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LEADERS' GUIDE TO Understanding the Bible
Principles of Biblical Interpretation - A Leadership Training Workshop
NATURE OF THE COURSE: Discussion and workshops, involving a lot of participation and also some study between sessions.
STRUCTURE AND TIMING: The course is written with 8 Units taking 45 - 60 minutes. However more time is needed to do full justice to discussion of all the "practice" texts. Units 4,6 and 8 (and maybe 7) could each expand to two sessions. See the Guide to Unit 4.
SURVEY OF THE COURSE: The following paragraph could be used in any publicity.
This course is especially for Leaders of a Housegroups, Bible Class or Sunday School, and all who preach and teach. Based on the New Testament, it will help us to a better understanding of the Bible and so equip us to share its message more effectively with others. We will be thinking about -
1. Where's the Problem? 2. A Text without a Context is a Pretext 3. The Gospels - an Easy Start? 4. Theory into Practice I - Some Case Studies for Interpretation 5. Understanding the Letters 6. Theory Into Practice II - Some More Case Studies for Interpretation 7. Issues in the Gospels - Miracles and Parables 8. Practice Makes Perfect!
TARGET GROUP FOR THE COURSE Christians involved in leading and teaching within the church, e.g. Lay Preachers, Worship Leaders, Housegroup Leaders, Youth Leaders, Sunday School Teachers, and other mature Christians. The Leader should be a mature and well- read Christian, preferably with some theological training.
MATERIAL - The course is based on "Reading the Bible for All Its Worth", by Stuart and Fee (SU).
READING LIST: A Reading List is offered for participants, which obviously contains the personal suggestions of this writer. Other Course Leaders may well wish to write their own List. But whatever the choice of books, the idea of a printed list is highly recommended.
These books would be very useful for participants to borrow or use:- * A few copies of Fee and Stuart * Bible translations, NIV, GNB, RSV, J.B. Phillips' N.T., Jerusalem Bible, Living Bible. * A Bible with CROSSREFERENCES and TEXTUAL NOTES - e.g. the NIV Study Bible. * Concordances * The Illustrated Bible Dictionary * The Lion Handbook to the Bible * The New Bible Commentary Revised * Commentaries on Gospels & Acts, Romans, 1 Cor, Col, 2 Thess, 1 Tim, Hebrews. * Dick France, The Man They Crucified (retitled Jesus the Radical) ALSO * Ken Bailey, Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes (Eerdmans)
AIM: To enable those involved in Bible teaching at various levels to improve their skills in Bible interpretation.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course participants will have - studied the principles of interpreting the Bible seen some examples of sound exegesis and interpretation had some practice in interpretation of passages of varying difficulty, and in using books to aid their understanding.
LEADERS' GUIDE : Understanding the Bible 1 Where's the Problem
AIM: To introduce the principles and importance of sound Biblical Interpretation.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have been introduced to the stages of exegesis and interpretation considered through practical examples the importance of translation.
SESSION OUTLINE: {Summary of Main activities and timings}
Introduction to course (p.1) 5 min Explanation of stages Exegesis and Interpretation (p.2-3) 10 min Explanation of Exegesis - Translation + Context (p.3) 3-5 min Intro to Book List and 2-5 min Comment on versions of the Bible (Book List part A) 5 min Study and discussion of Words (p.4-5) 20-30 min Introduction to Examples, "Head" and "Son of God" (p.5) 5 min Conclusion and look forward to unit 2 5 min
KEY ISSUES: The purpose of Exegesis (the "first stage" in understanding the Bible) is to discover the author's intended meaning - that which he expected his original readers to understand. This may be a new idea to many Bible students who have always moved straight to the question, "what the passage says to us?" Some examples may help them to see the difference.
ANECDOTES, QUOTES, ETC: "Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages which trouble me most are those that I do understand." (Mark Twain) The dear saint who said of the AV that "If it was good enough for St. Paul it's good enough for me," can be contrasted with the Theology professor who out of all the possible translations chose the NEB "because the print's biggest."
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
(a) FAITH - The references bring out different aspect of the word Heb 11:1 confident hope based on God's promises Rom 3:26 personal trust in the sacrifice of Christ Eph 2:8-9 trust and commitment James 2:17-19. intellectual assent Note also the different senses of the word "works" in these last two texts.
