Here is a short/concise list of assumptions I make when I read the bible. First, note that we all bring a set of assumptions to the table when we read any piece of text (be it bible, newspaper, novel, or whatever). It's often due to significant differences in assumptions that lead to sometimes radically different interpretations of a passage. Here are the assumptions I use, with a quick explanation for some of them:
(1) Human words, sentences, and thoughts have definite content and meaning.
(2) The content and meaning of our words, sentences, and thoughts take on a meaning as the author of them intend.
(3) The meaning of an author words, sentences, and thoughts is discoverable by the context in which those things occur.
When approaching the bible, it's important to consider the following in order to determine the author's intent:
(4) Historical Context
(5) Cultural Context
(6) Literary Context
(7) Genre/Form
(8) Redaction
(9) Sources
(10) Canonical Context
(11) Usage of grammar and vocabular
(12) Author
(13) Ideal Audience
Further I make the following assumptions and conclusions about the bible and use these when reading the text:
(a) The bible is inspired by God
(b) The bible is a collection of many books, with many human authors, many scribes, many genres, several different cultural settings, and many different timeframes
(c) The intent of the author determines the meaning of the passage.
This list might not be all inclusive, so I will update it as appropriate.
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