Speaker:

Dr. Mark Strauss

Consistently applying basic principles of biblical hermeneutics leads to accurate interpretation and practical application of Scripture. The canon of Scripture was determined over a period of many years using specific criteria. Bible translations will be different in some places depending on their translation philosophy.

Class Outline

Introduction
Introduction to Hermeneutics (Part 1)	It is important to recognize your presuppositions when you study and interpret the Bible. The writings of the Bible reflect diversity in authorship, genre and cultural background. The common theme that unifies the Bible as a whole focuses on the story of creation, fall and redemption. (48 min. 17 sec.)
Introduction to Hermeneutics (Part 2)	Hermeneutics is the science and art of biblical interpretation. The goals of exegesis are to determine the meaning of a passage in its original context, and to determine the significance of the passage for today. (44 min. 44 sec.)
The Text
The Canon of Scripture	It is important to know what writings are included in the Bible and the process that took place that determined which ones would be included. (54 min. 40 sec.)
Bible Translation	The goal in translation is to try to translate the meaning of the text from one language to another. The two basic philosophies of translation are formal equivalence and functional equivalence. Meaning comes not only from the individual words, but from phrases, clauses, idioms and grammatical constructions. Languages say the same things using different forms so getting an accurate translation requires interpretation. (52 min. 05 sec.)
Exegesis
Four Key Principles of Exegesis	The first goal of hermeneutics is to determine the meaning of the text that the author intended. The interpretation process must take into account the genre of the literature and the historical and literary context. The meaning of the text controls our application. (1 hr. 00 min. 24 sec.)
Exegesis Steps (Part 1)	The first four steps in the exegesis process are identifying the genre, getting the big picture, developing a thesis statement and outlining the progress of thought. (55 min. 33 sec.)
Exegesis Steps (Part 2)	The final 6 steps in exegesis process are consulting secondary sources, analyzing syntactical relationships, analyzing key terms and themes, resolving interpretive issues and problems, evaluating your results from the perspective of wider contextual and theological issues and summarizing your results. (32 min. 22 sec.)
Word Studies	Word studies are helpful tools you can use to help you better understand the Bible. It is important to make sure your conclusions are accurate and that you use your conclusions in an appropriate way. (26 min. 30 sec.)
Contextualization
Application	When contextualizing a passage it is important to avoid imitating biblical culture exactly, and letting the culture govern the message. (33 min. 46 sec.)

Biblical Hermeneutics Essentials

Class Outline