COURSE: TH-102 HERMENEUTICS – Bible Study Skills

Welcome to Week-1 of TH-102 “HERMENEUTICS – Bible Study Skills!”

Bishop, Dr. Bill Hanshew, D.B.S., D. Th., D.C.C.

WBSITC President/Founder
WBSU Chancellor/Professor

LESSON STATEMENT:

Our week-1 focus is to “look at the act of scriptural interpretation which empowers the student to gain a
proper understanding.” First of all, we must understand that everything in the Bible must be taught in the
light of what Jesus the Christ came to reveal to mankind. The Bible must also be taught by paying attention
to the Nature of God, especially when interpreting scripture, whether Old Testament or New Testament.
 So, as we look at the subject of HERMENEUTICS, it is by definition the branch of knowledge that deals
with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts. This same principle is applied when
attempting to prove the divinity of scripture, which is also defined as the study of theology.
 Therefore, biblical Hermeneutics is defined as “modes of biblical interpretation.” Another way to look at
Hermeneutics is as an “interpretive lens” through which one reads the Bible.
 The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary extends to the definition of Hermeneutics to include not only the
methods or principles of the interpretations, but also the study of those very interpretations. The subject
of Hermeneutics involves the many ways that people read and study the Bible today.
 Also, Hermeneutics even takes place within the biblical-text itself as we attempt to interpret the
meaning of scriptures. The plural form of Hermeneutics is the methodological principles of biblical
interpretation.
 So, as we look at “Bible Study Skills” through the “lens” of Hermeneutics, we are going to begin
looking at and interpreting various scriptures by considering the historical value, the original language,
through the light of the Nature of a loving heavenly Father, and the finished work that Jesus did for
mankind.

READING ASSIGNMENT FOR WEEK 1:

 Read 2 Timothy chapter 3 from both the Amplified Bible and The Passion Translation.
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203&version=AMP
 https://tecartabible.com/bible/2+Timothy+3:1

So, let’s get started by laying a foundation for this study as we look at our week-1 focus is to “look at the act
of scriptural interpretation which empowers the student to gain a proper understanding.”

Some of the material for this course may seem as if you have heard it before, but as we visit and or revisit
some scriptures, the “interpretive lens” we will use pertains to “Bible Study Skills” and should provide a
brighter “fresh-light” on how to arrive at the best interpretation of any verse in the Bible.
I always start this type of study with 2 Timothy 3:16 and today, we will look at verses 14-17 for clarity and
more.

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2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NKJV) “14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been
assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the
Holy Scriptures, which {the Holy Scriptures} are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is
in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction {also translated, training, discipline} in righteousness, 17 that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Every study of the Bible that I do, is always a theological study of the scriptures.
Theology is based on the study of the Bible; but more specifically, theology is based on the study of God.
What that means is “to study through the interpretive lens” of “who He is.”

If you are going to attempt to understand theology, then you will need to know the nature of God.
The number one point to know and embrace about the Father’s nature is that “God is love.”
God is love; therefore His nature is love, which means that He loves all of His created beings, particularly
mankind.
It was not the animals or trees what were created in His image and likeness, but it was mankind.

Now, any theology that seeks to derive its interpretations and concepts, apart from biblical truth, is nothing
more than what we call, “secular theology,” and is technically known as “theism” which defined as
something that has lost its credibility as a valid concept of who God really is.
Also, “theism” comes from the word “ploythesis” which is basically a belief in the existence of
God or even of multiple gods.
Many religions of the world believe in the worship of multiple gods.

Religion is also defined as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a
personal God or gods.
Father God is not a “controlling power” yet He is in control of His eternal plan for His creation.
So, as we study Hermeneutics as the theological form of interpreting scripture, we need to understand that
the etymology of the word Hermeneutics refers to the “art of interpretation,” as well as “the study of
exegesis.”

The word “exegesis” basically means the “critical explanation or interpretation of a text,” especially of
scripture.
It seems that the word “Hermeneutics” comes from the 1670’s, Latinized form of a Greek which can mean
to interpret; or to give utterance to.

But as a College student, you might be asking this question: “Should I be responsible to interpret scripture,
or shouldn’t I simply preach what is written in my Bible?”
“If we do not become responsible at making an attempt to interpret scripture, then we are responsible for a
misinterpreted gospel.”

