FOUNDATIONS OF BIBLE STUDY

1
FOUNDATIONS OF BIBLE STUDY

• Learning to "Observe" the Biblical Text Active
  vs. Passive Reading

2
Learning to "Observe" the Biblical Text Active
vs. Passive Reading

• Active Reading requires us to ask questions
• What is happening?
• Who is involved?
• Where does the action occur?
• When does it occur?
• According to the text, why does it occur?
• How does the author choose to record what is
  happening?

3
Observing Genre and Literary Form

• Much attention is being given to genre and
  literary form in contemporary biblical studies.
• The Bible includes a number of literary genres
  including
• Historical Narrative
• Prophetic literature
• Wisdom literature
• Gospels
• Epistles
• Apocalypse
• Each genre requires a different interpretive
  approach.

4
Observing Terms

• A "term" is a word or expression (not a lengthy
  phrase nor a clause), which has a precise
  meaning.
• The context always determines the exact meaning.
  
• Ex In Mark 18 there is Spirit baptism in Mark
  19 there is water baptism in Mark 1039 there
  is a baptism of suffering. The Greek text of
  Mark 74 speaks of "baptisms" (washings) of cups.
  
• It is the process of "interpretation" which more
  fully isolates the meaning of a given term.

5
Observing Terms

• In observation we should be especially aware of
• certain kinds of terms.
• Some terms are naturally technical, that is,
  specialized according to our discipline of
  biblical studies. (Ex Son of Man, Mark
  831-38)
• Other terms seem less important in themselves,
  but their usage makes them consequential and
  noteworthy. (Ex many things, Mark 831)
• Some terms are difficult to understand in their
  contexts. (Ex lose" and "forfeit, Mark 835-36)

6
Observing Terms

• Texts on hermeneutics often give much attention
  to identifying figurative terms.
• Since it is impossible to speak of spiritual or
  heavenly things apart from earthly analogies,
  theological language is pregnant with figurative
  expressions.
• Usually the context will make immediately evident
  which terms are to be understood literally and
  which, figuratively.
• See Figures of Speech as Terms pp. 31-33 in
  the Study Guide

7
Observing Grammatical Relations

• Our interest at this point pertains more to
  observing within given paragraph units, rather
  than between paragraphs.
• We are concerned with how "parts of speech"
  connect.
• Ex The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
  the Son of God (Mark 11).

8
Observing Grammatical Relations

• In observing grammatical relations it is crucial
  to
• observe the connectives between the clauses
• or sentences. There are four categories
• Temporal or chronological connectives
• Local or geographical connectives
• Logical connectives
• Emphatic connectives See pp. 34-36 in the
  Study Guide

9
Observing Grammatical Relations

• We should note the following qualifications
• It is possible that at times the above four
  categories may overlap in how they are
  understood.
• Many of the same relations introduced by
  connectives are operative within as well as
  between clauses.
• Clauses and sentences may be related implicitly,
  that is, without a connective present.

10
Observing Literary Relations

• Literary relations concern the materials of the
  following.
• Biography (data describing or referencing
  persons)
• Geography (references to places and locations)
• Chronology (references to time concerning when
  events occur)
• History (data referencing or describing
  occurrence of events)
• Ideology (presentation of ideas, including
  beliefs, etc.)
• See the extensive list of literary relations pp.
  37-43 in the Study
• Guide.

11
Working with Observed Literary Relations

• You will often recognize that more than one
  literary relation can explain the same text.
• In such cases, try to determine whether one
  relation is more exact or helpful.
• Keep in mind that literary relations must work
  with something.

12
Observing Atmosphere

• It is important to observe the emotional or
  attitudinal tone of a passage in order to
  understand it.
• This kind of observation goes beyond purely
  grammatical or literary analysis.
• The context of the passage should be considered
  in order to appreciate the tone of the author. We
  are not present to observe voice tone, facial
  expressions, or gestures. All we have is what has
  been written.
• On other occasions the atmosphere of a passage
  may be somewhat more readily observed by the
  author's choice of words.

13
Observing from Two Perspectives

• Observations may be made from the viewpoint of
  what happened, or from the viewpoint of how the
  author has chosen to record what happened.
• Ex Mark 11
• It may not always be possible to make a sharp
  distinction between these two perspectives. But
  we ought to attempt to see the difference.

14
Distinguishing between Observation and
Interpretation

• Try to make sure that what you regard as an
  "observation" is not actually an interpretation
  of what you are reading.
• Strictly speaking it is impossible to separate
  thoroughly interpretation or meaning from what we
  are observing.
• But we ought to minimize as much as possible the
  interpretive process when we are "observing."
• Thus for practical purposes, in this course we
  shall distinguish between "observation" and
  interpretation."

15
Recording Your Observations

• Statements of observation ought to be clear and
  concise with the single point of your observation
  obvious.
• Do not simply repeat the words of the biblical
  text.
• Identify the particular relationship and also
  document it precisely from the biblical text.
• All statements are to be made with the best
  grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.
  Often two to four lines is sufficient for
  recording an observation.

16
Recording Your Observations

• A Good Observation
• In 14-5 there is a cause-effect relation
  between John preaching in the wilderness and
  masses of people going out to him, being
  baptized, and confessing their sins.
• A Poor Observation
• In Mark 1 John preaches in the wilderness and
  people are baptized and confess their sins.

17
Recording Your Observations

• A Good Observation
• Following Jesus' announcement of the imminent
  arrival of God's kingdom (Mark 91), Mark
  immediately indicates that a "transfiguration"
  event occurred six days later, using the temporal
  connective, "after" in 92.
• A Poor Observation
• In 91-8 of his Gospel, Mark relates Jesus'
  announcement of the imminent arrival of God's
  kingdom and also describes the "transfiguration"
  event which occurred six days after the
  announcement, with the "transfiguration" covering
  verses 2-8.

18
Recording Your Observations

• A Good Observation
• Psalm 11-3 contrasts the character and
  prosperity of the godly person with the sad end
  of the ungodly in verses 4-5. The contrast is
  accented with the "but" in verse 4.
• A Poor Observation
• We have two groups of people described in Psalm
  1. (This is true, but it does not get us very
  far! It is the contrast between the two that we
  ought to observe, along with other possible
  observations from the Psalm.)

19
Assignment

• Read ALL instructions completely before beginning
  assignment
• Read Study Guide ch. 2 (and ch. 1 if not yet
  read)
• Read Mark chs. 1-8 twice.
• Read as if for first time.
• Record 6 general observations from these first
  8 chapters (incl. verse references.)

20
Assignment (cont.)

• Things to look for
• Kind of events
• People involved
• Varied atmospheres
• How Mark presented his material
• Read only Mark 11-13 several times.
• Make 6 10 observations from this passage
• No More Than 10
• Number the observations
• Write observations in complete sentences.

21
Assignment (cont.)

• Things to look for
• Important repeated terms
• Repeated ideas
• Contrasts
• Movements of thought (i.e. cause-effect, or
  climax)
• How clauses and/or sentences seem to relate to
  each other.
• Again, at least 6 but no more than 10 observations