All Questions
2
votes
1answer
853 views
What is the Sitz im Leben approach in Form Criticism?
What is the Sitz im Leben approach to Biblical hermeneutics? How is it used in form-critical exegesis?
3
votes
2answers
260 views
“That they may be one, even as we are one” in John 17:11
In John 17:11, Jesus prays that his disciples "may be one":
11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you ...
3
votes
3answers
427 views
What is Micah 5:5-6 talking about?
Matthew 2:6 quotes Micah 2:2 as a prophesy concerning Jesus:
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ...
10
votes
2answers
539 views
How can I identify puns in the Hebrew Bible?
The Bible sometimes uses words with multiple meanings to the effect of an intentional pun or wordplay. Punning seems especially common in Hebrew. I think that being aware of these literary devices ...
17
votes
3answers
974 views
What language did Jesus commonly speak?
According to Mark 15:34 (ESV):
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus spoke Aramaic ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the meaning of “encircled” in Jeremiah 31:22?
Yesterday, I read Jeremiah 31:21-22 (ESV):
“Set up road markers for yourself;
make yourself guideposts;
consider well the highway,
the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin Israel,
...
8
votes
3answers
282 views
Is there a sacramentalism in the “Bread of Life” discourse?
The "Bread of Life" discourse in John 6:22-59 seems to have all the components of a good discussion on the Lord's Supper (or Eucharist, or communion, or whatever your tradition calls it): Jesus is ...
6
votes
2answers
134 views
Why is “raah” usually translated differently in Amos 3:6 and 9:4
Why is "raah" usually translated differently in Amos 3:6 and 9:4, even in a super-literal translation:
6Is a trumpet blown in a city, And do people not tremble? Is there affliction in a city, And ...
10
votes
1answer
387 views
Exodus 6:3 - what is the significance of God's different names in the Tanakh?
Exodus 6:3:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of
God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (KJV)
This is a strange and unique verse in the ...
8
votes
2answers
170 views
Is dispensationalism a theological framework or a hermeneutical approach?
I most often hear about dispensationalism in the context of a theological framework where God's relations with men are understood to be divided up into different periods of time or dispensations each ...
18
votes
2answers
304 views
Did John know about the Synoptics?
What evidence is there that John was aware of the Synoptics when he wrote the Fourth Gospel?
12
votes
2answers
518 views
Hermeneutical Approaches vs. Inductive Bible Study
Inductive Bible Study teaches that you observe, interpret, and then apply scripture, and has lots of specific things you should observe such as word repetitions, structural elements such as ...
14
votes
2answers
633 views
What is Sensus Plenior and how does it impact the field of hermeneutics?
What is the Sensus Plenior view of Scripture?
Without trying to resolve it's ultimate validity or not, what significant implications does the idea hold for Biblical hermeneutics in theory and ...
8
votes
1answer
584 views
Is Paul's visit to Jerusalem detailed in Galatians 2 the Jerusalem Council?
Paul details a meeting with Peter, James and John in Galatians 2:1-10 (ESV):
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of ...
5
votes
1answer
232 views
Influence of Tubingen School of F.C. Baur
What were the main conclusions reached by the Tubingen School of Ferdinand Christian Baur? What impact did they have on the field of hermeneutics?
6
votes
2answers
219 views
Life after death in Ecclesiastes
How did the author of Ecclesiastes understand life after death and man's relationship to eternity? What passages in the book address or allude to this topic?
Inspired by a reading of Ecclesiastes ...
12
votes
2answers
423 views
“You are gods” in John 10:30-36
In John 10:30-36 (NASB), Jesus responds to an accusation of blasphemy by quoting the Old Testament:
30I and the Father are one.”
31The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus ...
7
votes
2answers
225 views
“My son” in Hosea 11:1 quoted in Matt. 2:14-15
Matthew 2:14-15 (NASB) reads:
14So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill ...
13
votes
5answers
2k views
Interpretations of Elihu in Job
In the book of Job, it becomes clear that the first three of Job's friends - Eliphaz, Blidad, and Zophar - speak wrongly. Not only do they incur the indignation of Job and his other friend Elihu, but ...
3
votes
1answer
206 views
Translation of κοπιῶντες in Matthew 11:28
The word κοπιῶντες in Matt. 11:28 is translated differently in the NASB and the ESV:
NASB:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
ESV:
Come to me, all who ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Who are “the least of these my brothers” in Matthew 25?
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus teaches that when the Son of Man comes in his glory, he will separate sheep and goats along certain lines, saying: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of ...
12
votes
1answer
338 views
Is Keller's view of the father in the Prodigal Son parable a reasonable interpretation?
In Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God", Keller points out a fairly incredible dichotomy between older and younger brothers - and the parallels between these categories and our society.
In the final ...
8
votes
3answers
341 views
How does the Noah's Ark narrative relate to the Gilgamesh flood account?
How does the Noah's Ark narrative relate to other the Gilgamesh flood account?
For reference, the Biblical flood account is in Genesis 6-10 and the Gilgamesh flood account is on Tablet XI. The ...
7
votes
4answers
243 views
What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law?
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says he didn't come to abolish the law or Prophets but to fulfill them. What does it mean to "fulfill the law"?
11
votes
3answers
424 views
Who subjected the creation to futility in Rom. 8:20-21?
Paul says that creation was subjected to futility in Romans 8:20-21 ESV:
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation ...
8
votes
1answer
401 views
Who were the “chief priests” and “Sanhedrin” in reference to the people trying to kill Jesus?
