How do you know if you’ve successfully understood a passage of Scripture? Start by understanding and embracing these basic interpretative convictions.
22 Matthew 5:9 The peacemakers
Like the merciful, those commit the costly act of refusing to answer injury for injury and seeking a peaceful reconciliation instead will find their inheritance as children of God in the kingdom of heaven. When we realize how deeply we ourselves are indebted to God’s grace and dependent on His mercy, we also realize we’re in no position to condemn the sins of others.
Word Study: immorality, porneia
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for immorality, porneia.
Bible Study 101: Interpretation
After you’ve done your observation, word studies, outlining and answered the questions you generated, it’s time to start putting it all together. In this step, you want to collect, refine and organize all those details you observed into a coherent meaning.
21 Matthew 5:8 The pure in heart
The pure in heart are not those who are morally perfect. Rather their hearts have been cleansed of rebellion and rejection of God. The pure in heart live like the gospel is true, though not perfectly. One day they will stand before God and be accepted.
Word Study: stumble, skandalizō
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for stumble or fall away: skandalizō
Word Study: comfort, parakaleō
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek verb for comfort, parakaleō
Bible Study 101: Observation
The first step in Bible study is observation. The goal is to slow down your reading and generate a list of questions that must be answered to understand the passage. I tend to break observation into the following 4 steps which generally correspond to my first few readings through the passage.
Happy July 4th
Happy 4th of July! The podcast will be back next week! Here are 8 fun facts about July 4th.
Word Study: mercy, eleeó
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for mercy, ἐλεέω
5 C’s of Bible Study
You may have heard the “rule” in Bible Study that a text always means what the author intended it to mean. But how do you evaluate whether a particular interpretation hits the mark of authorial intent? You can test any interpretation with the five C’s.
20 Matthew 5:7 The merciful
Only those will to commit the costly act of being merciful will receive mercy in the kingdom of God, because showing mercy is an implication of having saving faith.
June 2021 Reflections
Does God only bless? Many are willing to believe that God only blesses, but reject the idea that He also judges. A subtext of the beatitudes counters that idea.
How to use context
When learning how to study the Bible, you’ve probably heard the expression “context is king”, meaning context is the arbitrator that rules a particular interpretation valid or not. But how do you use context to decide between possible interpretations?
19 Matthew 5:6 Hunger & thirst for righteousness
When you’re physically hungry, the desire to eat is so overwhelming you can hardly think about anything else. Jesus is counting on that experience in this beatitude. The truly fortunate ones long for that which is missing in this life which only the kingdom of God can fulfill: holiness.
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