So, from 2 Timothy 3:14-17, there are a few things which must be considered through the “Hermeneutical
lens” of the Father’s nature of love.
1) Paul told his son in the faith, to continue in what he had heard and learned.
It is important that we “continue” in what we have learned, only if what we have been taught is
theologically sound.
2) This passage is basically speaking about Paul’s instruction to Timothy, concerning the “Holy Scriptures”
that he had learned “from childhood” which were able to make Timothy wise concerning Jesus Christ.
It is extremely important to know who Jesus is from the context of scripture, which provides a historical
view of Jesus as well.

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The “Holy Scriptures” that Timothy had learned was the Torah of the Old Covenant.
And Paul was not telling Timothy to follow the teachings of the Torah, but to follow the message of Jesus
which came after the Torah.

When we consider the wisdom to follow “salvation” through “faith” in Jesus, it is important to consider the
“All Scripture” being referred to in the context of what was inspired by God.
God gave the law to Moses, and yet it was Moses who interpreted the law to people and how they were to
live by it.

Today, we are not under the law of Moses, but we are under the law of love.
So, how do we consider what it is that is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
{also translated, training, discipline} in righteousness without viewing all of these things through the
“lens” of God’s unconditional love?
We must look at the intent of this passage which was so that the “man of God” would be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
But the “man of God” which is to be complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work is referring to
the soul or mind of man.
So, how can we know this is true?

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (TPT) “14 Yet you must continue to advance in strength with the truth wrapped around
your heart, being assured by God that he’s the One who has truly taught you all these things. 15 Remember
what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls {or, sacred Scriptures} which can impart
to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One! 16 Every Scripture
has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction,
giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. 17 Then you
will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”

In 2 Timothy 3:14, the NKJV gives us the impression that it could have been Paul who taught the “Holy
Scriptures” to Timothy of which he was instructed to hang on to.
But TPT clearly shows us that it was God who taught Timothy, even if it was through the instruction of
Paul.

1 John 2:27 (NKJV) “But the anointing {also translated, unction} which you have received from Him abides
in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all
things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

What this means is that the unction or inspiration that lives inside of you came from God.
But when this says, “you do not need that anyone teach you,” it means that as Paul taught Timothy, it was
the same as God teaching Timothy.
This is why you must know the proper “lens of interpretation” so that you will not reject the truth when
scripture has been rightly divided.

Paul said that the “Holy Scriptures” will empower you by the instruction and correction they give.
The “Holy Scriptures” will give you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path
of godliness.
But keep in mind that when Paul wrote this, he was referring to the Torah and some say, this includes all of
the Old Testament writings.

However, for us today, the words of “every Scripture” would indicate that we should include the New
Covenant scriptures including what Jesus said in the gospels.

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Yet, I find that we often trust the scriptures from our modern translations of the Bible, when we should go
back in our studies, to a time when they were written so that we can understand them better.
So, if we take this passage literally and personally, then it would be telling us to study the Torah of the Old
Covenant, and live by it.
However, once again, we are not under the law of the Old Testament, we are under the law of God’s love.

So, should we obey the law or the Torah of the Old Covenant?
If you are going to study the bible and develop good study skills, then you will need to NOT ONLY
consider the context of a certain passage of scripture, but you will need to even consider the context of the
Bible.

Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV) “36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to
him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

So, Jesus came and was asked “which is the great commandment in the law?”
And Jesus clearly quoted from the law in Deuteronomy 6:5 and said to those Jews in the gospels of the New
Testament, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
strength.”
But He followed up by saying, “This is the first and great commandment.”
The first commandment given in Exodus 20:3 was, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Then Jesus says, “The second {commandment} is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On
these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
In other words, He was saying that “contained within these commandments to love; you will find all the
meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”
But, is this enough to tell us that we should not obey the law or the Torah of the Old Covenant?

Many people still quote the 10-commandments as if they practice each one or else they are doomed.
However, there were not only 10-commandments under the law, but there were 613-different laws which
were to be obeyed.
Then the next things Jesus says about a commandment was just before He goes to the cross.
At the Passover, this is recorded in John 13:34-35.

John 13:34-35 (NKJV) “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved
you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another.”

Notice that Jesus says, “A new commandment” which means that Jesus sets a new standard of love for His
followers.
And although the “Old Covenant law” DOES NOT instruct us to love one another, we are told to love others
in the Old Testament.

