Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
A Model for Biblical Exegesis
A Model for Biblical Exegesis
Dennis Bratcher
Adapted by Dennis Bratcher from Frank Carver, "A Working Model for Teaching Exegesis," in Interpreting God's Word for Today: An Inquiry into Hermeneutics from a Biblical Theology Perspective, ed. Wayne McKown and James Massey, Warner Press, 1982.
Presuppositions
Understanding the perspective from which one comes in doing biblical interpretation is essential. Also, acknowledging how one views Scripture will often determine the exegetical approach. These are the basic perspectives to approach the interpretation of Scripture from a Wesleyan perspective.
1. A Wesleyan perspective assumes an incarnational dimension to Scripture. That is, it has a human element and is conditioned by history and culture.
2. Scripture is a Faith document. For Christians, we read Scripture in light of the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ.
3. Scripture is inspired. Without determining exactly how or the manner of inspiration, we assume that the Bible is more than merely human words, and that the Bible continues to function as word of God to the community of Faith.
4. Interpretation is not a matter only of the skill of the interpreter, as important as that is. Interpretation also needs the ongoing work of God through the Holy Spirit to bring that word to life and speak it anew.
5. The Bible is not so much about correct facts as it is about the witness to the work of God in the worlds, past and present.
The Process of Exegesis: Asking the Right Questions
I. Questions of Context
A. The question of Historical Context: Where do we find our text in history?
1. General Historical: What is the life setting of the document in which we find our text?
2. Specific Historical: Is there a definable historical context for the text?
B. The Literary Context: Where is the text located in the larger document of which it is a part?
II. Questions of Meaning
A. How does the author communicate his message?
1. How should the text be translated?
2. What is the structure and form of the text?
3. How should we hear/interpret the language of the text?
B. What is the author attempting to communicate?
III. Questions of Application
A. What does the text tell us about God, us, and our relationship with God?
B. How does the text apply to contemporary life?
1. What do I hear?
2. What should I do?
3. What should I proclaim from this text?
Dennis Bratcher
Adapted by Dennis Bratcher from Frank Carver, "A Working Model for Teaching Exegesis," in Interpreting God's Word for Today: An Inquiry into Hermeneutics from a Biblical Theology Perspective, ed. Wayne McKown and James Massey, Warner Press, 1982.
Presuppositions
Understanding the perspective from which one comes in doing biblical interpretation is essential. Also, acknowledging how one views Scripture will often determine the exegetical approach. These are the basic perspectives to approach the interpretation of Scripture from a Wesleyan perspective.
1. A Wesleyan perspective assumes an incarnational dimension to Scripture. That is, it has a human element and is conditioned by history and culture.
2. Scripture is a Faith document. For Christians, we read Scripture in light of the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ.
3. Scripture is inspired. Without determining exactly how or the manner of inspiration, we assume that the Bible is more than merely human words, and that the Bible continues to function as word of God to the community of Faith.
4. Interpretation is not a matter only of the skill of the interpreter, as important as that is. Interpretation also needs the ongoing work of God through the Holy Spirit to bring that word to life and speak it anew.
5. The Bible is not so much about correct facts as it is about the witness to the work of God in the worlds, past and present.
The Process of Exegesis: Asking the Right Questions
I. Questions of Context
A. The question of Historical Context: Where do we find our text in history?
1. General Historical: What is the life setting of the document in which we find our text?
2. Specific Historical: Is there a definable historical context for the text?
B. The Literary Context: Where is the text located in the larger document of which it is a part?
II. Questions of Meaning
A. How does the author communicate his message?
1. How should the text be translated?
2. What is the structure and form of the text?
3. How should we hear/interpret the language of the text?
B. What is the author attempting to communicate?
III. Questions of Application
A. What does the text tell us about God, us, and our relationship with God?
B. How does the text apply to contemporary life?
1. What do I hear?
2. What should I do?
3. What should I proclaim from this text?
"Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven.
A truly prophetic voice is one who has the courage, perhaps even in some sense the calling of God, to look around at the community of faith in its status quo and say, "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven." A prophetic voice is one who calls God's people to return to their calling as His people. A prophetic voice is one that will not settle for the status quo, not for the sake of stability, or security, or comfort, or even for the sake of conserving the tradition. A truly prophetic voice is a radical voice, a liberal voice that calls for change, even if that change is a return to a vital tradition long obscured by false piety and self-righteousness.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, "What does God require?", and answer simply, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God." Or simply "love God, love others." A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God.
