We are all prone to a me-centered meaning of the text, therefore, Fee and Stuart remind us of this central key: “In any biblical narrative, God is the ultimate character, the supreme hero of the story” (Pg. 103 – case in point, the life of Joseph). It’s not about you. It’s not about me. The Word of God is for the glory of God and the joy of God’s people as they follow His Word as their guide for all life, faith, and practice. Sola Scriptura! The authors provide some good guidelines for evaluating and choosing an English translation with some detours into textual criticism. Their ultimate conclusion is to avoid the KJV and NKJV because they believe them to be based on an inferior text type. Gordon Fee is a noted New Testament scholar, having published several books and articles in his field of specialization, New Testament textual criticism. He also published a textbook on New Testament interpretation, co-authored two books for lay people on biblical interpretation, as well as scholarly-popular commentaries on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and on Galatians, and major commentaries on 1 Corinthians and Philippians. He is also the author of a major work on the Holy Spirit and the Person of Christ in the letters of Paul. Even the appendix is so thorough that its commentary recommendations take into consideration what may be better for the general reader in comparison to the advanced student, which is so helpful when trying to figure out which books may be over my head, or just right for me.

Therefore, Fee and Stuart’s bestselling book is needed now more than ever. Their main purpose is to equip readers to understand the Bible in its various genre types (pg. 16). God’s Word contains poetic, apocalyptic, narrative, wisdom/proverbial, letters, parables and other types of literature that must be read and processed in the way the original author intended. But how does one tell the difference between these literature types? The answer to that question is the centerpiece of this book. But you also need to study to show yourself approved, meditate and approach it in a humble matter. The Bible was written over 2,000 years ago and in some portions even far longer. It is possible, just possible mind you, that there have been changes in language and culture that require some work on the reader's part to understand what is being said the same way a hearer of that message would have understood it in their day.

For Instructors and School Administrators Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. The book offers a brief and comprehensible set of guidelines that can help any willing person to interpret the Bible at a beginners level whilst also suggesting additional materials, such as commentaries or handbooks to understand the historical context or the context in which a certain book of the Bible was written. Being a layperson myself, this book has helped me understand the necessity of interpreting the Bible and has offered clear advices towards this endeavour. Terms such as exegesis and hermeneutics were foreign to me but as i continued reading I gradually understood their meaning and most of all their importance. Used all around the world, this Bible resource covers everything from how to choose a good translation to how to understand the different genres of biblical writing. Hermeneutics is hard work! There are bound to be disagreements but Christians must talk to one another about these (see Peter Saunders' recent article, 'When Christians Disagree' in Nucleus).[4] There must be agreement about this, though: a text cannot mean what it never meant. Understanding the Bible is about working out what God intended the text to mean when it was first spoken. I suspect the authors do not want to allow this for perhaps two reasons (at least): First, they obviously have a dispensational view of the covenants and OT and NT, so they would not agree that the OT is as strongly related to the NT as those of us who understand covenant theology; second, they have a narrow view of inspiration, believing that the Holy Spirit can only inspire an author to write that which an author can completely understand. These are theological presuppositions that they do not defend at all when they state their rule, and they are presuppositions with which I do not agree, so I cannot fully endorse this book. There are many who might not notice these presuppositions, and then would read the Bible, especially the OT, and miss how it all has Jesus at the center. Such reading of the Bible is what leads many, many preachers to make the OT stories simply moral examples and not gospel-centered.

Hebrew narrative as revealed in the Old Testament is the next topic broached by Fee and Stuart. This rather lengthy discussion is necessitated by the prevailing "failure to understand both the reason for and the character of Hebrew narrative." Indicative of this failure is the propensity to treat large sections of Old Testament narrative as allegory resulting in forced interpretations and rejection of the historically accurate nature of the Scripture. While Fee and Stuart's treatment of Old Testament narrative is not as thorough as that provided in works such as "Introduction to Biblical Interpretation" by Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard, it is nevertheless a commonsensical and worthwhile approach. Of particular note is the authors' contention that "narratives are precious to us because they so vividly demonstrate God's involvement in the world and illustrate his principles and calling." This statement articulates, perhaps even more than the discussion of the intricacies of narrative, the need for interpreters to properly evaluate historical genre. Some people will get very upset with the title, because after all, for the true believer, all you need is the Bible itself, right? Authors Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart have provided the evangelical community with a salient and veridical overview of hermeneutical principles that, when applied, are of great import to the study of Scripture. How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth is replete with concepts applicable to every believer, regardless of their level of theological acumen. Layman and seasoned theologians alike will find this book to be one that has lasting value as they exegete God's Word. In the current theological milieu, a conspectus of the proper application of hermeneutics is sorely needed and in this regard, Fee and Stuart have answered the call. Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.That being said, I think their initial rule is broken, which means how they interpret the Bible, especially the OT, will be defective from the beginning. (Also, they do not really keep this rule consistently anyway, for they seem to feel free to violate it when working with the psalms, prophets, and Revelation.) Where great commentaries give you fish, this book teaches you how to fish and feed yourself intellectually and spiritually from the Bible.

I bought this book because it was the required reading for a twelve-week course I was enrolled in, and even though my reading felt like a race to the finish toward the end of the course, I’m so glad to have it in my possession. This book seems to cover it all, and then some.Christian Standard Fee and Stuart have delineated the hermeneutical principles for the valid interpretation of the variety of literary genres found in Scripture. Fee and Stuart fulfill the objectives they set for themselves admirably. A book with this focus meets an obvious need. The authors had some wonderful things to say. Fantastic tools and lessons about interpreting pieces of scripture and understanding our place in the role of interpretation. A minor overview is simple: verses and teachings must be left in their original context, and interpretation should be something a first century Christian (or ancient Israelite) would have understood. We need to read our Bibles in light of the historical-grammatical understanding with which the Bible was written. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart present a massive rewrite to the previous three editions of their trademark book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (pg. 11-12). The old adage still floats around our society, “People can make the Bible say whatever they want it to say.” Even among less cynical churchgoers who profess a high view of Scripture, many seem lost when it comes to accurately interpreting and applying God’s Word. Conservative evangelical churches are ripe with classes, small groups, and even sermons that ignorantly contort the scriptures and rip them out of context. Every election cycle in America is met with Christians publicly (yet unknowingly?) claiming promises for their “homeland” that were only intended for national Israel (e.g. 2 Chron. 7:14). Worse yet, a young crop of progressive-liberal Christians ready themselves to defend various deviant sexual activities with novel interpretations of the Bible. These hermeneutical challenges have created “urgent problems in the church today” (pg. 18). Exegesis: the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. This is basically a historical task. I appreciated that How to broke down the various genres, and outlined the necessary factors in how to interpret what they’re saying. Even though I knew Song of Solomon and the Psalms were poetry, I never thought about the fact that their imagery was similar to how we’d write song lyrics. Duh. Of course they would be. But somehow, when we see the word “Bible,” the normal rules fly out the window and we seem to feel that different rules should apply, because it’s not the common man’s poetry.