Mark 14:55 (NIV)
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.
Wikipedia has shown me that ...
6
votes
1answer
67 views
Who are the πρεσβυτέροις in 1 Peter 5:1-5?
ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 5:5 (SBLGNT)
ὁμοίως, νεώτεροι, ὑποτάγητε πρεσβυτέροις. πάντες δὲ ἀλλήλοις τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐγκομβώσασθε, ὅτι Ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.
1 ...
8
votes
3answers
407 views
Historical interpretations of Ezekiel's vision of a temple
From Ezekiel 40 to the end, the author records a pretty detailed vision of a temple. Historically, what are the main ways this vision been interpreted?
Did the rabbis consider this vision to be ...
0
votes
0answers
645 views
Should Christians get tattoos or avoid them (biblically) [closed]
Many denominations of Christianity look down on tattoos and tattooing as a practice. Some look down on it because it's a "worldly practice", other's I've talked to say they are against tattoo's ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
What does it mean to be “born of water”?
In John 3:5, Jesus tells Nicodemus that to enter the kingdom one must be "born of water and the Spirit". How is this phrase understood? Is it a single construct (i.e. one birth of both water and ...
9
votes
3answers
326 views
How can we understand “fear”?
It seems that (throughout the Bible), we have been told to "not fear" but also to "fear God".
How can we understand this word "fear" in these two contexts? If this word in these two contexts carries ...
17
votes
1answer
177 views
Is NWT's translation of John 8:58 reasonable?
I already assumed the opposite in an answer to why there are so many Bible translations, on Christianity.SE. Now that we have an expert community, I'd like to check. The translators of the New World ...
8
votes
1answer
225 views
How does Canon Criticism relate to the concept of a Gesamtbiblische Theologie?
It is my understanding that Brevard Childs's so-called canonical (or canon) criticism places an emphasis on looking at the Bible as a complete work. This reminds me of the concept of a Gesamtbiblische ...
8
votes
1answer
640 views
“Sealed” (ἐσφραγίσθητε) in Eph. 1:13
Eph. 1:13 (NASB) says:
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
What ...
16
votes
3answers
513 views
What does the prohibition against women speaking in church in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 mean?
In 1st Corinthians 14:34-35 (NASB), Paul says:
34The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35If ...
15
votes
2answers
382 views
Understanding Numbers 11:25
As I am studying, I have encountered different renderings of the last phrase in this verse, which describes the prophesying of the seventy elders of Israel after the Spirit was placed on them. An ...
8
votes
2answers
172 views
“Until they see the kingdom of God” in Luke 9:27 and parallels
What are the possible interpretations of "will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God"? Which is most likely correct?
Luke 9:27:
But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those ...
9
votes
1answer
224 views
Structuralism's influence on Biblical interpretation
What is the structuralist view of literary criticism, and how has structural literary theory influenced modern approaches to Biblical interpretation?
11
votes
2answers
396 views
Arguments for early/late date of authorship of Daniel
What are the most significant arguments for an early date of authorship of Daniel (6th century BC)? What are the primary arguments for a late date (2nd century BC)?
26
votes
6answers
1k views
Does the Bible mention unicorns?
I was reading Psalm 22 (from this question) and I found this verse:
Psalms 22:21 (KJV)
Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
When I switched ...
25
votes
5answers
1k views
Pre-Christian, Jewish interpretation of Psalm 22
How was Psalm 22 understood by Jewish tradition before the birth of Jesus? Was it interpreted messianically? What pre-Christian sources discuss Psalm 22?
11
votes
4answers
2k views
What does “Jealous” mean in Exodus 34:14?
Most translations seem to agree that "Jealous" is the best translation for this passage. For example:
Exodus 34:14 (NASB)
—for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is ...
7
votes
1answer
295 views
Primary components of lexical-syntactical analysis
What is lexical-syntactical analysis as it applies to Biblical hermeneutics? What are the primary steps involved in a lexical-syntactical analysis of a Biblical passage?
8
votes
1answer
194 views
Justify (δικαιόω) in James 2:24, Romans 3:28
James 2:24 says:
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Romans 3:28 says:
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
What are ...
11
votes
3answers
165 views
When the Bible says “the world”, does that only include Eurasia and Africa?
I've heard this argument a few different times for different verses. (Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly which verses as that would strengthen this question quite a bit.) However, the argument ...
9
votes
3answers
197 views
How can we understand 1 Corinthians 12 without contradiction
To my reading, 1 Corinthians 12:4-30 could be summed up as: "Be content with the gifts/role God has given you because in his sight all the functions of the body of Christ are of equal importance".
...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Forgive us our “debts”? “sins”? “trespasses”? Which is the most accurate translation?
It seems that there are three popular versions of this passage in the Lord's prayer. "Forgive us our sins", "Forgive us our debts", and "Forgive us our trespasses".
I see one version here in the ...
8
votes
2answers
726 views
What is “verbal plenary inspiration” and to what texts does it apply?
What is the "verbal plenary" view of the inspiration of Scripture and to what texts is it considered to apply? What hermeneutical approaches hold this view and how does it affect the way they ...
11
votes
4answers
311 views
Is there an English equivalent for Nephilim of Genesis 6:4?
Genesis 6:4 (NIV)Emphasis added
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes ...
12
votes
3answers
727 views
What was Eve's role in relation to Adam?
The role of Eve in relation to Adam is dramatically changed by the interpretation of the sections I have bolded below, from Genesis 2:18:
The verse as most people learned it:
And the Lord God ...
