Hermeneutics

The lectures in this module are designed to teach a believer how to interpret and study the Bible himself. Paul wrote, in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and verse 15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In this passage, our gaze is set on the Lord himself, not the applause or favor of men. We’re to strive to please the Lord, the Master we serve, and to labor in a manner that does not bring shame.

Lessons

Lesson Number Title Summary
1 Introduction The lectures in this module are designed to teach a believer how to interpret and study the Bible. Our purpose is threefold: (1) equip you with Biblical principles for interpreting Scripture; (2)...
2 Foundation What makes the Bible so unique and special, and what does the Bible say about itself? Without a firm concept of the nature of the Bible, we will be led into the possibility of many errors in...
3 Sense When interpreting Scripture, we must ask, What does God say? and, What does God mean by what he says? The Bible is God’s revelation to men. It makes known to us infallible truth from the mind of...
4 Comparing In this fourth lecture, we will consider another Biblical principle, the importance of Comparing Scripture with Scripture in our interpretation. You’ll notice how this principle builds on and flows...
5 Context One of the simplest errors in reading the Bible is the failure to consider the immediate context of the verse or passage. Whenever we remove a verse from its context, we will distort its true...
6 Words When we speak about studying words and grammar, some people may question whether this is really that important. But remember the foundational truths we learned in an earlier lecture—the Bible is...
7 History The study of History is the study of the works of God. He sovereignly orchestrates all of the details at every stage in his unfolding plan and story. God’s providence supplies purpose and...
8 Genre One of the unique qualities of the Holy Scriptures is that they contain many types of literature, including history, laws, poetry, proverbs, epistles, parables, etc. The Bible includes different...
9 Christ We must never lose track of the primary focus of the Bible, which is to set forth the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the revelation of God in him. If we do not intentionally ask...
10 Exposition Now we should consider how we can use the fruit of our labors, especially as teachers and preachers of the Word. Having said that, ordinary Christians can also derive profit from this instruction....