This page provides an orientation to Biblical Interpretation Online (BIO).  It defines and describes the terms found on BIO's main index page in order to help those unaccustomed to its terminology to find what they are looking for on BIO.  It also links to a Glossary of Terms used in Biblical and Theological Studies.

You may click on any of the topic headings in this Help section in order to go to the actual section being discussed.

If there is some way in which we might make this section more helpful, please email Ron Henzel.
 

What It Is
Hermeneutics (pronounced her-men-OO-tiks) is the field of study that provides the rules of interpretation.  It is an inter-disciplinary field, in that it includes the study of language (vocabulary, grammar, syntax, context, etc.), literary studies (text, genre, sources, etc.), culture, geography, history, archaeology, and any other discipline that might influence interpretation.  In the case of Biblical Studies, a proper hermeneutical system must also take into special account the distinctive context of Biblical literature, and the historic Jewish and Christian interpretations of that literature, especially as they influence current interpretation.  Different people from different theological backgrounds sometimes come up with differing or supplemental rules of interpretation.  Each of may be "a hermeneutic" in its own right (e.g., "Dispensational hermeneutic," "the New Hermeneutic," etc.).  BIO generally adheres to a Reformed Protestant hermeneutic, but even within that umbrella-designation, there are sub-variations.  The goal of most hermeneutical systems is to be as true as possible to the intended meanings of each author of Scripture.  (The notable exceptions to this goal would be the recent forms of post-modernist hermeneutics, which often seeks a meaning that is independent of the original author's.  BIO does not belong to the post-modernist camp.)

What BIO Does
BIO's Hermeneutics section seeks to introduce and explore the various issues involved in the field of Hermeneutics.  BIO's Sources section will provide bibliographic references to standard works in its own Hermeneutics section.
 

What It Is
Exegesis (pronounced ex-eh-JEE-sis) refers to the specific interpretation that results when the rules of hermeneutics are followed.  The process of arriving at an exegesis is often called "exegeting (EX-eh-jee-ting) the text," and a person who specializes in this work is called an "exegete (EX-eh-jeet)."  When an exegete provides an exegesis for an entire book of the Bible, he or she usually publishes it in a commentary.  When used in this sense, exegesis is not simply a fancy word for interpretation, but assumes that the student of Scripture has paid careful attention to the elements, environment, and historic interpretations of the Biblical text.

What BIO Does
BIO's Exegesis section is designed to supply actual case studies in exegeting Biblical texts.  This will involve dealing with the nuts-and-bolts of the exegetical process of applying hermeneutics to the words of Scripture.  This begins with examining the language at the most basic level (vocabulary, morphology, grammar, syntax, translation), and providing the subsequent steps involved in arriving at an exegesis of each text.
 
 

What It Is
Theology is the word we use to describe the statements we are able to make after arriving at an exegesis of Scripture.  People who think that they can read the Bible and yet somehow avoid theology are fooling themselves.  For example, "God is a loving being," is a theological statement.  There is no one verse in the Bible that says this in exactly these words, but once we assemble and properly exegete all of the relevant Biblical texts on the subject of God and love, we discover that this is a very true statement.  Thus it becomes part of our theology.  In this sense, theology can be thought of as a re-statement of the teachings of Scripture in our own words.  But in actual practice, it has always been more than that.  Since many theological statements on many subjects can be made as a result of exegeting the Scriptures, theology has also included the task of separating these statements into their own special categories, and analyzing how they relate to each other.  Sometimes the fruit of this process is called "Systematic Theology," but all theological study practices it to one extent or another.  Theologians publish the results of their studies in the form of topical articles and books, so unless a theologian is writing specifically on "The Theology of the Book of Hebrews," he or she usually approaches a topic that spans more than one Biblical book.  Biblical theologians should first and foremost be exegetes, but unfortunately, that is not always the case.  Many times they interact primarily with other theologians, rather than the text of Scripture itself, and all Christian theology suffers as a result.

