The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

D. The fourth reading cycle1. Read the specific literary unit again in several translationsa. word-for-word (NKJV, NASB, NRSV)b. dynamic equivalent (TEV, JB)c. paraphrase (Living Bible, Amplified Bible)2. Look for literary or grammatical structuresa. repeated phrases, Eph. 1:6,12,13b. repeated grammatical structures, Rom. 8:31c. contrasting concepts3. List the following itemsa. significant termsb. unusual termsc. important grammatical structuresd. particularly difficult words, clauses, and sentences4. Look for relevant parallel passagesa. look for the clearest teaching passage on your subject using(1) “systematic theology” books(2) reference Bibles(3) concordancesb. Look for a possible paradoxical pair within your subject. Many biblical truths arepresented in dialectical pairs; many denominational conflicts come from proof-textinghalf of a biblical tension. All of the Bible is inspired, and we must seek out itscomplete message in order to provide a Scriptural balance to our interpretation.c. Look for parallels within the same book, same author or same genre; the Bible is itsown best interpreter because it has one author, the Spirit.5. Use study aids to check your observations of historical setting and occasiona. study Biblesb. Bible encyclopedias, handbooks and dictionariesc. Bible introductionsd. Bible commentaries (at this point in your study, allow the believing community, pastand present, to aid and correct your personal study.)IV. Application of Bible interpretationAt this point we turn to application. You have taken the time to understand the text in its originalsetting; now you must apply it to your life, your culture. I define biblical authority as “understandingwhat the original biblical author was saying to his day and applying that truth to our day.”Application must follow interpretation of the original author’s intent both in time and logic. Wecannot apply a Bible passage to our own day until we know what it was saying to its day! A Biblepassage should not mean what it never meant!Your detailed outline, to paragraph level (reading cycle #3), will be your guide. Application shouldbe made at paragraph level, not word level. Words have meaning only in context; clauses have meaningonly in context; sentences have meaning only in context. The only inspired person involved in theinterpretive process is the original author. We only follow his lead by the illumination of the HolySpirit. But illumination is not inspiration. To say “thus saith the Lord,” we must abide by the originalauthor’s intent. Application must relate specifically to the general intent of the whole writing, thespecific literary unit and paragraph level thought development.Do not let the issues of our day interpret the Bible; let the Bible speak! This may require us to drawprinciples from the text. This is valid if the text supports a principle. Unfortunately, many times ourprinciples are just that, “our” principles—not the text’s principles.xvii