Conclusion:
In this study we have viewed many principles of Biblical interpretation which should help us achieve a better understanding of God’s revealed will. We have discussed Biblical authority (command or direct statement, approved example, necessary implication) and the need to rightly divide the Word of God. We have discussed logic, language, and outside sources. Finally, we have exercised what we have learned by some practical applications. As we conclude our thoughts I want you to remember the following:
1. In all the world of literature the Bible stands alone. There is nothing that can compare or fairly be compared to it. It is God’s divinely revealed will for mankind.
2. “The Bible is always right, I may not be!” In all of our studies we must keep this mindset if we are to truly discover God’s will for us and grow in the process.
3. Feeling right is not being right. Only being right is being right and being right comes only from a proper application of the truth (John 17:17).
4. The will of God is all that matters. It is in accordance with His will that we will be judged, that will being His divine revelation (John 12:48).
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Now I commend unto you this book. Use it well so that one day you will have an eternity with God in Heaven.
Robert W. White
Bibliography:
This list is designed to give the student some place to start in the building up of support materials for Bible study. Everything found in these sources is not endorsed. But they are pretty good sources considering they are not inspired. Use them and use them well. But always remember the Bible is the only inerrant and immutable source available in this world to mankind.
Apologetics And General Helps:
Apologetics Press, 230 Landmark Dr. Montgomery, Alabama 36117
The Spiritual Sword, Getwell church of Christ, 1511 Getwell Rd. Memphis, Tennessee 38111
Freed-Hardeman Lectures, Henderson, Tennessee (earlier volumes)
Behold The Pattern, Goebel Music Publications, 5114 Montclair, Colleyville, Texas 76034
Power Lectures, Southaven, church of Christ, Southaven, Mississippi
Encyclopedias:
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Baker Encyclopedia Of The Bible, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516
The Living Bible Encyclopedia In Story And Pictures, H. S. Stuttman Co. New York, New York 10016
Commentaries:
Barne’s Notes, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
Language Sources:
Figures Of Speech Used In The Bible, by E. W. Bullinger, D.D., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, by W. E. Vine, M.A., Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey
Webster Dictionary or Random House Dictionary (any bookstore)
Hermeneutics, by D. R. Dungan, Gospel Light Publishing Co., Delight, Arkansas.
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts, 01961
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, Macdonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia 22102
Logic:
Critical Reasoning, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California.
The Jackson-Baker Debate, Sowing The Seed Books, 800 S. Cummings St., Fulton, Mississippi 38843
The Nashville Debate, Gospel Advocate Company, Nashville, Tennessee
Campbell-Rice Debate, Religious Book Service, 722 North Payton Road, Indianapolis 19, Indiana
Boswell-Hardeman Discussion, Guardian Of Truth Foundations Publications, P.O. Box 88, Fairmount, Indiana 46928
Wallace-Vaughn Debate, Telegram Book Company, 801 N. W. 18th St. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
I firmly believe that one of the best ways to develop reasoning skills is to read debate books provided one side is correct. Any debate book should provide some experience in reasoning through passages and questions.
Dictionary:
There are several words whose definitions I felt should be close at hand for quick review. Therefore, I created this small dictionary as a convenience for the student of this work. Some words will be paired and marked by an asterisks. Consequently this dictionary will not be in strictly alphabetical order. However, because of its brevity, this should pose no real problem or inconvenience.
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Analysis: To view the component parts of something and draw the most reasonable conclusions based on this process.
Association: Spending time together.
Assumption: The act of taking something for granted.
Autonomous: Self governing; Without outside control.
Calvinism: The doctrines of John Calvin including total depravity, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints (Once saved—always saved; Predestined to salvation or to condemnation without the possibility of changing one’s eternal destiny).
Canonized: Sanctioned; Glorified; Included in the Scriptures.
Charitable Interpretation: The process of placing Scriptures in agreement with each other rather than at odds with each other. The process of removing alleged conflicts so that the Scriptures can be brought into proper harmony.
Connotative: The suggested significance of a word apart from its explicit and recognized meaning.
Denotative: Meaning or signification.
(Webster makes the following comment concerning denotation and connotation: “The denotation of a word is its actual meaning; its connotation, that which it suggests or implies in addition to its actual meaning.” Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary — 5th ed.)
Context: The part of a discourse in which a word or passage occurs and which helps to explain its meaning.
Contrite: Thoroughly penitent, humble.
Deductive: Method of reasoning, generally from premises, which lead to a necessary conclusion.
Inductive: Method of reasoning, often based on observation, which produces a probable conclusion.
Defile: To make filthy; To make ceremonially unclean.
Injure: To hurt, impair, or damage.
Demarcation: Boundaries.
Deviancy: The turning aside from a particular course.
Doctrine: A teaching; That which is taught.
Exegesis: The practice of getting out of the Scriptures what is found there.
Eisegesis: The practice of putting into the Scriptures what one wants to find there.
Fellowship: A partnership; A sharing; Joint participation.
Gist: The main idea.
Gospel: God’s total system for mankind designed to reunite God and man. This system includes everything recorded in the Scriptures.
Hermeneutics: The science of interpretation.
Immutable: Unchangeable.
Inerrant: Exempt from error.
Inspiration: God breathed. That which comes from God.
Judaizing Teachers: That body of Jews which tried to bring part of the old law into the law of Christ.
Logic: The science that deals with the process of valid thought.
Ludicrous: Ridiculous. That which excites laughter.
Meticulous: Excessively careful of even the little details.
Miracle: Any act in which God overrules the laws of nature and imposes His will in opposition to them.
Miraculous Gifts: The abilities given in the first century to certain believers to demonstrate that they were from God. Its purpose was to further the cause of Christ. This ability ended around AD 100 after the Bible had been completed. (See Heb. 2:1-4, John 20:30-31)
Necessary Implication: That which is suggested in the Bible so strongly that nothing else could be concluded.
Necessary Inference: That which the Bible student is forced to infer from Scripture, no other conclusion being plausible.
(Implication and Inference: Viewing these two as parts of a whole, God implies through the Scriptures; Man infers from the Scriptures).
Peruse: To inspect carefully. To read.
Plausible: Reasonable.
Preconception: An opinion formed before gathering all the facts; A prejudice. Preconceived judgment or opinion.
Preeminence: Having superiority over others.
Prehistoric: Time before recorded history.
Qualification: A condition which must be complied with for the attainment of a position or status.
Restoration Movement: A recent movement coming out of the reformation in which several prominent religious leaders called for a return to the Bible as the only source of authority in matters of religion, the idea being to restore the new testament church. (According to the Bible, the church has never ceased to exist). A Christian should not be a part of any movement, however well intentioned, but rather he should be a part of the church and the church only.
Reverence: Respect and/or honor.
Sanctify: Set apart for a holy purpose.
Surmise: To make an assumption based on very little evidence.
Tel-evangelist: Television evangelist.
Thesis: A proposition put forward for consideration.
Vindicated: Sustained, justified.
Worship: To adore, venerate, to pay homage. To kiss towards. To lick the hand of (as a puppy licks the hand of its master).
Devotional: Period of worship.
Devo: A term often used to make a period of worship more relaxed and informal. Often this relaxed atmosphere is accompanied with a lack of reverence and proper conduct.
There were other words I was tempted to include but did not. My intention was not to write a dictionary but rather a book on hermeneutics. I do hope, however, that this dictionary will provide some small assistance as you search the Scriptures for the will of God.