Power In His Presence

BASIC BIBLE INTERPRETATION
A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth
AUTHOR: ROY. B ZUCK
Roy B. Zuck is Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition Department at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught for twenty-three years, including seven years as Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is editor of ‘Bibliotheca Sacra’ and coeditor of the widely acclaimed two-volume ‘Bible Knowledge Commentary.’ He has written or edited more than seventy books on Christian education and biblical and theological topics. He earned degrees from Biola University (A.B) ANS Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M. and Th.D). His books include ‘Teaching as Paul Taught’, ‘Spirit-Filled Teaching,’ and ‘Basic Bible Interpretation’. ‘Sitting with Job’ is a companion volume to ‘reflecting with Solomon: Selected Studies on the Book of Ecclesiastes.

CONTENTS:
Forward 7
1. The What and Why of Bible Interpretation 9
2. Bible Interpretation- Then and Now 27
3. Whose View is Valid? 59
4. Bridging the Cultural Gap 76
5. Bridging the Grammatical Gap 98
6. Bridging the Literal Gap 123
7. Figures of Speech 143
8. Testing the Types and Sensing the Symbols 169
9. Probing the Parables and Analyzing the Allegories 194
10. Interpreting Prophesy 227
11. The use of the Old Testament in the New Testament 250
12. Applying God’s word today 279
Notes 293
Answers to Exercises 302
Person Index 305
Scripture Index 307
Subject Index 319

WHAT THIS BOOK IS ALL ABOUT:
1. The What and Why of Scripture
Roy B. Zuck expatiates in his book about the premise that Bible Interpretation is very pertinent so as to understand and teach the Bible properly. Secondly, he alludes unto very fact that Interpretation is very crucial because it serves as a step beyond just observing the bible. Bible interpretation becomes very essential in our application of the bible. He throws the challenge for all bible students to embark on the quest for the truth revealed in scripture. The basic reason the bible is very difficult to comprehend is that it’s an ancient writings dated as early as 1400 B.C. He defines Hermeneutics as a science and an art. As a science, it enunciates principles, investigates the laws of thought and language and classifies its facts and results and as an art it teaches what application these principles should have and establish their soundness by showing their practical value in the elucidation of the more difficult scriptures.
2. Bible Interpretation—Then and Now
He emphasizes on the need for bible students to understand how individuals and groups have interpreted the bible in the past which will inevitably serve as a sign to us in giving us warnings, directions and information. Example is after the exile, Ezra through the power of the Spirit interpreted the law into Aramaic for the understanding of the Jews. Hillel and Shammah, the Jews allegorizations and how the Church fathers explained and interpreted the bible must certainly be our crave so as to interpret it in our context.
3. Whose View is Valid?
Roy B. Zuck explicates here that we must consider and understand the bible as a supernatural work of God but still a BOOK. The writers of the bible divided the bible into chapters and verses so as to communicate very well with its readers. Zuck then alludes here that, each biblical writing was recorded in a written language in a succinct way which proves that the bible was not written in an unintelligible code to be deciphered and decoded by some magical formula. Again, each writing was done by someone to some specific audience or hearers in a specific geographical area. The cultural environment from which each writer wrote influenced the bible. Each writing was understood in the light of its context. The bible is a divine book and it is seen in its Revelation and Inspiration. Its inerrancy, authority, unity, and mysteries attest and affirm its divinity.
4. Bridging the Cultural Gap
The problem with many students of the Bible is to isolate a word or sentence or paragraph and take it to mean what they want it to mean. Disregarding the context of scripture is one of the greatest problems of bible interpretation. There are diversities of gaps which exists between our culture in the Now and Then. The political, religious, economical, legal, agricultural, architectural, clothing, domestic, geographical, military and social culture in the then times affected the interpretations of certain passages in the bible.
5. Bridging the Grammatical Gap
Zuck here stresses that words, phrases and sentences in the Middle Ages had in a great deal taken on multiple meanings, hence the sense of its objectivity being loosed. The nature of Inspiration, the goal of exegesis which is “allowing the author to say what he want to instead of attributing to him what we think he ought to say” and the problem of communication buttresses the need for a grammatical interpretation. The meaning of words is determined by examining the etymology (root meaning) of words, discovering the usage of the words and considering the context from which those words were spoken.
6. Bridging the Literary Gap
The bible is made up of unity (coordination), variety and utility (function) of designs. Purpose, unique character and understanding of the bible is disclosed when we are intimated with the patterns, styles and forms of various units in the books of the bible. It’s very important for us to know the bible’s style of language, art of writing, literary luster, and structural analysis.

7. Figures of Speech
Zuck states that the bible embodies thousands of figures of speech. The laws of grammar describe how words normally function. Figures of speech add color or clarity, attract attention, aid in retention, abbreviate an idea, and encourage reflection. He expounds on figures of speech like simile, metaphor, Hypocatastasis, metonymy, synecdoche, merism etc… He in turn dilated upon the importance of interpreting figures of speech which is to determine if a figure of speech is involved in a passage, to discover the image and the nonimage in the figure of speech and stating the point of comparison.
8. Testing the Types and Sensing the Symbols
The Old Testament is full of types that are later specified in some way in the New Testament. The two Testaments are related by types and antitypes, shadows and fulfillments. According to Zuck, type is a resemblance, historical reality, prefiguring, heightening, and divine design.
9. Probing the Parables and Analyzing the Allegories
Parables, allegories and fables in the bible require special attention in bible study. Jesus spoke in parables to reveal truths to His disciples and conceal truth from His
Unbelieving audience. Parables were an effective for of communication because as stories, they immediately sparked interest in the hearers and they encourage people to think. Allegories on the other hand are narratives or word pictures which may or may not be true-to-life. Zuck differentiates parables from allegories; he states that a parable usually has one major point of comparison, whereas allegory has several points of comparison. A parable records incident that is true-to-life, whereas an allegory may be either true to life or fictitious.
10. Interpreting Prophecy
Prophecy is the act of God declaring the future. He is the voice of certainty about the future. He planned the future and invariably, He knows everything about the future. According Zuck, Prophecy needs to be studied because Prophecy comforts, calms, converts, cleanses, compels and clarifies.
11. The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament
Roy B. Zuck states that the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament is one of the difficult aspects of bible interpretation. The purposes of the Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are to point up the accomplishments or realization of an Old Testament Prediction, to confirm that a New Testament incident is in agreement with an Old Testament principle, to explain a point given in the Old Testament, to illustrate a New Testament truth, to apply the Old Testament to a New Testament incident or truth, and to summarize an Old Testament concept.
12. Applying God’s Word Today
Zuck admonishes all and sundry to have a responsive heart, and a willingness to appropriate the truths of the scripture into our day to day experiences. He continued that, we must build application on interpretation, determine what was expected of the original audience, and base applications on elements present-day readers share with the original audience.