Liberty University Email Address:
Assignment 1-2:
Do you agree that the Bible is a divine-human book? Why or why not?
What is textual criticism?
How is it possible to have a high view of the authority of Scripture and a positive view of textual criticism at the same time?
What is translation?
Why is translation not a simple exercise?
Describe the two main approaches to translation discussed in this chapter.
Which approach do you feel most comfortable with? Why?
Assignment 2-1: Describe the five steps of the Interpretive Journey.
Answer each step with as much information as possible. In other words, do not just give a one line statement, but attempt to write a summary type paragraph for each step so that you can demonstrate a good understanding of the interpretive journey process. You may use the words in the textbook.
Step #1:
Step #2:
Step #3:
Step #4:
Step #5:
Assignment 2-2: What are the guidelines for developing theological principles?
You may use an outline form in answering this question.
Assignment 2-3: What are the differences that determine the width of the river to cross?
Write a summary type paragraph in answering this question.
Assignment 3-5: Matthew 28:18–20
Note: The passage may not include incidents of every type of observation item.
Make sure you are clear in identifying the features. For instance, where it requires you to list the contrasts, make sure you identifying which words or phrases are contrasted. Just writing down a sentence from the passage will not help me understand what you thought the author contrasted. So you may use words like this: X is contrasted with Y, X and Y standing for words or phrases. The same format must be used in listing comparisons, cause/effect, or any other features where two parts are required.
Repetition of Words:
Contrasts (different things):
Comparisons (similar things):
Lists:
Cause and Effect:
Figures of Speech:
Significant Conjunctions:
Significant Verbs:
Significant Pronouns:
Assignment 4-4: Psalm 1:1–3
Note: The passage may not include incidents of every type of observation item.
Make sure you are clear in identifying the features. For instance, where it requires you to list the contrasts, make sure you identifying which words or phrases are contrasted. Just writing down a sentence from the passage will not help me understand what you thought the author contrasted. So you may use words like this: X is contrasted with Y, X and Y standing for words or phrases. The same format must be used in listing comparisons, cause/effect, or any other features where two parts are required.
Repetition of Words:
Contrasts (different things):
Comparisons (similar things):
Lists:
Cause and Effect:
Figures of Speech:
Significant Conjunctions:
Significant Verbs:
Significant Pronouns:
Questions and Answers:
Dialogue:
Means:
Purpose/Result Statements:
General to Specific and Specific to General:
Conditional Clauses:
Actions/Roles of God:
Actions/Roles of People:
Emotional Terms:
Tone of the Passage:
Assignment 5-2: Mark 5:21–43
I have given you 30 rows. Do your best to find at least 25 items (for you to get all the points for this assignment, you will need to find at least 25 items); however, if you find more than 30 items, you can add more lines to the table below by just hitting the tab key in the final column on the last row.
Assignment 6-4: Cultural Context
Most of the time, the Jewish people would have traveled east and took a longer route before Samaria during this time was not considered belonging to the Holy Land.
The Jewish and Samaritan people were hostile of each other.
The part of Samaria where they did travel had “Jacob’s well” there. This part of Samaria was considered to be the most authentic place.
The well and deep and it wa also considered to be a spring.
During this time, Jewish men did not speak to women in public.
Jesus was breaking the barriers between the Jews and the Samaritans by sending the disciplines to get food there because normally they would not eat food from here.
Jesus, being a Jew spoke to the Samaritan women in public asking her for water.
Jesus got the woman attention by offering her “Living Water.”
The woman was amazed at the fact that she had a conversation with Jesus because the Samartians thought that there was no other Prophet after Moses.
She went and told the others in the city what Jesus had revealed about her.
This was a start of the Jews and Samaritans become friendly to one another.
The Samaritans thought that the only place of worship was at Gerizim.
God told the Samaritan woman that all should worship God in spirit and truth.
Assignment 8-1: The Surrounding Textual Context
Write a paragraph describing the passages surrounding context of the following passages: Acts 1:7–8 and 1 Corinthians 11:27–32.
In order to complete this assignment, you will need to go back and reflect on the steps listed on textbook pages 156–161 and then do the following: (even though you are not being asked in this assignment to examine the entire book of Acts and 1 Corinthians, these principles will still help guide you in completing assignment 8-1).
Determine the major textual unit that is before, and the major textual unit that is after in regards to both Acts 1:7–8 and 1 Corinthians 11:27–32.
Write a summary statement for each of the four textual units.
Write two paragraphs. The first paragraph should explain how Acts 1:7–8 relates to the two textual units surrounding it. The second paragraph should explain how 1 Corinthians 11:27–32 relates to the two textual units surrounding it.
What is the textual unit (i.e., Scripture passage, just the reference) previous to Acts 1:7–8:
Write a summary statement of the passage you listed in #1:
What is the textual unit (i.e., Scripture passage, just the reference) after Acts 1:7–8:
Write a summary statement of the passage you listed in #3:
Write a complete paragraph describing how Acts 1:7–8 relates to the passages listed in #1 and #3 above (remember to incorporate all relevant material from your summary statements [i.e., #2 and #4] respectively). The important thing here is to note the connection with the paragraph preceding and following Acts 1:7–8.