So, Jesus now gives “a new commandment” for us to use as His standard of love, which is the true
measurement of walking together as the creation of the Father.
The key to understanding this statements Jesus makes about love, is to know that this type of love comes
from the Greek word agape, {pronounced, äwe–gä’h–pēy} which is not a matter of just an emotion, but is
more of doing things for the benefit of another person.

And that is to have an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek out what is best for someone.
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Yet, is this enough to tell us whether or not we should obey the law or the Torah of the Old Covenant?
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about the glory of the New Covenant and the glorious ministry of Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:7-10 (NKJV) “7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was

glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his
countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For
if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For
even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.”

So, what was in the Old Testament that was “written and engraved on stones?”
It was the ten commandments, right?

2 Corinthians 3:7-10 (TPT) “7 Even the ministry that was characterized by chiseled letters on stone tablets
came with a dazzling measure of glory, though it produced death. The Israelites couldn’t bear to gaze on the
glowing face of Moses because of the radiant splendor shining from his countenance—a glory destined to
fade away. 8 Yet how much more radiant is this new and glorious ministry of the Spirit that shines from
us! 9 For if the former ministry of condemnation was ushered in with a measure of glory, how much more
does the ministry that imparts righteousness far excel in glory. 10 What once was glorious no longer holds
any glory because of the increasingly greater glory that has replaced it.”

So, how did the law produce death?

It was because the law demanded obedience which often meant physical death.

However, we see here that the glory of the old shined from the face of Moses; but the glory of the New
Covenant shines from within us.

Now, it is important to note that the glory has always been in us from before the foundation of the universe
as God’s creation, simply because He is the glorious One from whom we were made.
But the contrast here in this passage is between a ministry that brings people to an awareness of sin which
leads to condemnation, versus a new ministry that confirms to us that we are made righteous and innocent
by the work of the cross and the grace of the Spirit.
And what verse 10 shows us is that even though the Old once was glorious, it no longer holds any glory.
Why? Because the more we understand that we are living under the law of love, our awareness continues to
see and understand an increasingly greater glory that has replaced the old.

The glory of the Old law is gone because it has faded away.
But the glory of the new as revealed in Christ who lives in us, is much more radiant and shines as a glorious
ministry of the Spirit because it shines from within you.

Now, let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:14-17 so we can gain an understanding of what went wrong with the Torah
and living by the law.

1 Timothy 3:14-17 “14 I’m writing all this with the expectation of seeing you soon. 15 But if I’m delayed in
coming, you’ll already have these instructions on how to conduct the affairs of the church of the living God,
his very household and the supporting pillar and firm foundation of the truth. 16 For the mystery of
righteousness is truly amazing! He {the mystery of righteousness} was revealed as a human being, and as
our great High Priest in the Spirit {or, justified in the Spirit}! Angels {or, messengers from that great cloud
of witnesses} gazed upon him as a man and the glorious message of his kingly rulership is being preached to
the nations! Many have believed in him and he has been taken back to heaven, and has ascended into the
place of exalted glory in the heavenly realm. Yes, great is this mystery of righteousness!”

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So, in this same passage, yet from another translation (TPT), it revels to us the message of “the mystery of
righteousness.”
The mystery is called a mystery NOT because of us being unable to use our natural reasoning to figure out
that this is talking about Jesus.

It is a mystery because of NOT knowing who Jesus is as God, and NOT knowing why He came.
And when the scripture says, “He was revealed as a human being, and as our great High Priest in the Spirit,”
the Greek says, “justified in the Spirit.”
Christ came to help you to understand that you are “justified” which means that you are positioned in a
place of, “just” – “if” – “ied” – never sinned.

But what does it mean to for Christ and justify us, if God created us like Himself from before the universe
was ever formed?
We have heard all of our little Sunday School stories about how Jesus came to seek and to save those who
were lost.

Luke 19:10 (NKJV) “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

However, the phrase “that which was lost” means “to destroy fully, literally or figuratively.
So, if Jesus came to save mankind, just “to destroy fully” them, then this would not make since.
There must have been something else Jesus came to destroy.
The KJV also says, “to seek and to save THAT which was lost,” not THOSE who were lost.

So, if Jesus came to destroy something, it had to be something that existed from a previous time.
He came to “seek” and to “save” mankind from the “mindset of separation” from the Father which took
place the moment Adam and Eve lost their identity.
And although Adam and Eve felt as if they “fell” from the love of the Father, literally, they lost the focus of
who God had created them to be.
In other words, they lost their identity by believing they were NOT something that they were the entire time.

