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“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
Paul identifies two key elements of sound Biblical interpretation in 2 Timothy 2:15: hard work and accuracy. I have found the inductive method to be the most helpful to achieve these two goals. This method involves three components that often overlap. They are observation, interpretation, and application. The REAP Bible method is an inductive method that is easy to remember.
Read * Examine * Application * Pray
Genre and Cultural Context
Genre and Cultural Context
Many of these skills overlap and are often repeated. It is not a formula that you follow, but a process that you work through and apply different skills based on the genre of the Scripture passage. The Bible is not only God’s Word, but it is literature. It is sacred literature, but it is still literature. In each book of the Bible an author wrote a message he wanted to communicate to a real audience. These authors used different literary genres to communicate their message. Knowing what genre a book is, helps the reader interpret the passage just as we would do today. For instance, we interpret a poem differently than a biography.
The cultural context also helps to understand the passage. There are different study resources that can help the 21st reader understand the mindset of the Greco-Roman world.
In order to assist you in learning how to accurately handle God’s Word, the tips and tricks on this website will assist you as you learn how to read, examine, apply, and pray God’s Word.
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