Accommodation

When God wants to interact with humans, He condescends to our limited capacity to understand His revelation.  An infinite God expressing Himself to finite beings.

Antecedent

Literally “one that goes before.” An antecedent is a substantive word, phrase, or clause that a something refers to. Often something replaced by a substitute, such as a pronoun. A preceding event, condition, or cause. The antecedent is often an important part in understanding immediate context.

Authorial Intent

This refers to the intention of the writer when he wrote his piece of literature. It can refer to the whole of his work, or just a specific thought. When he wrote, what he meant is known as the author’s intent. This concept goes along with the single meaning of scripture, so that when we are looking for what the author said, we are only looking for one thing, what he meant.

Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology can take different meanings (or be a combination of the following): 

• theology that is 'from the Bible.'  It's origin is the Bible.

• theology that is expressed in the idiom of the Bible (using the Bible's own words and categorization).

• theology that is drawn from a canonical perspective.

Biblical theology can highlight the work of the Holy Spirit in the scriptures across the canon of scripture. The work of the Holy Spirit as the super-author of the Scriptures can be seen in 2 Peter 1:21.  The Scriptures themselves, the written word, are the God breathed product of the Holy Spirit carrying along the authors, as we can read in 2 Tim 3:16. The Holy Spirit is the unifying factor in the broad authorship of the Scriptures. The unity of scripture across so great a timespan and authors is astounding. This work of the Holy Spirit across so great a time span and breadth of people is testament to the work of God.

Biblical theology is the theology we extract from books or passages of the Bible. “Biblical theology gives special attention to the teachings of individual authors and sections of Scripture, and to the place of each teaching in the historical development of Scripture” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 22). Biblical Theology also stretches across single books of the Bible to give us a wholistic understanding of the scriptures.

Derived Inspiration

• God has not extended the miracle of inerrancy to copying and translation

• Copies and translations are inspired to the extent that they reproduce the original text

• Over 99% of the original manuscript(s)’ original words and arrangement are known

  • There is no major area of faith or practice which is disturbed by the remainder

Instances in Scripture where copies of scriptures are treated as the Word of God:

• Deut. 17:18-20

• Ezra 7:14

• Matt. 22:29-32

• John 5:39 

• Acts 17:2

• 2 Tim. 3:15

Exegesis

This word comes from the Greek word, ἐξηγεῖσθαι, meaning “lead out.”

The process of exegesis is to scrutinize the text for exactly what it states, so that the result of exegesis can be a proper understanding of what the author intended to say. Exegesis should precede and be the basis of systematic theology, not vice versa. Exegesis is most often involved with the study of the original languages, such that part of properly exegeting a passage is ascertaining the meaning from the original text (in its language). The process of getting the meaning out of a translation is similar, but it should be kept in mind that there is an added layer of language that cloaks the process of exegesis.

Exposition

The communication of the meaning of the text along with relevance to present day hearers. It is vital to keep exegesis before exposition.

Historical Grammatical Method

This is a study designed to discover the meaning of a text that is dictated by the principles of grammar and the facts of history. It seeks to find the Authorial Intent. A study of inspired scripture designed to discover (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) the meaning of a text, dictated by the principles of grammar and the facts of history.

Original Audience

The audience that the writer had in mind when he was composing. Usually the author states in his writing who he is writing to.

Genre

This word refers to a category or type of literature. There are several different genres of literature in the Bible. Prophecy, Proverbial, Historical Narrative, Personal Letters, and Poetry are all types of literature found in the Bible. Knowing the different types, and their special features will give you an insight into the Bible when you are studying.

Hermeneutics

This word comes from the Greek word, ἑρμηνεύω, meaning “to interpret, explain.”

Hermeneutics is the art and science of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics sets down the principles, which govern the interpretation of literature.

Illumination

This means to be ‘enlightened’ and refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling man’s mind to understand Scripture.

Inerrancy

God’s word reflects His character.  There are no errors in the original autographs of scripture.

"Inerrancy means that when all facts are known, the Scriptures in their original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be wholly true in everything that they affirm, whether that has to do with doctrine or morality or with social, physical, or life sciences."

Infallibility

“We affirm that Scripture, having been given by divine inspiration, is infallible, so that, far from misleading us, it is true and reliable in all the matters it addresses. We deny that it is possible for the Bible to be at the same time infallible and errant in its assertions. Infallibility and inerrancy may be distinguished but not separated.”  

It is internally non-contradictory and doctrinally consistent

“The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.” 

Inspiration

The idea that God’s character and message are conveyed into Scripture.  The writings, and not the writers, are inspired.  Verbal Plenary Inspiration.  This refers to the concept that God ‘breathed into’ the text of the scriptures. That He has made it reflect His character: and not just the writers, but the actual text of Scripture reflects His character. 

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Preservation of Scripture

Divine role in the Preservation of Scriptures:

• Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 

• For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

• Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Human role in the Preservation of Scriptures:

• Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

• I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

Some practical applications of the preservation of Scripture, as found in Scripture:

• 1 Samuel 13:1

  • The missing “forty”

• 2 Chronicles 34:14-21

  • Book of the law found

• Jeremiah 36:1-32

  • Definition of a bad king?

Presuppositions

Something that has been “supposed beforehand.” In Bible study, it means those things that we already believe and understand that we bring into the study process.

Proposition

A theorem or problem to be demonstrated or performed. An expression, in language or signs, of something that can be believed, doubted, or denied as it is either true or false.

Revelation

Revelation - God revealing himself to us.  This word refers to what God has revealed about Himself. There are two main categories of Revelation: General and Special. General revelation is what we can all see about God through creation, etc. (Rom 1:18-21). Special Revelation refers to God making Himself known verbally and personally to men. (Heb. 1:1-3)

General  Revelation

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Special Revelation

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Superintendence of Biblical Writers

The authors were “moved by the Holy Spirit.”  

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.  But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Systematic Theology

This type of theology is the logical, coherent, comprehensive, organization of the teaching of Scripture into the various divisions of theology.

Worldview

A comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world, especially from a specific standpoint. Philosophers define a worldview as “an ordered set of propositions that one believes, especially propositions about life’s most important questions” (Moreland, J.P. and Craig, William Lane, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, 13).

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