7 Biblical Interpretation Skills That Will Improve Your Study

The Bible is a rich text containing a complex mix of literary genres, and the story it tells spans multiple centuries. Understanding how to properly read and interpret it is challenging! In the Biblical Interpretation Bundle (7 courses), some of the brightest minds in biblical interpretation will teach you their methods. You’ll learn how to study Scripture in its original historical and literary contexts and how to grasp the overarching messages of the Old and New Testaments. Here are seven skills you’ll learn with this bundle.

1) Read familiar stories in a new light

Sometimes it’s the most beloved Bible stories that we need to take a fresh look at. In BI103 Principles of Bible Interpretation, Dr. Keener challenges us to consider the parable of the Prodigal Son from a new perspective. How would a Pharisee—one of the original listeners—have heard this tale? Dr. Keener challenges us to reconsider our preconceived ideas and as a result sheds new light on familiar narratives.

2) Approach the Bible as literature

The Bible contains writings from multiple genres in its 66 books. Moving from poetry to prophecy to historical narrative, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. In BI131 Introducing Literary Interpretation, Dr. Brown focuses on tackling the Bible as a whole by identifying how the different genres work together to communicate a message.

3) Understand the significance of the Old Testament

The Old Testament contains thousands of years of history, law, prophecy, wisdom, and narrative. In OT201 Old Testament Genres, Dr. Walton probes the overall purpose of the Old Testament by applying a strong interpretative framework to the text.

4) Read through the lens of genre

Explore the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation with new eyes. In BI260 Interpreting New Testament Genres, Dr. Klein distinguishes which events in Acts are meant to be descriptive, describing what happened, and which are meant to be prescriptive, instructing on how to live.

5) Experience the life and struggles of early Christians

Discover what it was like to be a follower of Christ in the first century. Early Christians were forced to break the rules of society for the sake of the gospel. In NT201 The Cultural World of the New Testament, Dr. deSilva explores the cultural norms these believers had to fight against as they sought to follow Christ.

6) Explore connections between the Old and New Testaments

Learn about the unique connection between Adam and Jesus. Dr. Brown explains how Jesus is portrayed as the new Adam in John’s Gospel and demonstrates other connections between the Old and New Testaments in BI190 The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament: Methodology and Practice.

7) Discover the Graeco-Roman context of first-century Jewish life

What was the world of Jesus like? Explore the setting, characters, and plot of the Gospels in BI271 Interpreting New Testament Narrative: Studies and Methods. Dr. Brown explores how the Graeco-Roman and Jewish cultures combined to create the unique setting in which God chose to reveal Himself.

Begin Your Biblical Interpretation Studies

From instruction on the basic principles of interpretation to guidance on the various types of biblical literature, these courses will train you to closely examine the Bible so that you can gain a better understanding of the narrative as a whole.

When you pay up front for the Studies in Biblical Interpretation Bundle (7 courses), you’ll get instant access to BI131 Introducing Literary Interpretation; OT201 Old Testament Genres; BI260 Interpreting New Testament Genres; and BI190 The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament: Methodology and Practice. The remaining courses will be added to your library as they are released. Start exploring biblical interpretation today: get the Studies in Biblical Interpretation Bundle.