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202nd out of 1,900 books
—
1,838 voters
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth
Your Guide to Understanding the BibleUnderstanding the Bible isn't for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It's meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your...more
Paperback, 287 pages
Published
November 4th 2003
by Zondervan Publishing Company
(first published 1981)
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Authors Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart have provided the evangelical community with a salient and veridical overview of hermeneutical principles that, when applied, are of great import to the study of Scripture. How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth is replete with concepts applicable to every believer, regardless of their level of theological acumen. Layman and seasoned theologians alike will find this book to be one that has lasting value as they exegete God's Word. In the current theologica...more
This is hands-down the best treatment of hermeneutics (or bible-study or exegesis) that I've ever come across. It is written at the popular level (no Greek, Hebrew, or degree with multiple letters required) yet treats the issue far better than a great many more technical works. The authors have a singular commitment to "authorial intent" as the goal of historical exegesis. This commitment and the clear and relevant way in which they demonstrate the principles of exegesis as applied to the differ...more
2 likes · like · see review
It's not enough to just read the Bible ... you need to learn how ....
Some people will get very upset with the title, because after all, for the true believer, all you need is the Bible itself, right?
Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.
But you also need to study to show yourself approved, meditate and approach it in a humble matter. The Bible was written over 2,000 years ago and in some portions even far longer. It...more
Some people will get very upset with the title, because after all, for the true believer, all you need is the Bible itself, right?
Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.
But you also need to study to show yourself approved, meditate and approach it in a humble matter. The Bible was written over 2,000 years ago and in some portions even far longer. It...more
I think this is the best and most important of all the books ABOUT the Bible. We are supposed to read and understand and love the word of God, but it is hard sometimes to do all of those things with a work of literature that was written thousands of years ago and half a world away. I think that most Christians tend to think that since the Bible is a book apart from all other books that it should not be read in the same way that we read other works of literature. While we should revere God's word...more
On Sunday nights, our little group has started taking a book of the Bible each week and discussing it. Going through the the books in written order, we talk about the book’s history, intent and what its implications are for us today. We decided to do this because several in our group have a precarious relationship with Scripture. Some of of us have very little exposure to it previously. For others it’s intimidating. And some are simply deciding what their relationship to the Bible is.
With this i...more
With this i...more
Jul 28, 2011
Peter Coleman
added it
Fee and Stuart did not seek to write a comprehensive hermeneutics textbook but a book for the lay reader of the Bible. While the criticisms fall on some of the finer points of the hermeneutical task, the common reader will find in this work an excellent introduction to how to do exegesis and how to perform hermeneutics. For those discussions of more involved hermeneutics that may be beyond the book’s audience, the appendix serves as an excellent guide to refer readers to commentaries that will c...more
If you're a fan of the King James translation, then you WON'T like this book (which tosses out the KJV/NKJV, giving preference to the NIV/TNIV). However, the book gives a survey of the reasons why the KJV should be substituted for a newer translation. Also, as indicated by the title, the book does eventually discuss biblical interpretation (albeit, superficially). The best part of the book is the appendix, listing several sources for further, in-depth, study.
Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
I recommend this book for any who need to learn how to read the Bible more precisely.* It was a great help for me, as it will be for you—particularly if you are accustomed to the all-too-common habit of "proof-texting"—i.e., lifting verses out of context and applying them according to one's own predetermined ideas.
*Note: The fact is, many Christians--even Christians who can quote verses all day long--do not know how to read the Bible well. Too many engage in "proof-texting" (see above). Reading...more
*Note: The fact is, many Christians--even Christians who can quote verses all day long--do not know how to read the Bible well. Too many engage in "proof-texting" (see above). Reading...more
I read this book through last year, but it is a book that should be reread and even used as a reference. Everyone has a need to interpret the Bible and this book helps with tools that will help as some read but will not understand everything they read. One thing that people forget while reading is they spent laborious days interpreting the Greek and Hebrew into what now is known as the Bible. Learning to think Contextually is an area most do not consider while reading the various genres. Hermene...more
Fee & Stuart examine the impact of literary genre on how we ought to interpret the Bible. This book is so needful as we tend to treat the Bible as we do no other book, reading it piecemeal, hit or miss. The book is very approachable, as Fee & Stuart attempt to equip lay readers to understand and interpret the Bible for themselves. At the back is a list of recommended commentaries for each book of the Bible, to turn to for further help with background and historical context. Although I do...more
I first read this book when my brother lent me his copy back in the 1980s. Being a rather new Christian then, I thought it was a very helpful book and taught me two new words - exegesis and hermeneutics. Having no idea how to read the Bible as I was raised in a multi-religious home ( a mixture of Roman Catholicism and Taoism, Islam, Hinduism...whatever was available!), Fee's book was a God-send and I devoured it like a box of Godivas.
Thirty years later, I was thrilled to find this book is requir...more
Thirty years later, I was thrilled to find this book is requir...more
A must for any Bible reader. Laymen should own this book as well as any serious scholar. Fee & Stuart are both very well respected NT & OT scholars. The book lays out some foundational truths that must be learned in order for interpretation to match what was originally intended by the biblical authors. Reading the text of Scripture is not the same as understanding the text of Scripture. This book will help guide you in your understanding of Scripture. Get the 3rd edition though, I just h...more
If you study the Bible, you should read this. However, I don't recommend reading it cover to cover as I did. The book has essentially two sections. The first section has lots of interesting and helpful things about exegisis and hermeneutics in general. The second part of the book is chapters about studying specific types of scripture (prophetic books, poetry, etc.). What I recommend is that you first read the general section, but then only read the later chapters as you enter a period of study t...more
has an average rating of 4? i guess i should finish it - not fair to rant when i haven't finished it. but i have some problems ...
