Zut Alors. I will never catch up with Andreas Köstenberger. Every time I publish an article, he publishes four books. (In fact, one should never compare one’s CV with his, for fear that one will descend into a state of weltschmerz. Don’t say I never told you.) Speaking of which, Dr. Köstenberger recently published Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology (Kregel, 2011). This work promises to be a … [Read More]
Here we go again. Southeastern prof Heath Thomas (Old Testament & Hebrew) has committed yet another act of Old Testament theology. This makes, umm, five publications in the past five weeks. Along with Robin Parry, Thomas is coeditor of Great is Thy Faithfulness? Reading Lamentations as Sacred Scripture (Pickwick). This work seeks an answer to the question: how is Lamentations Holy Scripture for the Church? In order to answer this question, I’ve provided a brief … [Read More]
We at Between the Times would like to make you aware of a recent development at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2010, we launched a new journal, Southeastern Theological Review (STR), which seeks to “facilitate lively and informed conversations on a wide variety of topics of interest to Christians around the globe.” STR is published biannually, and features articles by young and established scholars from inside and outside the United States, including those actively involved … [Read More]
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary had the privilege this week of hosting Christopher Wright for the annual Page Lectures. Dr. Wright is International Director for Langham Partnership International and the author several books including The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative (IVP), Old Testament Ethics and the People of God (IVP), and The Mission of God’s People (Zondervan). Dr. Wright is a noteworthy theologian who has written extensively about God’s mission, the church’s mission, … [Read More]
The main idea of the message (MIM) is the heart and soul of your sermon. The MIM is derived from the MIT and channeled through the Purpose Bridge.
Just as the text has a singular theme/complement your teaching must have a singular theme/complement as well. For the MIM, you ask the key question, of yourself rather than of the biblical author.
The Main Idea of the Message
Theme: What am I talking about?
Complement: What am I saying … [Read More]
This is where you transition from the study to the message, from the past world of the biblical period to the present world of the here and now. To ignore this dimension in the hermeneutical/homiletical process can be fatal to what happens when you stand up to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. Basically, you are to fulfill the assignment of a divinely called translator. Your job is to translate the precious and eternal truth … [Read More]
The main idea of a text (step 3) naturally derives from our studying of the Scriptures (step 1) and our structuring of the Scriptures (step 2). Having prayed over the entire process, we have: 1) tracked and identified the key verbs and parsed them; 2) looked for key words needing definition; 3) identified repetition of words and phrases; 4) located the seams in the text, which inform us as to the proper division of the … [Read More]
By way of summary, we have noted the following as essential components of steps one (studying) and two (structuring) of the hermeneutical process:
1. Study the book as a Whole.
Consider the questions of date, authorship, recipients, and purpose (general matters of introduction.)
Develop an outline of the entire book (study Bibles and commentaries will be helpful.)
Examine the relationship of the passage under consideration in both its near and far context.
2. Establish the Best Textual Base Possible.
Use the … [Read More]
Our exegetical model requires the interpreter to inspect, inquire, and investigate every biblical text. When this is done, it is time to identify the author’s main idea of the text (MIT). This is the fourth and final stage of the exegesis process.
Much has been written about the importance of stating the main idea of the text, or what some call the textual idea, in a clear and concise manner. Wayne McDill believes that the main … [Read More]
The inspection stage of exegesis moves toward completion once we have identified the genre and developed a genre-specific outline. These two elements are required to properly examine the content of a text.
The next stage can be called the inquiry stage. “Inquire” means to ask a question. In this stage, our attention shifts from observing the content of a text to inquiring about its context. Understanding the author’s context is important for understanding his content. Consequently, … [Read More]
