This book explains seven steps to help you to understand any passage from the Bible:
- What kind of literature is this Bible passage and what are the effects of this?
- Where does the context of this Bible passage begin and end?
- What was God saying through this Bible passage to the original audience then?
- What is the general principle that God intended through this Bible passage for all people and all cultures?
- What is God saying through this Bible passage to you today?
- What is God saying through this Bible passage to your community of believers today?
- How can you communicate the truths of this Bible passage to your community of believers?
It then goes on to explain how to interpret different kinds of literature that we find in the Bible including Story, Law, Poetry, Prophecy, Sayings of Jesus, Parables of Jesus, Letters, and Revelation.
It ends with eight points that you should always remember when you interpret the Bible. These points will make it come alive – first to yourself and then when you are explaining it to other people.
This book was translated into EasyEnglish by Philip Smith. You can open it or download it in PDF format.
About the Author
Larry Caldwell, and his wife Mary, lived in Asia off and on for thirty years, with over twenty of those years in Manila, Philippines as missionaries with Converge Worldwide (formerly Baptist General Conference). In Manila, Larry was Professor of Missions and Bible Interpretation at Asian Theological Seminary. He also served as Academic Dean for five years. In addition, he edited the Journal of Asian Mission as well as directed the Doctor of Missiology (D. Miss.) Program of the Asia Graduate School of Theology.
In 2011, Larry and Mary returned to the United States, where Larry became the Director of Training and Strategy for Converge Worldwide. In 2015, he also became Chief Academic Officer and Dean, and Professor of Intercultural Studies, at Sioux Falls Seminary.
Larry continues to teach regularly on contextualization and cross-cultural, multi-cultural and multi-generational Bible interpretation (ethnohermeneutics) at seminaries and training institutions in the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan, India and Brazil.
Larry has written several books, and published dozens of articles in Western and Asian academic journals. In addition, he has presented academic papers at missiological and theological meetings in Asia and the United States.