I picked this book up b/c I hoped it would address a long-standing trust issue I had. Have. Whatever. I – am I about to put this in writing?! I have real problems with translations. I feel like God’s word is Holy – until we get a hold of it and make KJVs and NKJVs and Messages and Amplifieds and TNIVs …! It doesn’t seem possible that they can ALL be right! We may have...more
I picked this book up b/c I hoped it would address a long-standing trust issue I had. Have. Whatever. I – am I about to put this in writing?! I have real problems with translations. I feel like God’s word is Holy – until we get a hold of it and make KJVs and NKJVs and Messages and Amplifieds and TNIVs …! It doesn’t seem possible that they can ALL be right! We may have...more
This is an instructional guide on how to interpret the Bible according to the authors' philosophy. It has two main focuses:
(1) how to understand the books in two steps, first as originally written and then as applied to today, and (2) how the books of the Bible break into genres (epistles, prophets, gospels, law, etc) and distinctive features of those genres. The book is clear in stating its principals and says a lot of things that are worth thinking about. For me one of the best was the repeate...more
(1) how to understand the books in two steps, first as originally written and then as applied to today, and (2) how the books of the Bible break into genres (epistles, prophets, gospels, law, etc) and distinctive features of those genres. The book is clear in stating its principals and says a lot of things that are worth thinking about. For me one of the best was the repeate...more
I read the previous edition back around 2000-3 ( I can't presently place the exact year). It was a good book though I thought Fee and Stuart argument for dynamic equivalence to be easily misunderstood. I prefer a more formal equivalent view, although I agree with them that a dynamic equivalence is something one has to be prepared to accept since languages often don't have a complete corresponding word-for-word capability in translation. I am re-reading this book in its present edition.
Amazing companion for going through the Bible. Very helpful in interpreting what the writer of each book really meant to say to his audience, which is what we should be doing while reading the Bible, to help us be able to know how to apply it to our lives. Clears up many arguments the atheists and critics of the Bible use, and shows that they really need to read this book and try to find something better, because those arguments do not cut it after reading this book along with the Bible.
I have had this on my shelf for years - I wish I'd read it sooner. Fee and Stuart use a practical but scholarly approach to studying and reading Scripture. I loved it. I love the idea of being more deliberate and intentional about reading such an important and inspired text. I appreciated how they made use of commentaries and bible dictionaries for clarity, but stressed that any intentional reader can learn how to read to do exegesis and hermeneutics. A great read.
I would not usually say any non-fiction is amazing, but this one is really helpful. It is well written and clarifies so much. The authors give great advice, but more than that they help give you tools you can use to begin to understand and demystify the scriptures for yourself. I almost always try to refresh myself before doing a Bible study or preaching with this handy guide. Very useful and user friendly. Chapters are divided most intuitively.
This is the best book for good bible interpretation, I have read. Its very informative but not filled with jargon. Who will like it? Any serious bible student/ Pastor or Teacher. Its a Academic work written for laymen. The Author is Pentecostal (I am also) but, there is no Doctrinal slant, that I could find, very non- biased. Get book for bible schools or undergrad level students.
Contribution: These two authors address the very need for solid interpretation by the Christian. They then explain general guidelines for evangelical biblical interpretation and provide questions to ask as one observes the guidelines. They survey all the Bible’s types of literature and specifically address the nature of that literature in their respective chapters. In doing so, the layman is able to learn the fundamentals of interpreting each by learning the aims of each type of literature. In a...more
This book is a great start for someone who is ready to start experiencing the bible on many levels. They give you a systematic approach to determining the context of scripture for you to translate the writings. They stress factual history and culture and don't fall into fictional apocalypses. Overall you can learn how to appropriately understand the Bible, a must for all Christians.
Great book about how to read, interpret, and apply the different genres of the Bible. May seem a little technical at first for the average layperson, but well worth the effort. The authors teach both exegesis (understanding the author's original meaning to his original hearers/readers) as well as hermeneutics (applying the text to our present-day lives).
Most helpful chapters for me included a section on translation philosophies, interpreting/applying epistles, and understanding parables. Keep i...more
Most helpful chapters for me included a section on translation philosophies, interpreting/applying epistles, and understanding parables. Keep i...more
Excellent text. Primary for basic readers of the Scriptures. In a world where social justice is primary for most ministries, a strong Biblical understanding is being overshadowed. Gordon Fee and Doug Stuart pair together in this text to educate and demonstrate the proper means of exegesis. Awesome text.
I read this for school, but being raised Catholic I never got to the core of what the Bible really entailed. This book helps in understanding biblical text and explains the need for a good interpretation of it. If you want to explore spirituality and learn more about God this book will be very helpful.
Churches are often guilty of telling people to study the Bible but not helping them know how to do it. This book is a wonderful corrective to that common practice. If you'd like a great reference book on how to read the different kinds of writings in the Bible, make sure to get this book.
Incredible. I loooved this book because it was a perfect fit for me. It wasn't too theological to understand, but at the same time didn't treat me like an infant. I learned a lot of big words and I'm coming away from this title feeling a lot more confident about my biblical studying. Another thing I really love about this book is it gives lots of references to other books for more detailed reading. Also, did I mention I learned lots of big words which is always good :)
This was a very good introduction to reading the bible, providing guidance on establishing a disciplined way at approaching one's study.
The format of exegesis, then hermeneutics is repeated throughout, providing a consistent way to approach each book, regardless of its genre.
The format of exegesis, then hermeneutics is repeated throughout, providing a consistent way to approach each book, regardless of its genre.
I love this book. In addition to the Bible itself, this is one book that every person should read, especially those who are believers. It helped me understand basic issues surrounding biblical interpretation and, in many ways, changed (for the better) the way I read the Bible.
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Jan 29, 2013 06:45pm