Observation: What do we see? - Hermeneutics: Week 7 - 6/25/25

My notes for Wednesday night, June 25th. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. Our study over the next few months will be a study on Hermeneutics: Becoming Students and Teachers of the Word. Our goal is to develop tools to help us read, study, apply, and share the Bible more effectively. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

Hermeneutics – HERMENEUEIN from Luke 24:27 to explain or interpret.  The term simply describes the practice and discipline of interpreting the Bible.

Sources for these notes include:

• Personal study

• Danny Akin, Hermeneutics Class notes. Southeastern Theological Seminary

Becoming a diligent and trained student of Scripture is essential to the task of reading, studying, teaching, and preaching. Unfortunately, even many pastors are stagnant when it comes to growing in their knowledge of the Bible.

REASONS WE DO NOT READ THE BIBLE

• Motivation: we don’t have the energy or see the necessity of why we should study.

• Priorities: too busy, lack of time.

• Technique: we don’t know how.

• Preoccupation: we just don’t get around to it.
  

HOW WE SHOULD READ THE BIBLE

• Read Carefully, Patiently, Slowly

• Read intelligently and intentionally

Observation requires concentration. It is not a difficult procedure. It is not a complicated process. It can be mastered with practice and diligence.

THE KEY TO OBSERVATION IS ASKING QUESTIONS:

WHO?

• To whom is the book written?

• Who are the characters in the book?

• Who is speaking/writing?

• To whom is he speaking?

WHAT?

• What is the atmosphere of the book or passage? Friendly? Chastening? Loving?

• What is the author’s general topic? What is he saying about his topic?

• What is the CONTEXT?

• What are the key words? What do they mean?

WHEN?

• When was the book written?

• When did this event happen in relation to other events?

• “When” questions are important to ask especially in narrative literature such as the Gospels. This will help give you the “time” perspective.

WHERE?

• Where was the book written?

• Where were the recipients of the book living?

• Where else does this topic appear in Scripture?

WHY?

• Why was the book written?

• Why does he include this material and not other things?

• Why does the author give so much space to that topic and so little to another?