LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Book Critique

Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth, 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014. 304 pp. USD $18.99

Submitted to Dr. Roy Lucas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

NSBT 610-D03
Hermeneutics

by

David P. Velez

March 12, 2015

Contents
Introduction....……………………………………………………………………………………..1
Brief Summary…..………………………………………………………………………………...1
Critical Evaluation...………………………………………………………………………………2
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...5
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………6

Introduction

In the rise of the early Orthodox Church, the early church fathers were among the few privileged ones exposed to the Scriptures, thus, the Scriptures, not available for the common person to read, created a problem in understanding God’s written Word. But times have changed. Now that the believer has access to the Bible, the problem is not the lack of understanding, but the inability to obey the Word of God. According to Fee and Stuart: “In fact we are convinced that the single most serious problem people have with the Bible is not a lack of understanding but with the fact that they understand many things too well!... the problem is not understanding it, but obeying it.” Today there a more Bible translations than we can keep up with. While revising the third edition of How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth, Fee and Stuart realized the need for an updated edition because of the prior translation issues. Thus, the authors realized that many things had changed as time evolved in reference to proper Bible interpretation and how to read the Bible in a way that one could receive maximum benefit, and, of course, understanding God’s will for all mankind, salvation. The rise in Bible translations among other biblical, theological issues led to the composition of a fourth edition.
Brief Summary How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth, is a practical guide that will direct the reader to a better understand and interpretation of the Bible. Fee and Gordon have managed to compose a hands-on guide for Bible interpretation that covers basically the most important disciplines of proper Hermeneutics for our contemporary Biblical interpretive needs. Themes such as “The Need to Interpret,” “A Good Translation,” (this was the chapter that led the author’s to a fourth edition), “Learning to Think Contextually,” and “The Hermeneutic Question,” all form part of the first phase of the thirteen chapter tome that will be reconnoitered. Fee and Gordon believe that Biblical interpretation is not a complicated task. Fee argues: “After all,” it is argued, anyone with half a brain can read and understand it.” What was clear to us when we read the Bible, isn’t so clear to us anymore. That why the author’s decided on writing a fourth edition, which should be a part of every Christian believers library.
Critical Evaluation
One of the major responsibilities of the conveying God’s written Word is accuracy and proper interpretation. The author’s point of view lies on the fact that presuppositions and a predetermined mindset will surely hinder the final product therefore proper instruction and guidance is vital. Fee and Stuart have successfully created a guide, 305 pages short, that every Christian believer that loves God and His Word should have; How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth. The author’s openly stated ideological and philosophical methods of interpretation enhance one’s understanding. Their explicit perspective makes the understanding easier for the reader (even those with a “half of brain”). The author’s research of Bible translations and how they differ in interpretations, is something the reader should look out for while in his quest for proper text interpretation. The author recommends taken into consideration as many translations as possible for a proper exegesis. The author’s share their interpretive methods, but also prompts the reader to beware of using only one translation for Biblical interpretation for translations, they can lead to only one interpretation, when much more can be involved in the text. Fee pens: “the very fact that you are reading God’s Word in translation, means that you are already involved in interpretation.” The scenario presented by the author in all thirteen chapters produces an environment in which the reader feel’s a sense that he/she is involved in the actual Biblical interpretation. Being involved in the interpretation is to better understand the Bible proper hermeneutics (the science of interpretation) is necessary. The prior is applied all throughout the book along with other general rules of interpretation. The author claims that “this is not just another book” and states that the uniqueness of what tried to has several facets: Chapter one is the Introduction: The need to interpret and that every reader should consider himself the interpreter of the Bible. The task of interpreting involves the reader at two levels: first, one has to hearth Word they heard [then and there]. Second, one must learn to hear that same Word the here and now.
One significant reason for the need of interpretation is because the Bible is God’s message. The prior is recognized by the author’s as having eternal relevance therefore “we must listen and obey.” Unique interpretations consist of the absence of presumptions, or preunderstandings. The author’s propound on the fact that the prior must be left behind when assuming the role of an interpreter. Lee and Stuart bring to the work a thorough explanation of exegesis as the first task of understating and interpreting the Scriptures. Fee pens: “This is primarily a historical task.” Literal and historical context are equally important for the task. Chapter two involves the use of Bible translations as interpretations, the science of translation, and the comparison of diverse translations in the reader’s quest for proper interpretation. Unique interpretations are usually wrong and a correct interpretation usually makes sense is the philosophy presented by Lee and Stuart for a proper interpretation. Chapters three-four researches the epistles, learning to think contextually, and to think critically. Chapter five is an introduction to the Old Testament of historical precedent. The prior involves the nature of narratives and its origin; the three levels of narrative, what are and what are not narratives, and the characteristics of Hebrew narratives such as the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50), skillfully narrated by Moses as the narrator (actually it was God’s word through the mouth of Moses), “And God spoke all these words” (Exodus 20:1).
The scenes, the characters, the dialogue, and the plot, all form the interpretive scene for the reader to appreciate as he applies the tolls of interpretation provided in the book. The ten principles for interpreting narratives list in page 111 is a great aid for understanding the Scriptures. I consider the list one of the books best features and the author strengths.
Chapter’s six involve the New Testament historical book, the Book of Acts as a question of historical precedent. Chapter seven presents the four gospels as one story, thus, many dimensions. The nature of the gospels is introduced as “divided roughly into sayings, that is the teachings of Jesus, and the sayings of Jesus” as the principles of interpretation, and warns the reader that these statements should not be overstated to avoid misinterpretation. Chapter eight presents Jesus’ parables and ask the reader if he “got the point?” which demonstrates once again the authors explicit perspective and literary style which makes understanding his claims easier.
Chapter nine to twelve introduces the audience to the Law, Covenant stipulated for Israel, but a crucial part of the Bible for the matters brought by the “law” language in the Bible itself-those 600 plus specific commandments that the Israelites were expected to keep as evidence of their loyalty is evidence that God demands loyalty from those you profess his name. Chapter ten deals with prophecy as an external aid for interpretation. A neat chart on page 208. Represents the prophetic perspective of chronological events concerning prophecy and second meanings. Chapter eleven presents Israel’s liturgy: The Psalms as Israel’s prayers and ours, the Psalms as literature, and the use and types in Ancient Israel of the Psalms. Theological issues such as salvation is related to the Psalm in the chapter as well, another strength of the author. Chapter twelve involves the Wisdom of Solomon. The nature, as well as the abuse of the Book is noted as read in “bits and pieces.” and thus fail to see that they have an overall message. The author depicts wisdom as an aid for the reader’s everyday living. Another strength, proper application of the Word of God to our lives, and not applying our lives to the Word of God. In conclusion, all Scripture has its limits, and we should not go over them. Finally chapter twelve, Revelation is the revelation as prophecy. Fee and Stuart presents the Old Testament as the Book of Revelations’ “taproot” of apocalyptic literature and prophecy.
Conclusion
The book is of excelent interpretive value for the scholar, as well as for the Bible study apprentice. The book adds interpretive tools to the readers library. Chapters one through thirteen are fairly equipped with the fundaments of hermenutics and skillful understanding techniques that will enhance the readers ability to better understand the Bible for all its worth. Because the Bible is God’s Word, it has eternal relevance; it speaks to all mankind, in every age and in every culture. Because is the God's word, we must listen and obey. Proper interpretation of the Bible is demanded, Fee and Stuart assure the reader with the right tools and insight to do so. In conclusion, very good work!
Bibliography
Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth, 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.