(b) WORLD - Sometimes "world" is impersonal "the whole earth" but sometimes personal (referring only to the people). Sometimes it has negative connotations, "fallen humanity in opposition to God", sometimes not. Try John 1:10; 3:16; Col 2:20.
(c) FLESH - Again sometimes the connotation is evil, "fallen human nature", at other times not, "unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man .... " See Rom 1:3; 2 Cor 5:16; Col 1:22; Gal 5:16-17.
(d) LOVE - Love in the Bible is primarily active, an act of will, not a passive emotional response. The broad distinction between agape /charity as God's love and philia /friendship as human affection (and eros as sexual love) should not be pushed too far, but it can be significant.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES: A leader familiar with N.T. Greek may refer to examples where it matters if "you" is singular or plural (e.g. Lk 22:31-32) or touch on the distinction between aorist, imperfect and perfect.
READING: Stuart and Fee Chapters 1 and 2. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary is very useful for word studies.
WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Complete Study of Words (p.4-5) and consider Examples, "Head" and "Son of God" on page 5 ready for next time.
VISUAL AIDS; You may care to make OverHead Projector slides based on the diagrams on pages 2 and 3.
LEADERS' GUIDE: Understanding the Bible 2 A text without a context is a pretext
AIM: To see the importance of understanding a text in its proper context.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have studied the ideas of Immediate, Local and Global contexts begun to explore the contexts of the gospels.
SESSION OUTLINE: Continue from last time Recap - Stages of Exegesis and Interpretation 5 min Complete study of words (notes pp.4-5) 0 - 10 min Go through examples (p.5) on Head and Son of God 5 - 10 min Present and discuss Setting Text in Context (pp.6-7) 25 min including comment on Reference books (List B) Introduce / begin Context of gospels (p.7) 10 - 15 min
ANECDOTES: The dangers of taking texts out of context can be illustrated by the young man who read in succession "Judas went out and hanged himself", "Go thou and do likewise", "What you must do, do it quickly".
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
TO THINK ABOUT : Jesus as the "Son of God" Jews believed and recited every day that there is only ONE God. So while Jesus was alive "the Son of God" could NOT have meant "God the Son, the second person of the Trinity" to any monotheistic Jew. Only after His death did Jesus' followers begin to understand Who He was. Son of God MAY have been a Messianic Title, but Jews didn't expect the Messiah to be God incarnate either. See e.g. Illustrated Bible Dictionary article.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACH: For an interesting introduction to the value of accurate translation, invite the participants to compare the meanings and uses of identical words in the sentence: "TIME FLIES LIKE AN ARROW BUT FRUIT FLIES LIKE A BANANA."
WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Participants should continue to work on the questions on page 7 on the Context of the Gospels. In particular encourage them to study question (iii). By reading the gospel of their choice, or studying reference works, they should try to identify the special emphases of that Gospel writer to deduce the Local Context - Occasion, Purpose and Genre.
OHP PICTURES / VISUAL AIDS: The diagram on page 7 may be used on an OverHead Projector by "overlaying" four slides of the different levels (1) Text (2) Immediate Context (3) Local Context (4) Global Context, discussing each layer as it is added.
LEADERS' GUIDE: Understanding the Bible 3 The Gospels - An Easy Start?
AIM: To identify the context and central theme of Jesus' ministry.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have explored the contexts of the synoptic Gospels, considered Judaism as the setting for Jesus' ministry, studied the Kingdom of God as Jesus' central theme.
SESSION OUTLINE: Introduction and Recap - questions on Setting of the Gospels (p.7 qns (i) and (ii)) 10 min Local Contexts of the different Gospels (qn (iii)) 5 min TEN Differences between there/then and here/now (p.8) 10 min Jesus the Jew Jewish history and customs (p.8) 10 min Who's Who? and The Places (p.8) 5 min The Kingdom of God The Messiah (Isaiah 9, 11, 61) (p.9) 5min The Kingly Rule (Mark 1-2, Luke 4) (p.9) 10 min Introduce unit 4: Theory into Practice (p.10) 10 min
Alternatively present this unit's material more quickly and conclude with a worked example of exegesis from the passages in unit 4, say John 21:15-17 or Matthew 12:30-32.
