Preparing
After reading through the text in its context, choose two or more English Bible translations that include study resources such as references, footnotes, and Scripture chains (references to related Scripture), either using electronic resources, such as an online Bible or a Bible software application (app), or paper books. Reread the passage using the alternative English translations, citing additional ideas or insights.
Finally, one or more Bible commentaries will be invaluable when working with difficult passages. Select at least two commentaries. Commentaries range in complexity from pastoral to technical. Christian Books organizes Bible commentaries under “Pastoral and Easy to Read” and “Technical and Semi-technical.”[2] Pastoral commentaries are easier to read and typically contain general information about the book and its relation to the canon of Scripture, a single or blended view of its interpretation, and life applications. Technical commentaries typically contain discussions of the literature genre, multiple views of interpretation, discussions of the significance of central themes, current academic topics, and references to and discussions of the original language. Which complexity and commentary you choose depends mainly on the level of detail required of the audience, the subject matter, and the goals for the lesson.
For example, suppose one were studying a passage from the Book of Hebrews. In that case, one should select commentaries that include biblical theology views, such as Schreiner’s Hebrews,[3] and a commentary on Hebrews with life application, such as Guthrie’s Hebrews.[4]
Devote a day (or session) to this step, ensuring the notes taken during the reading are preserved. After completing this step, one should have recorded the passage’s location in the book and chapter. Having read the text several times, one should be familiar with it and have made notes about interesting things found in it. Reading the text in preparation for deeper study is essential for practical and effective research.
Researching
Once the initial preparation step is complete, research the passage and its context, hence metadata, and identify any major topics or theological themes. Begin by locating the passage in the canon (chapter, book, testament), the author, date written, economic or political situation (if known), culture, and the major themes included in the passage. A good study Bible or a Bible overview guide, such as The Bible Guide: a Concise Overview of All 66 Books,[5] can provide the metadata about the passage. A Bible background text, such as The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the Old Testament,[6] and New Testament,[7] can provide additional information about the passage and its historical context.
Once the metadata has been recorded, reread the passage slowly and look for any topics or theological concepts that were not obvious from previous readings. For example, consider the author's viewpoints, the original audience, and their cultural, economic, and political conditions, making observations from ancient views.
Finally, outline the passage to list its major statements, concepts, and ideas. Use simple statements that summarize each section and reference the verse or verses that comprise the idea. For example, one could write of Hebrews 10:26-27 that the concept is “Deliberate sin results in fire and judgement (26-27).” An outline will be a helpful guide as one continues to reread and observe.
Devote a day (or session) to this step to ensure research is sound and all available metadata has been recorded. After this step, one should have identified the original author, audience, and cultural application. One will also have recorded and cited where the passage appears in the chapter, book, and testament canon. Finally, by rereading the passage from the historical context, one should have added any topics and theological themes to one’s notes. Researching the passage in this manner prepares one to take the next step to apply the passage to today, which is called bridging the gaps from then to now.
Bridging the Gaps
Once the research step is complete, analyze the text to understand how it was used in its original context and identify any gaps in understanding. Begin by rereading the passage with the historical context in mind. When doing so, locate any principles or ideas that may differ from then and now, including barriers that must be overcome to bridge the gaps of distance from the author's context and original audience to the modern interpreter.[8] The four barriers to distance are as follows: 1) distance of time, 2) cultural distance, 3) geographical distance, and 4) distance of language. These challenges for biblical interpretation require one to understand that the text was written “to someone who lived a long time ago in another part of the world where they spoke a different language and had different cultural values.”[9]
Once one has identified the gaps and formed conclusions regarding the differences (filling the gaps), reread the text and note any additional topics, interesting or unusual wording, or issues that may or may not relate to today easily. The goal is to form a picture of how the passage was used in its historical context. Should one encounter doubt or missing information, such as cultural nuances or mentions of historical events not already researched, one should return to the research step to find the missing data and repeat this step.
Devote a day (or session) to this step to ensure one fully understands the passage's context and historical application. Having identified the gaps and filled them, one should understand how the passage applies to today. After completion, one should better understand how the passage relates to Christians today. This knowledge will help conduct an in-depth study of keywords by reading the text critically.
