Unlike most of the past two thousand years, we now live in an age when the Bible is widely read and discussed. Social media has made almost everyone a Bible interpreter, often speaking with great confidence about what Scripture "clearly" means.
Yet many Christians have never been taught the basic principles needed to interpret an ancient text written in foreign languages and very different cultures. This can lead to serious misunderstandings and may help explain the enormous fragmentation within Christianity.
Christian scholars spend years learning how to interpret ancient texts responsibly. The Jewish people have also been studying the Hebrew Scriptures for thousands of years and have developed distinctive methods of interpretation and debate. Some of these approaches are now being rediscovered and adapted within Christian seminaries and Bible colleges around the world.
If you never took a hermeneutics class in Bible college or seminary, this book is for you. It summarizes the basic principles for studying and interpreting the Bible while also introducing an important Jewish perspective often missing from Western Christian study. It is written at a beginner level and in plain, accessible language, so don't worry about intimidating seminary jargon or complicated academic terminology.
About the AuthorDr. Eitan Bar (born 1984, Tel Aviv) is a Bible scholar, author, and Israeli-Jewish follower of Jesus with multiple advanced degrees in Bible and theology. His unique background-living in Israel, being a native Hebrew speaker, and possessing advanced Christian education-provides a fresh and timely perspective on Christian beliefs and doctrines.--- Scroll Down for a Sample ---