Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible

by J. Scott Duvall; J. Daniel Hays

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2005

Overview

This volume is the revised and updated edition of Grasping God's Word, an indispensable approach to reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible that teaches students how to carefully read Scripture in the biblical context, and to dig deeper into the Word of God so they will be able to understand the Bible correctly and apply its meaning to their lives.

Just as a rock climber’s handhold enables him to master the mountain, a firm grasp on God’s Word empowers us to traverse the challenging, risky slopes of life. Grasping God’s Word helps college students, beginning seminary students, and other serious readers get a grip on the solid rock of Scripture—how to read it, how to interpret it, and how to apply it. Filling the gap between approaches that are too simple and others that are too technical, this book starts by equipping readers with general principles of interpretation, then moves on to apply those principles to specific genres and contexts.

Key Features

• Proven in classrooms across the country
• Hands-on exercises to guide students through the interpretation process
• Emphasis on real-life application

Contents

Top Highlights

“Question: What is the theological principle in this text?” (Page 23)

“Question: What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?” (Page 22)

“Keep in mind that our goal is to grasp the meaning of the text God has intended. We do not create meaning out of a text; rather, we seek to find the meaning that is already there.” (Page 21)

“We are separated from the biblical audience by culture and customs, language, situation, and a vast expanse of time. These differences form a barrier—a river that separates us from the text and that often prohibits us from grasping the meaning of the text for ourselves.” (Pages 19–20)

“Between the Old Testament biblical audience and Christian readers today lies a change in covenant.” (Page 20)

Praise for the Print Edition

. . . . a wonderfully user-friendly book for serious readers who desire to journey into the world of the Bible in order to better understand it and to live faithfully in today’s world.

—From the foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer

It leads students from the most fundamental building blocks of interpretation (including skills that most beginning students lack) through all the essential processes.

—Craig S. Keener, Professor of New Testament, Eastern Seminary

Product Details

• Title: Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-on Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible
• Authors: J. Scott Duvall, J. Daniel Hays
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2005
• Logos Release Date: 2011
• Pages: 464
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible › Hermeneutics
• ISBNs: 9780310109198, 9780310259664, 9780310493396, 0310109191, 0310259665, 0310493390
• Resource ID: LLS:GRASPGODWRD
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:21:06Z

About the Authors

J. Scott Duvall, who received his Ph.D. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is professor of New Testament at Ouachita Baptist University. He is the coauthor with George H. Guthrie of Biblical Greek Exegesis: A Graded Approach to Learning Intermediate and Advanced Greek and with Terry G. Carter and J. Daniel Hays of the textbook Preaching God's Word: A Hands on Approach to Preparing, Developing and Delivering the Sermon.

J. Daniel Hays is dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies and professor of Old Testament at Ouachita Baptist University. He is the author of From Every People and Nation, and he has coauthored Grasping God's Word; Preaching God's Word; Journey into God’s Word; The Story of Israel: A Biblical Theology; Iraq: Babylon of the End Times?; Apocalypse; and The Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy. He teaches adult Sunday school at his local church in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and preaches frequently throughout the nation.