Genesis 3:9-11 (NKJV) “9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he
said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 And He
said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you
should not eat?”

The question comes up in 2 Timothy 3:14-17 concerning what did Paul teach Timothy?
Also, what did God teach Adam?

Did Paul teach Timothy about the law, or was it grace?

We need to see that first came grace in the person of Jesus at creation; then came the law of Moses after
Adam and Eve sinned.

John 1:17 (NKJV) “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:1-3 (NKJV) “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made.”

So, John makes it crystal clear that the “Word” with a Capital “W” refers to Jesus, and He was in the
beginning, and He was with God the Father, and with God the Spirit, as well as the fact that Jesus was God.
Also, there was nothing that was created or made that Jesus did not make in the beginning.
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Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV) “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love.”

Ephesians 1:4 (TPT) “And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the
foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in
his eyes with an unstained innocence.”

There is an alternate Greek translation which shows us that the wording of this verse could be translated “He
chose us to be a ‘word’ before the fall of the world.”
Simply stated, God spoke and mankind as a “spirit, soul, and body” was formed.
And He “chose” you, which is the Greek word, eklegomai {ek–le’–go–mӯ} which is a form of lego meaning
to speak.

One Eastern Aramaic text can be translated to say that, “He marked us with His love.”
When this says, “he ordained us,” the Greek text states He, “predestined us” or “set us apart.”
So, we can see that what Adam and Eve believe was that they were not like God, when God said that they
were created or made as His reflection.

Now, let’s step back to 1 Timothy 3:14-17 for a moment.

It seems that some interpret this issue of “the mystery of righteousness” as the person of Jesus Christ to be a
bit confusing to those who read it.

1 Timothy 3:16 “He was revealed as a human being, and as our great High Priest in the Spirit!”

There seems to be two different Aramaic words for “righteousness” used here.
It seems that the first word is connected to the word for “priest.”
An Aramaic or Hebrew reader would clearly connect “righteousness” to the priestly ministry.
Also, it seems that the second word used for righteousness is a word which is more often used for messenger
(or angels) referring to a king.

So, as we look at the ministry of Jesus, He is the embodiment of a “great high priest,” a “king,” and the
“righteousness-one” which is also portrayed in the name for Melchizedek, as the King of Righteousness.
But, as I said at the start of this lesson, it is extremely important to know who Jesus is from the context of
scripture, which provides a historical view of Jesus as well.
So, who is Jesus?

John 1:14 (NKJV) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 (TPT) “And so the Living Expression became a man {or, became visible} and lived among us!
And we gazed upon the splendor of his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father
overflowing with tender mercy and truth!”

Jesus, who is Spirit, “became visible” to the awareness of mankind in his fallen state of mind.
As mankind patterned their thinking after Adam and Eve, they forgot that they were created like God, and
thought of themselves as the creation, who was now separated from their Creator.

When John 1:14 said that the Word “dwelt among us,” the Greek and Aramaic reads, “He pitched His tent
among us,” which means that He made His home in us.

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And when the scripture said, “and we beheld His glory,” the Aramaic reads, “We gazed upon his
preciousness.”
Jesus is the Son of God, but more so, He was God made flesh.
That is why Jesus came as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Remember that Jesus is a person who is both, “grace and truth” and the Greek word for grace is the
word charis, {khä’–ddrēs} which is translated as, graciousness, of manner or act; especially the divine
influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude.

Every revelation of Christ that is a “divine influence” upon your thinking, should be reflected in your life to
the degree that it can be.
And this same Jesus came in the form of man so that mankind would see “God with us” as Jesus Christ
became our Immanuel.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV) “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking
the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus came from the Father, as the living “Word” or expression of God, wearing a flesh suit.
The problem with a poorly translated Bible, is that we think Jesus went away and will come back at some
future time.

But the scriptural fact is that Jesus is still among us today in human form, which is the revelation to the
mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Now let’s notice how Titus 2:11-12 reveals who Jesus actually is.

Titus 2:11-12 (TPT) “11 God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone.
12 
This same grace {or person} teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on ungodliness and
indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us {or, He has equipped us} to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in
this present age.”