KEY ISSUES: Gentile Christians so easily forget that Jesus was a Jew and came first to the Jews as their Messiah. Again, we can be so familiar with the message of salvation that we miss the central theme of Jesus' ministry - the Kingdom of God. One way in to both these issues is this. Ask participants "What is the difference in meaning between 'The Kingdom of God' and 'The Kingdom of Heaven'?" The answer should be NO DIFFERENCE at all. Matthew usually uses the word "Heaven" where the other gospels use "God" because he was writing to especially to Jews. Matthew would use "heaven" as a "reverential circumlocution", a polite alternative to using the name of "God", which Jews were and are very reluctant to do. So then ask participants to give their opinion as to which phrase Jesus Himself actually used!
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
ON PAGE 7 - (i) is covered below, (ii) is covered under notes on the Kingdom of God (p. 9). For (iii) refer to a Bible Dictionary or Introduction to the NT (e.g. Guthrie) if necessary. Allow participants to share their opinions and findings on the Local Contexts of the Gospels, drawing out the different emphases of the three writers, and perhaps tabulate the results.
ON PAGE 8 - * Differences between life for Jesus in First Century Palestine and life for us today: could mention religion, language, customs, dress, politics, laws, climate, food, lifestyle, rituals, traditions, roles (esp. of women), Roman occupation, etc!
* Examples of Jewish history and customs e.g. Sabbath, Food Laws, Temple, circumcision, tithing (and Corban), fasting, and the relationship of Jews to Gentiles and Samaritans. * "Who's Who?" Refer to a Bible Dictionary if necessary. To show the significance of GEOGRAPHY it would be good to have available a MAP of Israel in New Testament Times, useful for following Jesus as He moved around during His ministry. Many Bibles have maps anyway. Note the "North-South Divide" between provincial Galilee and Jerusalem.
OHP PICTURES / VISUAL AIDS: a poster map of Bible Lands would be very useful.
READING: Stuart and Fee chapter 7
WORK BETWEEN SESSIONS: Participants could work at home on Unit 4 (p.10) ready for discussion next time.
LEADERS' GUIDE: Understanding the Bible 4 Theory into Practice I
AIM: To gain experience in applying the principles of exegesis and interpretation.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have studied and discussed a number of relatively straightforward texts.
SESSION OUTLINE: Divide most of the time appropriately between study of the passages (p.10) in small groups, and discussion of exegesis and interpretation. Conclusion and Introduction to Unit 5 (top of p.11). 5 min
You may like to begin with a worked example of exegesis, say of John 21:15-17 or Matthew 12:30-32, unless you did so as part of Unit 3.
KEY ISSUES: The purpose of this course is to move beyond a "blessed thought" approach to Bible texts by applying the two stages of Exegesis and Interpretation. Encourage participants to do the work necessary to gain a sound grasp of the AUTHOR'S INTENDED MEANING. Then make sure they do go on to consider God's Word to us today.
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS: See the HINTS pages at the end of these Leaders' Guides. Commentaries will be helpful and Stuart and Fee has a VERY useful Bible Passages index.
READING FOR LEADERS AND PARTICIPANTS It would be very helpful to have commentaries on the passages available for reference by participants, together with any other of the recommended reference works. These might be borrowed from libraries and the church family. Some churches may also wish to invest in one or two books for pastors and members to use or borrow as needed.
WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: The participants should prepare for unit 5 by the exercise "BEFORE THE SESSION" at the top of page 11.
LEADERS' GUIDE : Understanding the Bible 5 Understanding the Letters
AIM: To explore the exegesis and interpretation of the Letters OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have identified the context of 1 Corinthians, considered some principles for the interpretation of Letters, discussed interpreting 1 Cor 7-16.
SESSION OUTLINE: Recap - the two stages of Exegesis and Interpretation 5 min The Context of 1 Corinthians (pages 11-12) 15 min and comment on Commentaries (List C) Principles of Interpreting the Letters 5 min Interpreting 1 Corinthians 7-16 (analysis on page 12) 20 - 25 min Conclusion and introduce Unit 6 (page 13) 5 min
Alternatively the topic could first be introduced by a case study; 1 Cor 11:2-16 or parts of 1 Cor 14 might be interesting starting points.
KEY ISSUES: Some parts of the Bible apply as directly to us today as they did to the first readers. Others may not, especially if they refer to practices or situations which belonged to the culture of that time and never arise today. The problem of "cultural relativity" is tricky. We need to find valid reasons for deciding how passages apply to us today (and not just be trapped by the traditions of our churches).
