Introduction to Hebrews Recently, I was given the task of introducing the book of Hebrews at Randolph Street Baptist Church in Charleston, West Virginia. Over the next few posts, I’d like to explore introductory matters related to this important book. I believe knowing the background, that is, the historical setting, the literary design, and the major […]
About Andreas Köstenberger
Proclamation & Application For pastors, the application of Scripture is a process that begins with preparation. Perhaps this seems like a daunting task to pastors. It often feels as if the job is never done; visitations, crisis management, weddings, funerals, and births all require significant time investments. Nevertheless, the pastor must be diligent to devote […]
Getting Our Theology from the Bible Biblical theology seeks to discern meaning from the biblical authors themselves. This task is often called the “historical task” because the meaning given by the biblical author is thoroughly embedded in a history. Moreover, in Invitation to Biblical Interpretation we say that the task of biblical theology is “to study […]
The Importance of Context: Grammar, Syntax, and Discourse In unit 3 of Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, we discuss three vital aspects of language: grammar, syntax, and discourse. Grammar refers to certain features of the way words work together, such as a kind of genitive or a form of a participle. In terms of Greek grammar, there are four key […]
Hearing the Good News: New Testament Historical Narrative (Gospels & Acts) Many scholars have suggested that the genre of the canonical Gospels (and Acts) most closely resembles that of Greco-Roman biography. However, while there are some similarities to this genre, the Gospels and Acts more closely resemble a subgenre of historical narrative. As we say […]
The Old Testament Canon: The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings In an Old Testament context, the word “canon” is often used to refer to list of books that make up the Old Testament Scriptures. In Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, we say that “the canon of the Old Testament is not an arbitrary list of […]