Shalem IPC NJ

• We have already learned the literary forms of the Bible – Historical-Instructional-Poetical (Lesson # 1).
• We will study the main features of each form in this lesson

1. BASIC TOOLS FOR OBSERVATION

A. The Main Features of the Story Forms

# People          # Places           # Events          # Emotions

Basic tools for observing Story Forms

• Ask: Who, What, When, Where, How
• Retell the story in your own language
• Find the relationship between the people
• Try to feel the emotions
• Place yourself in the shoes of each person
• Ask yourself what do you….see? Feel? Think?

B. The Main Features of the Instructional Forms

# Ideas                        # Words          # Verbs            #Objects         

# Arrangements of the passage

Basic tools for observing Instructional Forms

Outline the development of the ideas in the passage

Note things like repeated words

Look for:

• Comparisons
• Contrasts
• Transition words such as: therefore, because, for, but, etc.

C. The Main Features of the figurative Forms

Look for          # Symbolism               #Parallelism                 #Analogies

Basic tools for observing figurative Forms

• Determine the type of parallelism used by the poet.
• Make a basic outline of the passage
• Look for all the different figurative language
• Note the things that are repetition

2. BASIC TOOLS FOR INTERPRETATION

We must try our best to determine what the passage meant to the people who originally heard it.

• What does the author mean to make him write this way?
• What does he see?
• What does he feel?
• What does he think?
• Why does he write this?
• What would it mean to the people that have heard it in Biblical time and culture?

3.  BASIC TOOLS FOR APPLICATION

We must see how a particular truth speaks to us.

• Appeal the Holy Spirit for teaching.
• Apply the main points to your life.
• Is there an example I should follow?
• Is there a sin I should forsake?
• Is there an error I should get rid of?
• Is there a promise I should cling on?
• Is there a command I should obey?

So what?

• What do I plan to do about it?
• What difference will this make in my life?
• What plans can I make? – make a plan
• What will I do? – take a decision
• How will I do it? – find out a method

Study Questions

1.      Review the lesson.

2.      Understand the basic tools for Observation, Interpretation and Application.