As an example, consider how different Christians interpret 1 Cor 11:2-16 (on covering of women's heads) and then 1 Cor 12 (on spiritual gifts). Some traditions take the first passage literally and insist on hats, yet argue that the second passage on spiritual gifts only applied to the first readers. Others believe exactly the opposite on both! How can we decide what is right?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
EXEGESIS - For discussions about the context of 1 Corinthians see any commentary or Bible dictionary.
INTERPRETATION - The opinions of this writer are below. Fee and Stuart Chapter 4 addresses many of these questions. Leaders must form their own judgements.
* about marriage (7:1-24) and virgins (7:25-40), Some argue that Paul is writing expecting Christ's imminent return (v.29) or else from his own (unhappy?) experiences of marriage. In vv 36-38 much depends on whether the "man" is the woman's father or her fiance.
* about food offered to idols (8:1-11:1), The specific problem does not arise today. We must look for situations where the principle Paul is stating does apply. "Care for the weaker brother" (v 9ff) surely relates to the question of abstinence from alcohol, and perhaps our Christian use of Sundays.
* about the covering of women's heads in church (11:2-16), Many would see this as bound up in the culture of the time. An uncovered head is perfectly acceptable in any situation today, equally so in church. >pa * about the problem of abuse at the Lord's Table (11:17-34), The abuses were specific to Corinth but the warnings still apply today. Many churches take verses 23-26 (or even to v.32) literally at the Lord's Table.
* about spiritual gifts (12-14, which is the context of chapter 13!), We have no grounds for believing that spiritual gifts ceased with the apostles. Some take "the perfect" in 13:10 to refer to the New Testament, and argue that the gifts would no longer be needed when the church had the NT. But this is a classic misunderstanding, since that could never have been the intended meaning of Paul himself! If the whole of chapter 13 still applies today, why not 12 and 14?
* about the physical resurrection (15:1-58), Few Christians regard this as culture-bound. It is the heart of the gospel!
* about the collection for the saints (16:1ff). By contrast this relates primarily to the historical event of the Collection. But are the principles of giving in v.2 a command for all, or just a good idea?
READING: Commentaries on 1 Corinthians will be very useful for this session! So also will Stuart and Fee chapter 4.
WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Participants could work on the passages in Unit 6 (page 13).
LEADERS' GUIDE : Understanding the Bible 6 Theory into Practice II
AIM: To gain more experience in applying the principles of exegesis and interpretation.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have studied and discussed a number of relatively straightforward texts.
SESSION OUTLINE: Divide most of the time appropriately between study of the passages (p.13) in small groups, and discussion of exegesis and interpretation. Conclusion and Introduction to Unit 7. 5 min
KEY ISSUES: The purpose of this course is to move beyond a "blessed thought" approach to Bible texts to applying the two stages of Exegesis and Interpretation. Encourage participants to do the work necessary to gain a sound grasp of the AUTHOR'S INTENDED MEANING. Then make sure they do go on to consider God's Word to us today.
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS: See the HINTS pages at the end of these Leaders' Guides. Commentaries will be helpful and Stuart and Fee has a VERY useful Bible Passages index.
READING FOR LEADERS AND PARTICIPANTS It would be very helpful to have commentaries on the passages available for reference by participants, together with any other of the recommended reference works. These might be borrowed from libraries and the church family. Some churches may also wish to invest in one or two books for pastors and members to use or borrow as needed.
LEADERS' GUIDE : Understanding the Bible 7 Issues in the Gospels - Miracles and Parables
AIM: To consider the interpretation of Miracle and Parable Narratives.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have considered some further principles of interpretation; discussed some parables and miracles.
SESSION OUTLINE: Introduction of theme - the Kingdom of God (page 14) 5 min Miracles (page 14) 5-10 min Parables (page 15) 10-15 minutes Questions (page 15) 20-25 min Conclusion and introduce unit 8 5 min
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
Parables which are more like allegories include the Tenants in the Vineyard, the Sower and the Soils, and the Weeds among the Wheat.
The punchline of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that it was the hated traditional ENEMY who showed love of his neighbour. This must be the heart of our use of the story. Fee and Stuart, and Ken Bailey's "Through Peasant Eyes", offer invaluable suggestions of how we might retell that parable today?