What BIO Does
While theology is the inevitable outcome of Biblical interpretation, BIO does not specialize in theological studies.  This is because even though theology is of supreme importance, and the theological implications of exegesis are paramount, our mission is to address the more basic areas of interpretative methods and results.  We cannot avoid theological discussion, however, and we do seek to encourage it.  Therefore, our Theology section will feature articles on these topics, but they will heavily emphasize interpretation and exegesis.  There are many sites on the web that specialize in theological literature and discussion, and you will find their addresses in our Links section.
 

What It Is
Application refers to the act of providing specific, practical ways in which we are to think and behave based on the theology of the Bible.  These may consist of instructions, exhortations, examples, illustrations or analogies.  Technically speaking, when the process of interpretation is handled properly, the interpretation is the application.  This is because clear and proper interpretation leaves no room for no ambiguity on the practical impact of a Biblical text on our lives.  Most people, however, need more than interpretation alone in order to make a personal application -- they also need the guidance that comes from direct appeals.  This is not a bad thing: the Bible, after all, is filled with exhortation, and thus provides us with an example to follow.  (Exhortation is actually a separate concept from application, but it is also an extension of it.)

What BIO Does
While application is the goal of all Biblical interpretation, as in the case of theology BIO does not specialize in application.  This is because even though application (like theology) is of supreme importance, our mission is to address the more basic areas of interpretative methods and results.  We cannot avoid matters of application, however, and we do seek to encourage them.  Therefore, our Application section will feature articles on these topics, but they will heavily emphasize areas of difficulty concerning application.
 
 

What It Is
Biblical and theological scholars rely on what they call "source materials" for the practice of their field.  The vast majority of the time, this refers to books, articles, private correspondence, and occasionally artifacts obtained from archaeology.  Scholars also distinguish between "primary" and "secondary" sources.  The primary sources on the New Testament, for example, are the ancient Greek manuscripts that have come down to us, and (of we stretch the definition of "primary source" just a bit), the modern translations of those manuscripts.  Secondary sources on the New Testament consist of books, articles and other literature written about the New Testament, or any of its parts.  Another example, this time in the area of historical theology, would be to consider the personal theological development in the life of Augustine of Hippo (or St. Augustine).  The primary source materials on Augustine are found in what he actually wrote (preferably in Latin).  Secondary sources include what other have written about him (beginning preferably with his contemporaries).

What BIO Does
Our Sources section is designed to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date bibliographic references on all of the literature that applies to Biblical and Theological studies that we possibly can.  Whenever it is appropriate, we will attempt to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.  Due to the constant flow of this literature from printing presses all over the world, this section will of necessity be constantly under construction.
 
 

What It Is
"Hazards" is not a technical term employed by Biblical or theological scholars.  Instead, it is a term we have devised in order to give us a place to discuss interpretive difficulties and controversial issues.  No field of scholarship is without its controversies.  One of the chief controversies in the field of Biblical interpretation is to what extent theological bias influences interpretation.  Its corresponding problem is how to impartially detect and deal with such bias.

What BIO Does
Our Hazards section will feature articles and links to articles that deal with these problematic and controversial issues in interpretation.
 

What It Is
Scholars are forever reading each other's books, and can hardly ever pass up an opportunity to comment on them.  This is true in every field of study, just as it is true of the popular book reviewers of our newspapers and magazines.  It can be quite expensive to build a good Biblical and theological library.  Reviews provide an opportunity for readers to weigh the opinions of others in the process of deciding which materials to buy.

What BIO Does
BIO is no different from the rest of society in this respect.  We can hardly pass up opportunities to comment on books which we think are important, or those we think should be avoided.  Due to space and time limitations, we will try to feature only those reviews which are relevant to the broadest cross-section of Biblical and theological students.
 

What BIO Does
We are always looking for web sites that will be of value to Biblical and theological students.  Feel free to submit yours for possible inclusion in our Links section to Ron Henzel.
 
 

What BIO Does
While we cannot promise to always do it, we feel that it might encourage people to provide such feedback if we occasionally post their feedback on our Feedback section.  This can help to provide a measure of accountability, and serve as an encouragement to us to keep improving BIO.  However, all editorial responsibility for, and control over, BIO will always belong to the site administrator.  Meanwhile, we will always try to respond to your suggestions, and provide the best explanations we can if something you suggest is not feasible.