Rating: 
Summary: Best of an underwhelming lot
Review: I've been looking for a book to use in an adult sunday school class on biblical interpretation and have read half a dozen books on the subject within the past six months, all targeting the layman. This is the best of the lot so far, but that is faint praise.Fee and Stuart focus on the different types of literature that make up the canon and the different ways in which they must be approached. Many of their insights are very helpful and useful. Generally, the chapters written by Stuart (those dealing with the Old Testament) are markedly superior in quality to those written by Fee. Some significant things are missing entirely. The first is any discussion of basic exegetical skills apart from application to a specific type of literature. Fee directs the reader to Sproul's Knowing Scripture and a few other books for this sort of thing. Also, any discussion of a redemptive historical approach to interpretation is missing. This is a crucial omission in that later books of the Bible develop themes and reuse imagery introduced in earlier books. A chapter on selecting a translation is provided. Sadly, Fee is very committed to the dynamic equivalence method of translation. A student following his advice will to a large degree be held hostage to the prejudices of interpreters masquerading as translators. Some specific comments on the books treatment of the various types of literature: 1. Epistles
Fee wisely emphasises the occasional nature of the epistles, and that the text cannot mean something that it did not mean to its original recipients. However, he makes much of cultural relativity (e.g. arguing that 2 Tim 2:11-12 are culturally relative, ignoring the context of verses 13-15). Fee is also a committed non-cessationist and rides this hobby horse till it falls over and dies. Almost every example of alleged poor exegesis is tied to cessationism. 2.Gospels
Fee offers some good advice on reading each Gospel both in the context of the parallels in the other gospels and conversely in light of its own particular audience and themes. His treatment of the Sermon on the Mount is exceptionally poor, however. On page 130, he implicitly says that the Old Testament law was capable of justifying. One hopes that this is due to sloppy phrasing. His treatment of the parables is fairly conventional in that it treats the parables as a unified genre, which to my mind they are not. The parables in many cases are just as occasional as the epistles. The rules for interpreting them are not completely uniform (for instance, the parable of the sower comes very close to allegory, while the parables describing the Father's joy over repentant sinners in Luke 15 much more closely follow the pattern of communicating one central thought. The interpretive approach is often indicated by the question or situation that occasions the parable, and this goes overlooked. 3.Law
Stuart's treatment of the law in terms of exegesis is pretty good. He gives the student a good guide to understanding the difference between apodictic law and case law and to understanding the law in the context of the antithesis between the Israelites and the people they were to displace. He does not do so well in giving guidelines to the modern believer to apply the Law. He says for instance (p. 163) - "don't see the Old Testament law as binding on Christians in the New Covenant except where specifically renewed". As North has pointed out, this is not a sound guide, because there is no New Testament renewal of the prohibition on bestiality, for instance. Stuart also omits any discussion of the division of the law into moral, civil, and ceremonial law. The above problem is perhaps an outgrowth of that. 4. The Prophets
This section is pretty good. Stuart points out that the prophets must be read as the enforcers (prosecutors would have been a more accurate analogy) of the covenant. This section would have been especially helped by a discussion of the redemptive-historical aspect of biblical prophecy. 5. The Psalms
This is the best chapter in the book. Stuart gives very solid advice for understanding Hebrew poetry. A couple of pages are devoted to the imprecatory psalms (e.g. Ps 137) 6. Wisdom literature
Stuart very astutely observes that the wisdom corpus of the Bible includes James, but then he ignores it. His treatment of Ecclesiastes is appalling. He suggests that the purpose of Ecclesiastes is to *contradict* the rest of the Bible, and that only two verses properly coincide with the biblical message (pg 214). This is tantamount to a denial of the infallibility of a portion of scripture. One hopes that Dr. Stuart will do a little hard work on this before the next edition.
7. Revelation
This chapter is worth skipping. Fee gives some good advice in the 5 principles he outlines, but his examples turn out to mostly be examples of how not to apply those principles. I would recommend this book cautiously to individual readers, but I won't be using it for my class.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: I've only begun to use this book, but it has already proved to be a solid guide into right interpretation of Biblical texts. Stuart and Fee provide necessary rules for exegesis (drawing out the original meaning) rooted in the author's and audience's context and, more uniquely, the literary style (e.g. narrative, poetry, epistle, gospel, etc.).
My cons: (1) Fee and Stuart strongly endorse the TNIV and NIV as their top translations, with the NRSV and NASB next. While the NIV and and TNIV are more readable and tend to bridge contexts well, they don't allow as much access to the original text as does the NASB, ESV, or even the NRSV. The authors even endorse the NAB and GNT, the latter of which is heavily paraphrased to near uselessness for any serious Bible student. I wonder if this may be because Zondervan (who owns the rights to the NIV and TNIV) also publishes this book. (2) No other how-to's of exegesis are given, such as how to trace the author's flow of thought or how to gain some access the original languages in interpretation. For information on these, please check out John Piper's pamphlet on "Biblical Exegesis" and Kay Arthur's "How to Study Your Bible".
