Knowing Scripture

An Expanded Edition of the Commonsense Approach to Studying Scripture

The Bible is the written Word of God, and it is treasured by many. But it is also an ancient book about people and cultures very different than us. Thus, while we know we should read it, many of us have a hard time understanding the Bible.In this expanded edition of Knowing Scripture, R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. The author says, "The theme of this book is not how to read the Bible but how to study the Bible." He presents in simple, basic terms a commonsense approach to studying Scripture and gives eleven practical guidelines for biblical interpretation and applying what we learn. With a minimum of technical jargon, Sproul tackles some of the knotty questions regarding differences of interpreting the Bible, including



- discovering the meanings of biblical words

- understanding Hebrew poetry, proverbs and parables

- approaching historical and didactic passages

- being careful with predictive prophecy

- discerning how culture conditions the Bible

- choosing and using Bible translations, commentaries, Bible software and other helpsNow with a new preface, Knowing Scripture is a basic book for both beginning Bible readers and experienced students of Scripture.



R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Florida. He was also copastor of Saint Andrew's Chapel in Sanford, Florida, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. His radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online.Sproul contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and schools around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone's a Theologian. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible.



J. I. Packer is regarded as one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. He is Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and his writings include books such as Knowing God, A Quest for Godliness, Growing in Christ (Crossway) and Rediscovering Holiness. He has preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and theological editor of the Study Bible version. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores. He is a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today and has written numerous articles published in journals such as Churchman, SouthWestern Journal, Reformation Revival Journal and Touchstone. He received a BA, MA and PhD from Oxford University.

Foreword by J. I. Packer


Preface to the Expanded Edition


Preface to the Original Edition


1. Why Study the Bible


Two Myths


The Clarity of Scripture


The Problem of Motivation


The Biblical Basis for Bible Study


The Bible as Revelation


Theory and Practice


The Sensuous Christian


A Matter of Duty


2. Personal Bible Study and Private Interpretation


Martin Luther and Private Interpretation


Objectivity and Subjectivity


The Role of the Teacher


3. Hermeneutics: The Science of Interpretation


The Analogy of Faith


Interpreting the Bible Literally


Literal Interpretation and Genre Analysis


The Problem of Metaphor


The Medieval Quadriga


The Grammatical-Historical Method


Source Criticism


Authorship and Dating


Grammatical Errors


4. Practical Rules for Biblical Interpretation


Rule 1. Read the Bible Like Any Other Book


Rule 2. Read the Bible Existentially


Rule 3. Interpret the Historical Narratives by the Didactic


Rule 4. Interpret the Implicit by the Explicit


Rule 5. Determine Carefully the Meaning of Words


Rule 6. Note the Presence of Parallelisms


Rule 7. Note the Difference Between Proverb and Law


Rule 8. Observe the Difference Between the Spirit and the Letter of the Law


Rule 9. Be Careful with Parables


Rule 10. Be Careful with Predictive Prophecy


Rule 11. Interpret the Bible with a Spirit of Humility


5. Culture and the Bible


Cultural Conditioning and the Bible


Cultural Conditioning and the Reader


Principle and Custom


Practical Guidelines


6. Practical Tools for Bible Study


Bible Translations


Study Bibles


The King James Version


Commentaries


Concordances, Bible Dictionaries and Atlases


Word Studies


Foreign Translations


What About Greek and Hebrew?


Bible Software


Bible Reading Program for Beginners


Conclusion


Notes


Glossary