Hermeneutics: Application

What are some guidelines to the sound application of the Bible, given that we've done our homework well and have a reasonably sound understanding of the originally intended meaning of the text?

Lesson #11, "Application," of our leadership course on hermeneutics addresses this question in a 70 minute audio recording with three pages of lecture notes, all of which is available here.

Jesus the Messiah

Jesus is both the embodiment of Israel and the second and last Adam. He is both true Israel and true humanity. As such he is the recipient of all the privileges and promises granted to Adam and to Israel, and the one through whom God will fulfill all his good purposes both for Israel and for humanity. Thus, all God's promises are "Yes" for those who are in Christ.

This is the focus of the 19th class from the course, God's Story of Redemption. Audio and notes are available here.

The Biblical Metanarrative

The Bible presents us with a metanarrative of redemption, which involves a divine missional objective accomplished through a messianic redeemer. This metanarrative is properly understood in terms of its grounding in the purposes of creation, its cohesiveness throughout Scripture, its objectives in the present and coming ages, and its ultimate fulfillment through the person of Jesus. A basic understanding of it equips the interpreter with an important missional and messianic hermeneutic, which greatly aids in the exegesis and application of the biblical text.

Lesson 10 of my current Hermeneutics course provides an overview of the biblical metanarrative of redemption. Audio and notes may be accessed here.

Review II - God's Story of Redemption

In "Review II" I piece together the theological significance of the Creation, the Image of God, the Fall, Abraham, Israel, the Exodus, the Law, the Davidic Covenant, the Prophets, and Jewish Messianic Expectations. It is a reflective summary of the biblical metanarrative from the Old Testament, and serves as a pause before embarking upon the unfolding of God's Story of Redemption in the New Testament. Audio & notes are available here.

Postmodernism; Allegorization

Audio & notes are available for our ninth class in the Hermeneutics course. The focus of the class was split between a review of Dr. Brian Miller's presentation on Postmodernism, and a brief overview of the dangers of allegorization as an interpretive methodology. Access is available in the upper right hand column of this website, or by clicking here.

Messianic Expectations

Lesson #17 of my course God's Story of Redemption focuses on the historical development of and the constellation of beliefs surrounding first century Jewish messianic expectations. Understanding this is crucial to understanding Jesus and the early Church's eschatological hope. Audio and notes are now available here.

Postmodernism, Hermeneutics, & the Church by Dr. Brian Miller

The Hermeneutics class was privileged to host Dr. Brian Miller today, who lectured on the distinctions between Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern worldviews, and the implications of the latter two upon both hermeneutics and the Church. It was an outstanding overview, and is especially relevant for church leaders and thinking Christians in the Western world. Dr. Miller has graciously granted permission for both the audio and the slides to be made available. You may access them here.

The Prophets' Message of Restoration

Class #16 of God's Story of Redemption focuses on the enscripturated prophets' message of restoration for the exiles of Judah and Israel. These prophecies are enormously significant in terms of setting the stage for the historical development of a messianic expectation among the Jews. Audio and notes can be found here.

Biblical Imagery

The seventh class from my hermeneutics course covers the interpretation of biblical imagery. You can access the audio and notes here.