Page 47 - Bibliology - Textbook w videos short

has dubious textual support. Christian doctrine should be built upon passages which exist in the original
manuscripts and can be confirmed through the science of textual criticism.

Another example is when Jesus left Nazareth after almost being cast off the pinnacle, the Bible says he
went “down” to Capernaum. Today on a map, we think ”going down” is traveling SOUTH. But
Capernaum is east-northeast of Nazareth. However, with a proper understanding of the geography of
the area, you would realize that the elevation of Nazareth is 374 m (1,138 feet) and the elevation of
Capernaum is -207 m (– 682 feet). Traveling from Nazareth to Capernaum is a drop of almost 584
meters (1800 feet) so you must travel DOWN the mountain to the valley below. Now the verse makes
sense. By understanding the geography of the area, you can not only understand how Jesus traveled
down, but how long it took him to travel the distance from Nazareth to Capernaum.

How to Interpret Scripture

7.4 Let’s Practice…

1. The first and most important rule of interpretation is…

2. How can the second rule of interpretation help us know what a particular verse means?

3. We must interpret the Bible in light of its historical setting. There is an important rule
when it comes to building doctrines based on historical events. What is it?

4. What does it mean to interpret the Bible contextually?

5. If we come to a difficult passage, what rule will help us be able to sort out a correct interpretation of
that passage?

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