Sermon Tone Analysis

By Ralph Sorter

 

 

Introduction:

 

        When God speaks, how should man listen?

If a book claims to be an inspired revelation from God, we must approach it with reason and intelligence to decide whether it is from God.

When we conclude that it does indeed come from God, we need to understand /what/ it is that God said.

From there, by faith, we must accept it and follow it with all confidence and submission.

If a message is really from God, we may be sure that it is unfailingly true in the sense that He meant it.

It will give us knowledge that sends a shaft of light into our darkened understanding.

It will show up most fully at times when life throws it’s toughest curves, and when we encounter our highest responsibilities.

Biblical interpretation is simply reading it so as to grasp fully and accurately what the author had in mind when he wrote.

We may not understand the reason he wrote it, or all the implications of it; but if we discern what he had in mind when he wrote, then we have fulfilled the purpose of studying the text.

The principles you use to approach Bible interpretation is called “herme­neutics.”

This is a class in basic hermeneutics.

Basically, correct Biblical interpretation looks at the text’s words, grammar, context, historical circumstances, and it’s harmony with all other Biblical truth.

Let’s look at some basic principles in Biblical interpretation.

1.

*Recognize the meaning of the words.*

\\       One of our first tools in interpretation would be both an English dictionary and a Bible dictionary.

As we investigate the meaning of a word, we must look from the view of the author, giving attention to his uses during his time and geography, and the text’s subject matter.

For a thorough investigation of the meaning of the word, search out the original meaning in the Hebrew or Greek language.

A person who does not know Greek or Hebrew can still learn the meaning of the words by using a /Strongs Exhaustive Concordance/ or /Young’s Analytical Concordance/ and /Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words./

If you do not possess Bible reference works, you can find help in understanding word meanings in other translations.

The older translations use some obsolete words that may be unclear to the reader.

To gain understanding you can read the same verse in several other translations to clarify the meaning.

\\       a.

If the author explains himself, that explanation is sufficient and final, and must not be                           departed from.

\\       b.

Etymologies of translation words must not be substituted for etymologies of those                              translated.

[*et·y·mol·o·gy* (µt”…-m¼l“…-j¶)/ n./,/ pl./* 1.*

The origin and historical                                            development of a linguistic form as shown by determining its basic elements, earliest                            known use, and changes in form and meaning, tracing its transmission from one                            language to another, identifying its cognates in other languages, and reconstructing its                              ancestral form where possible.]

/2 Cor.

12:2-4/ \\       c.

The degree of force a word has is greatly affected by the connection it has with other                              words and the purpose of the author at the time.

\\       d.

Words may be used either literally or figuratively.

Figurative uses designate something          quite different from what they usually mean, but suggest some vivid association or comparison between the two.

/Rev.

17:7; 17:9-13/ \\       e.

Figurative meanings should be applied if the ordinary, well-established meaning fits the           passage.

/Jn.

6:53-58/ \\       f.

Remember that adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe actions.

\\ \\

2.      *Interpret the grammatical structure of the sentences.

\\ *      Understanding grammar is an important part of interpreting the words in any sentence.

Words are the bricks and boards used to build the “sentence” house.

Grammar is the design by which they are put together to make it a house instead of a heap.

What the author thinks and feels is expressed by the grammar he chooses.

There are many things to look for in grammar, such as: \\       a.

Is the sentence a statement, a question, or a command?

\\       b.

What is the subject of the sentence?

/Heb.

6:4-6/ \\       c.

What noun does the pronoun refer to?  /Rom.

1:20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 32/ \\       d.

What is the modifier modifying?

/Rom.

2:8/ \\       e.

Is the expression of the noun singular or plural?

\\       f.

Is the clause in the sentence expressing a purpose or a result?

/Rom.

1:28/ \\ \\

3.      *Read in the light of the context and abide by its guidance.*

\\       Many a false interpretation has resulted from taking a passage out of it’s context.

To prevent this, give careful attention to the paragraph, section, chapter, or book in which any expression occurs.

Here are some wise rules to follow in discerning context:

a.       Understand the subject which the author is speaking about, and do not apply his words to something far from his thought.

/Matt.

12:22-32/

b.      Follow his course of thought throughout the text.

/1 Thess.

5:4/

c.       Find his purpose for each word or phrase.

d.      Grasp the feeling with which he puts emphasis on certain subjects in the text.

\\ /Eph.

3:13-~*20/

e.       See his mental picture or his opposing contrast so that the exact sense of his words are seen by the way they fit what he has in mind.

/Phil.

1:21-25/ \\                        

One of the very best methods for learning the context of a passage is to make an outline of the book, section, or passage.

Chapters are often convenient portions; but important sections may continue through more than one chapter or not end where the chapter does.

Outlining is simply comprehending the content of the section in the way it relates to the rest of the text.

\\ \\

1.      *Take into account all relevant historical circumstances.*

\\       The meaning of the passages is affected or limited by answers to these questions: \\       a.

Who wrote this?  /Prov.

30:8-9/ \\       b.

To whom was it written?

/Deut.

7:16; Lk. 18:22; Lk. 23:43; 1 Tim.

5:23/ \\       c.

What is the author writing about?

What was his purpose?

/Ps.

119/ \\       d.

When was the passage written?

/2 Tim.

4:6-8/ \\       e.

Under what covenant was it written?

/Gen.

12:3; Lev.

19:3,30/ \\       f.

What were the personal circumstances at the time?

/2 Tim.

4:9-13; 4:21/ \\       g.

What did the author know about the readers to whom he wrote?