Selecting a text for the purpose of Exegesis
- Consider the text that you want to study.
- Choose prayerfully
- Don’t be hasty in choosing a text.
- Confirm the limits of the portion chosen.
- Don’t be obstructed by verse and chapter divisions.
- Perceive the passage well to avoid cutting the main idea.
- Pericope should have a distinguishable beginning and ending.
- Apply the most reliable modern translation.
- Seek advice from someone who is a translator.
- When choosing from the 4 Gospels, make sure to compare.
The basic steps to exegesis
- Begin with prayer and choose a text.
- Consider the textual matters and translation
- Compositional History
- Redaction Criticism
- Genre & Structure
- Historical Context
- Literary Context & Canonical Placement
- Literary Analysis
- Main Themes & Theological Message
- Application
Compare the Ancient Versions of the Bible by filling in the answers in the open spaces provided below.
- The importance of Ancient versions are to help the student to grasp the thoughts, visions and hopes of the author.
- The thoughts expressed by the prophets of old are now to be reproduced by the student of exegesis.
- Words, phrases, or even entire sentences in the ancient languages are to be isolated when they don’t correspond to MT.
- Research the relevance of all the variants to better judge which is best to use.
- A Literal interlinear translation would be most useful in this process.
Three reasons for consideration in regard to the Self-Testimony of the Bible.
- When the Holy Spirit is granted the freedom as the Divine Interpreter.
- When a comparative study of Bible texts amongst the ancient manuscripts are made.
- When a person with a sincere heart and common sense is willing to submit to the above mentioned, the truth about the self-testimony of the Bible will be expressed.
Is Criticism a negative term? Please define it?
To take an analytical and an evaluative approach of a particular study. For example, the verse in Isaiah 2:22 appears to be one that has been added later by a redactor who added a portion of text that does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of “The Dead Sea Scrolls” or “The Septuagint.” This kind of criticism is known as “redaction criticism.”
Since the name of the course is Biblical Exegesis, does that mean that the sources that need to be consulted are mainly from the Bible or Books that relate directly to the Bible? If not, what other sources (secondary literature) may be consulted besides the Bible or those that have a direct application on the Bible?
- Spirit of Prophecy
- Apocrypha
- Pseudo Ben Naphtali Manuscripts
- Mishna
- Babylonian or Yerushalem Talmud
- Bible Commentaries
- Patristic Literature
- Gemara
- Historical Books from authors who were alive during those times, example, Josephus
- Books on Archaeology
Gorman’s 8 principles for theological interpretation of Scripture
- The Chalcedonian Principle
- The Catholic Principle
- The Communal Principle
- The Canonical Principle
- The Coherence Principle
- The Charismatic Principle
- The Conversion Principle
- The Constructive Principle
The Chalcedonian Principle
Scripture is part of God’s self-revelation
The principle both permits and requires that we read Scripture as simultaneously the Word of God and the words of humans
The Catholic Principle
This principle both permits and requires that the interpreter should listen, to not only the text, but also to the readings of scripture in other times, places and cultures.
The Communal Principle
This principle is based on the significance of the church, or community of God’s people for theological interpretation.
The Canonical Principle
This principle permits and requires that the interpreter to ask what role a text plays in the canon as a whole, understood theologically as a divinely orchestrated whole that unveils the story and the drama of Salvation.
The Coherence Principle
Scripture is one divinely given book that essentially tells one coherent story of God’s salvation of the world, culminating in Jesus Christ.
The Charismatic Principle
This principle reminds the interpreter of Scripture that the Spirit is absolutely necessary to the church if it is to perform Scripture and not merely study it.
The Conversion Principle
Scriptural interpretation is the primary means by which God effects the church’s ongoing conversion.
The Constructive Principle
The goal of interpretation is to contribute to the way in which the church develops and changes, yet faithfully commit to its convictions and practices.
In the various Steps study the section on “Application”, explain it in 5 sentences and find a biblical example of how “application” has a practical message to perform in the church/community/world at large.
In this section you are moving from what the text meant to what it means for us today. You are moving from the biblical context to the contemporary context. Here you want to look for application by recontextualizing.
Be careful of making the application too general or vague. Be specific. Give specific examples of application and a plan for how to implement them. Remember James 1:22–25.