Questions on Parables and Miracles (page 15) - this writer's opinions:-
1. Does the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19ff) prove that Hell as everlasting suffering really exists? If Jesus was using familiar picture language to make the one central point that choices in this life have irreversible consequences in the next, the details of the parable need not (but may be) literally true. On the other hand, the parable is almost pointless if there is no ultimate division, and no unpleasant consequences to fear. But the kind of language used in the parables may not help us much in in discovering whether God's punishment on evil will be a hell of everlasting conscious suffering or a punishment of extinction with only the righteous continuing to live (conditional immortality).
2. Does the Parable of the Dishonest Steward (Lk 16:1ff) encourage dishonesty? The steward is commended for his "shrewdness" i.e. cleverness used in self- preservation. Like the "shrewd" man who built his house on the rock, and the five shrewd virgins, the steward acted prudently to escape impending judgement. That he acted is commendable, in contrast to the inactivity of Jesus' hearers, so the praise is not for his dishonesty, only for his shrewdness.
3. Should Christians expect to be able to walk on water? (Mk 6:45-52) Not usually! THIS miracle was prophetic symbolism revealing the Person of Christ, and so it was associated with His unique ministry. But other miracles which are part of the Kingly Rule of God in action surely will continue.
4. How do the "signs" in John's Gospel fit in with the understanding of miracles above? John has selected his material so that his readers "may (come to or continue to) believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (Jn 20:31). So the "signs" are perfectly consistent with the miracles in the other gospels.
5. How should we apply John 14:12-14 to our church life today? Sensitively - since not all who are prayed for are healed, for example. But also expectantly. God WILL answer prayer (Luke 11:5-13) and if we never ask, we will never receive! The "greater works" must refer in part at least to the miracles in Christ's ministry continuing in the life of the church.
WORK TO DO BETWEEN SESSIONS: Participants will want to do some research on the passages in Unit 8 (page 16).
READING: Stuart and Fee chapter 8
LEADERS' GUIDE : Understanding the Bible 8 Practice Makes Perfect
AIM: Further practice in exegesis and interpretation. OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit participants will have studied and discussed some particularly challenging passages.
SESSION OUTLINE: Divide most of the time appropriately between working on a passage in small groups, and discussing exegesis and interpretation. Conclusion to course and comments on reading List D 5 min
Optionally - include a detailed consideration of Luke 11:5-8 as a worked example, using Ken Bailey's approach as a discussion starter.
KEY ISSUES: The purpose of this course is to move beyond a "blessed thought" approach to Bible texts to applying the two stages of Exegesis and Interpretation. Encourage participants to do the work necessary to gain a sound grasp of the AUTHOR'S INTENDED MEANING. Then make sure they do go on to consider God's Word to us today.
CONTROVERSIAL AREAS AND PITFALLS: The most interesting passages are often the most controversial. Participants may have very strong (although not necessarily well-thought out) views on several of these texts. No principles of interpretation guarantee a single unambiguous and universally accepted interpretation in every case. The Leader will need a sensitive pastoral approach, as well as sound Biblical understanding.
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SUGGESTED QUESTIONS: See the HINTS pages at the end of these Leaders' Guides. Commentaries will be helpful and Stuart and Fee has a VERY useful Bible Passages index.
READING FOR LEADERS AND PARTICIPANTS It would be very helpful to have commentaries on the passages available for participants to refer to, together with any other of the recommended reference works. These might be borrowed from libraries and the church family. Some churches may also wish to invest in one or two books for pastors and members to use and borrow as needed. Stuart and Fee's Index by Bible Passages will help too.
APPENDIX – SOME HINTS
Below are some comments on the passages studied in the workshop sessions. They are only hints - not definitive expositions! They also represent this writer's understanding, and Course Leaders will obviously want to form their own judgements. As an exception to the copying restrictions on the Leaders' Guides, these pages MAY be photocopied and given to the participants (probably after they have done their own study and discussed their findings).
Examples of Exegesis and Interpretation I - Some Hints to Unit 4
"Straightforward Texts"
Luke 6:20-26 We read it, but "spiritualise" it. Why do we find it do hard to believe that God is interested in the materially poor and disadvantaged, and angry with the rich and powerful?
John 9:3 IVP New Bible Commentary p. 949. The meaning is clear. But must we conclude that God purposed the man's blindness so that his healing could bring God glory? Isn't that rather a cruel God?
Mark 14:22-25 IVP New Bible Dict. Vol 2 p. 913 (Lord's Supper). "This is my body." Literal, or symbolic language? Literal leads us to transubstantiation and the Catholic Mass, or perhaps Luther's consubstantiation - the real presence of Christ "in and under" the bread. We prefer symbolic - but why?