Rating: 
Summary: Hermeneutically and exegetically sound
Review: If you wondered what the words in the title mean, they are longer words to say "proper interpretation." Of course, you can interpret things any way you want, especially in this Post-Modern day and age. However, not every interpretation is valid and true, as Fee and Stuart point out in their book. Out of the 3 or 4 books that I have read on "biblical interpretation," this by far is my favorite. It lays down the rules (laws) of proper interpretation by going through the different genres of scripture, with plenty of good advice in how to best exegete each one. So many errors can be avoided if the reader would follow the points made in this book. Sometimes I make the same mistakes that they laid out in their writing, and I found myself a number of times looking up the passages to check their reasoning. It's interesting how so many intelligent people can make the same mistakes (i.e. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" to be misinterpreted because the context is avoided). We Christians need to be better than that, and that's why I want to continue honing my skills in this area. My copy is marked with yellow highlighter marks, and so will yours if you read it with attention. I think every Christian--both young and old--ought to read "How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth"--it's required reading, everyone!--to keep up with the proper usage of handling God's message to His people.
Rating:
Summary: How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth
Review: Numbers don't tell the whole story, but the fact that _How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ has sold more than half a million copies and is now in its third edition should say something about its utility to neophyte Bible students. I sure could have used this book five years ago when I first began reading the Bible in order to understand it. No use crying over spilt milk though. A late arrival is better than a no-show!
The significance of co-authorship on this book is simply due to the fact that Drs. Douglas Stuart (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Gordon Fee (Regent College) specialize in Old and New Testament studies respectively. If the label evangelical has any meaning left today, then Stuart and Fee fall under that rubric. This is implicitly evident from their stance on the nature of Scripture (2003, pp. 21-3), which they affirm as God's word spoken through human words in history.
The title of the book leaves little ambiguity as to what it is; it's a how-to book on understanding the Bible. Surely anyone with an inkling of interest in the Bible has experienced the inherent difficulty in understanding the Bible. Stuart and Fee work to minimize this - both the experience and the associated frustration.
_How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ is written with the layperson in mind. At every turn, Stuart and Fee make sure and define their terms, thus making for an informative yet pleasurable read. They deal with every major section of Scripture such as the Pentateuch, the Prophets, the Wisdom Literature, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Revelation. The approach taken to each section is more or less the same. The focus is first on exegesis and then on hermeneutics. Exegesis has to do with the "then and there," of the Bible's content. Hermeneutics, as Stuart and Fee use the term, has to do with the "here and now," of the Bible's message. Stuart and Fee explain their dual approach at the outset:
...we have two tasks: First, our task is to find out what the text originally meant; this is called exegesis. Second, we must learn to hear that same meaning in the variety of new or different context of our own day; we call this second task hermeneutics. In its classical usage, the term "hermeneutics" covers both tasks, but in this book we consistently use it only in this narrower sense. (2003, p. 15)
One of the keywords in _How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ is guidelines. In their book, Stuart and Fee are not setting out to promulgate a partisan approach to understanding the Bible that requires specialized assumptions within evangelicalism. Instead, they come across as having a genuine concern for the beginning Bible student and seek to point him or her in the right direction with general guidelines. They freely admit on more than one occasion that they do not expect every reader to agree with their particular take on a given point.
As someone with a couple years of serious Bible study under my belt, I think it is worth pointing out a couple of chapters, which I found immensely helpful: (1) Acts: The Question of Historical Precedent, (2) The Parables: Do You Get the Point?, and (3) The Law(s): Covenant Stipulations for Israel. The chapter on historical precedent put into words something that I have been ruminating over for some time now, that is, the caveat that a practice as described in a narrative is not ipso facto normative and, therefore, binding. The chapter on parables forever settled an issue that I was confused about, namely, the nature of Jesus' parables. They may be semi-allegorical at times, but never pure allegory. Lastly, the chapter on the Law is so informative! Stuart gives the big picture of the Old Testament in such a helpful way.
I'm sure there are many helpful books out there on how to read the Bible in a fruitful way. All I will say here is that, provided you are a conservative Christians, you won't go wrong with this book. (I consider that an understatement, by the way.) There is a lot of content to be digested, however. Commit yourself to read this book a few times over.