Studying Keywords
Having identified the historical context and bridged the gap to today, study the unique or unusual words (keywords) in their original language to help interpret the passage, which requires choosing words for study,[10] determining what the word could mean,[11] and deciding the best meaning for its context in the text.[12]
Begin by reading the passage in parallel using the alternative English Bible translations and selecting words one may want to investigate. A keyword study Bible, in various English translations, can help identify the essential keywords. Choose those words that seem crucial, repeat figures of speech, or unclear or complicated words, used figuratively, theologically significant, critical to the passage, or rarely used elsewhere in the Bible. The general principle is to select words worthy of additional study. Studying every word is unnecessary, but it is better to identify as many words as possible, even if it means discarding easily understood ones.
The second step is more involved; often keywords are likely to have more than one meaning, and only some, ideally one, meaning best fits the context. When researching the word, identify all possible meanings by first using a concordance to find the word in the original language (Hebrew, Greek)[13] and then conducting context studies to locate where the word appears elsewhere in the Bible for each meaning.[14] One can also use an original language lexicon to identify all of the likely meanings of the word. Some lexicons provide additional details on the likelihood of each of the meanings. This will help determine the most likely meanings of the word. The goal is to determine all possible meanings of the word that fit the context.
Finally, examine the list of keyword meanings, compare them to the passage's context, and choose those that best fit the modern context. The goal is not to rewrite Scripture but to inject meaning that relates best to today without violating the original text's original principles, theological concepts, and purpose. Once the best meanings have been identified, rewrite the text using the meanings. Rereading the passage to ensure one has not changed or interjected concepts foreign to the text. The result should be a new text version with minor changes that include the modern meanings and application of the keywords. Repeat this process for each keyword.
Devote a day (or session) to this step to ensure one has identified all the keywords and better understands any alternative meanings and how they may alter the text for the reader. After completion, one should have identified a list of keywords, studied their meanings from key resources, and revised the text with the new or differing meanings. With this information, one is in a good position to interpret the text for today’s audience.
Interpreting the Text
Interpreting the text is the most critical step in the process. The data from the previous steps, including notes on topics, themes, keywords, observations, outline, and revised verses, is vital information needed for a well-researched, accurate interpretation. For example, the keyword studies are designed to peel back the nuances of translation to fix one’s eyes on the original meaning that best fits the context for today. Bridging the gaps helps to identify how the original audience perceived the passage and how a modern audience should perceive the text that is true to its origins. This information is vital to forming a well-researched interpretation.
Begin by identifying any preunderstandings one has formed about the passage. This includes any ideas or concepts one may have learned or been taught about the passage. One should list these before attempting the broader interpretation phase to compare what they have learned to what they thought they understood. This is critical to ensure the interpreter’s mind is open to allow the text to speak for itself.
Next, use the Scripture references in their Bible to read all related passages, making notes on any ideas or concepts that one learns, such as a repeated scene, quotation from the Old Testament, paraphrasing, and similar constructs that may help reveal its importance and context from the past.
Next, review one’s notes on the passage, such as the results of the keyword studies, the revised outline, and other metadata, and form an initial hypothesis about the text, noting any points as sub-bullets in the passage outline from the research step. Having completed that list, consult the work of Bible scholars to validate their findings and discover the advice and conclusions of other scholars. The best resource for helping one interpret the text, aside from one’s observations from previous steps, is to refer to the commentaries selected in the preparation step.
When reading detailed commentaries explaining the chosen passage, one should consider the author’s conclusions and insights, comparing them to one’s findings. Often, the scholar will identify topics or theological themes that have not been considered. Adding their knowledge to one’s study will help one reach a deeper level of familiarity and a well-informed interpretation. In doing so, one should challenge their preunderstanding of the passage, amending it with new insights, and then revise the passage outline created in the research step by adding the insights as sub-bullets for each concept. The result is an outline that contains an interpretation of the text that applies to today’s audience without altering the original application for the original audience.
Should one encounter situations where one’s observations conflict with biblical scholars or result in the rejection of observations made while reading the text, one should return to the study keywords step to help understand how the meanings of additional keywords cited in the commentaries affect interpretation.
Since this is the most critical step in the flowchart, devote at least two days (or sessions) to completing this step. Patience and devotion to thoroughness will pay dividends in the form of greater understanding and appreciation of God’s Word. The result is a set of principles and life applications that one can use to further one’s spiritual growth in Christ.
