I.  A GUIDE TO GOOD BIBLE READING: A PERSONAL SEARCH FOR VERIFIABLE TRUTH

II. INTRODUCTION

A. The Desperate Need for Personal Bible Study

B. Why Christians Neglect Personal Bible Study

C. An Ancient Bible Study Method

D. Some General Statements About the Seminar

III. THE BIBLE

A. Author’s General Presuppositions

B. Its Literary Limits—Assumed Canonization Principles

C. It Speaks for Itself

D. Its Basic Purpose

E. Author’s Basic Presuppositions About the Bible

F.  Evidence For a Supernaturally-Inspired Bible

G. Problems Related to Our Interpretation of the Bible

IV. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

A. Author’s Presuppositional Definition

B. The Need for Verifiable Interpretations

V. THE INTERPRETER

A. We Are Historical Conditioned

B. Some Examples from Evangelicalism

C. What Can Be Done?

D. The Responsibility of the Interpreter

VI. THE HISTORICAL-GRAMMATICAL METHOD

A. Its History and Development

B. The Reactionary School of Antioch of Syria

C. Its Basic Tenets

D. Its Interpretive Questions

E. The First Interpretive Question

F. The Second Interpretive Question

G. The Third and Fourth Interpretive Questions

VII. APPLICATION

A. The Fifth and Sixth Interpretive Question

B. Some Possible Guidelines

C. The Interpreter’s Responsibility

D. Suggested Readings

VIII. POSSIBLE PITFALLS

A. A Logical, Verifiable Process

B. Documented Textual Evidence

C. Some Examples of Abuses

IX.  PRACTICAL PROCEDURES

A. Preliminary Steps

B. Take Good Notes on Your Reading Observations

C. Proposed Order for Use of Research Tools

D. Final Exhortations

X. AIDS TO INTERPRETATION

A. Sample Categories for Note Taking

B. Exegetical Procedures

C. Basic Procedures for a Biblical Word Study

D. Recommended Research Tools by Category

E. Definitions of Hebrew Grammatical Forms That Impact Interpretation

F. Definitions of Greek Grammatical Forms That Impact Interpretation

G. Sample Work Sheet on Romans

H. Sample Work Sheet on Titus

XI. GLOSSARY

XII. EXAMPLES OF THE STUDY METHOD

Ephesians 2

Romans 5

Romans 6

XIII. BRIEF SUMMARY OF HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLES

XIV. DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

XV. POEM ON HERMENEUTICS BY PAT BERGERON