… you don’t know Greek and Hebrew, and there are certain things you cannot do, like, well, reading Greek and Hebrew. I don’t think this means you can’t read the Bible, or that your opinions don’t matter, but it’s a simple fact. When people pretend to know the Biblical languages, as they often do using…
I had just finished posting the previous note, Talk about the Method, when I went back to my Google Reader and found this YouTube video, complete with a call to a five year commitment to God, via Polycarp: Now if people had any knowledge of method, or were at least practiced in thinking about method,…
When I teach Sunday School classes, as I often do, there is nothing more likely to lull people to sleep than a discussion of hermeneutics. I get a great deal of attention talking about history. People are very interested as I explore some different interpretations of a particular Biblical passage and where and when those…
John Hobbins has produced an excellent post on exegesis, The unacceptable limits of traditional exegesis, in which he calls us to keep the various senses of the text together, or perhaps in tension. At some time I would like to extend this discussion to the use of the various disciplines we normally bundle under the…
I have been reminded several times recently in private conversations of just how inadequate the literal to figurative continuum is in discussing how we understand scripture. Bruce Alderman has written an interesting article on the number of things we take as figurative in Genesis 3, and then asks: Why is it that so many Christians…
I decided to check on what Holy Bible: Mosaic NLT might have for my lectionary reading this week. First I checked the material for the 18th Sunday in Pentecost. Their readings do not coincide with the Revised Common Lectionary at all this week, though they do follow the church year. The RCL readings (with United…
I’m delighted to have Keith Williams, General Editor of the Mosaic Bible, and Bible and Reference Editor at Tyndale House. This is part of The Mosaic Bible blog tour. You can find Keith regularly on the NLT Blog, or follow him on twitter, @keithwilliams. Don’t forget to look at the rules for my contest to…
I’m not going to make an extended comment here except to note that the point at which I get the most questions about my own interpreation of scripture and the doctrine of inerrancy is Genesis 1-2, possibly extending to Genesis 1-11. The fact is that I can find people who affirm the doctrine of inerrancy…
I am excited about the release of Holy Bible: Mosaic NLT, just released by Tyndale House. What is even more exciting is that I have been looking at a copy they sent me for a few days, and I have been invited to participate in their blog tour for the release. In addition, Tyndale House…
I’m a strong advocate of Bible study by the laity, even when such study leads to errors. In fact, I think making mistakes is an important part of Christian growth. But there are a number of odd things that can happen when people apply the Bible. One of the checks on “loony” Biblical application that…
