Grasping God's Word Workbook, Fourth Edition

A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible

J. Scott Duvall, J. Daniel Hays

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780310109211
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

A Companion WORKBOOK to Today's Most Widely Used Textbook for Learning to Interpret and Understand the Bible

Grasping God's Word has proven itself in classrooms across the country as an invaluable help to students who want to learn how to read, interpret, and apply the Bible for themselves. This WORKBOOK is designed for use alongside the fourth edition of the textbook Grasping God's Word. While the textbook shows you the principles and tools of interpretation, the WORKBOOK lets you try them out by applying them to specific genres and contexts. Together, these books will help you get a grip on the solid rock of Scripture--how to read it, how to interpret it, and how to apply it.

Filling the gap between approaches that are too simple and others that are too technical, this book starts by equipping readers with general principles of interpretation, then moves on to apply those principles to specific genres and contexts. Features include:

• Proven in classrooms across the country
• Hands-on exercises to guide students through the interpretation process
• Emphasis on real-life application
• Supplemented by a website for professors providing extensive teaching materials
• Updates corresponding to the fourth edition of the textbook, including new exercises
• Accompanying textbook, video lectures, laminated study guide (sold separately)

When used alongside the textbook, this workbook is the ideal resource for anyone looking for a hands-on step-by-step guide that will teach them how to accurately and faithfully interpret the Bible.

Assignment Worksheets

PART 1

HOW TO READ
THE BOOK—
Basic Tools

CHAPTER 1

BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 1–1

Select five translations that we talked about in this chapter. Select a passage from the Bible (it must be at least two verses long) and write out how these translations render this passage. Next, mark or highlight the differences among the five translations. Write a paragraph summarizing what you have observed by comparing the translations.

[Your Response Here]

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 1–2

Answer the following questions:

1. Do you agree that the Bible is a divine-human book? Why or why not?

[Your Response Here]

2. What is textual criticism? How is it possible to have a high view of the authority of the Bible and a positive view of textual criticism at the same time?

[Your Response Here]

3. What is a Bible translation? Why is translation not a simple exercise? Describe the two main approaches to translation discussed in this chapter. Which approach do you feel most comfortable with? Why?

[Your Response Here]

CHAPTER 2

THE INTERPRETIVE
JOURNEY

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 2–1

Describe the five steps of the Interpretive Journey.

Step 1:

[Your Response Here]

Step 2:

[Your Response Here]

Step 3:

[Your Response Here]

Step 4:

[Your Response Here]

Step 5:

[Your Response Here]

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 2–2

What are the guidelines for developing theological principles?

1.

[Your Response Here]

2.

[Your Response Here]

3.

[Your Response Here]

4.

[Your Response Here]

5.

[Your Response Here]

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 2–3

What are the differences that determine the width of the river to cross?

[Your Response Here]

CHAPTER 3

HOW TO READ THE
BOOK—SENTENCES

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 3–1

Find a minimum of thirty observations in Acts 1:8. List them below. Avoid making interpretations or applications at this stage. That is, stick with observations. For example, an observation would be to note that the passage starts off with the conjunction “but.” This conjunction connects the sentence to the one above it in a contrasting way. If, however, you were to note that the Holy Spirit empowers us for evangelism, that observation falls into the category of interpretation or application. Do not enter the interpretation or application phase yet. Limit all thirty of your observations to the details and not to the interpretation of the details. Work hard! Dig deep! Read and reread the passage. Do not quit until you have found at least thirty observations. Try to find more than thirty. Happy hunting!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth.

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Extra 1.

Extra 2.

Extra 3.

Extra 4.

Extra 5.

Extra 6.

Extra 7.

NAME:

DATE:

ASSIGNMENT 3–2

Make as many observations as you can on 1 John 1:5–7. Follow the format presented for Romans 12:1–2 in chapter 3 of the textbook. Dig deep. Think hard. Spend time on this. Mark dozens and dozens of observations...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Ebook Instructions
• Contents
• Introduction
• Assignment Worksheets
• The Exegetical Paper