7 ideas for

enriching Bible
understanding

The Bible is a rich library

to be savored
over a lifetime.

Prof. Lakshman Madurasinghe

Place yourself in the shoes of those who
read those documents for the first time

“The aim of good Biblical interpretation

is simple: to get at the plain
meaning of the text.”
-- Gordon Fee TIP
A Bible passage will
not mean what it
How never meant.
do we do that?
As we approach the Bible we must deal
with . . .
1. The historical gap between
Bible times and today.

We do not live in 800 B.C.

We don’t even live in 33 A.D.
As we approach the Bible we must realize deal with . . .

1. The historical gap

2. Social and cultural gaps
We are not Jews, nor
do we live in
agrarian Mediterranean society
As we approach the Bible text, we must deal with . . .

1. The historical gap

2. Social and cultural gaps

3. Language differences
We aren’t reading the Bible in the original
languages in which Jesus, Moses, Paul and others
wrote.
As we approach the Bible text, we must deal with . . .

1. A historical gap
2. Social and cultural gaps
3. Language differences

4. Hand copied
manuscripts
None of the original manuscripts
written by Paul or Moses or
Isaiah have been found.
Qumran Wadi
with series of
caves
Below: Cave 4 contained
15,000 fragments from
580 documents
As we approach the Bible text, we must deal with . . .

1. A historical gap
2. Social and cultural gaps
3. Language differences
4. Copied manuscripts

5. Incremental (or unfolding) divine

revelation
We have the entire Bible; Joshua, for example, only
had the material in the first five books.
As we approach the Bible text, we must deal with . .

1. The historical gap

2. Social and cultural gaps
3. Language differences
4. Copied manuscripts
5. Incremental revelation and growth of human understanding

6. A variety of literary genre (types)

Bible literary types (genre)
✔History ✔Letters
✔Laws ✔Parables
✔Biography ✔Wisdom
✔ Riddles ✔Apocalypses
✔Drama ✔Sermons
✔ Poetry
As we approach the Bible text, we must deal with . .

1. The historical gap

2. Social and cultural gaps
3. Language differences
4. Copied manuscripts
5. Incremental revelation and growth of human understanding
6. A variety of literary genre or types

7. Its divine inspiration

The Bible is at the same time both human and divine.
Interpretation of the Bible is shaped by
the tension between:
1. Eternal relevance
(“God’s Word never changes!”)

2. Historical particularity
(anchored in time)
Key Biblical Themes

The Bible reveals

the eternal design
of Almighty God to redee
a wrecked and
ruined world.
1. Covenant
✔ Covenant = agreement
✔ Testament -- from Greek word chosen to
translate the Hebrew word for covenant
✔ God>s commitment to make creation
succeed
Covenant symbols
✔ Passover and Communion --
symbolic remembering of the establishment of
a divine covenant
2. Deliverance or
Redemption
✔ Noah and the Flood
✔ The Exodus event
✔ Jonah and Nineveh
✔ Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah
3. Law / Righteousness
God<s Design for Living

✔Torah
✔Perfection (in Biblical terms)
4. Eschatology / Hope
✔ For the believer . . .
the future is about hope, not fear.
Key Biblical Themes
1. Covenant
2. Deliverance / Redemption
3. Law / Righteousness
4. Eschatology / Hope
 Why I accept the
Bible as authoritative

03/02/08
Authority of the Bible?
1. Its internal claims to be
the Word of God

03/02/08
2. Jesus and the Apostles quoted
OT writings as authoritative

03/02/08
3. Historical church has used it
as God’s inspired record
of Himself and of His will

03/02/08
Nazarene statement on
inspiration of the Bible
“We believe in the plenary inspiration of the
Holy Scriptures, by which we understand
the 66 books of the Old and New
Testaments, given by divine inspiration,
inerrantly reveal the will of God concerning
us in all things necessary to our salvation”
4. History and archaeology
confirm it

03/02/08
 5. Fulfilled prophecies

03/02/08
6. Remarkable unity and
coherence
✔ 40 authors
✔ Took 1500 years to write

03/02/08
7. Its life-transforming power

03/02/08
8. Has answers to life’s ultimate
questions
✔ What is the Ultimate Reality?
✔ What is a human being?
✔ What happens after death?
✔ What is the meaning of human history?
✔ What determines right and wrong?

03/02/08
Inspiration
Inspiration
American Heritage Dictionary:
2. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high
level of feeling or activity.
3. An agency, such as a person or work of art, that
moves the intellect or emotions or prompts
action or invention.
4. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea,
that is inspired.
Inspiration
• The quality of inspiring or exalting: a
painting full of inspiration.
• Divine guidance or influence exerted
directly on the mind and soul of
humankind.
• The act of drawing in, especially the
inhalation of air into the lungs.
Inspiration

“Sine qua non

of evangelical theology”

“The watershed issue of

contemporary evangelism”
Inspiration
2 Tim. 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.”
Inspiration
qeo,pneustoj =
qeo,j (theos) pneustoj (pneustos)

Lit. “God breathed”

Inspiration
2 Pet. 1:20-21
“But know this first of all, that no prophecy
of Scripture is a matter of one's own
interpretation, for no prophecy was ever
made by an act of human will, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Inspiration

