I have been really blessed by Green’s three world’s of the text. The history he provides, as well as our other readings, is really helpful as well to understand the movement from pre-modern, modernity, and our current post-modern (or whatever it’s called now!) perspectives. I now recognize how the various theological and denominational streams I’ve been in each view scripture a little differently, and have nuanced approaches to interpreting it as well.

As someone who’s spent much too long in systematic camps, it’s been liberating to recognize the ideological nature of all systems, and to intentionally begin to peel them back from my reading of scripture with all of their presuppositions. Appreciating each genre as it’s own piece of art/literature, using tools that respect their forms, and allowing them to truly give their own voice to the theological discussion is now my goal. I dig the multivalent nature of scripture, in it’s diverse pluriformity. Big new words for deep and wide!

I can see how, in the past, I have framed certain passages, and even certain books as being ‘for this’ and ‘against that’ theologically, instead of allowing the authors speak to their original audiences, and set aside my obvious presuppositions.

This class has been such a blessing, truly. It’s my final course in my Fuller journey, at least I thought. I’ve just been accepted into the DGL and look to be starting this fall. I can say honestly that part of the reason I’m enthused to continue this academic journey is because scripture itself has become the potential of a gourmet meal awaiting an investment of time and energy. As an inspiring art, rather than book of application, I see interpretation through a new lens. I used to move too quickly to what Gorman calls premature assimilation, jumping the gun to application and missing the forest for the trees. When this happens, as it has been for too much of my faith journey, the bible becomes “uneventful, bland, routine and entirely unremarkable” (Gorman p.178).  As I peel back the layers, using exegital frameworks, I see a grand narrative coming together, a symphony plucking and tuning their strings, and drawing me into making the Bible my Scripture. 

Thank you Jesus for this course, my fellow classmates and allowing us all to be challenged in this season.

“Apply yourself wholly to the text. Apply the text wholly to yourself”- Johann Bengel.