John 21:15-17 IVP New Bible Commentary p. 966. Translation is all-important. There are two different words translated "love". Jesus changes from demanding God's standard (agape) to what Peter offers (philia).
"Interesting Texts"
Acts 5:1-11 What it says is very clear. How on earth do we apply it? Should ALL events in Acts continue in the Church today? (See Fee and Stuart chapter 6.
Matthew 12:30-32 What sin is Jesus referring to? How can we be sure we have not committed it?
John 15:7,16; 16:23-24 Are these promises we may claim for ourselves today in every circumstance? If not, why not? Do faith and obedience guarantee answers to prayer? Do we just lack faith?
Examples of Exegesis and Interpretation II - Some Hints to Unit 6
"Straightforward Texts"
1 Corinthians 10:13 CONTEXT! See 10:1-13. This is no comfortable promise but a powerful challenge. The way of escape is there. Not "You MAY take it" but "You OUGHT TO take it" OR ELSE!
James 5:13-20 Does this suggest an example we MAY follow or a pattern we MUST follow? Are "elders" (v.14) a New Testament command for all churches? Is anointing with oil (v.14) essential? Does this only apply to the very few illnesses (v.15-16) which are directly due to specific sin?
"Interesting Texts"
1 Timothy 2:9-15 God's word for all time, taken literally, or general principles, or only appropriate for then? The problem of Cultural Relativity or excessive literalism or liberal woolliness? This is a key passage for the church of the 1990s.
Colossians 2:16-3:4 New Moon Festivals and angel-worship are not usually problems for us. So what do the principles behind this passage have to say to Christians today?
Practice makes Perfect - Some Hints to Unit 8
"Tricky texts"
Luke 11:5-8 This passage could be used as an extended example. Different interpretations abound. This one comes from K. Bailey's Poet and Peasant pp. 119-133.
Why does the friend get up? Is it the man's BOLDNESS or his PERSISTENCE or his IMPORTUNITY (whatever that is!)? OR have we in the West always misunderstood the parable? Is it really all about the sense of honour an oriental friend would lose if he refused? Grammatically the quality of boldness/persistence/importunity/shamelessness clearly belongs to the man INSIDE, not the one outside (i.e. to God, not to the person praying). In a Middle Eastern culture the need to "avoid shame" would be paramount. From living in that culture, Bailey suggests this interpretation. Jesus is painting the picture of an unimaginable situation. Of course the man inside will get up to help - (i) because of the importance of the duty of hospitality shared by the whole community to entertain a guest (ii) because the man inside would be put to shame and lose his sense of honour if he refused - he would lose face. So in the same way, of course God will answer prayer, not because of anything to do with us (boldness, persistence, need or anything else) but because of HIS honour and glory and for the sake of His Name.
Hebrews 6:4-6 Different Commentaries give different answers! Can a Christian be "Saved and Lost" through apostasy? Or are we "Once Saved, Always Saved" (as R.T.Kendall's book says)? Warning passages are very difficult to interpret. Some would say that the language of warnings, where extreme consequences are suggested to deter the reader, need not imply that the average reader is in imminent danger of facing those extreme consequences. They might even reflect a purely hypothetical situation. (A parent may warn, "Don't go near the cliff or you'll fall over and be killed". That doesn't mean that the parent would just stand by and let the child die.) On the other hand we all know professed Christians who are "backsliding". We must bear in mind the context of the rest of the Bible, but not distort the text to suit our own theologies. Try comparing this passage with 1 John5:16-17, Romans 8:28-39, John 6:35-40, John 10:27-30, 1 John 1:8-9.
2 Thess 2:1-9 A good commentary will introduce you to the many different ideas about the meaning of "the man of lawlessness". This may be more reliable to help us understand what Paul was actually talking about than certain sensational paperbacks.
Matthew 5:17-20 This passage is central to our understanding of the Christian's relationship to the Jewish Law. Christ "did not come to abolish the Law", so are we obliged to live by all the Old Testament commandments? We don't, but why not? In what ways did Christ come "to fulfil the law"?
Romans 9:25-32 The destiny of God's chosen people Israel is controversial, and this passage is usually misunderstood. Has Israel been completely replaced by the church, or does God still have plans for those people and that land?
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