Now, the phrase, “this present age” does not refer to our modern time.
This refers to an age that was in the first century.
Some biblical principles belong to a certain time period.
However, we must also recognize that there are certain biblical truths that move beyond the limits of time.

There are things that transcend from one age to another.

And Jesus being the person of Grace is one of those truths.
Yes, Jesus was a man, known as the son of man.
But He was also the “Word” made flesh.

And John 1:14 (TPT) said, “the Living Expression became a man {or, became visible} and lived among us!”

Then Paul confirms this in Titus 2 that “God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation
for everyone, and that this same grace {or person} teaches us how to live each day.
To say, “God’s grace” would be the same as saying, “God’s Son.”
And this person who is “Grace” has extended God’s kindness and love to ever person in the world.

It is “Grace” that makes mankind “worthy” of His acceptance.

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And the same Greek word for “grace” applies here, which is charis, {khä’–ddrēs} which especially means,
the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
Grace is unconditional, unmerited, and unearned favor from God.

But, until a person embraces the fact that Grace is a person, who is known in scripture as Jesus, you will
never understand the relationship you can have with Grace.
And that Grace has been revealed as salvation for everyone.
In other words, “God’s marvelous grace has appeared or has been made known to all, bringing salvation.

So, while it is true that not everyone has embraced Jesus, we cannot allow ourselves to be one-sided in our
thinking.
Just because others have not embraced Jesus, does not in any way mean that Jesus has not embraced the
whole world.

John 1:4-5 (NKJV) “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend {or, overcome} it.”

Too often, we think we have it all figured out in that mankind can be without God.

However, the word for “darkness” means to be without illumination or without a clear mind.
But the scripture here is very clear in that the darkness in man’s thinking cannot stop or prevent the light of
truth from shining in man’s mind.

In Jesus was life; and that life represents the life of the Father.
And the “life was the light of men,” which clearly shows us that God’s life causes mankind to have light.
You can reject the light, but the light will not go away.
Darkness in a person’s thinking CANNOT overcome the light of God.

Titus 2:12 “This same grace {or, this same person} teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on
{or, turn our attention away from} ungodliness and indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us {or, He has
equipped us} to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age.”

The Greek word for “ungodliness” is singular, while the phrase for “indulgent lifestyles” is plural.
This seems to cause some scholars to believe that we are to turn our backs on both, the root problem of “sin”
or an ungodly lifestyle, and the specific acts of “sinning” which are a result of ungodliness.

It is important to note that the Greek word for “sin” is the word, hamartia {sounds like hä–märdd–tē’–yä}
which is used as “to err, or to be mistaken.”
This refers to having mistaken your destiny or identity in God.
As opposed to words like “sinning” or “sinned” which come from the Greek word, hamartanō {hä–märdd–
tä’wn–nō} which properly refers to missing the mark of immorality.

So, if a person understands their identity and the mistake of forgetting who you are as God’s creation, then a
person will walk in a place of “missing the mark” of what Father God had originally planned for you.
What people often do is because of what they do not understand.

People in general are not bad people; they simply walk in darkness because they do not understand the light
in them.
We as the church have been guilty of judging God’s creation because we thought we understood the
Father’s heart.
But with scriptural consistency, we can see that in God’s mind, He loves His creation.
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Titus 2:12 (ESV) {uses the words} “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

These three attributes or human qualities of “self-controlled,” “upright,” and “godly,” refer to our behavior,
which is behavior that is targeted toward others and toward God.
You can love God and yet not honor God because of a lack of understanding.
Honor should flow out of love, but when love is misunderstood, honor will not follow.

When we use the term “Bible Study Skills,” we are in reality we are talking about how to define what the
scriptures actually mean.
If we are talking about that which is “divine,” then we are also talking about that which is of God or within
the Father’s mind.
God and the words He spoke are inseparable.

The words we speak are manufactured from within the information we have allowed to be poured into our
own mind or soul.
And then our words will flow from within our own thinking, and come right out of our own months.
Therefore, the answer to all error is found in a person’s own thinking and must be corrected from within.
We are beyond blaming someone else for the error in our own mind.

In other words, you can say it is the preacher’s fault, or mom and dad’s fault, or even some “devil’s” fault.
But the problem remains the same in that we are responsible for our own thoughts and for the words we
speak.
For example, to survey the “divineness” of God, we must look at the history of the scripture and the original
Hebrew and or Greek language.

