• Every week, 100’s of Bible studies take place—from cell groups, to home groups, and central teachings. We are a Bible-centered, content rich church—one of the most theologically-biblically informed churches in the country.

• At the same time, we find that teachings and discussions are often ill-prepared, tape-dependent, and limited substantially to the epistles. Most of our home group and cell teachers feel a lack of confidence in their ministry.

• Most people don’t know how to study scripture effectively. This results in frustration and bad habits like "reader-response" approaches. It’s troubling to me to that while we emphasize the Word and esteem the teaching ministry, we have only two weeks in the Christian Principles class relating to inductive study. So most leaders and Servant Team members are pressed into service but given far too few tools.

• Understand hermeneutics and inductive approach to the breadth of biblical literature, including theological narrative, prophets, poetry, gospels, and epistles.
• Inductive study has been largely limited to epistles—we will expand our ability to use inductive study methods to include the major biblical genres.

• We will substantially change our approach to inductive study. Our primary focus will be on the structure of the text. Most people amass volumes of material, but don’t know how it fits together, why it’s important, what the argument of the passage is. Structure provides focus to inductive study.

• Develop a working knowledge of the literary unity of scripture and it’s importance in interpretation.

• Cultivate skills in teaching and discussion group formation.

Course requirements and approach

• Interpretation assignments each week

• Lectures and working groups

What is theological narrative?

• Historical narrative is not the same as mythology or mythological saga

• History is the context or theater of God’s revelation. "I am the God of …" is as important as "thus says the Lord …"

• Biblical history is prophetic—it serves a theological purpose

E.g.: Exodus 9:14

 

God is advancing his plan (Is. 46:8—11)

• Unity of scripture: God’s plan to redeem or save his fallen creation

• Hermeneutical Principle #2: Interpretation of theological narrative pieces is based on their relationship to the broader structure of the narrative whole

• Implication: Inductively identify the theological framework or structure of Old Testament narrative

• Blessings
• Covenants
• Promises
• Prophetic summaries in the narrative

Theological markers can not be viewed in isolation—they have a broader literary context

• Two key theological markers as structural literary centers of Old Testament narrative:

Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel: Preparation for monarchy

 

2 Samuel 7—24 (1 Chron. 17—29): God’s blessing on David

 

1 Kings 1—11 (2 Chron. 1—9): God’s faithfulness to Solomon

 

1 Kings 12—2 Kings 25 (2 Chron. 10—36): God’s faithfulness to David’s line

 

Connections between eras can be identified by the presence of "links" that connect the present with the past and future

• Links are found at crucial transitions in the broad narrative, explaining why the present narrative is important in the light of past revelation. As past revelation is injected into a subsequent narrative, progressive revelation takes shape.

• Prepatriarchal to Patriarchal:

• "fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 8:17; 9:1,7;17:6; 26:24)
  

• "seed" connecting blessing/curse of Gen. 3 to Noah (Gen 5:29)
  

• Transfer of blessing from Noah to Shem (Gen. 9:26)
  

• Transfer of blessing from Shem to Abraham (Gen. 11:10—32)
  

• Patriarchal to Egyptian Captivity and Exodus:

• God remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 2:23—25; 6:5)
  

• Exodus to Conquest and Judges:

• God with Joshua "just as" with Moses (1:5; 3:7)

• Repetition of Exodus events in Josh 3—5

• Joshua/Judges to United Monarchy:

• Judges era plagued with the problem, "no king in the land" (Jud. 21:25)
  
• Ruth’s genealogy as bridge to David
  
• Prophetic words of Hannah linking final judge to king (1 Sam. 2:10)

• Link of Judges era and Law to monarchy (1 Sam. 8:1—9 cf. Deut. 17)

• United to Divided Monarchy and Exile:

• God will divide the nation, but remain faithful to the Davidic Covenant (1 Kings 11:4—13)

• God will judge the nation based on the conduct of the kings (1 Kings 9:4—9)

• Linear history unique to the Bible

• The future is an extension of the past. God’s work in history follows certain patterns

Hermeneutical Principle #3: In Old Testament narrative, the past is incomplete, being "filled", and ultimately "fulfilled" in subsequent revelation

• Key elements in history can become thematic paradigms or motifs, repeated in various ways in later narratives and prophecies.

Use of narrative as motif identified by:

• Using language rooted in prototype in later texts (Isaiah 19… )

• Rhetorical formulas: "just as… so" (Josh. 3:7; 4:4; Is. 11:16… )

• Relating "first" things to "new" or "last" things (Is. 43:18; 65:16,17; Jer. 31)

Hermeneutical Principle #4: Certain blessings, covenants, and promises are repeated in a variety of contexts outside of the narrative in which they are introduced. In addition to historical event as motif, the OT expands the meaning of these promises, establishing a promise motif.

E.g.: Jer. 23:3—8