Download Session 3 notes here. - Cornerstone Church

Grasping God's W ord | Primer Version Spring 2014 | Cornerstone School of Theology

Session 3 The Interpretive Journey 1 (You draw it from memory in the space below and then do your best to fill in the Steps under your artwork).

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

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Step 5:

Discuss this question: Which is more important in Bible study, to determine what the scripture meant, or to determine what it means?

This course is based on the book, Grasping God's Word, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Zondervan, Third Edition, 2012). 1


General Ideas Which is more important in Bible study, to determine what the scripture meant, or to determine what it means?

Is the Bible the instruction manual for your life?

Which of these ideas do you think best characterizes the Bible? • • •

I suppose the Bible is most concerned with telling me what I want to know about me. I suppose the Bible is most concerned with telling me what I want to know about God. I suppose the Bible is most concerned with telling me what God wants to know about God.

Is context really important in communication? •

A Good Day to Die Hard

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Vacationing in Sri Lanka

Is context really important in Bible Sutdy? •

Should I get married?

•

Washington’s leeches


How to Read the Book - Paragraphs and Discourses o A focus on Paragraphs and Discourses is really all about making sure that we respect the context of verses and Bible passages. o The paragraph is the primary unit of thought in the Bible, not the sentence or the verse. o There are concentric rings of context that significantly inform the meaning of scripture: the paragraph, the discourse, the book and the whole counsel of scripture.

Things to Look for to Understand Paragraphs 1. General and Specific Look for general statements followed by specific explanations. Galatians 5:16-23 2. Questions and Answers Look for the author to pose a rhetorical question and then provide the answer. Romans 6:1-2 3. Dialogue When there are conversations, notice who is speaking to whom, notice who is listening, notice the setting. John 4


4. Purpose/Result Statements Look for statements that tell specifically why something happened, or the consequence of a specific action. John 3:16 5. Means by Which Something is Accomplished Look for the means that brings about an action, result or purpose. Romans 8:13 6. Conditional Clauses Look for an explanation of the conditions that bring about some action, consequence or result. II Corinthians 5:17 7. Actions/Roles of People vs. Actions/Roles of God Identify what God is doing and what people are doing. Ephesians 5:1-2 8. Emotional Terms Look for and notice words that have emotional overtones, words that convey feelings and emotions. Galatians 4:12-16 9. Tone Identify the tone of the passage. Galatians 3:1-4 Things to Look for to Understand Extended Discourses 1. Connections between Paragraphs and Episodes Look for things that are discussed, or words that are used, or themes that are present across multiple paragraphs. Mark 8:14-30 2. Story Shifts: Major Breaks and Pivots Look for shifts from doctrinal discussion to practical applications, or look for summary statements that summarize preceding sections and signal a shift in direction. Ephesians 1-3 vs. 4-6 3. The Type of Literature Look for poetic patterns, and for the difference between poetry, prose, narrative and other types of literature.


In Class Exercise 1. Working by yourself and using only the verse provided here (do not use your Bible), read and interpret Matthew 18:20. Write a few notes about what the verse means. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”


2. Working by yourself and using only the verse provided here (do not use your Bible), read and interpret Mark 8:22-26. Try to answer these types of questions: Why did Jesus ask the man if he could see? Would Jesus have known that? Why couldn’t the man see better when Jesus tried to heal him the first time? Did Jesus do something wrong the first time? Why does the text give us the detail that Jesus had put his hands on the man twice before he could really see clearly? What is the point of this story?

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."


1a. Now, read Matthew 18:15-20. How does the context of the paragraph change your understanding of Matthew 18:20? “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”


2a. Now, read Mark 8:14-30, which includes the story before and after the section in Mark 8:22-26. How does the flow of the overall discourse help you to understand the passage? The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.


Considering these examples, discuss how the context of Matthew 18 and Mark 8 helped clarify the meaning of the verses. Also, how did group discussion help you to clarify the meaning?

For Next Time: Read:

Grasping, Chapters 6 and 7 (Third Edition), or Chapters 5 and 6 of the Second Edition

Practice: Think about what you bring to the text. Consider your family background; religious background; biases or even prejudices; education; values and outlooks that you picked up from family or culture (some you have held onto and also some that you have rejected). Choose either the letter to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) or the letter to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). Using a Bible Handbook, Commentaries, a Bible Atlas, or online resources, list the historical or cultural information about these cities or churches that would help the reader understand more about these letters. Two great online Resources (among many) https://www.mystudybible.com/ http://www.biblearc.com/