Tag Archives: Original Languages

The Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutic

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Communication involves at least two parties in its process: the communicator who delivers the message and the recipient. Both individuals must follow some basic principles for communication to occur: the communicator must express the message clearly, and the recipient must understand the communicator’s meaning in its context. If individuals follow these rules for communication, how much more significant is the practice of attempting to understand correctly what God has recorded for them in His Word? This attempt at accurate comprehension is the study of interpretation, also known as hermeneutics.

Why We Reject the Apocrypha

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The subject of the Apocrypha can be difficult and detailed, but this article should simplify matters. If you want to explore this subject in greater detail, you should read a chapter entitled, “The Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha” in the book A General Introduction to the Bible by Norman Geisler and William Nix, published by Moody Press. Unless otherwise noted, the facts and arguments used in this article are taken from this source. What Books Belong in the Old Testament? The word canon means “ruler” or “standard” by which something is judged.

The Preacher and His Library, Part 1

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“And the books, but especially the parchments . . .” II Timothy 4:13 Introduction While no one knows for sure what Paul was requesting when he talked about the books and the parchments, it is probable that he was asking for a copy of the Old Testament, or at least for part of it. Even in his final days of life, Paul was a reader. Since the days of the apostle Paul, reading has been part of the lifestyle of preachers.

What I Like to See in a Bible Version for Study Purposes

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Introduction In this brief article I am not giving a detailed evaluation of Bible translations. Rather, I am sketching in broad strokes three issues that are important when choosing a version of the Bible for study purposes. A Literal Translation A literal translation is based upon the idea that the purpose of a translation is to let the reader know what the Bible says rather than what the Bible means. Yet many modern readers use meaning-for-meaning versions and paraphrases because they think the meaning of the Bible has been made clear.

The Value of Bible Software for Ministry, Part 2

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Choosing the Right Bible Software: A Closer Look at BibleWorks and Accordance There are numerous Bible software programs available to students of God’s Word. We will raise three basic factors to consider in choosing the right program for your circumstances. First, consider the cost. For the most part, you get what you pay for, because most of the databases for biblical research (e.g., various Bible translations, lexicons, and dictionaries) are available to any software maker. While some of the databases are public domain and are therefore free, other databases cost money.

The Value of Bible Software for Ministry, Part 1

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Never before has there been a more exciting time to study the Word of God. Resources that at one time were available only to a few privileged people are now available to anyone with a computer. Over the last two decades, Bible software has made incredible leaps in providing students of the Word of God with powerful tools for exegesis. Both of us have used Bible software programs extensively in our education, teaching, and church ministries. Barely a day goes by when we are not using our respective research programs for classes, sermon and lesson preparation, scholarly research, or simply for devotions.