What is the textual unit (i.e., Scripture passage, just the reference) previous to 1 Corinthians 11:27–32:
Write a summary statement of the passage you listed in #6:
What is the textual unit (i.e., Scripture passage, just the reference) after to 1 Corinthians 11:27–32:
Write a summary statement of the passage you listed in #8:
Write a complete paragraph describing how 1 Corinthians 11:27–32 relates to the passages listed in #6 and #8 above (remember to incorporate all relevant material from your summary statements [i.e., #7 and #9] respectively). The important thing here is to note the connection with the paragraph preceding and following 1Corinthians 11:27–32.
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Bible Study Assignment 2 Template
Assignment 9-1: Word Study Exercise: Use the WORDsearch web tool (https://www.mywsb.com/reader)
Use the WORDsearch web tool to answer the following questions about Acts 1:8.
Write out the English transliterated (not translated) form of the word translated “power” in Acts 1:8.
How many times does the word occur in the New Testament?
List the passages in Acts that translate this word as “power.”
List the passages in Acts that translate this word as “miracles.”
The NASB uses the word “examined” in 1 Corinthians 4:3, “judgment” in 1 Cor. 4:5, and “decide” in 1 Cor. 6:5. Are these the same Greek words? Bold either “Yes” or “No.” Write out the English transliteration (not translation) of the three Greek words translated as “examined,” “judgment,” and “decide” in these three passages.
1st Word –
2nd Word –
3rd Word –
Assignment 9-2: Word Study Exercise
You are studying the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) and the word “worried” in chapter 6 catches your eye. You decide to study the word “worried” more in depth. Use the WORDsearch word study tool (https://www.mywsb.com/reader) to complete the following:
What is the Strong’s number of the word translated “worried” in Matthew 6:25?
Write out the English transliteration of this Greek word. (Don’t worry about spelling.)
How many times is it used in the New Testament?
Make a list of the different ways the NASB translates this particular Greek word, along with all the corresponding verses:
For Example: “merimnao is translated as ‘worry’ in Matthew 6:31”
Now that you know how the NASB translates the word and where it is found in the New Testament, examine each occurrence in context as a means of identifying the word’s range of meaning. All this is part of determining what the word could mean before you decide what is does mean in Matthew 6:25. This step is probably the most important, but also the most difficult. There is an art to identifying a word’s semantic range. Don’t give up. Keep working at it and you’ll find that it gets easier with practice. Answer the following questions about how the word is used in each context as a way of getting at its range of meaning:
What things are we told not to worry about in Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34; Luke 12:22, 25, 26?
What is the context in Matthew 10:19 and Luke 12:11? Is this a different kind of worry than that prohibited in Matthew 6:25?
What stands in contrast to Martha’s worry (Luke 10:41)?
How does this contrast help to define Martha's worry?
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul uses the word four times (vv. 32, 33 and 34 two times). Describe the context of this usage.
What do the contexts of 1 Corinthians 12 and Philippians 2 have in common?
What kind of worry is Paul describing in Philippians 4?
How do you know?
Based on your brief study of the word as used in context, describe as best you can the semantic range of the word. There are at least two major senses of the word and perhaps a couple more.
Now decide what the Greek word used in Matthew 6:25 translated as “worried” actually means in Matthew 6:25. Select one of the semantic-range options that you identified in step 6 and explain why you think the word carries that meaning in Matthew 6:25.
Assignment 10-1: Explain the Difference Between Reader Response and Authorial Intent.
Make sure you include in your explanation what you have to take into account when trying to get to the authorial intent and what is neglected when one takes on the reader response approach. Also, explain the difference in terms of what this means for how we study God’s Word and what presuppositions about the Bible each approach starts with.
Assignment 10-2: Why is the issue of communication important in our understanding and interpretation of Scripture and in the discussion of authorial intent?
Assignment 12-2: Select one of the following passages and walk through the lectio divina exercise described in this chapter. Write a 1–2-page (double-spaced) reflection of what this experience meant to you.
Worship: Psalm 100
Worry: Matthew 6:31–33 or 1 Peter 5:6–7
Sin and confession: Psalm 51:1–10
Freedom from condemnation: Romans 8:1–4
Abiding: John 15:1–5
Rest: Psalm 62:5–8
Renewing of the mind: Romans 12:1–2
References:
Barclay, William. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1. Westminister John Knox Press:
Louisville, Kentucky.
Carson, D.A. and Moo, Douglas J. (2009). An Introduction to the New Testament. Harper Collins
Christian Publishing: Nashville, TN.
Duvall, J. Scott. (2005). Journey into God’s Word: Your Guide to Understanding and Applying
the Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI.
Hendrickson Publishers. (2004). The Holy Bible: King James Version. Hendrickson Publishers:
Peabody, Massachusetts.
