40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible

by Robert L. Plummer

Overview

A vital Bible resource used in classrooms and churches worldwide now revised and updated.

40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible, now in a revised second edition, probes the most pressing problems encountered by churchgoers and beginning Bible students when they try to read and understand the Bible. Using feedback received from pastors, professors, and Bible teachers, New Testament professor Robert L. Plummer includes updated information about Bible translations, biblical interpretation, and Bible study technology and streamlines previous portions to make room for a handful of new issues.

This second edition, updated regarding Bible translations, biblical interpretation trends, and Bible-related technology, will continue to serve professors, pastors, and Bible study leaders as a go-to guide or textbook. New Testament scholar Robert L. Plummer covers historical, interpretive, practical, and theological matters such as:
• Were the ancient manuscripts of the Bible transmitted accurately?
• Why can't people agree on what the Bible means?
• How do we interpret the Psalms?
• How can I use the Bible in daily devotions?
• Does the Bible teach that God wants Christians to be healthy and wealthy?

40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible provides crucial assistance for students ready to engage with biblical scholarship and for teachers eager to lead Bible studies with confidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780825477034
Publisher:	Kregel Publications
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	40 Questions Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Robert L. Plummer (PhD in New Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is currently the Collin and Evelyn Aikman Professor of Biblical Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has taught for over twenty years. Plummer is the author of numerous books in biblical studies, including The Story of Scripture and Understanding the Bible, and is founder and host of the New Testament Greek learning resource Daily Dose of Greek, DailyDoseofGreek.com.

Read an Excerpt

This book is intended to help you understand the Bible. As a New Testament professor, I regularly teach an introductory course on biblical hermeneutics (interpretation) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I have had difficulty finding a textbook that covers briefly and accurately all the issues that we survey in that course. (Topics covered in my course include: canon, manuscript transmission, English Bible translations, general interpretive questions, approaches to the major literary types in the Bible, and current hermeneutical debates.) I wrote this book in order to address these issues in one volume. Ideally, this book will serve as a textbook for an introductory Bible course at a college or seminary, but I endeavored to write so that the book will be beneficial to any curious Christian. My goal was to be accessible without being simplictic and scholarly without being pedantic, while always keeping an eye to practical questions and real-life application by the Christian reader.

—from the Introduction

Table of Contents

Foreword Andreas J. Köstenberger 9

Introduction 11

Abbreviations 13

Part 1 Getting Started: Text, Canon, and Translation

1 What Is the Bible? 17

2 How Is the Bible Organized? 23

3 Who Wrote the Bible-Humans or God? 31

4 Does the Bible Contain Error? 37

5 Were the Ancient Manuscripts of the Bible Transmitted Accurately? 47

6 Who Determined What Books Would Be Included in the Bible? 57

7 Which Is the Best English Bible Translation? 69

Part 2 Approaching the Bible Generally

Section A Questions Related to Interpretation

8 Why Is Biblical Interpretation Important? 79

9 How Has the Bible Been Interpreted Throughout Church History? 85

10 What Are Some General Principles for Interpreting the Bible? (1) 95

11 What Are Some General Principles for Interpreting the Bible? (2) 101

12 How Can I Improve as an Interpreter of the Bible? 109

13 What Are Some Helpful Books or Tools for Interpreting the Bible? 117

Section B Questions Related to Meaning

14 Who Determines the Meaning of a Text? 127

15 Can a Text Have More Than One Meaning? 135

16 What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Determining Meaning? 143

17 What Is the Overarching Message of the Bible? 151

18 Is the Bible Really All About Jesus? 161

19 Do All the Commands of the Bible Apply Today? 167

20 Why Can't People Agree on What the Bible Means? 175

Part 3 Approaching Specific Texts

Section A Shared Genres (Questions Apply Equally to Old and New Testaments)

21 How Do We Identify Literary Genre-and Why Does It Matter? 185

22 How Do We Interpret Historical Narratives? 191

23 How Do We Interpret Prophecy? (General Guidelines) 197

24 How Do We Interpret Prophecy? (Typology) 205

25 How Do We Interpret Apocalyptic Literature? 213

26 How Do We Interpret Exaggerated or Hyperbolic Language? 219

27 How Do We Interpret Figures of Speech? 227

Section B Primarily Old Testament Genres

28 How Do We Interpret Proverbs? 235

29 How Do We Interpret Poetry? 243

30 How Do We Interpret the Psalms? (Classification of Psalms) 249

31 How Do We Interpret the Psalms? (Principles of Interpretation) 255

Section C Primarily New Testament Genres

32 How Do We Interpret Parables? (History of Interpretation) 265

33 How Do We Interpret Parables? (Principles of Interpretation) 271

34 How Do We Interpret Letters or Epistles? (Structure and Nature) 279

35 How Do We Interpret Letters or Epistles? (General Guidelines) 285

Part 4 Issues in Recent Discussion

36 What Does the Bible Tell Us About the Future? 293

37 What Is Biblical Criticism? 299

38 What Is "Speech Act Theory"? 305

39 What Is the "Theological Interpretation of Scripture"? 313

40 What Are Some Other Recent Trends in Biblical Interpretation? 321

Postscript 327

Select Bibliography 329

List of Figures 331

Scripture Index 333

Ancient Sources Index 347

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Read this excellent prime andread the Bible better as a result."

—Darrell Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

Editorial Reviews

"In the 20 semesters I’ve taught the Bible Study Methods class, 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible has always been the number one recommended resource I encourage my students to read. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who desires to study the Scriptures for themselves."

Andy Deane

"It is a wonderful thing to teach a person the Bible. It is even more wonderful to teach people how to study the Bible for themselves. Plummer has given us a helpful survey relative to how to understand the Bible. You will profit greatly from his insights."

First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL - Pastor Emeritus

"Read this excellent primer and read the Bible better as a result."

Dallas Theological Seminary - Darrell Bock

"Aristotle once said that those who wished to succeed must ask the right preliminary questions. Plummer asks forty of them. Even better: he answers them, providing beginning students with all they need to know about biblical interpretation in general and the specific kinds of texts found in the Old and New Testaments in particular."

Wheaton College - Kevin J Vanhoozer

"How approptiate that Plummer's 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible is itself eminently understandable, crystal clear, and thoroughly engaging. The organization and breadth of coverage make this book both a delight to read and highly instructive....I can't imagine a more helpful introduction to the subject of biblical interpretation."

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - Bruce A Ware