How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

Oct 20

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 12––Practical Theology by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

This is our final installment in this series, and it addresses step 12. Having exegeted the text and grasped God’s intended meaning, you as the interpreter now need to apply it to yourself, the church, and the world, stressing the centrality of Christ and the hope of the gospel. Such is the task of practical theology, by which we seek to live according to the biblical author’s intended effect.

Sep 20

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament–Step 11: Systematic Theology by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

In the interpretive process, the stage considering Systematic Theology is asking more specifically, “How does our passage theologically cohere with the whole Bible?” Or, “How does our passage contribute to our understanding of certain doctrines?”

Aug 31

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 10––Biblical Theology by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

Once you have established your text, made accurate observations, and discerned your passage’s contexts, it is time to determine your text’s meaning. To do this, it is critical to understand biblical theology, the discipline that considers how the whole Bible progresses, integrates, and climaxes in Jesus.

Jun 20

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 9–Literary Context by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

As you examine your passage in view of the whole book, there are at least three areas you want to keep in mind: literary placement, literary function, and literary details.

May 23

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 8–Historical Context by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

By considering a passage’s historical context, we are asking, “Where does this passage fit in space and time, and how do these data points inform the reading of our passage?”

Apr 11

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 7–Word and Concept Studies by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

This post will overview the key tools, principles, and process for doing word and concept studies in the Old Testament for those without knowledge of Hebrew. 

Mar 10

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 6–Argument Tracing by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

“Argument-tracing” is step 6 in understanding and apply the Old Testament. Perhaps more than any other step in the exegetical process, this one helps us grasp a passage’s message. In this post, I will show how to trace the argument of a passage by using an argument-diagram.

Mar 25

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament:
 Step 5–Clause and Text Grammar by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

With step 5 of the interpretive process we move from “Text” to “Observation,” and we consider a series of issues related to how a passage is communicated. Our initial goal is to assess the makeup and relationship of words, phrases, clauses, and larger text units. In short, we need to study grammar. According to His […]

Feb 2

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 4–Translation by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

Whether you know the biblical languages or not, several good English translations will serve you well in studying the Bible and teaching.

Dec 22

How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Step 3—Text Criticism by Jason DeRouchie

Series: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament

Just as an alert reader can understand a book that has typographical errors in it, so too God’s word is able to speak for itself despite the scribes’ minor corruptions.