• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In

MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission Matters
          • Members Only Feed
          • Missions Podcast DirectoryNew
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
          • UkraineNew
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Bible Certificate
    • Church Missions Coaching
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • ImproveNew
    • Mission Jobs
    • Missions DataNew
    • Publish
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission App
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Premier Events
          • Mission Leaders Conference
          • On Mission
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
            Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
          • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
            Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
          • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
            Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missions DataNew
          • Missiographics
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
    Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
  • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
    Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
    Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Innovation Leaders Discussion
    Mon Aug 8 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Peer 2 Peer for Communications and Marketing Staff: Communications and the Mission of God: Aligning organizational communications with God's purposes
    Thu Aug 18 2022, 01:00pm EDT

View all events »

Topics

author interview CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Disciple Making Discipleship Focus Future Innovation Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Member Care Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 MLC2021 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Podcast Presenter Pursuing Partnerships Series Research Risk Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached Weekly Roundup Women Women in Leadership

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Doing Bible Interpretation: Making the Bible Come Alive for Yourself and Your People

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Ted EslerApril 5, 2019

by Larry W. Caldwell

Why do we need another book on Bible interpretation? Don’t we have enough books explaining the philosophy and mechanics of how to understand and teach the Bible? The simple answer is, no we don’t. 

 src=—Reviewed by Geoff Hartt, director, Hispanics for Christ; adjunct faculty, North Portland Bible College

Why do we need another book on Bible interpretation? Don’t we have enough books explaining the philosophy and mechanics of how to understand and teach the Bible? The simple answer is, no we don’t. The problem is that most texts are academic, Western-oriented, and dependent upon extra-biblical resources (concordances, commentaries, lexicons, etc.). Non-seminary trained leaders and those in the Global South without access to hermeneutical tools are left without a methodology they can actually use. 

Drawing from his years of experience teaching Bible interpretation in the Philippines and other Majority World contexts (as well as North American seminaries), Larry Caldwell has designed a simple, reproducible seven-step process that focuses on the text and considers the culture in seeking to understand and teach the Bible.

In Chapter 1, Caldwell lays the foundation for this Bible interpretation method. He gives seven foundational points or assumptions behind his method. Most important to note is that it begins with recognizing that the Bible is authoritative and that the primary purpose of Bible interpretation is to make disciples. Caldwell also includes two other assumptions (which are generally minimized or missing in other Bible interpretation texts): the importance of the Holy Spirit’s role in guiding the interpretive process and the fact that interpretation is best accomplished in community. 

Chapters 2-7 present and explain the seven steps in Caldwell’s model. The first five steps engage the text in a practical, Spirit-led manner so we can understand what God was saying. Caldwell calls this “Reading Strategies.” The final three steps consider application in the interpreter’s own life and culture. Caldwell calls this “Relating Strategies.”

The second half of the book, Chapters 8-15, apply the seven steps to eight genres of writing found in the Bible. With each, Caldwell gives a brief explanation of the genre and then applies the seven steps (Reading and Relating Strategies) to specific examples from the Bible. 

Doing Bible Interpretation is not a text for hermeneutics courses taught in Western seminaries; instead, it is a practical book that could be used and taught anywhere since it doesn’t require extensive reference libraries or tools, remains faithful to the authority of scripture, and considers the unique culture doing the interpretation. In its simplicity, it provides a model that church leaders in the Majority World can actually use considering so many are bi-vocational or don’t have access to advanced hermeneutical training. 

Additional Reading:

Lubeck, Ray. 2005. Read the Bible for a Change: Understanding and Responding to God’s Word. Waynesboro, Ga.: Authentic Media.

EMQ, Vol. 53, No. 2. Copyright  © 2017 Billy Graham Center for Evangelism.  All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMQ editors.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsBook ReviewsEMQSectionVolume 53 - Issue 2

Write a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Home
  • Directories
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Join

  • Join
  • Benefits
  • Learn
  • Meet
  • Engage

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

About Us

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources
Missio Nexus Logo

© Missio Nexus. All rights reserved.
As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.


PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

Annual Sponsors

ECFA Logo Brotherhood Mutual Logo

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks