Interpreting the Scriptures

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Summary: This Book Is A Must
Review: Here is another book by Kevin J. Conner (teaming up with frequent collaborator Ken Malmin) showing why he is head and shoulders above the rest in dealing with any topic he cares to address. This time he deals with the important and sometimes confusing subject of what theologians refer to as "biblical hermeneutics" -- the art of interpreting the Scriptures. As any local telephone book can tell you, our Bible is interpreted by widely differing, and oftentimes contradictory, opinions as is evidenced by the multitude of denominations/churches listed in its pages. Most of us come to the Bible with certain pre-conceived notions of how to interpret what it is saying to us, and we are oftentimes unaware of how our minds subconsciously filter and categorize what we are reading (for example, "this verse doesn't apply to me because it was written to the Jews", etc.). We are still left, however, with the Divine mandate (see 2 Tim. 2:15) and sometimes daunting (yet "noble", see Acts 17:11) task of correctly deciphering the Bible's teachings. "Interpreting the Scriptures" provides invaluable help here. Rather than falling in line with the various methods of interpreting the Scriptures that are en vogue today (for example the "Dispensational," "Reformed," or "Baptist" approaches), and attempting thereby to stuff the Bible into the doctrinal straightjackets mandated by this denominational headquarters or that, Conner adopts the refreshing (and unfortunately, rare) approach of letting the biblical text SAY WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS, unhindered by any contrived or pre-conceived theological position. He follows the oftentimes forgotten, but time-honored maxim of "letting the Bible interpret itself," a practice, by the way, which not only was followed by the Apostles in their writing of the 27 New Testament books, but which most of today's Christian expositors would also be well-advised to follow, and which would undoubtedly be enthusiastically welcomed by their reading public. Conner treats of various theories of interpretation such as the Mystical, Allegorical, Devotional, Rationalistic and Literal Methods, and explores the history of different hermeneutical methods employed throughout history. He discusses the 16 qualifications necessary for the interpreter, as well as devoting an in-depth chapter to each of the 17 principles necessary for proper biblical interpretation, including the First-Mention, Covenantal, Ethnic-Division, Breach, Christo-Centric, Symbolic, Numerical and Allegorical Principles. As those of us who have been privileged to sit under Dr. Conner's teaching ministry can testify, his deep understanding of the Bible and keen insight are, as in all his works, in abundant evidence here. If you want to know how to correctly interpret the Bible, this book will prove an extremely valuable tool!

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Summary: Scripture rightly interpreted is scripture rightly known.
Review: What are the rules of interpretation? Who wrote the rules? Why is it necessary to have a "method" of interpretation? These and many other questions are answered in this book. The average to in-depth student of the scriptures will find this book to be enlightning and refreshing from the standard hum drum of theological textbooks. The student is shown step by step and by excellent analogies of the prinicple methods how to interpret correctly the word of God. Don't fail to add this book to your collection. It has virtually on each and every page a tremendous amount of wisdom and understanding in such small seed form

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Summary: The Best Hermeneutics Guidebook
Review: You'll find two unique values in this book: First, several hermenuetics patterns for interpreting the Bible; Second, an extensive analysis of each one of it. Other books on the same topic usually covers one way of understanding figures and types of the Bible, but in this book you'll find several. The solid biblical knowledge and divine revelation of Kevin Conner is reflected in this work. This book is a must for theology students who like to go deep in the revelation of the Word of God.