After a nice discussion on Facebook, I have decided to do a series of posts on Eschatology: the study of the end.
Instead of endorsing a particular view (even though some of you have some ideas of what I believe), I'm going to do a big contextual study, and do a commentary on several texts, mainly Revelation.
I will quote from some commentaries, but the main tools I will use in breaking down Eschatology are Inductive Bible study methods.
According to the Apple Dictionary, Inductive means:
inductive |inˈdəktiv|
adjective
1 characterized by the inference of general laws from particular instances : instinct rather than inductive reasoning marked her approach to life.
Basically, Inductive study has several methods for people to get into the Bible and study it for themselves. The whole idea is context, content, and direction. It's a very logical, very accurate bible study method taught pretty much everywhere. All Bible study programs use bits of Inductive Bible study methods.
So I'm pulling together an outline of the main tools we will be using for this "unraveling" of Eschatology. They are all Inductive study tools.
The goal of this study is to see the text for what it is, and understand the context, writer, writers intent, common culture, and ultimately get application. Study should never be done without the intent of application .
Our culture of spoon fed religiosity has somewhat disarmed the church in America. It's important to never just accept what someone writes or tells you in church. Asking questions is crucially important.
The same in this study, please hold me to these two criteria for any interpretation I attempt:
1. I must prove support historically, contextually, or with inductive study methods based on reason and critical thinking.
2. An interpretation must not stretch the context or the text to fit itself in. Lets not read a particular idea into the text, rather lets let the text present it's own case.
No comments:
Post a Comment