COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce you to the principles of Bible Interpretation in three sections. Firstly, we will study the need, history and process of Bible Interpretation. Secondly, we will study general principles of interpreting any Bible passage to discover the human author’s intended meaning by studying the details, context, word meanings and setting. Thirdly, we will study special principles of interpretation that apply to specific literary forms in the Bible.
General Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to increase your appreciation and understanding of Bible Interpretation. Our goal is for you to apply these principles to your own study of the Scriptures.
Specific Goals:
- Appreciate the need for interpreting the Bible
- Understand how the Bible has been interpreted throughout history
- Develop a basic methodology of Bible study
- Understand the basic principles of interpreting a biblical passage
- Understand the strengths and weaknesses of various Bible translations
- Develop skills needed to apply these interpretive principles to Bible study
- Appreciate the variety of types of literature within the Bible
Required Textbooks:
- Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.
- Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation.
Required Writing:
You will need to complete 7 written exercises, in which you will apply these principles of interpretation to specific Bible passages.
Required Tests:
You are required to take an open-book quiz at the end of each section of this course. The time limit for each quiz is one hour.
Course Grade:
Course Grade will be computed as follows:
- View Lecture Videos: 20%
- Reading Assignments: 15%
- Writing Assignments: 20%
- 1st Quiz Online: 15%
- 2nd Quiz Online: 15%
- 3rd Quiz Online: 15%