In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as David Koresh well demonstrated. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries "Woe to you hypocrites!" Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible, that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God's people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (for example, Jer 8:22-9:1)!
And Jesus on more than one occasion soundly denounced religious folk who could not envision anything beyond their own little world of truth. And yet, he stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that the very people over whom he was weeping had murder in their hearts.
Do we need prophetic voices today? Perhaps. A few. Not everyone can be a prophetic voice. It's costly. Prophets often get thrown into cisterns and tried for treason. Or beheaded. Or crucified. Or shot. It's just not a very popular position, so it takes a certain kind of person to be a prophetic voice.
Prophetic voices just aren't "team players." They just don't understand that you can't say certain things or make certain people mad. They just don't understand that bills have to be paid and buildings have to be built. They just don't understand how the system works and how things get done.
Prophetic voices are often on the fringe of the crowds who flock to hear the latest "how to" speaker. They just don't fit in with polite conversation about the latest triviality, because they want to talk about much too serious topics. They are socially insensitive because they continually want to bring up topics no one else wants to talk about, and are often politely told that they should find a more appropriate forum, perhaps at that "other" church that really needs to hear it. Prophetic voices often see things that others do not see, and so are often an embarrassment to their "family," who sometimes accuse them of being just a little mixed up.
How does one become a prophetic voice? I don't know. I think there are a variety of factors, but no one thing that I can name. Sometimes life experiences can open our eyes to the injustice and prejudice around us. Sometimes the passion of others provides a model for that "alternate reality." Sometimes the written word of God may call us to see beyond where we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a new vision of His work in the world. Sometimes it is a personality trait that is sensitive to certain things. Sometimes a deep commitment to the things of God leads to a spiritual growth that opens up new vistas. Sometimes, perhaps, God simply speaks.
I don't know how to become a prophetic voice. But I wouldn't recommend it anyway. There's not much future in it. At least, not now.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, "What does God require?", and answer simply, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God." Or simply "love God, love others." A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God.
In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as David Koresh well demonstrated. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries "Woe to you hypocrites!" Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible, that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God's people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (for example, Jer 8:22-9:1)!
And Jesus on more than one occasion soundly denounced religious folk who could not envision anything beyond their own little world of truth. And yet, he stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that the very people over whom he was weeping had murder in their hearts.
Do we need prophetic voices today? Perhaps. A few. Not everyone can be a prophetic voice. It's costly. Prophets often get thrown into cisterns and tried for treason. Or beheaded. Or crucified. Or shot. It's just not a very popular position, so it takes a certain kind of person to be a prophetic voice.
Prophetic voices just aren't "team players." They just don't understand that you can't say certain things or make certain people mad. They just don't understand that bills have to be paid and buildings have to be built. They just don't understand how the system works and how things get done.
Prophetic voices are often on the fringe of the crowds who flock to hear the latest "how to" speaker. They just don't fit in with polite conversation about the latest triviality, because they want to talk about much too serious topics. They are socially insensitive because they continually want to bring up topics no one else wants to talk about, and are often politely told that they should find a more appropriate forum, perhaps at that "other" church that really needs to hear it. Prophetic voices often see things that others do not see, and so are often an embarrassment to their "family," who sometimes accuse them of being just a little mixed up.
How does one become a prophetic voice? I don't know. I think there are a variety of factors, but no one thing that I can name. Sometimes life experiences can open our eyes to the injustice and prejudice around us. Sometimes the passion of others provides a model for that "alternate reality." Sometimes the written word of God may call us to see beyond where we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a new vision of His work in the world. Sometimes it is a personality trait that is sensitive to certain things. Sometimes a deep commitment to the things of God leads to a spiritual growth that opens up new vistas. Sometimes, perhaps, God simply speaks.
I don't know how to become a prophetic voice. But I wouldn't recommend it anyway. There's not much future in it. At least, not now.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
George Harrison - It Don't Come Easy-Holy Cross Brothers/ Naah
After you get your GED equivalent degree from Thomas more high, then you have to go to Junior college to take the pre college classes so to go to an actual college..
the brother of holy cross are poor , educators , poor leaders, with poor character, don't even think you might get a good religious training or spiritual guidance
the brother of holy cross are poor , educators , poor leaders, with poor character, don't even think you might get a good religious training or spiritual guidance
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
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