(4) Discussion Board REPLIES - NBST

Discussion Board #2 REPLY (225 Word Minimum)

Question #1

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B Mclaughlin 

Special Topic Question 1

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1. Offer a list and description of the qualifications needed for an interpreter to offer a proper reading of Scripture. Give the importance of each qualification for understanding Scripture. Which of these qualifications are most important? Which do you think are not as necessary? Give reasons for your choices. What role does the Holy Spirit play in interpretation? How do we determine the impact of the Spirit on an individual’s interpretation?

 

According to Klein et. al, the qualifications of the interpreter is:

1. A Reasoned Faith in the God Who Reveals

2. Willingness to Obey Its Message

3. Willingness to Employ Appropriate Methods

4. Illumination of the Holy Spirit

5. Membership in the Church[1]

The importance of giving hope for the reasons why one believes in God is paramount to the first ‘reason’ someone could be an effective interpreter of the Bible. There should never be a reason to ask an atheist, a Muslim, or anyone who does not believe wholeheartedly in what the Bible says to give deep understanding of the Bible. However, an unbeliever can still read God’s word and acquire the knowledge, but never the ‘intent’ of scripture. Klein et. al, speak of a “…unbelieving scholar cannot understand and portray the true significance of the Bible’s message, for he or she is not ultimately committed to the Bible as divine revelation…”[2] This ties in to the second qualification of being willing to obey what the Bible is revealing. God compels the believer and those who read about Him to walk humbly before Him. It is found in (Micah 6:8, ESV), “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”[3] Another qualification is if we are willing to obey, then there will be the ‘need’ to have specific ways/measurements that the Bible should be interpreted to have deeper meaning and connection to the way the book was originally meant from the time it was created. All that has been discussed thus far is absolutely in my opinion meaningless without the next qualification of illumination through God’s Holy Spirit. His Spirit reveals the mysteries of the Bible that just anyone who picks up God’s word without the illumination cannot be revealed. McConnell sees it as, “…impossible for us in this series of studies to attempt any detailed survey of the revealing movement of which our Scriptures are the outcome. It is important, however, that we should see clearly that the revelation came to those who opened themselves to the light in an obedient spirit…”[4] This also leads to misinterpretation of scripture too with a believer. God must be the illuminator of His word. When the Holy Spirit illuminates though, the believer can open the Bible and see something in it as if it is the first time that he or she has ever read this passage. This is where the streams of living water flow forth from within and give new life to whom the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal.

[1] Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.202.

 

[2] Ibid, 203.

 

[3] Unless otherwise noted all scripture is taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible.

 

[4] McConnell, Francis John. Understanding the Scriptures Project Gutenberg, (chapter 2 ebook).

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Discussion Board #2 REPLY (225 Word Minimum)

Question #2

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J Williams 

Special Topic Question 4

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4. Utilizing the 9 items a reader should observe in paragraphs (see chapter4 of Grasping God's Word), list as many of these items as you can observe in Philippians 2:1-4. Offer the items as a list (e.g., you could list the "emotional terms" of the passage including such words as "encouragement or "comfort"). The goal here is to see how many of the 9 you can find in Philippians 2. We are not interested here in interpretation or application, just observations concerning the details of the paragraph with regards to the 9 items a reader should observe. What details did you discover that you had not noticed before? How do you think this exercise can help you to interpret the text better? 

     Philippians 2:1-4 NLT Commentary

1. General and Specific.

      Paul is straight to the point about what we have in Jesus and to share it with others. "Although the biblical writers do not write of chocolate icecream, they do often use the general-to-specific literary feature to communicate to us." (p. 71) Paul asks his audience if they have love or encouragement from being in Jesus. Then he lists different qualities that represent what it means to do so.

2. Questions and Answers

     "Occasionally an author will raise a rhetorical question and then answer that question." (p. 72) Paul does this in Philippians 2:1 AMP. "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?" Throughout this, Paul could be listing these to encourage these qualities even if they are not evident in the believers life at the moment.

3. Dialogue

     He is communicating with this church. In the item above, Paul is initiating dialogue with the reader's personal conscious by asking these rhetorical questions. 

4. Purpose/ Result Statements His purpose is to encourage unity

       "These are phrases or sentences that describe the reason, the result, or the consequence of some action." (p. 74) In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul doesn't literally give cause and effect. However, he does list the good thing to do, and not to do the opposite.

5. Means (By Which Something is Accomplished)

     "When an action, a result, or a purpose is stated, look for the means that brings about that action, result, or purpose. How is the action, or result brought into reality? How is the purpose accomplished?" (p. 75) Paul offers suggestions to his audience in Philippians 2:3. "Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves."

6. Conditional Clauses

     "These are clauses that present the conditions whereby some action, consequence, reality, or result will happen." (p.75) In Philippians 2:1-2, we see Paul writing in this way "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ..... Then make me truly happy by agreeing whole heartedly with each other..."

7. The Actions/ Roles of People and the Actions/ Roles of God

     The Philippians role is to share the same attitude of Christ. God's role is the example and the enabler.

8. Emotional Terms

     This where we see more personal terms such as brother, and sister (p. 76). You don't see these terms in Philippians 2:1-4, However, you can sense the sincerity and urgency through Paul's writing.

9. Tone

     This ties in with the emotional terms. Paul has a sincere and ugent tone with his audience. These suggestions to do right seems to be coming from someone who truly wants these things for whom he's writing to.

