Theological Output Application And Proclamation

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Limit your passage- bring in your outline

Verify the boundaries of your passage

Outlines

Book of Amos

Section of my text ( the outline for the section on my text)

My passage- have its own outline

What is a historical situation surrounding my text?

Leads

Are there other texts like my passage in the book of Amos from that same period? Example- woe in the 1st chapter, then see it again in chapter 5. Does this passages help me understand my passage

Historical background- what is the specific time and place of my passage: example, chapter 6- in the year of King….

Location: is there any mentioning of a specific location? - use bible dictionary and encyclopedia

Cultural background

Language

Cultural or social values

Literary background

Literature

What is the genre or literary category of the book of Amos?

What is the genre of literary category of my passage?

Verse by verse reading /exegesis

Somewhere it should be written about my understanding of the verses of what its about. Don’t go to a commentary yet. (Initial thinking)

What is the tense of the verbs in my passage, arrangement of the words in my passage, transition in the arguments in my passage. Example, therefore, the Lord said. Please look for these.

What are the important words or expressions in our texts? Look them up

Are there questions raised in my text? Every passage won’t have a passage.

Word study (Hebrew). List the words

Lessons

How does this passage fit into Amos’ overall goals and themes( talk about in 1st paragraph)- Superscription

These are your conversation partners: when you talk to the commentaries and scholars ( other biblical scholars)- don’t use Matthew Henry’s commentary- not for exegesis.

When you are writing your paragraphs for your passage, make sure it flows logically. Who disagrees with my opinions?

Who agrees with my opinions?

Bible translations – use at least 3- compare the different translations

Bible commentaries:

What is the specific orientation of each of the commentaries that are used?

Monographs- narrow topics from your example

Journal articles: differs from monograph- narrow topics. Journal articles are specific

Write an interpretation of your passage: synthesis of your research- my interpretation of my exegesis based on my passage. Bring all my research together. Don’t bring any other topics in.

No new information and arguments

Move from details from each verse to a higher level statement of what my passage means. (In this passage…)

Explanation

Life Application

Theological Output - Application and Proclamation

This process involves the move from text to sermon or Bible study and should only be employed if it is speficially requested by an instructor or if you are undertaking the study of the Bible withing the framework of a faith community.

You can begin by asking whether the passage contain "universal truths" (applicable in all ages) or "contextual truths" (applicable for a certain period of history)? Know how and why you make the distinction between these two "truths."

In order to determine how the passage fits with the whole message of the Bible I will have to first ask myself the following questions:

1. "what does it mean for me?":

what am I to believe?

what am I to do (actions, attitudes, sin)?

what do I learn about relationships?

what is the good news for me?

2. "How would such be initiated in my life or the life of the hearers?"

I am cautious in responding to this question not to read modern cultural norms into the passage. Notwithstanding, I do use my imagination to apply the passage to contemporary society issues. This helps me to identify what some of the issues in the text might be.

3. "How can I communicate this to my congregation/audience?"

How can I best explain the original meaning of the text?

How can I help my congregants/audience connect with the truths of the text?

Note: this is crucial because it is important that I understand my congregant/audience as best as I

can. Knowing this I can now formulate a format for my congregation/audience.

Observation: "What does the author say?"

I begin by reading the text, perhaps a few times with the help of:

using a good translation including a few different types of translations

Taking in account the translation methodology

Concentrate on the larger context of the passage (sometimes the entire book)

Following the above, I determine the limits of the passage by searching for:

Where does the writer begin and end the thought of the story?

At this junction, I begin to identify key observations concerning the passage by asking myself:

What symbols, images or key words are used in the passage?

Where else did the writer use these same symbols, images or key words? Or when and where were they used in Scripture by other biblical writers? Or where are they found outside the Bible?

What are the relationships between the characters that appear in the passage?

What are the issues that are addressed in the passage of Scripture?

are there any variant readings noted in the footnotes? (=textual criticism)

is there a particular literary form (genre) to take note of (e.g., letter; healing; parable)? (=form criticism)

are there any structuring devices used in the text (e.g., parallelism; proofs)? (=rhetorical criticism)

did the passage have a source? do we have access to that source? (=source criticism)

what unique views or emphases does the writer place on the text? (=redaction criticism)

how has the writer used the sources?

what is the writer's life situation or theological outlook?

are there any parallel texts inside or outside of the Bible

what are the socio-cultural codes embedded in the text (e.g., honour/shame)? (=social-scientific criticism)

is there any independent confirmation of the events recorded? (=historical veracity)

Ask yourself what cultural assumptions you might be making base on the chosen passage of Scripture; e.g., society, family, health, economic, etc.

Use exegetical tools (commentaries, dictionaries, atlas, etc.) only when necessary

Interpretation: "What did the author mean?"

Socio-historical context: What is the author's and audience's situation?

politics; geography; topography; demographics; customs

use a good Bible dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia

for whom was it written?

what issue(s) does the passage address?

Literary context

interpretation goes along with genre

is the passage narrative, poetic, parable, etc.?

should it be interpreted literally or figuratively?

focus on significant words, phrases, statements

what is its meaning (definitions; contextualize)?

what is its significance in the passage?

why would the author choose this way of expression?

does it have a special grammatical role?

does it make a difference if it were left out?

what is implied by the use of this term or phrase or grammatical structure?

Rhetorical context: what is the significance of the progression in the thought pattern?

what was the author trying to convey to the audience - e.g., theological truths, practical advice?

what types of responses did the author expect on the basis of writing this passage?

Theological context: what do you know about the author's theological perspective?

Hermeneutical issues:

what are the challenges in moving from one social context (the ancient world) to another (ours)?

what blinders might have prevented me from seeing things in the text

what can modern contextal approaches tell me (e.g., liberationist; feminist; post-colonial)?

Investigate the secondary literature; compare and adjust your own observations

Concisely summarize the primary ideas of the text; what is the author trying to convey?