PS: If you haven't a clue what commentary to purchase when studying one of the books of the Bible, you'll find the appendix handy. A list of recommended commentaries is offered on every single book of the Bible.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: Outstanding book on hermanutics by a great author! I highly recommend this book for any new believer or vetrean Bible student! Gordon Fee is well respected biblical scholar. He gives great insight on how to interpret the Bible (and how not to) -- mistakes people make, etc. Which Bible versions to use for which purposes, & which not to! He's got some great insight too, such as: "Historicly the Church has understood the nature of Scripture much the same as it has understood the person of Christ--The Bible is at the same time both human and divine" well said! If you like this book, and want a more technical book on hermanutics, I would recommend "Biblical Interpretation" by TATE This book goes further in depth into areas such as: Form Criticism, Source Criticism, Redactional Criticism, author-centered, text centered and reader-centered interpretation. He also has some outstanding insight on interpratation! I would recommend both, Fee first, and then Tate if you want more indepth study on hermanutics (although don't mistake me for saying Fee is shallow, he is VERY deep, just does not get as technical as TATE) Eric
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Since reading this book I have developed a set of lessons for use in the church using it as the main reference. Each time I take people through a study using this book, I notice they begin to reach out to others more. Those who are teachers in the church become better teachers. This book helps to give people some tools to help interpret scripture correctly. It is a book that should be read by everyone. It would help to prevent the proliferation of inaccurate interpretation.
Rating:
Summary: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
Review: So? Where was this book all these years? And the next question should be: Can we get this book tattooed on every Christian's arm so they can refer to it daily? Of all the books that I have read this year, this one needs to be sold in mass quantities to the public, and memorized!
Over the last ten or eleven years I have read lots of books from Jewish authors and teachers of Jewish roots, that have said many of these things, but when I would discuss these things with people they would just stare at me, like they had never thought about understanding the text from the First Century perspective instead of the piece meal method that the Church has been playing around with for years. Understanding a Scripture within the right hermeneutics seems over the Church's head, because the people have been taught that education isn't necessary today.
The role of women rarely is taught, just as the author says, with any First Century understanding of those Diaspora Churches. Fee and Stuart certainly attempt to encourage the reader to "open the eyes" of the reader to many things within the text, by realizing that women may not have been in the same role as they are now. When I lecture at Women Restored! Conferences, I teach a basic beginning Historical Role of Women in the First Century where I talk about the lifestyle of the Greek woman, the Roman woman, and the Jewish woman that goes hand in hand with the authors of this book. The reaction to this topic was such in Denver, that the minute I came off the podium, the pastor's wife grabbed my overheads to make copies for everyone! Amazing what a little knowledge will do, isn't it?
Reading Paul is like playing "Jeopardy" sometimes, as Dr. Brad Young puts it. We know the answers, but what were the questions? We've trained the Church not to ask questions basically and we certainly usurped the authority of the husband in the home, by doing so. The husband's wander into the Church on occasion, usually Christmas and Easter, but rarely does the pastor teach on the role of the husband, so why should he stay? Fishing, hunting, and sports often win out instead. If we understood the teaching in this book as it was lived in the First Century, and held everyone within the community responsible for rightly dividing the text, we'd be head and shoulders above divorce and dysfunctional family life.
No, we can't tattoo the book on the arms of pastors, but I can add it to my website and put an interesting book review about it there for people to read. I can also go online to Amazon and write a good review of the book, too, as people often find my book reviews there. Yes, there is much work to be done. Did I read the book? YES! Who could put it down?
Rating:
Summary: The best book yet written on understanding the Bible.
Review: The Bible has been used and abused in a myriad of ways. Often the worst offenders have been evangelical Christians. The Kingdom of God could be a different place entirely if every Christian would read and APPLY this book. Fee and Stuart, two evangelical believers, have crafted a book that covers at a basic level all the issues related to reading and applying the Bible in one's life, church, and world. Please buy this book, read it, and use it!
Rating:
Summary: Every Christian should read this book!
Review: The number one book on the market today that will help the average Christian read and understand the Bible better. The authors do a wonderful job of making difficult issues easier to grasp.
Rating:
Summary: Fully Bible-Believing But Properly Nuanced
Review: The Pontifical Biblical Commission said that "scripture is inerrant in what it intends to teach", i.e. those things necessary to salvation. It is the word of God in the words of men. But for that word to be properly received, we have to know what kind of writing it is. The Bible has many, many different types of writing, and they cannot all be read the same way--if they are, the result is nonsense and not edification. The book of Proverbs is full of pithy and memorable sayings, but theological completeness is not their primary virtue--you can't read them as though they were the Epistle to the Romans, which is careful theology but much less memorable. The stories of the Prodigal Son and Mary of Bethany's anointing Christ with nard are both affecting and personal, but one is a made-up story and one is something more like reportage. It is reasonable to look for second meanings in parables, but doing that in oral history leads to finding mares' nests. Fee and Stuart have written an accessible and sensible introduction to the intelligent reading of Scripture, without the sort of a priori reasoning that has brought biblical criticism into ill repute with ordinary Christians. This book can prevent most of the worst absurdities many of us fall into when we are learning Biblical exegesis. It certainly helped me. For more advanced reading, have a look at Auerbach's "Mimesis" and Adler & Van Doren's "How to Read A Book".
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