, and application. We have learned about avoiding mistakes commonly made in biblical interpretation. We have discussed important principles for studying scripture. We have practiced each step. In this lesson, we will first review the entire process. Then the whole class will study passages from both the Old and New Testaments together using this process. You will also practice the skills on your own. Then you will complete the course project you began in Lesson 1.

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Interpreting the Bible[1]

The next sections of this lesson review the entire process of biblical interpretation. During each step of the interpretation process, interpreters should ask questions that will guide them to proper conclusions. These questions are based on principles of interpretation.

The questions that should be asked at each point in the process are listed. Examples show how to use the questions and why they are useful for proper interpretation.

The collection of questions should be considered a toolbox for interpretation. Just as a builder may not need to use every one of his tools on a particular building project, not every question here will be applicable to every passage. A question may be considered irrelevant to a passage if its answer does not seem to exist or if it seems to contribute nothing.

Author

• Who was the author?

• What was his role?

• What was his relationship to the recipients?

1 Timothy 5:20: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all...”

Apostle Paul, the author of 1 Timothy, was Timothy’s mentor. This was an instruction Paul was giving Timothy, who was a young pastor.

Understanding these things helps us to realize that Paul’s instruction might not be directly applicable to every individual Christian.

Original Audience

• Who were they?

• What are their characteristics?

Philemon was written to an individual believer.

Hebrews was written to persecuted Jewish believers.

Circumstances

• At what period of salvation history was this scripture written?

2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

“My people” refers to a particular nation that was God’s people. The promise to “heal their land” is not necessarily directly applicable to a church.

• What was the cultural setting? If possible, use a Bible dictionary to study the original culture. This allows you to compare/contrast their culture and ours.

2 Corinthians 13:12: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

To greet with a holy kiss was a cultural norm among Christians at that time.

• What were the current events?

• What was the situation in the church? (New Testament passages only)

Consider the characteristics of the literary form of the book and the passage.

• What is the literary form of this book/passage?

• What are the characteristics of this literary form?

Psalm 124:4-5:

• Literary form: Poetry

• Characteristic: Parallelism

Revelation 12:3:

• Literary form: Apocalyptic Literature

• Characteristic: Animals are symbolic

• What was the purpose of the writing? Look for what the author emphasizes or where the author has expressed concern, offered explanation, or challenged the readers.

1 Corinthians 7:1: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote…”

1 Corinthians was written in reply to a letter the Corinthian church wrote to Paul, asking him questions.

• What seem(s) to be the recipients’ problem/need?

1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

Divisions are frequently discussed throughout the letter.

• What was the author saying to the recipients? Any commands given after the author’s observations are obvious indications of what the author expected. They indicate how we should apply the passage.

Often, but not always, a chapter division will mark either the end or beginning of a passage. Occasionally, an entire chapter may make up a single passage. At other times, the chapter divisions are improperly placed and should not be used as passage divisions. Watch for changes of subject, which are usually marked with transitional statements. If you try to include too much in the passage, the passage will not have one main theme. If you do not include enough in the passage, the passage will not contain a complete thought.

• What verses are included in this passage?

2 Corinthians 7:1: “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us…”

This is part of the passage found at the end of the last chapter, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Isaiah 52:13-15 is in the same passage as Isaiah 53.

• Is it narrative that fits in with a larger theme?

Judges 17:5: “And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest.”

A man had his own priest and idols. This verse and the surrounding narrative of Judges 17-18 illustrates the overall theme of Judges, “…Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25).

• Is it providing theology for later application?

• Is it application of previous passages in the book?

Ephesians 4-6 is primarily practical application of the theology taught in Ephesians 1-3. In Ephesians 4:1 the word “therefore” indicates a transition from teaching of theology to teaching of practical application.

Ephesians 4:1: “I therefore… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…”

• Does some material only prepare for the main message?

Mark 2:2: “…And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door….”

These details prepare the reader to hear about the man being lowered through the roof.

• What words are used to connect ideas chronologically?

Repeated use of then in Matthew 24.

• Is a question or problem presented?

Romans 6:1: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”

• What words are used to connect ideas logically?

Repeated use of for in Romans 6 to show the sequence of logic.

• Is comparison or contrast used?

Romans 6:19: “…For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

Contrast between past slavery (to impurity and lawlessness) and present slavery (to righteousness).

• Is there repetition or use of similar terms?

Romans 6 repeated/similar terms: die, died, dead, death, crucified, buried, brought to nothing.

All of these are terms of finality.

• Are there any lists?

1 Timothy 4:12: “…but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

• What illustrations or figurative expressions are used?

Romans 6 uses crucifixion as a figure of speech.

• Is the means of achieving a goal described?

Romans 8:13: “…if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

“by the Spirit” – means

“put to death the deeds of the body” – goal

“you will live” – ultimate goal

• Are reasons given for a statement or claim?

Repeated use of for leading into explanations of assertions in Romans 6.

• Is there a climax or pivot point? This is particularly a question for narratives.

