Lesson 1: Laying the Foundation

Assignment

The Bible demands that we interpret it according to its nature as the Word of God.
This lesson unpacked this interpretative principle by teaching several sub-principles:
  1. Knowing God comes through understanding, not just reading, the Bible.
  2. Biblical interpretation matters because the Bible is the Word of God.
  3. The Bible testifies to its dual authorship. We must understand both the divine and human authorship of the Bible to interpret it properly.
  4. The nature of the Bible reflects the nature of its divine Author.
Each week you will apply the principles learned to interpret a specific text of your choosing.

1. Choose Your Scripture Text

Choose one text from the options below. You will use this same text throughout the course assignments.
  1. Option 2: Ruth 1:1–5
  2. Option 3: Psalm 1:1–6
  3. Option 4: Mark 4:35–41

Choose your text:

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2. Preparing to Interpret

List five ways that the nature of the Bible as the Word of God will affect how you interpret your chosen text.

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Read your chosen text several times. When you're ready, record yourself reading the text aloud here.

Max length: 1:00
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3. Making Observations

Make observations on your chosen text. 1. Click “Choose a passage” below and select your text 2. Make 5–10 simple observations about your text 3. Ask 3–5 questions about your text that you will need to answer in order to understand it rightly.

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4. Authorship and Interpretation

What can you learn about your text’s human author from these verses or the larger context?

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What was the human author’s main purpose in writing these verses?

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Interpretation