Although 92% of American households own at least one Bible, their use of the Bible varies significantly. Only 59% of Americans read the Bible at least occasionally, and an even smaller percentage go beyond merely reading the Bible and actually study it. It is no wonder that even those who say they read the Scriptures often don't understand them.
Veteran Bible professor Richard L. Schultz believes the misinterpretation and misapplication of biblical texts amounts to a crisis of "interpretive malpractice." In "Out of Context" he seeks to explain how biblical interpretation goes wrong and how to get it right. He introduces readers to the important concepts of context, word meaning, genre, and the differences between the world of the Bible and our own. Readers who delve into the fascinating world of biblical interpretation found in this book will find their Scripture reading enhanced and be enlightened by Schultz's powerful and ultimately positive message.

Have you ever felt like you can't make sense out of the Bible but wished you could? Then this book is for you. Starting from scratch, Norton Sterrett presents the general rules for reading the Bible's ordinary language and moves on to specific principles that apply to special types of language such as parables, figures of speech, Hebrew poetry and symbols. Richard Schultz has updated T. Norton Sterrett's classic beginner's guide to understanding the Bible, making it clearer and more helpful than ever before. He suggests some more recent reference tools and offers more examples from contemporary English translations. In a new concluding chapter he helps you try out the principles on Psalm 51. You may begin as a beginner, but you will finish this book well equipped to understand the Bible and to experience its transforming power in your life.

A thorough study of quotation within ancient and modern literatures is the background for this new approach to alleged quotations within the prophetic writings. The common claim that specific verbal parallels result from the conscious repetition of the words of a predecessor is beset by difficulties. After examining quotation in non-prophetic (ancient Near Eastern, early Jewish, Old Testament wisdom and narrative, and modern Western) literatures, Schultz proposes a new model for interpreting verbal parallels that utilizes several criteria for identifying quotation and combines diachronic with synchronic analysis. He then applies this model to five representative verbal parallels involving the book of Isaiah. This book illustrates how an awareness of the versatility of quotation facilitates a more accurate interpretation of verbal parallels, and at the same time calls for greater caution in employing them in support of various theories.>

Equips Christians to defend the doctrine of inerrancy against a culture and academy ever skeptical of the Bible's historical claims.

Is historical accuracy an indispensable part of the Bible's storyline, or is Scripture only concerned with theological truths? As progressive evangelicals threaten to reduce the Bible's jurisdiction by undermining its historical claims, every Christian who cares about the integrity of Scripture must be prepared to answer this question.

Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith? offers a firm defense of Scripture's legitimacy and the theological implications of modern and postmodern approaches that teach otherwise. In this timely and timeless collection of essays, scholars from diverse areas of expertise lend strong arguments in support of the doctrine of inerrancy. Contributors explore how the specific challenges of history, authenticity, and authority are answered in the text of the Old and New Testaments as well as how the Bible is corroborated by philosophy and archaeology.

With contributions from respected scholars--including Allan Millard, Craig Blomberg, Graham Cole, Michael Haykin, Robert Yarbrough, and Darrell Bock--Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith? arms Christians with fresh insight, arguments, and language with which to defend Scripture's historical accuracy against a culture and academy skeptical of those claims.