'Preach the Word': Tools for Interpreting & Applying God's Word
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. - 2 Timothy 4:2
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12
Below are three useful tools that I picked up from godly mentors who have been faithful in preaching God’s Word. May God use these suggestions to better equip and prepare you for the wonderful task of interpreting, preaching, and applying His whole Word to your family, friends, and congregations.
The Puritans – their methodology for interpretation and application
The following points come from chapter six of J.I. Packer’s A Quest For Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life.
1. Interpret Scripture literally and grammatically. Ask yourself: What do these words actually mean?
2. Interpret Scripture consistently and harmonistically. Ask yourself: What light do other Scriptures throw on this text? Where and how does it fit into the total biblical revelation?
3. Interpret Scripture doctrinally and theocentrically. Ask yourself: What truths does it teach about God, and about man in relation to God?
4. Interpret Scripture christologically and experimentally. Ask yourself: How are these truths related to the saving work of Christ, and what light does the gospel of Christ throw upon them?
5. Interpret Scripture experimentally and practically. Ask yourself: What experiences do these truths delineate, or explain, or seek to create or cure? For what practical purposes do they stand in Scripture?
6. Interpret Scripture with a faithful and realistic application. Ask yourself: How do they apply to myself and others in our actual situation? To what present human condition do they speak, and what are they telling us to believe and do?
“The soundness of their [Puritan] method is unquestionable; we shall do well to follow in their footsteps” (Packer, 105).
The Joseph Hall Questions
Joseph Hall was an Anglican, Puritan from 17th century who wrote The Art of Divine Meditation in 1607, which was one of best selling books of its time (available for free online at http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/hall/hallbib.htm.). His questions are a useful tool in generating good information when meditating on and teaching Scripture.
1. What is it (define and/or describe what it is)?
2. What are its divisions or parts?
3. What causes it?
4. What does it cause, i.e., its fruits and effects?
5. What is its place, location, or use?
6. What are its qualities and attachments?
7. What is contrary, contradictory, or different to it?
8. What compares to it?
9. What are it’s titles or names?
10. What are the testimonies or examples of Scripture about it?
Mark Dever’s Application Grid
Mark often takes the main points of his sermon outline and plugs them into his application grid (available online at http://marks.9marks.org/Mark1). The main sermon points go down the first column of the grid. And then the first row has the six application headings listed below, asking, what does this mean for:
• Unique Salvation-History
• Non-Christian
• Public (e.g., culture, society)
• Christ
• Christian
• Your Church
What tools and methods do you have in place to ensure you are faithfully expositing and applying God's Word? Any other suggestions?
My church is using Wayne Cordeiro's Life Journal as the focus of our small groups. This book and the accountablilty from my group has me deeper into scripture then I have ever been. I'm truly studying and praying for the wisdom to comprehend what I'm reading. That and hearing what is touching others is awesome.
Posted by: drummerchris | Sep 12, 2007 12:27:20 PM
Great post! When I am teaching I use a similar method. Additionally, I try to incorporate application all throughout the sermon. I feel this helps to maintain a unified flow, and specific applications help listeners to understand the truths that are presented in the passage.
Posted by: Paul S. | Sep 13, 2007 12:31:13 PM
I love learning new methods to study God's words, questions to ask, things to ponder. My bible study/training in, has been in the Inductive method bible study. We ask three main questions which each ? has other things that go along with it. they are as follows:
Observation, What does the text say. Interpretation, what does the text mean to the original reader, or what was the authors original intent for writing his message. (interpretation isn't the time to ask what does it mean to me!)
Apllication, what does the text mean to me in light of: observing the whole context of the book, the historical background, original reader, Holy Spirit speaking directly through the text.
In the Inductive method we place a huge, huge emphasis on what the text would of meant to the original readers, since Gods word doesn't change. So what He said to them He's saying to us. Theres only one right interpretation, with many applications.
Posted by: jason johansen | Sep 13, 2007 9:00:41 PM
It's funny, you talk about baptism and every body jumps into the conversation, but talk about bible study (actual studying), and theres hardly a ripple...
Posted by: jj | Sep 14, 2007 8:49:44 PM
It is the application of the Word that truly matters, though many often get lost in rhetoric. I have also noticed that the difficulty in interpretation leads to many not caring. Keep it simple.
Posted by: Angel of the Garden | Jan 10, 2008 10:24:43 AM