Forming Life Applications
This final step is where all of one’s work culminates into a revised text that reveals one or more life applications one can apply to one’s life or the life of others. Begin by reviewing one's notes and revising the passage outline. The result should be a text that reveals the key concepts and message of the text to reveal the biblical theological concepts (major events in the Bible centered on God’s redemption of mankind). The goal is to explore God’s Word and reveal God’s truths and life applications for Christians today.
Next, take a few moments and approach the next phase with prayer. Here, one will be looking at the text from a literary viewpoint identifying the genre(s) utilized and reading to identify the parts of the text such as dialogue, questions and answers, theological arguments, names of characters, purpose/result statements, means, conditional clauses, actions/roles of people and God, emotional terms, and the tone of the passage. This helps one form a literary view of the text that can help one identify how the message in the text was communicated to the audience. Take notes concerning these categories and review them, looking for patterns and supporting evidence for any hypothesis or observations made.
This is followed by a contemplative session of asking questions of the text to “understand the author’s original intent in its immediate context,”[15] then identifying the theme or epoch where the passage occurs, including how it relates to Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross. For example, list the main points, themes, or topics one has found in the text and write the answers to the following (or similar) questions horizontally.[16] Place answers for each question on the same line as each main point/theme/topic.
- Where is this passage located in redemption history, and how does it relate to us?
- What does this point mean for the non-Christian?
- What does it mean for us as citizens, employees, and so forth?
- What does it teach us about Christ?
- What does it mean for us as individual Christians?
- What does it mean for our church as a whole?
While one may find some repetition in the answers if the key points are less distinct, the application grid will be beneficial in relating God’s Word, as interpreted, to today. Thus, the application grid’s purpose is to help one get “the whole story right” (biblical theology) and apply “that story to our lives” (systematic theology).[17] It uses the grand redemptive story of the Bible and the lens of the gospel to identify the proper context of a passage within the biblical narrative that reveals the image of God.
Devote a day (or session) to this step to ensure one has a deeper understanding of the passage, its interpretation, and application to one’s life or the life of others. When the steps in the flowchart are complete, one has progressed from relative unfamiliarity with the passage to a completed, informed interpretation, greater familiarity with the text and its message, and a set of life applications that one has learned from God’s Word.
[1] Vern S. Poythress, Reading the Word of God in the Presence of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=6232853, 37-38.
[2] Christianbook, LLC, “Bible Commentaries - Old & New Testaments - Christianbook.com,” Christianbook.com (Christianbook, LLC, 2023), https://www.christianbook.com/page/academic/bible-commentaries?event=Academic.
[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, Hebrews, ed. T. Desmond Alexander et al., Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
[4] George H. Guthrie, Hebrews, The NIV Application Commentary: from Biblical text- to Contemporary Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998).
[5] B&H Editorial Staff, The Bible Guide: A Concise Overview of All 66 Books (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5973423.
[6] John H Walton, Victor Harold Matthews, and Mark William Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL : Intervarsity Press, 2000).
[7] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2014).
[8] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 53-59.
[9] Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, 59.
[10] J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-on Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 170-173.
[11] Ibid., 173-180.
[12] Ibid., 180-183.
[13] Duvall and Hays, Grasping God’s Word, 176.
[14] Ibid., 178.
[15] Michael Lawrence, Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 182.
[16] Lawrence, Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church, 183-185.
[17] Ibid., 180.
Bibliography
B&H Editorial Staff. The Bible Guide: A Concise Overview of All 66 Books. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2018. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5973423.
Christianbook, LLC. “Bible Commentaries - Old & New Testaments - Christianbook.com.” Christianbook.com. Christianbook, LLC, 2023. https://www.christianbook.com/page/academic/bible-commentaries?event=Academic.
Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniels Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-on Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020.
Guthrie, George H. Hebrews. The NIV Application Commentary: from Biblical text- to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.
Harrington, H. James. “Flowcharting.” In Evolutionary and Improvement Tools That Every Innovator Must Know, 71–94. New York, NY: Productivity Press, 2016. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=4689487.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2014.
Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.
Lawrence, Michael. Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010.
Poythress, Vern S. Reading the Word of God in the Presence of God. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=6232853.
Schreiner, Thomas R. Hebrews. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander, Andreas J. Köstenberger, James M. Hamilton, Kenneth A. Mathews, and Terry L. Wilder. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Walton, John H, Victor Harold Matthews, and Mark William Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL : Intervarsity Press, 2000.