Wrong Interpretation Correct Interpretation

Refers to the Refers to the
interpretation of the interpretation of the
revelation to the readers revelation to the author
so that they might read so that he might write
the Scriptures correctly. the Scriptures correctly.
Inspiration
fero,menoi (pheromenoi)
 Lit: “to carry,” “to bear,” “to guide,” or “to
drive along.”
 Used of a ship being carried by the wind
(Acts 27:17).
 Passive participle.
Theories of Inspiration
Intuition /Natural: Certain people were extremely
gifted through their natural God-given abilities to
write Scripture. (Man)
Illumination/Mystical: The Holy Spirit moved
within certain individuals to write above their
natural capacity. (Man)
Mechanical/Dictation: God simply used the hand of
man to passively write His words. (God)
Theories of Inspiration
Partial: Some of Scripture is inspired, not all.
Namely, that which is profitable for
doctrine, matters of “faith and practice.”
Matters of history and science are not
included because they are irrelevant to
God’s purpose. (50% Man, 50% God)
Theories of Inspiration
Degree: All Scripture is inspired, but some are more
inspired than others. (90 % God, 10% Man). The
“days of creation” narrative was written in
accommodating language, a sort of “baby-talk”
(Alister McGrath, Christian Theology, 211).
Verbal, Plenary: All Scripture is inspired by God
who utilized the human element within man to
accomplish this without error. (100% Man, 100%
God)
Theories of Inspiration
See notes for chart.
Where Does Inspiration Lie?
1. Mind of God?
2. Mind of the Author?
3. Written Words?
4. Message?
5. Message Proclaimed?
6. Message Received?
7. Message Received

1. God

3. Mind
of the
Author

5. Message
4. Written Words
6. Message Proclaimed
Inspiration
Biblical Docetism: “the evangelical heresy”
Inspiration
Examples of the Human
Element within Scripture:
1.Emotion: Psalms, Roman
9
2.Grammatical
Differences: Hebrews
and John
3.Grammatical “Errors”:
Romans 5
4.Phenomenological
Language: Josh 10:13
Inspiration
Definition: The supernatural act in which
God guided the writers of Scripture giving
them His words all the while utilizing the
human element within man to produce the
Scriptures without error.
Inspiration
Inspiration is . . .
Verbal: Extends to the very words of
Scripture, not just teachings.
Plenary: Extends to everything in the Bible,
not just parts that speak on matters of faith
and practice.
Inerrancy
Inerrancy
Definition: The doctrinal teaching that the
Scripture in the autographa (original
manuscript) is true in all that it teaches.
Inerrancy
Deductive Defense:
Premise 1: God is truthful and therefore beyond
error (2 Sam 7:28; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18).
Premise 2: God is the author of Scripture (2 Tim
3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21).
Conclusion: Scripture is truthful and therefore
beyond error.
Objection # 1 (deductive)
“To err is human”
Premise 1: Human beings err.
Premise 2: The Bible is a human book.
Conclusion: The Bible errs.
Objection #1 (deductive)
Response
Premise 1: Human beings err.
Premise 2: Christ is a human being.
Conclusion: Christ errs.
Objection #1 (deductive)
The fallacy of this argument lies in premise
that to err is human.

• Human beings must err.

• Human being can err.

Error is not a foregone necessity of humanity.

Objection #1 (deductive)

Christ
100% human 100% God

Scripture
100% human 100% God
Objection # 2 (inductive)
✔ The Bible contains errors.
✔ Therefore, the Bible errs.
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #1
2 Sam. 10:18 vs. 1 Chron. 19:18
Objection # 2 (inductive)
2 Samuel 10:18 1 Chronicles 19:18
But the Arameans fled The Arameans fled
before Israel, and before Israel, and
David killed 700 David killed of the
charioteers of the Arameans 7,000
Arameans and 40,000 charioteers and 40,000
horsemen and struck foot soldiers, and put
down Shobach the to death Shophach the
commander of their commander of the
army, and he died army.
there.
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #1 Solution:
Error in transcription
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #2
Matt. 28:2, Mark 16:5 vs. John 20:12, Luke 24:4
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Mark 16:5 Entering John 20:12
the tomb, they saw And she saw two
a young man sitting angels in white
at the right, wearing sitting, one at the
a white robe; and head and one at the
they were amazed feet, where the
body of Jesus had
been lying.
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #2 Solution:
Faulty Assumption
If there were two angels, there was also one.
No contradiction is present. There is no rule
that the Gospel writer cannot differ in what
they choose to include.
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #3
Matt 26:34, 74-75; Mark 14:30, 72
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Matthew 26:34 Mark 14:30
Jesus said to him, And Jesus said to
"Truly I say to you him, "Truly I say to
that this very night, you, that this very
before a rooster night, before a
crows, you will rooster crows
deny Me three twice, you yourself
times." will deny Me three
times.
Objection # 2 (inductive)
Alleged Error #3 Solution:
Faulty Assumption
One writer can be more detailed than
another.
Inerrancy

Facts about inerrancy:

2. The Bible does speak in accommodating language
(e.g. “The sun went down”).
3. The Bible does use round numbers (7000 killed,
instead of 6899).
4. The Bible does use free quotations (Old Testament in
the New).
5. The Bible does summarize (Sermon on the Mount is
longer in Mathew than in Luke).
6. Consideration must be made of the genera of the
individual books (Proverbs 22:6).