Herman Who? An Introduction to our Summer Bible Study

This summer's Bible Study could be called our summer "How to study the Bible" Study. Yes, we are studying Hermeneutics. Since that is probably a new word to many of us, we'll use Webster's definition: "the art or science of the interpretation of literature." So we're looking at how to interpret a piece of literature. Of course, we are interpreting more than simply a piece of literature - we're interpreting God's Holy Word. The study, then, could also be called Biblical Hermeneutics.

We may ask, "Why does Hermeneutics matter?" Biblical Hermeneutics is a vital study because the message of the Bible has to do with the biggest questions of life. How we interpret the Bible will affect how we answer those questions.

In Biblical Hermeneutics we are approaching the text to find the author's intended meaning. We live in a culture to which absolute meaning seems impossible, especially in matters of "religion." When we speak on other matters, we demand that others adhere to our intended meaning; but when it comes to God and His Word, we are not so certain. God has indeed revealed Himself in His Word, and it is our responsibility as interpreters to get out of the text the meaning that is already there.

Through this summer's Bible Study we will examine various techniques and tools which will help us approach God's Word in a way that exalts Him as the Divine Giver of revelation. We plan to use this site as the primary means of communication for the study, though phone or face to face are always strongly encouraged.

How we interpret God's Word determines how we apply God's Word. Meaning is universal (the same even across culture and time barriers); application is not so. Therefore, we do not simply teach application; our goal is to help students learn how to come to the right interpretation on their own. Then, when they are faced with opposing worldviews, they may look to the Bible for answers, confident that they have the tools to find exactly what God has said. Of course, right interpretation must be followed by right application to our own lives. If we read for knowledge alone, we miss the point entirely.

As Christians, we are called to be readers of the Bible. What is reading without understanding?