The Old Testament Canon: The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings In an Old Testament context, the word “canon” is often used to refer to list of books that make up the Old Testament Scriptures. In Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, we say that “the canon of the Old Testament is not an arbitrary list of… Read More
History: The Context of Scripture
Setting the Stage: Historical-Cultural Background Every book of the Bible has historical elements to it. As written documents, each book was written in a historical setting and contains details about historical events. It is vital for competent interpretation of Old Testament writings to develop a solid grasp of the chronological framework of the various books… Read More
Preparation: The Who, Why, and How of Interpretation
Preparation: The Who, Why, and How of Interpretation In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul tells Timothy to be a minister who “correctly handles the word of truth.” God’s word is truth, and this truth gives eternal life (John 6:68). Therefore the importance of correct biblical interpretation cannot be overstated. It is often a temptation to come to… Read More
Invitation to Biblical Interpretation
Invitation to Biblical Interpretation We’re grateful for our friends at The Gospel Coalition who have recently released a new course on biblical interpretation. The course is based on our book, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, co-authored by Richard Patterson and myself. Throughout the course, we explore the hermeneutical triad of history, literature, and theology—an essential framework for interpreting the Bible…. Read More
Jesus and the Future: John’s Gospel
Part 4: John’s Gospel Throughout this series of blogs, we’ve been investigating Jesus’ teaching about the future in the Gospels. In Part 1 and Part 2, we focused our attention on Jesus’ primary teaching about the future in the Olivet Discourse. In Part 3, we explored his other teachings about the future throughout the Synoptic… Read More