In the parable told in Matthew 21:33-41, verses 38-39 are the climax.

• Is cause and effect described?

Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Cause: “walk by the Spirit”

Effect: “you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

• Does a section serve as summary of that which precedes or follows?

Judges 2:11-23 summarizes the book of Judges.

Ephesians 5:1 summarizes Ephesians 4:25-32.

• Does the section quote or refer to another scripture? The New Testament authors frequently used quotations or illustrations from the Old Testament.

Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

In this verse, sacrifice is a word picture that refers to something in the Old Testament.

• What are the important terms in the passage?
  • Important terms from 1 Corinthians 2:14-15:
    • Natural person
    • Spiritual person
  • Important terms from Romans 8:
    • Flesh
    • Spirit
• What do they mean in this context? Do a word study on each.

• What does it mean? Paraphrase what the statement is actually saying.

• Why is it included, and why is it positioned here? Consider what difference it would make if the statement were not there.

Now that you have carefully observed the details of the verse or passage, summarize the author’s message to the original audience. The summary of a verse may be one sentence. The summary of a passage will be several sentences or even several paragraphs.

The goal of this step is to simply state what the author was saying to the first readers. This is not a time to be imaginative and creative. You can be creative when you develop ways to communicate the message in preaching or teaching, but right now you are trying to find the meaning of the scripture. The meaning should come from the scripture and not from your imagination.

• What was the author saying to the first intended readers?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 could be summarized this way: “Please agree together in your doctrines and fellowship and do not separate into opposing groups. I have heard from the family of Chloe that you are arguing. You are choosing to follow various leaders, but only Christ died for you.”

Check your summary. Consider the following questions with material drawn from the observations you made:

• Have I sufficiently considered the original situation of writing?

• What seem to be the author's concerns and purposes for writing this passage?

• Does my interpretation of the passage fit in with the theme of the book?

• Does my interpretation give the passage its proper role in the book?

• Is the emphasis of the passage structure consistent with my summary?

• Does the meaning of each statement within the passage support my summary?

• Am I properly interpreting the author's use of important terms?

In the passage, find one principle that applies to all times and all people. (A passage may teach several principles, but for practice, choose one.) State it in one sentence.

One of the principles found in Ephesians 4:25: “Speak the truth in all communication.”

Then check to make sure your principle accurately reflects the original message of the text:

• Is this principle clearly taught in the text?

• Is this principle consistent with the rest of scripture?

• Is this principle true for all times and all people?

Relate the principle to other truth:

• What related truth is revealed elsewhere in scripture?

• How does this truth add to our knowledge?

• Could my interpretation be corrected by considering scripture as a whole?

• Does this truth seem to contradict another passage? If so, can they be reconciled?

The principle you have found may be applied in various ways. Make one specific contemporary application.

• To what specific modern situation could this truth be applied?

• When, where, and for whom are the statements relevant?

• How could the truth be applied in action as well as in concept?

• If I really took the passage seriously, what difference would result in my life?

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in living God’s Word in daily life.

When interpreting New Testament letters, we begin by observing as much as possible about the letter, we continue by studying the letter to determine its message, and we end by applying the principles to our world. This journey of interpretation moves us from the world of the original recipients to the world of the modern reader.

Practice Together

► Together as a class, work through the interpretation process for 1 John 2:15-17. In addition to the questions and interpretation process described above, remember to consider features of New Testament letters as a literary form (see Lesson 6).

Practice on Your Own

► Each student should take one of these passages through the interpretation process. Then students should share their conclusions with other members of the group.

• Romans 13:8-10

• Ephesians 6:18-20

• 2 Timothy 4:6-8

• James 3:13-18

• 1 Peter 2:9-10

When we interpret an Old Testament law, we must first understand what it meant to the original audience. We must consider the differences between their situation and ours, especially any differences related to the fact that we are living under a New Covenant. In the Old Testament law, we must discern the principle that applies to all people in all times. Then we can apply that principle to our lives.

Practice Together

► Together as a class, work through the interpretation process for Numbers 15:37-41. In addition to the questions and interpretation process described above, remember to consider features of Old Testament law as a literary form and use the questions given in Lesson 6.

Practice on Your Own

► Each student should take one of these passages through the interpretation process. Then students should share their conclusions with other members of the group.

• Leviticus 19:9-10

• Exodus 20:4-6

• Exodus 22:10-13

• Deuteronomy 14:1-2

In Lesson 1, you chose one of the following passages of scripture.

• Deuteronomy 6:1-9

• Joshua 1:1-9

• Matthew 6:25-34

• Ephesians 3:14-21

• Colossians 3:1-16

Now that you have practiced each step of the journey of interpretation, do a thorough study of your selected scripture. When you are done, prepare your study in one of these forms:

1. If you have been taking this course with a group, you should make a presentation in which you share your study. (1) Show your observations, (2) teach the principles from the text, and (3) show how the text applies to believers today.

2. If you are studying alone, write a 5-6 page paper in which you explain (1) your observations, (2) the principles taught in the text, and (3) applications for believers today.