Topic > Christian Beliefs > Bible > Interpretation of the Bible >
How do you put into words the lessons learned over a lifetime of ministry?
Enjoy a special edition of “Discover the Word” as Haddon Robinson, Alice Mathews, and Mart DeHaan reflect on their favorite highlights from twenty-three years of ministry together. Gather around the table with us.
To see the special chapel where Haddon and Alice were honored, click on the "read more" link.
Master The Skill Of Biblical Interpretation
Years ago in the New York Times, there was an advertisement for Mortimer Adler’s “How to Read a Book.” It pictured a teenager reading his first love letter. The blurb was, “How to read a love letter.”
The copy said this:
“This young man has just received his first love letter. He may have read it three or four times, but he is just beginning. To read it as accurately as he would like, would require several dictionaries and a good deal of close work with a few experts of etymology and philology.
“However, he will do all right without them.
“He will ponder over the exact shade of meaning in every word, every comma. She has headed the letter Dear John. What, he asks himself, is the exact significance of those words? Did she refrain from saying Dearest because she was bashful? Would My dear have sounded too formal?
Spiritual Plagiarism
When I teach English composition, I require students to write in class. I know that in-class writing is their own work, so in this way I become familiar with each student’s writing voice and am able to detect if they “borrow” a bit too heavily from another writer. Students are surprised to learn that their writing voice—which includes what they say as well as how they say it—is as distinctive as their speaking voice. Just as the words we speak come from our hearts, so do the words we write. They reveal who we are.
Taking Root
A small area of my yard just couldn’t seem to get going. The grass always seemed sparse in that spot, no matter how well I watered it.
How does Jesus’ sermon to a first-century audience affect us?
Pick up a book written last century, and you’re bound to run across some language that sounds almost foreign! Join us as we put Scripture into context.
Guarding Hearts
For years I taught adult Bible-study classes in a local church and took great pains to consider Scripture carefully before answering questions during the lessons. Later, during a lecture in my first semester of seminary at age 40, I learned that I’d given a woman who had attended one of my classes a terrible answer to her heartfelt question. I was certain my response had been causing her distress over the 2 years since I had seen her, and I was eager to correct myself for her sake.
Let’s look at Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
Scripture applies to every generation and culture. But the words really come alive when we see them in their original context! Let's look at Paul’s letter to the Corinthians from the perspective of his original Middle Eastern audience.
Out Of Context
When a friend started making random despairing statements, people were concerned for him and started giving advice and offering encouragement. As it turned out, he was simply having fun by quoting song lyrics out of context to start a conversation.
He Gave Us Prophets
This course gives an introductory perspective for the study of the prophets of the Old Testament. It dispels common misunderstandings about the prophets, provides guidelines for interpreting prophecy, and gives the student confidence to begin studying prophetic literature. The course is based on the DVD series by Dr. Richard Pratt, “He Gave Us Prophets.”
Building Systematic Theology
Many of us have read systematic theology, but we seldom consider the process behind its development. This course analyzes the steps of building systematic theology, especially the formation of technical terms, theological propositions, and doctrinal statements. It examines the legitimacy of systematic theology, the place of human logic in the process, and the dangers and benefits of this tool. It is based on the DVD lessons of Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.
No More; No Less
Recently I was reading about how easy it is to mishandle the message of the Bible. We may try to make it support what we already believe is true instead of allowing it to speak to us with God’s intended message. Some people use the Bible to defend one side of an issue, while others use the Bible to attack that same issue. Both quote Scripture to support their views, but both can’t be right.
Imagine That!
My friends and I were anticipating a contemplative time looking at a collection of artwork about the prodigal son who returned home to a forgiving father (Luke 15). When we arrived at the information table, we noticed the brochures, books, and a sign pointing to the artwork.
Detecting Toxins
San Francisco and New York City are using bluegill fish to check for the presence of toxins in their water supply, which could be a possible target for a terrorist attack. A small number of bluegills are kept in a tank at the bottom of some water treatment plants because the fish are sensitive to chemical imbalances in their environment. When a disturbance is present in the water, the bluegills react against it.
