Approved Workmen

There are some common pitfalls of bible interpretation that lead to mistakes in our conclusions. Foremost is not giving proper attention to the context of a passage. In this discussion we look at several pitfalls and then examine the Christocentric hermeneutic.

Hermeneutics refers to the principles we utilize in Bible interpretation. Before studying these principles in detail we define our goal, which is to identify the message the author of scripture intended to communicate to his original hearers.

Natural man suppresses the knowledge of God in unrighteousness. Thankfully God gives us a blueprint for bringing the knowledge of himself to unbelievers. His method requires faith and relies on divine power instead of human wisdom.

It is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is within them. In this discussion we frame up the scriptural principles that undergird our apologetical methodology, and in particular those principles relating to the effects of the fall on the natural man.

It is critical that we don't let our system (whatever it is) inform our conclusions of scripture as we study. We must consider each passage in its context and allow our theological system to be shaped, refined, and even modified by the content of scripture. In this lesson we consider whether the the catching away of Christ's people to himself and his are one event. We also look briefly of the development of the kingdom through scripture from first mention to consummation.

The emphasis of eschatology in scripture is ethical and pastoral. That is to say, eschatology is to result in sober minded living and comfort for the Christian. The precise details of timing and sequence of events is of less concern to the authors of scripture. Before diving into the particulars of eschatology we examine the importance of sound doctrine for the church and the responsibility for every man to be able to articulate and defend the truth. We also clarify how we establish doctrinal conclusions - we want our theology to be exegetically derived and systematically expressed.

As we kick off this new semester in Approved Workmen we start by reminding ourselves of the ministry model that Jesus demonstrated. This same model was employed by the apostle Paul, and it involved prayerful dependence, personal sacrifice (particularly in the areas of love and time) and passing truth to others.