Summary of Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart's How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The most serious problem people have with the Bible is not a lack of understanding, but the fact that they understand too many things too well. Good interpretation is not about discovering what no one else has ever seen before, but about getting at the plain meaning of the text.

#2 Every reader is also an interpreter. We assume that we understand what we read, but we always bring to the text everything we are, with all of our experiences, culture, and prior understandings of words and ideas.

#3 The need to interpret is also found in the church. For example, most people who argue that women should keep silent in church also argue that the Bible clearly teaches believers’ baptism by immersion, yet many deny that women must do so with some form of head covering.

#4 The antidote to bad interpretation is not no interpretation, but good interpretation, based on commonsense guidelines. The reader should be able to discern between good and not-so-good interpretations and know what makes them one or the other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822541924

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart's How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The most serious problem people have with the Bible is not a lack of understanding, but the fact that they understand too many things too well. Good interpretation is not about discovering what no one else has ever seen before, but about getting at the plain meaning of the text.

#2

Every reader is also an interpreter. We assume that we understand what we read, but we always bring to the text everything we are, with all of our experiences, culture, and prior understandings of words and ideas.

#3

The need to interpret is also found in the church. For example, most people who argue that women should keep silent in church also argue that the Bible clearly teaches believers’ baptism by immersion, yet many deny that women must do so with some form of head covering.

#4

The antidote to bad interpretation is not no interpretation, but good interpretation, based on commonsense guidelines. The reader should be able to discern between good and not-so-good interpretations and know what makes them one or the other.

#5

The Bible is both human and divine. It is God’s message, and it has eternal relevance. It speaks to all humankind, in every age and culture. Because it is the word of God, we must listen and obey.

#6

The human side of the Bible is what makes it a challenge to interpret. We must understand what was said to them back then and there, and hear that same word in the here and now.

#7

The first task of the interpreter is to study the Scripture and discover its original meaning. This is called exegesis. It is the attempt to hear the Word as the original recipients heard it, and to find out what was the original intent of the words of the Bible.

#8

The idea that it is impossible for a rich person to get saved is a myth. All things are possible with God.

#9

The key to good exegesis is to read the text carefully and ask the right questions of it. There are two basic kinds of questions you should ask of every biblical passage: those that relate to context and those that relate to content.

#10

To answer these types of questions, you will need some outside help. A good Bible dictionary, such as the four-volume International Standard Bible Encyclopedia or the one-volume Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, will generally supply the need.

#11

The most important contextual question you will ever ask is: What’s the point. We must try to trace the author’s train of thought. What is the