Basic Bible Interpretation
(Part 2)
A Sermon Series Adapted from the Book of the Same Name
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed,
accurately handling the Word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
QUALIFICATIONS FOR INTERPRETING THE BIBLE
1. R______________________ – An unsaved person is
spiritually blind and dead. He cannot understand and
appropriate spiritual truths. Only true believers can.
(1 Corinthians 2:14)
2. _____________________ on the Holy Spirit – The Holy
Spirit teaches us and guides us into all truth. (Psalm 119:18;
John 16:13; 1 John 2:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13)
3. H_______________ – No interpreter is infallible. There are
many difficult passages, and we should acknowledge the
possibility that our interpretation of a given passage may not
be correct.
4. A _____________________ for and a Commitment to Obey
the Scriptures – The Scriptures are holy and authoritative and
should be treated as such. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
5. A Willingness to __________________ – We should pursue
knowledge of Bible backgrounds, history and theology. Bible
dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias, concordances and
commentaries are all important tools.
6. Sound Judgment and _________________ – We should
have an objective, rational, consistent approach to the
Scriptures. God is a God of sense, not of nonsense. Let the
Bible speak for itself.
January 29, 2012
Rancho Baptist Church
KEY PRINCIPLE #1: THE BIBLE IS A HUMAN BOOK
1. Each biblical writing – that is, each word, sentence, and book –
was recorded in a written language and followed
________________, grammatical meanings, including
figurative language.
2. Each biblical writing was written by someone to ____________
hearers or readers in a specific historical, geographical
situation for a specific purpose.
3. The Bible is affected and influenced by the _______________
environment from which each human writer wrote.
4. Each biblical writing was accepted or understood in light of its
___________________.
5. Each biblical writing took on the nature of a specific
____________________ form.
6. Each biblical writing was understood by its initial readers in
accord with the basic principles of _________________ and
communication.
KEY PRINCIPLE #2: THE BIBLE IS A DIVINE BOOK
1. The Bible, being a divine book, is ______________________.
2. The Bible, being a divine book, is ______________________.
3. The Bible, being a divine book, has ____________________.
4. The Bible, being a divine book, has ____________________.
The majority of the content in this study comes from the book by Roy B. Zuck:
Basic Bible Interpretation • Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1991.