What are the musical terms found in the Bible, and what do they mean?
The Bible, the Old Testament in particular, contains several music terms that we no longer use. Some describe the purpose of the song; some the format of the song; some even name the tune. And many terms describe something that has long been unknown. Song Sir or shiyrah is Hebrew for “song” (Genesis 31:27), “singing,”…
Why is there so much confusion regarding the teachings of the Bible?
God gave us the Bible to teach us about Him and His ways, and since God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), any and all confusion must come from the destructive forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The “world” refers to the ungodly world system and its people who…
What is contextualization?
Generally, to contextualize an idea, statement or event is to place it within its larger setting in which it acquires its true and complete meaning. Contextualization aids comprehension. For example, an arithmetic problem may not seem very practical until it is seen within a story problem; the real-life situation contextualizes the math problem and makes…
What is the difference between interpretation and application?
Both interpretation and application of Scripture are vitally important. Interpretation is the process of determining what a passage of Scripture means, or, more precisely, what it would have meant to the original audience. To interpret properly, one must consider the cultural, historical, and literary context as well as the grammatical structures and the meaning of…
What is wrong with the allegorical interpretation method?
The allegorical (or spiritualizing) method of interpretation was prominent in the church for about 1,000 years until it was displaced during the Reformation. The Reformers sought the “plain meaning” of Scripture. Allegorical interpretation looks for a deeper, spiritual meaning within the text. While not necessarily denying that the text has a literal meaning or that…
What are the historical books of the Bible?
The Old Testament begins with the Pentateuch, the five books penned by Moses. From the Pentateuch, we learn of the patriarchs and Israel’s growth into a great nation. The next twelve books of the Old Testament, the historical books, begin along the banks of the Jordan River and tell the story of God’s liberated people…
What is biblical typology?
Typology is a special kind of symbolism. (A symbol is something that represents something else.) We can define a type as a “prophetic symbol” because all types are representations of something yet future. More specifically, a type in Scripture is a person or thing in the Old Testament that foreshadows a person or thing in…
What is a chiasm / chiastic structure in the Bible?
A chiasm (also called a chiasmus) is a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The result is a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage. Each idea is connected to its “reflection” by a repeated word, often in a related form.…
Why is understanding the Bible important?
Understanding the Bible is important because the Bible is God’s Word. When we open the Bible, we read God’s message to us. What could be more important than understanding what the Creator of the universe has to say? We seek understanding of the Bible for the same reason a man seeks to understand a love…
What are some examples of metaphor in the Bible?
A metaphor is a literary device that uses an implied comparison between two unlike things to help explain or expound upon an idea. The Bible uses metaphors heavily, especially when talking about Christ. A metaphor claims that one thing is another thing. (This is a little different from a simile, which is an explicit comparison…