Interpreting the Biblical Texts Exam 2

Arrow 1

What does this passage say?

Arrow 2

What does this passage mean to its original audience?

Arrow 3

What does this passage tell us about God?

Arrow 4

What does this passage tell us about man?

Arrow 5 

What does this passage demand of me?

Arrow 6

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

Arrow 7

What does this text prompt me to pray?

Cross References 

Helpful for locations, Gospels, use of quotations/allusions from other parts of scripture etc. 

Maps

Knowing the details of the map will help you further understand and appreciate the whole picture of scripture.

Maps show what?

Location, Relationship, Distance, and Topography.

Bible Dictionaries 

Provides places, names, themes, concepts, etc. 

Surveys

They give an overview of both background information as well as an overview of the book in the Bible’s contents.

Commentaries

Should be used as a reference book as a tool to add depth to your study.

Different Types of Commentaries 

General Purpose 

Devotional

Applicational

Pastoral - Heavy text-oriented.

Expositional

Backgrounds - who, what, where, when, why?

Theological

Academic

Greek/Hebrew text related

Fault of Commentaries 

Commentaries are Biased and have errors, go to the biblical text first. 

Me is not the KEY

God’s Word is about GOD!!

Two reasons why we become self focused in our study of God’s Word.

1. We are sinful, we see everything from a “me” perspective. “It ain’t all about me”

2. Forgiveness coming through Jesus.

The Law 

Graciously provided to govern the relationship God had established in the promise he made to Abraham. 

The Psalms

Show hot to and help worshipfully respond to God, realizing his greatness, goodness, and loving devotion.

The Proverbs

Describe God’s Wisdom for living in a way that exalts his name.

The Prophets 

Declares that God fights zealously for the hearts of his people, protects his justice by judging them and he will restore them. 

Old Testament consists of:

The Law, Psalms, Proverbs, and Prophets.

New Testament Consists of:

The Gospels, Epistles, Revelation.

The Gospels 

Logical order not a chronological order. 

The Epistles

Explain what God has done in Christ to fulfill his promises and extend his blessing to the nations. (Letters)

Revelation

NOT a road map to the end times. John is showing that evil will reign, that it will get worse and worse. It reveals that Christ will conquer one day.

The Kings Reign

From the beginning to Adam and Eves rebellion.

The Kings Judgement 

Judgement upon Adam and Eve. 

Noah Genesis 6:5-9

Tower of Babel

Abraham and his Family 

God Pictorially Saves a people 

Noah - Genesis 6:5-9

God saved a people by sparing Noah’s family.  

Tower of Babel

Rebellion by settling in one place, to make a name for themselves, to pull God off the throne.

Abraham and His Family

God has promised to deliver sinful man through Abraham and his family.

God Pictorially Saves a People 

Brings people out of Slavery in Egypt 

Brings them to Himself in Sinai 

Establishes a place for their Fellowship 

Pictorialization Explained

Pictorialization Realized

Brings people out of Slavery in Egypt 

God blesses the Israelites

Pharaoh Kills baby boys

Pharaoh raises his own baby boy Moses

God introduces himself to Moses as the Great I AM.

Brings them to Himself in Sinai

Ten Commandments - Exodus 19

Physical and Temporal 

Spiritual and Eternal 

The physical ethnic Israel is not the “true Israel” as declared clearly with physical ethnic Israel’s failure to trust God and to enter the promised land.

But God DOES have a true Israel, those who do truly commit to the Lord, trust him, and act like it.

Establishes a Place for their Fellowship

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy establish God’s requirement for fellowship: “sacrifice” and “obedience to law”.
Joshua closes the demand for Obedience and the threat for disobedience.

Pictorialization Explained

Judges - They end with Israel more wicked than Sodom and Gomorrah.

1 and 2 Samuel - Became FAT AND SASSY because they wanted a KING. Saul, David, Solomon.

Pictorialization Realized 

Rehoboam causes the kingdom to split into two. Rehoboam is over Judah/Benjamin; Jeroboam is over Northern tribes. 

Third do-over

A remnant a new Israel returns into the land.

Malachi’s Ultimate Promise

I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me

The Kings Return 

The Promises 

God dwells with his people in the coming of his son 

God Re-establishes His People in the Life of His Son

God Redeems his People 

Significance 

The Promises

Gen. 3:15 - a man will conquer evil; reestablish God’s holy people.

Gen. 12,15,17 - Abraham will have a people who will be blessed.

2 Sam 7 - David will have an heir who will be the ultimate eternal king/savior.

God dwells with his people in the coming of His Son

OT- God symbolically dwelt with Israel in “the Promised Land” Mosaic Tabernacle and Solomonic Temple.

NT- God is the eternal creator, behled by them not hidden.

God Re-Establishes His People in the Life of His Son

John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, this identifies Jesus with his sinful people.

God Redeems His People 

True Israel consisting of persons from every people, tribe, language in the death and resurrection of his son. 

The Kings Reign

The king conquers the world

The king completes his reign

God is the main character in the Bible

It is all about him, Not YOU!

Image Bearers

Humans are Binary - Male and Female

Rebellion

Catastrophe and Chaos

Covenantal Hope

Covenantal Curse

Redeemed

The answer to humanity’s problem is Jesus, the true human, the true Israelite, God in the flesh.

Ambassadors 

Kingdom Obedience 

Christs love for His Bride

Created for Community

Kingdom Missions

Theme 1 

God is One and reveals himself in three persons

5 Themes 

God alone deserves the worship of his creatures. 

Theme 2

The triune God is the sovereign King of the universe because he is the creator and he deserves and demands undivided loyalty from the humans that he has made in his own image. 

Theme 3

God is both Just and Holy 

Theme 4

God is Faithful