How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition

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The authors provide some good guidelines for evaluating and choosing an English translation with some detours into textual criticism. Their ultimate conclusion is to avoid the KJV and NKJV because they believe them to be based on an inferior text type. Regarding the authors of the book, Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart both write in an easy to follow manner. Though the use of many specialized terms might scare the layperson reader, both authors make sure to explain the meaning of said terms in a manner for all readers to comprehend. The issue is sales. Women dominate the church. They have since the 1200's, and so if you want to write a book for Christians, you have to write a book that will appeal to women. Hermeneutics: the study of the methodological principles of interpretation. It is used in the narrower sense of seeking the contemporary relevance of ancient texts.

Discussion of the various translations was perhaps one of the more turbid and opinion laced elements of this work. The seeming dismissal of the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the comment that if one "regularly reads only the NASB/NASU, then you are committed to an interpretation of the text that may not be what Paul intended" was parochial and dubious. Such comments give the impression as an effort to promote one particular translation of Scripture over another as evidenced by the statement the "TNIV reflects the best exegetical option." Such conjecture, while hardly deleterious to the work en bloc, could have been omitted in favor of a discussion of the purpose and reasoning behind the various major translations and the inherent benefits and pitfalls subsumed therein. If brevity was a concern, the reader could have been directed to scholarly works such as F.F. Bruce's The Canon of Scripture or Norman Geisler's From God to Us for additional insight on the history and purpose of translations. This evinces the overall pattern and approach for interpreting Scripture that should be utilized by all interpreters. Even though this statement was included in a discussion of Acts, it is nevertheless representative of the approach necessary for interpreting all Scriptural genres. The authors conclude with a helpful, if not exactly robust, appendix on evaluating and using commentaries, both Old and New Testament, for both the general reader and advanced students. Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It’s meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to biblical scholars, and everyone in between. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your 21st-century life. I think one of the things that’s shifted so much of my thinking is that everything— everything—deserves closer examination. Just because a particular passage doesn’t seem troublesome doesn’t mean it is as straightforward as I might think it is. I think we all probably have our “pet” verses, and we desperately want them to mean what helps us to feel better.Contemporary application of the books of the Law has, for many, been absent from their spiritual repertoire. Formulating an understanding of the complexity and sheer number of religious laws outlined in the Torah is difficult and elusive to most believers. This is unfortunate, as the books of the Law possess considerable relevance to the holistic study and understanding of Scripture. As noted by the Fee and Stuart, "even though the Old Testament laws are not our law, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Law is no longer a valuable part of the Bible." It is from this standpoint that Fee and Stuart engage the understanding and application of interpreting Old Testament law. A systematic understanding of the intent of the Law will illuminate the necessity of the discussions between Jesus and the Pharisees revealed in the gospel accounts. Fee and Stuart substantively examine the historical context of the law, in particular, the comparison of the Law of Moses to that of the Code of Hammurabi and other ancient codes of conduct. An awareness of the intention and influence the law had on ancient Israel will only enhance the understanding of the Biblical narrative; a position which Fee and Stuart repeatedly asseverate. For a more technical presentation of the exegetical method taught here, see "old testament exegesis" and "new testament exegesis" by these two authors respectively.

The Preacher’s Magazine . . . Makes significant advances over most other books of the genre and which is certain to be highly useful. Christian Standard Fee and Stuart have delineated the hermeneutical principles for the valid interpretation of the variety of literary genres found in Scripture. Fee and Stuart fulfill the objectives they set for themselves admirably. A book with this focus meets an obvious need. Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.

The parables are some of the most beloved portions of Scripture and also perhaps among the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. This is explicated in the statement "parables are not allegories - even if at times they have what appear to us to be allegorical features." This statement is at the crux of how to exegete parables. Fee and Stuart accurately identify that the hermeneutical task in reference to parables lies in recapturing the "punch of the parables in our own times and our own settings." All elements of the exegesis of parables are subsumed within this concept. The ability of Fee and Stuart to provide a terse yet substantive overview of the benefits and methods of interpreting parables is commendable. This introductory course, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth featuring professors and authors Douglas Stuart and Mark Strauss, covers everything from translation concerns to different genres of biblical writing. In clear, simple language, sessions help learners accurately understand the different parts of the Bible and their implications for both ancient audiences and humanity today, so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God’s Word. The time and culture of the author and readers of each book of the Bible are different. Geographical and political factors can be important. There may be an occasion for the writing of the book. If we can't trust an all powerful God to take care of a book, then how can we trust Him to take care of us? They begin with the premise that we are all interpreters of Scripture when we read it and, therefore, we need to be responsible readers and interpreters. We cannot claim not to interpret (“it just means what it says so no interpretation is necessary”) because we are all doing it all the time. If we are using an English translation, that is itself an interpretation, so our reading of that is an interpretation of an interpretation. Again, since that is the reality, we need to ensure we are wise and conscientious interpreters. This book provides tools for the purpose.

More devastating, however, is how they choose to treat a set of passages they disagree with. These authors go to some pretty extreme lengths to argue that women should be allowed to be leaders in church. We can go to the table, we can have this argument and both sides can make good points about what Paul meant and what it means for a 21st century audience. This is HOTLY debated among Christians. Their best course of action would have been to avoid it. Instead, these authors decide to announce that they don't think these passages were written by Paul and were instead added later by a disagreeable translator or scribe. For Instructors and School Administrators Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. Second, they continue with great tools for interpreting and accurately applying challenging genres like Old Testament prophecy, Christ’s parables (pg. 157, 160), and the apocalyptic vision of Revelation. I have currently found handling the narratives of Acts a significant homiletical challenge, so I am thankful for their particularly helpful tools for interpreting and accurately applying the Acts of the Apostles (pg. 112, 119). This was recommended by a professor from one of my classes, so I took him up on it and decided to give it a shot. This has some HUGE theological repercussions. I had to put the book aside for nearly a month and debated the whole time if it was even worth continuing. I nearly came here to simply give the thing a big DNF and a one-star review. Cooler heads prevailed, and after the epistles section it only came up a few more times (but it kept coming up), and it piledrives this book from something every Christian should read, to something only the most discerning should even consider. I pretty much regret purchasing the book because of their treatment of Corinthians.Too many people miss the point of a verse or book because they disregard the context or literary genre. The Bible is for everyone, but that doesn’t mean that every part is understandable by everyone by just simply reading. A careful examination of God’s Word will reveal to its readers not only what it is about, but also how it applies to them today, allowing them to serve God with gladness in Christ. Solid exegesis must precede hermeneutics because the original intent of the biblical text is the only proper control for hermeneutics. Otherwise readers can take a text to mean whatever they want. The Mormons' baptising of the dead and the Jehovah's Witnesses' rejection of the deity of Christ are due to improper interpretation. In these cases, hermeneutics have not been controlled by solid exegesis. More than three quarters of a million people have turned to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to inform their reading of the Bible. This fourth edition features revisions that keep pace with current scholarship, resources, and culture. Changes include: