Bible Backgrounds (MA): Worksheet #1

(Craig Keener, The Bible in Its Context)

(send to jeffkrohn1@gmail.com)

Name: Eyob Abera

For the following questions, please answer according to Keener’s words. For example, #2 asks about a
“fresh wind of the Spirit.” Obviously the student needs to answer according to what Keener said—not
according to the student’s opinion. If a question says, “What do you think?” then you can give your
opinion. Be sure to summarize Keener’s words in your own words. DO NOT JUST COPY AND PASTE.

(If a question asks for 100 words in your answer, aim for this amount (+/- 20 words). For an answer of
100 words, do not write 10 words (too little), nor 500 words (too much). Points will be deducted if the
answer is too short or too long. Some questions are “fill in the blank”).

(Be aware of question #26: “I have carefully read all the assigned pages (7-30, 117-166) from Keener’s
book for this assignment.” Please be honest. If you have not carefully read every page, give a percentage
of how much you have carefully read).

(15 words: two short sentences; 50 words: three or four sentences; 100 words: two small paragraphs; 250
words: about a half page)

Introduction
1. What do Josiah, Wycliffe and Luther have in common? (Answer only must be about 15 words)

 In their time they all challenged the Church’s hierarchy to return Church’s focus to the
Scripture.

2. Where does “a fresh wind of the Spirit” come from? (10 words)

 By returning attention to the Scripture.

3. Why does God “expect us to use literary and historical principles” to study God’s Word? (15 words)

 It’s because the word of God has filled with a lot of historical information.

4. Keener says: “Studying God's Word with an open and yearning heart is one way that we express our
love for God.”

5. Keener also says: “Those who love God in this way will talk of His Word all the
time, everywhere, with everyone.”

6. How do we “learn to recognize His voice accurately”? (10 words)

 By the study of the Bible

Chapter 1
7. Keener says: “Context is the way God gave us the Bible, one book at a time.”

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8. What were the three specific mistakes that Jim Bakker made? (50 words)

 He did not study scripture in context.

 He believed his friends teaching without studying it in context.
 He depended on his friends teaching about God.

9. When Keener was a young Christian, how many Bible chapters a day did he read? (One word)

 Fourty (40)

10. How do we “disrespect the authority of Scripture”? (10 words)

 Taking verses from out of context.

11. What are the five different contexts Keener argues for? (50 words)

It is about how James and Paul uses the word “faith” differently.
 Rom 3:28, how a man justified by faith.
 Rom 1:5, a belief that one actively stakes their life on.
 James 2:14, how a man cannot be justified by faith without works.
 James 2:19, faith is acceptance of something which is true.
 James 2:18, prove your faith via obedience.

12. Which one of the five contexts explained in the previous question do you think is the most frequently
neglected in your context? (35 words)

 James 2:18 showing faith in works. Many believers say they are a man/woman of faith, but
they didn’t show their faith in works. They ignore making faith practical.

13. What is the “risk” concerning a concordance? (20 words)

 using different verses where the word appears while preaching.

14. What is Keener’s answer to those who claim special revelation or a special authority (so they can
ignore context of Scripture)? (50 words)

 They ought to be truthful when they claim that this is a special revelation rather than the
Scripture.
 All revelations must be checked according to the Bible. And One of the reasons God gave us
the Bible was so we could examine other revelations.
 They don’t have the right to limit the hearers' capacity to assess their assertions in light of
the Bible.

15. “The question is not whether we will stand before God, since we will stand before Him no matter
what, but whether He will find us faithful or unfaithful to what He has taught us.”

Chapter 5

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16. Keener: “…particular books emphasize particular themes is that they addressed particular
situations.”

17. “…before we can determine how to apply the ancient meaning today, we must understand the
ancient meaning.”

18. What does Keener mean with this statement?: “Everything in the Bible is for all time, but not
everything in the Bible is for all circumstances.” (50 words)

 Although everything in the Bible is applicable at all times, not everything is also applicable
in all situations. When we read our Bible we should see the specific situation that the author
wanted to address and its relevance.

19. What does Keener mean?: “To claim that only the obviously culturally limited passages are in fact
culturally limited is simply to beg the question of interpretation methods.” (25 words)

 In Bible there are some passages that have culture-specific teachings. And in order to claim
that we must raises the issue of interpretation methodologies.

20. What does Keener conclude about “various ministries of women” and how does he apply that to 1
Tim 2? (25 words)

 He tries to show how it is debated and our desire in consistency of interpreting the bible may
prompt us to raise such questions.

21. “Paul … disagreed with his contemporaries on what was fundamental, arguing that it is God's own
power that saves us, not secondary issues like circumcision or food laws.”

22. How does Keener relate God, Moses, Jesus and “glory”? (50 words)

 In Old Testament Moses pleads God to show him His Glory and God told him that he will
show his only part of his Glory (his grace and truth).
 As John 1:18 tell us “No one has seen God at any time” this verse proves that mosses didn’t
see God’s Glory Fully.
 According to John 1:18 Jesus is the only one that revealed fully God’s character (glory).
And God’s Glory is revealed in Jesus in different ways.

23. What are the two possible reasons that the man who asks Jesus to “bury his father” is not asking for
a short delay? (25 words)
 His father did not pass away that day or the day before.
 He's talking about his father's second burial.

24. Which one of the brothers in Luke 15:11-32 was the religious elite like? (5 words).
 the older one.

25. While “some texts remain obscure to us,” what does Keener say about “plenty of others”? (10
words)

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26. “I have carefully read all the assigned pages (7-30, 117-166) from Keener’s book for this
assignment.” (Yes or No) Again, please be honest. If you have not carefully read every page, give a
percentage of how much you have carefully read.