How to Read the Bible in Changing Times
Understanding and Applying God’s Word Today
Mark L. Strauss
BakerBooks
a division of Baker Publishing Group
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Strauss, Mark L.
How to read the Bible in changing times: understanding and applying God’s word today / Mark L. Strauss.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8010-7283-3 (pbk.)
1. Bible—Hermeneutics. I. Title.
BS476.S79 2011
220.601—dc22
2011013439
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction: The Unchanging Word in a Changing World
4. A Heart-of-God Hermeneutic: Walking with God in His Story
5. Seeking the Heart of God in Dialogue: Tradition, Community, and the Spirit
6. Finding the Heart of God in the Diverse Genres of the Old Testament
7. Finding the Heart of God in the Diverse Genres of the New Testament
8. When Cultures Collide: Discerning the Heart of God in Cultural Context
The ideas introduced in this book have been developing over the past twenty years, as I have taught principles undergraduate, graduate, and church settings. Yet the immediate circumstances arose when Jack Kuhatschek, Executive Vice President and Publisher for Baker Publishing Group, approached me a few years back about writing it. Jack, a close friend (and frequent theology dialogue partner), has a long history of work on this topic, including his immensely practical volume on the application of Scripture, Taking the Guesswork Out of Applying the Bible (InterVarsity, 1990). For years Jack wanted someone to take the subject further. I am honored that he approached me for this task. The title of the book was his idea, and it sums up beautifully the challenge of determining how a collection of ancient books written to ...
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About How to Read the Bible in Changing Times: Understanding and Applying God’s Word TodayHow can words written thousands of years ago in different times and cultures apply to us today? Why do Christians obey certain commands in the Bible and ignore others? Some say commands to greet one another with a kiss or not to eat pork are merely “cultural” but then insist that commands related to divorce, homosexuality, or the roles of women and men apply for all time. Are we just picking and choosing what we want to obey and what we want to ignore? Or are there consistent principles for interpreting and applying the Bible? How to Read the Bible in Changing Times shows you how to interpret and apply the Scriptures regardless of time and culture. It develops a heart-of-God approach that provides guidelines to • Determine the meaning of the text in its original context • Analyze cultural features • Discern what the Bible teaches about God, his will, and his purposes • Apply the truths discovered to contemporary life situations If you have ever struggled to see the connection between this ancient document and your world today, you will treasure this insightful book. |
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