     I didn't realize that these were items to look for when reading the text. I did discover that Paul writes this way to encourage, not put down. I think that this way of looking at the text can help make the writings more personal.

Duvall, J. Scott. and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God's Word: A Hands on Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.

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Discussion Board #3 REPLY (225 Word Minimum)

Question #1

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M Jackson 

DB3 Special Topic Q2

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1. Define the terms “formally equivalent” and “functionally equivalent” with regard to translation theories. Which one is considered more “word-for-word” and which is more “thought-for-thought”? What criteria should a person use to choose a Bible translation? Respond to this quote: “If they can’t read Hebrew and Greek, then Christians should use at least 2 Bibles: one formal and one functional equivalent. That way they can see some of the nuances in the languages as understood by the translators.” Do you agree or disagree? Be sure to give reasons. What translation would you recommend for a new believer and why? What is your favorite translation?

 

Formally equivalent refers to a technique that the translators used in order to preserve the “original form and structure of a text.” Although they want to use English that can be easily understood by readers, it is not their priority.  Rather, they are most concerned with ensuring that the integrity of the text remains intact. It is also more concerned with relaying the information “word-for-word.” Functionally equivalent on the other hand is the opposite of formally equivalent process. Its goal is clarity while also retaining the true meaning of the text. Translations produced by this technique are more of a “thought-for-thought” and are not as concerned with “grammar and syntax”[1]  

 

Choosing a translation can be challenging but really depends on the purpose or occasion.  For instance, word studies or outlining a passage require the use of a Bible that “reflects the actual structure of the biblical language and translates key terms” with the equivalent English word.  Examples Klein, et al not are (NASB, ESV, NRSV)[2]  If you are conducting a more in-depth study of a text that is controversial exegetically or theologically than it is recommended to consult more than one translation.[3]

 

“If they can’t read Hebrew and Greek, then Christians should use at least 2 Bibles: one formal and one functional equivalent. That way they can see some of the nuances in the languages as understood by the translators.”  I would agree with this statement simply because of both the formal and functional equivalent address specific areas in which a student of the Scriptures could benefit.  It would enable the reader to develop his or her own understanding as to the uniqueness of how each one can contribute to their understanding.   It is also recommended, “for valid interpretation, if you cannot read the biblical languages, you must compare several versions lest you miss an important possible nuance.”[4]   My favorite Bible is still the King James Version.  I believe that it is an accurate translation and I enjoy reading the Old English style of the language, especially the Psalms and Proverbs. It can be challenging to understand without prayer, study, and if you approach the text with the wrong attitude.  I am familiar with conducting word studies and in my personal opinion enjoying digging into the word.  However, I also use other translations such as the Amplified, NRSV, Message and the NIV. 

[1] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 2017), 191.

[2] Ibid., 196.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid., 197.

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Discussion Board #3 REPLY (225 Word Minimum)

Question #2

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C Wood

Special Topic #5

List the 5 characteristics of words. Which one was new to you? Which one do you think is most important? Why? Define “connotative” and “denotative” meanings. What are the steps for performing a word study? How important are word studies in understanding Scripture? Why is it important to do word studies in the original languages instead of in English alone?

The five (5) characteristics of words are:

1 Words are arbitrary or semantic signs, “a combination of symbols or sounds that represents an idea.” (Klein, 2017, 323). Words may be spoken, i.e., combining sounds which stand for a specific idea or words may be written, i.e., a combination of letters which symbolize a concept. Foundationally, words have meaning only when repeatedly used within a common language group.

2 Words have more than one meaning, a range of meanings. “To know the message intended by a speaker or writer, interpreters must discern which meaning makes the best sense in its context.” Klein, 2017, 326).   

3 Word meanings overlap, they are synonymous. “Two (or more) words are synonyms when, out of their total range of meanings, at least one of the meanings of one word overlaps with one of the meanings of the other word.” Klein, 2017, 327).   

4 Word meanings change over the course of time. For example, in Philippians 4:6, the King James version (KJV) uses the word “careful”. The original Greek meaning of the word is “merimnaō”,[1] which means to “be anxious, to be troubled with cares.” In the context of verse 6, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, was telling us to not be anxious about anything. Most modern translations of the Scripture (NET, NKJV, NIV, NLT) agree and convey the meaning of don’t worry or don’t be anxious.

5 Words have denotative and connotative meanings. Denotative words express the “precise and direct meaning” and connotative words express a “special suggestive sense that grows out of its denotative meaning in some way.” Klein, 2017, 331). 

These five characteristics of words are not new to me. I consider the characteristic of words changing over time to be the most important. I don’t read the KJV on a regular because of the archaic language used. I always tell people, “we don’t speak that way anymore!” We do not say “thee” or “thou” in everyday English. In my opinion, the Scriptures are to be lived by, not to just study. When I share John 3:16 with an unbeliever, I don’t want to say that “whosoever believeth,” I want to clearly say “whoever believes.”  

The three steps for performing a word study are 1) select words that require detailed analysis; 2) determine the word’s range of meaning, and 3) select the meaning that best fits the context (Klein, 2017, 331-341).

It is imperative to study words in Scripture, preferably in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. “Grammatical study is strategic for correct interpretation because the biblical languages sometimes convey nuances that are hard to capture in an English translation.” (Klein, 2017, 345)

 

[1] Blue Letter Bible. "Paul's Epistle - Philippians 4 - (NET - New English Translation)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2020., accessed April 2, 2020,  http://www.blbclassic.org/Bible.cfm?b=Phl&c=4&t=NET.