Interpreting Scripture: Bible Questions and Answers

by Gerhard Pfandl

Publisher:

Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

, 2010

Overview

The method we use in the interpretation of Scripture is crucial for a correct understanding of God’s Word. Unfortunately, postmodern trends in the Christian church have largely led to the abandonment of the idea that in Scripture God is still speaking to us. But in order to hear God correctly, we need to apply proper methods in the interpretation of his Word. Interpreting Scripture applies these methods to more than 90 difficult Bible texts. In addition it addresses a number of questions concerning the Bible, such as “Who wrote the Bible?” “Are there mistakes in the Bible?” and “Why do Christian scholars interpret Scripture in so many different ways?”

Contents

Top Highlights

“They do not belong to the Scriptures of which Jesus said with divine authority: ‘These are the Scriptures that testify about me’” (Page 23)

“It was therefore easier to mix apocryphal books with canonical books. That a pagan mindset infiltrated Christianity when it replaced pagan religion as the state religion in the Roman Empire during the fourth and fifth centuries is another possible contributing factor, because the apocryphal books contain stories and teachings suited to that pagan mindset. The Septuagint became the Scriptures universally used by Christians, and often they considered them as more inspired than the Hebrew Scriptures, which were used by the Jews.” (Pages 17–18)

“There are many other ways in which the teachings and historical narratives of the Apocrypha contradict the teachings and history of the canonical Old Testament.” (Page 22)

“According to Jewish tradition the greater part of the Hebrew canon came into being with Ezra and Nehemiah” (Page 9)

“questionable when we consider the theological differences between the apocryphal and the canonical books” (Page 20)

Product Details

• Title: Interpreting Scripture: Bible Questions and Answers
• Author: Gerhard Pfandl
• Series: Biblical Research Institute Studies
• Volume: 2
• Publisher: Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2016
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible
• ISBNs: 9780925675194, 0925675199
• Resource ID: LLS:NTRPRTNGSCRPTR2
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:58:46Z

About Gerhard Pfandl

Gerhard Pfandl is a native of Austria and holds an MA and PhD in Old Testament from Andrews University. He has worked as a church pastor in Austria and in the Southern California Conference. He was a professor of religion at Bogenhofen Seminary in Austria. He has published more than 120 articles for scholarly and popular journals in German and English and is the author of several study guides and books including, The Time of the End in the Book of Daniel.