That means that we must each one take a personal responsibility for gaining some idea of the original
language, the history of the time period, and the audience being spoken to, as well as the purpose behind
what was said.
In addition, we must know the difference in the meaning of words from the English language versus the
meaning of words from the language the Bible was written in.

So, let’s look at a few reasons why we have this error in defining modern words versus defining the
meaning of the original words.
Keep in mind that the first Bible was NOT the King James Version.

While it is a great study tool, and most study helps were written based on the KJV, King James
commissioned its writing due to a division among the British people, so he wanted his side to have its own
Bible.

The truth is that Holy Spirit will always be our greatest source for being led into all truth.
#1) One of our greatest problems with using a “lens of interpretation” for Biblical Theology is the English
language which has been used to define the English Bible.
We must maturely embrace the fact that the Bible was not written in the English language, but only
translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages, with a different set of meanings.
Let’s notice again from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 what the original intent was, versus the way these verses have
been interpreted and taught in our English language.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction {also translated, training, discipline} in righteousness, 17 that the
man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
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Notice that in the reverse order, the “man of God” mentioned here is not talking about the preacher.

And even though I’ve explained this in other classes, it is important to grasp this concept.
The “man of God” as used here states that the “All Scripture” makes the “man of God” complete and
thoroughly equipped for every good work which is ahead of them.

However, the intent of verse 17 was for Timothy to draw strength from what he knows to be true, which
furnishes him with God’s knowledge in the inner-man of his soul.
Therefore, in this case, we are talking about the renewing of a person’s mind or the setting straight of a
person’s thinking within the soulish man.

Keep in mind that the spirit-man was equipped with the knowledge of God when he was created from the
Father’s reflection.
Within your D.N.A., you are already equipped with everything that God is, in His person, and His character.

But the soulish man has forgotten and now must be trained to think like God thinks, so that you will act like
God acts.

#2) The “All Scripture” which is given by divine inspiration of God is not talking about the translation of
the Bible you use or the language your Bible is written in.
As we have already established in the introduction and foundation of this lesson, this speaks of the original
scrolls and manuscripts of what was recorded as the original text, which was written in the ancient Hebrew
language, with some portions in ancient Aramaic language, as well as the texts written in the Greek
language.

So, when we say or we quote: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” we must know what God said
as stated in the original language.
Any time we read a modern text which has been translated from an ancient language or manuscript, the
meaning of the words will always be different.

Therefore, when a meaning of a text has been changed, the intent behind the writing will now have been
altered.
This is why it is important to understand Hermeneutical studies and how to arrive at a conclusion that is
different that what you may have been taught.

#3) The question of Biblical soundness in the scriptures depends on the translation or version of the Bible
we are using.
We must always compare translations of the Bible against the “lens” of the Father’s love for His creation.

We should always consider the following “interpretive lens” when looking at any verse of scripture no
matter which translation you are using.
A) What is the nature of God?
B) Has God left us in a place of no hope?
C) Has God given us the tools needed for us to understand His words, so that it coincides with who He is
and what He thinks about His creation?

If you look at any idea or concept through the proper “interpretive lens,” and they do not support the nature
of God, then the idea is not valid.
So, we will begin to look at some verses of scripture, what they have thought to mean, and how they have
been altered from the original intent.
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Remember: Any time the intention of the author has been changed, then we fail to understand what was on a
person’s mind.
In this case, man was inspired to write what they think they heard, but the author will always be God.
If you want to know what is on God’s mind, then I think this course will benefit you.
Just keep in mind that “Hermeneutics” is a branch of theology that deals with the interpretation of the Bible.

Therefore, this course is just another step in being responsible to interpret words and determine the true
meaning of what God said.
Hermeneutics is “modes of biblical interpretation” which is the “interpretive lens” that reveals the truth of
the Father’s mind as we read and study the Bible.

Remember, “Just because you have possibly never heard something said in the way I have taught you in this
lesson, does not make it false or fake; it just means that you have never heard it that way before.”

Here is this week’s lesson in a word.doc, a pdf doc, and an MP4 video so you can watch it and gain the
needed information from this course, which will prepare you for your quiz following this week’s lesson.

Keep in mind that you must do your lesson each week, do all 5 of your quizzes, and then following week-5,
you will have a Final Exam covering all 5 weeks of this course.

Also, thank you for being in this course, and for being a student at WBSU.

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