Biblical Exegesis: Step Six: Application

Guiding Question: How should congregations and/or individual Christians live out the theological principle(s)?

There will be numerous possibilities for application of a theological principle. To explore the range of possibilities, ask yourself, “What does this principle, this truth, look like in my (our) world?” application of the theological principle(s) allows the interpreter to move beyond the science of interpretation to the art of interpretation - to use one’s creativity in applying a principle.

1. Common Pitfalls in Application [1]

a. Neglect of any context.

b. Interpreting the passage in light of the rest of the Testament (i.e., Old or New Testaments) in which it appears, while failing to take into account the full historical and literary contexts.

c. Correctly interpreting the passage in light of its literary and historical contexts but bringing its principles to bear on modern circumstances in which they do not apply.

2. A Method for Bringing the Bible into Our World [2]

a. Determine the original application(s) intended by the passage.

b. Evaluate the level of specificity of those applications in their original historical situations. If the original applications are transferable across time and space to other audiences, apply them in culturally appropriate ways. To evaluate the accuracy of perceived cross-cultural principles apply the following criteria. [3]

• Make sure a given principle has come straight from the selected text.
• Check to see if the principle incorporates all the main elements of the text and does not conveniently neglect an important component.
• Make sure the principle is not tied to a particular situation but can truly express its original intention in cultures all over the world and throughout history.
• Make sure the principle is in agreement with other comparable principles derivable from the rest of Scripture. 
• Express the principle in one or two sentences with present-tense verbs so that it is memorable and sounds relevant to the audience.

c. If the original applications are not transferable, identify one or more broader cross-cultural principles that specific elements of the text reflect.

d. Find appropriate applications for today that implement those principles. [4]

Complete the following chart:

e. List the principle or principles from the selected Passage in the space provided above.

f. In the left column, list situations reflected in the selected passage.

g. In the right column, list parallel situations in a contemporary setting.

h. Show how the principle works in the contemporary setting.

By creatively applying the truth of Scripture to contemporary settings, believers demonstrate the reality and relevance of the Christian faith in daily life.