Questions on Sign and Shadow

Let the Text Question You: Exegesis is Application

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I must confess that I don’t want to write this post. I sat down this morning to see what was next in the queue for the old blog, saw that it was “use the text to probe your own heart and mind,” and then immediately thought “yeah, I don’t want to do that.” I don’t want to write the post, to be sure, but the real issue is I don’t want to read the Bible in a probative, corrective, meditative, introspective, and convicting way.

Seeing New Things in Old Texts: More Tips for Exegetical Inquiry

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In the previous post I argued that one of the most important skills you can develop as an exegete is asking good questions of the text. Give yourself the challenge of coming up with as many questions as you can regarding a paragraph or so of Scripture. It’s actually pretty difficult! It requires practice and skill, just like anything else in life. How do you cultivate exegetical inquisitiveness? What are some ways to ask more questions of the text?

Exegetical Inquiry: The Question is more important than the Answer

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re trying to do rigorous exegesis of the Bible, but don’t know Hebrew or Greek, you may feel a bit handicapped. After all, students of the languages will regularly testify that they have transformed their ability to interpret Scripture. “They help me read the Bible more closely.” “I now see details in Scripture that I never noticed before.” “The Bible in English is black and white, while the Greek and Hebrew are technicolor.” Or to update that metaphor: “reading the Bible in one’s native tongue is oh so 480p; the Greek and the Hebrews is 8K HDR w/ Atmos Surround.”

Real Questions: What does "the" mean?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Today marks the beginning of a new series on this blog: “real questions.” The more I teach and study the more I’m convinced that there’s nothing like a good question when it comes to advancing the body of human knowledge. A good question benefits both the asker and the asked! The asker (hopefully) gets an answer that assists and clarifies; the asked has the opportunity to reflect, refine, and reconsider. It’s a win win.