Interpretation Responses

Interpretation Response #1
Throughout history and within today’s society, people interpret the biblical text
differently. The article breaks down four common ways the Bible has been read. People don’t
necessarily read the whole bible in one of these ways, but they might look at certain stories,
passages, books, etc. this way.
The Bible can be read as an Oracle of God (God speaks through the bible). When the
bible was being formed, it created many questions for the Israelites and prophets. Before the
whole Bible was formed, early believers considered temples, priests, and a few political figures
to be the oracle of God. However, as the canon came together, people started to claim that the
word of God was the only oracle. Some of the stories didn’t make sense to them or seem
necessary, so they formed different beliefs on how the Bible should be read. One view was that
the Bible is cryptic or it means more than it says. For example, when the Bible speaks of
Abraham, it refers to more than a historical figure. Others saw the Bible as a manual on how to
live. They believed they could find some words of wisdom that relate to any situation. Another
view was that the Bible was perfect. There was a reason for every story in the Bible and every
word was intentional even if it is grammatically incorrect. The last view within the Oracle was it
is completely inspired by God himself. God took over the minds of the authors of each book.
The historical-Critical Method is another way the Bible is interpreted. This method
focuses on the historical context, location, the different authors, different sources, and cultural
practices. For example, someone who read Genesis in a historical-critical view would focus on
the J, E, D, and P sources in Genesis instead of taking the creation story literally.
The Bible can also be read as literature. People who view the Bible this way might break
down stories with a plot mountain or separate characters as protagonists or antagonists. Within
this view, there are different approaches like structuralism and the new criticism theory.
Structuralism is finding deeper patterns within the text whereas the new criticism theory finds
meaning in poems without looking at the historical context. If you read psalms in a new criticism
theory, you might misinterpret Daniel’s imprecatory psalms wishing death on his enemies, for
example. Every psalm comes from a different context. In a lighter example, reading Galatians as
literature helps us visualize. Galatians can be read as a letter that incorporates rhetorical devices
familiar to an ancient Greco-Roman courtroom. We can see Paul is the defendant, the people of
Galatians as the jury, and Paul’s opponents as the accusers.
The last interpretation McKnight mentions is reading sections of the Bible in a feminist
and liberation manner. Women have been marginalized in parts of the Bible, however, it is
important to see how much power women have in several stories. The women in the gospels, the
Pharaoh's daughter and Moses’ mom, Ruth and Naomi, and Judith are all women who shaped
Christianity. The Pharaoh’s daughter and Moses’ mom tricked the Pharaoh into keeping Moses.
Without Moses, the Israelites journey would have been completely different. The women in the
gospels are the first to see that Jesus resurrected from the grave. It’s interesting that women who
were seen as liars held the most important information for believers back then and today.
Liberation is another way people, especially third world countries, view the Bible. They take
examples of political reign in the Bible and use it as wisdom in their societies today. For
example, Roman power can be seen as modern imperialism.
Within these interpretations of the Bible, it is important to see there is not one right way
to look at the Bible. There are many ways and combinations of ways to read and understand the
Bible. It isn’t stagnant either. The ways of interpreting the Bible are constantly evolving and
changing to fit society’s current state.

Interpretation Response #2
When reading the Bible, it can be hard to grasp the culture and religion among the
ancient Israelites. However, with some historical context, it is much easier to interpret the Bible.
There are three periods that break up the text: the herding/farming people, the first temple, and
the second temple.
Although Bible scholars have limited information about the herding/farming people, they
use the Bible to infer some of this information. The Torah consists of these early Israelites and
the way they thought. These five books specifically show the narratives and rules of the early
Israelites. Also, their character is displayed through their time leaving Egypt, traveling through
the wilderness, and entering the promised land. People can read this section of the Old Testament
and look past historical inaccuracies to understand the way the Israelites formed their religion.
The time of the first monarchy and the first finished temple is mentioned in 2 Kings. The
Torah and early books of the Old Testament foreshadowed the building of the temple. In Exodus,
God told Moses how to build a temple, yet Solomon was the first to finish the temple. During
this time, the people spoke a Semitic language related to Moab and Aram. Their laws and rules
were passed mostly through word of mouth. Daniel developed a full administration and a
standing army in his kingdom. His son, Solomon, added secretaries and supervision over all
twelve of the tribes. These twelve tribes were divided into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the
Southern Kingdom (Judah) after Solomon’s death. This greatly affected Israelites and their
strength to hold up as a nation and as a religion. Although Bible scholars do not know how they
formed groups and social classes in society, many of the prophets complained about the rich
exploiting the poor. The first monarchy ended when Assyria conquered Israel and the first
temple, and a hundred years later when the Babylonians captured Judah. People can read this
section and see how the Israelites ignored God and allowed other cultures to influence them. God
allowed their world to be completely destroyed because of their disloyalty to him. Many of
Israel’s leaders and kings tried to keep God’s word in their kingdom, but most of them failed and
focused on making the kingdom powerful.
The time of the Second Temple lasted from 516 BCE - 70 CE. During this time period,
Christianity developed from a religion for the Jews to a religion for everybody. In this nation, the
people were more dispersed than before. A large number of Jewish people lived in Mesopotamia
and Egypt. A foreign monarchy (the Persians first, then the Greeks, and Romans last) ruled over
them during this time. Many of Jews followed the traditions and cultures of the foreign
monarchies. The only issue the Jews had with foreigners was the idea of interracial marriage.
The Pentateuch became the official law for Jews and the temple in Jerusalem became a unifying
symbol. People would travel great distances to connect with other Jews at the temple. There were
at least four different social groups within the Jewish community recorded by Jospehus: the
Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essences, and the Zealots. The groups had different interpretations
for the text, and believed in different afterlives. It is similar to our groups today such as Baptists
or Methodists. At the end of the time period, Gentiles started becoming Christians which formed
many more groups within their cultures. Some Jews were against this idea. People can read the
last few chapters of the Old Testament and the New Testament and see how some of these
cultural and religious ideas shaped the stories. People thought Jesus was going to be a wealthy,
powerful Roman emperor, however he was not. He was a Jew and somewhat of an outcast in
society. Without understanding the Jews role in this society, many people who read the Bible
might not understand the power Jesus and other Jews were able to carry despite their difficult
circumstances.

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Interpretation Response #1

passages, books, etc. this way.

Galatians as the jury, and Paul’s opponents as the accusers.

example, Roman power can be seen as modern imperialism.

changing to fit society’s current state.

the second temple.

focused on making the kingdom powerful.

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