Revelation and Interpretation

Christians believe the Bible is direct revelation from God. After all, it is the basis for all our beliefs about Christ and his gospel message! Here are some materials for helping you understand the important beliefs about the Bible itself, along with some discussion of issues in interpretation. If you are going to look at only one, look at the "Revelation Foundations of Faith," which is the easiest to understand and most comprehensive.

If you want to read more about the theological beliefs about the Bible as revelation, try Charles Ryrie's Basic Theology [pp.13-26, 71-136] or [for even more explanation] try Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology [pp.47-140]. If you want to read more about dispensationalism and interpreting Scripture, you might try Craig Blaising and Darrell Bock's Progressive Dispensationalism, Herbert Bateman's Three Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism, or the essays by Walter Kaiser, Darrell Bock, and Peter Enns inThree Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. I have read several books on forming a Christian understanding of the Mosaic Law, and I cannot recommend any of them. For a survey of views, you can try the essays in Five Views on Law and Gospel, but I found it painful reading, and not very helpful.