TITLE:  7 Approaches to Bible Understanding
TEXT:  
PROPOSITION:  
QUESTION:  How?
KEY WORD:  Approaches
SCRIPTURE READING:  

INTRODUCTION:

1. Many become discouraged in their Bible study.
2. “How can I understand except some man should guide me?”
3. The visual (Power Point) for this sermon was developed by Howard Culberston
4. Place yourself in the shoes of those who read these documents for the first time
5. The aim of good Biblical interpretation is simple: to get at the plain meaning of the text.

As we approach the Bible we must deal with - - -

1. The historical gap between Bible times and today
   1. We do not live in 800 BC
   2. We don’t even live in 33 AD
2. The Social and cultural gaps
   1. We are not Jews
   2. We were not raised in the Mediterranean area
   3. We are not familiar with their customs and culture
3. Language difference
   1. We are not reading the Bible in the original languages
   2. Moses wrote in Hebrew
   3. Paul wrote in Greek
   4. Few of us have any knowledge of these languages
4. Hand copied manuscripts
   1. None of the original manuscripts have been found
   2. We must rely on copies of copies of the original
5. Incremental (or unfolding) divine revelation
   1. We have the entire Bible – all 66 books
   2. Joshua only had the first 5 books
6. A variety of literary types (genre)
   1. History
   2. Laws
   3. Biography
   4. Riddles
   5. Drama
   6. Poetry
   7. Letters
   8. Parables
   9. Wisdom
   10. Apocalypses
   11. Sermons
7. Its divine inspiration
   1. Eternal relevance – God’s word never changes
   2. Historical particularity – anchored in time

Conclusion:

1. Our study must keep these things in mind.
2. We must:
   1. Read
   2. Study
   3. Obey