Summary  of  Course  Responsibilities
		For your convenience I summarize here all of the assignments that you are responsible to complete in the course.

ý	1.  Various reading assignments accompany the different sections of the course outline, as follows:
  II.	Foundations of biblical interpretation
Required:	Poythress, "Introducing Lex Christi" (download from Canvas)
	Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation 11-39 (history of interpretation)
	Poythress, God-Centered Biblical Interpretation
Optional:	Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation 40-60 (inspiration)
	Van Til, An Introduction to Systematic Theology 117-259, especially 190-240.
  III.	Basic steps in biblical interpretation
Required:	Kuhatschek, How to Lead, chaps. 6-7 (basics of interpretation)
Optional:	Kuhatschek, How to Lead, chaps. 3-5
	Clowney, CM: Christian Meditation.
  IV.	Application
Required:	Allen, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church chaps. 2,4,5 (pp. 6-17, 43-75) (hidden agenda in church life)
Optional:	Stott, Between Two Worlds.
	Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction.
	Conn, “Theological Education,” WTJ 41 (1978-79) 324-63.
	Zens, “Building Up the Body: One Man or One Another?” Baptist Reformation Review 10/2 (1981) 10-33.
  V.	Historical and cultural background
Required:	acquaint yourself with Longman, Old Testament Commentary Survey; Carson, New Testament Commentary Survey; bestcommentaries.com; Evans, A Guide.
	Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation 113-132.
  VI.	Historical purposes
  A.	Time and history
Required:	E. Earle Ellis, "How the New Testament Uses the Old," in Marshall, ed., New Testament Interpretation, pp. 209-214 (only the last section of the total article)
	G. K. Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use ..., chap. 5, 95-102
	Greidanus, Sola Scriptura (skim) (redemptive-historical preaching)
Optional:	Poythress, “Divine Meaning of Scripture,” WTJ 48 (1986) 241-79
	Clowney, Preaching and Biblical Theology 15-17
	Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery
	Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation 133-166
	Waltke, “A Canonical Process Approach to the Psalms,” in Tradition and Testament.
	Vos, Biblical Theology
	Trimp, Preaching
  B.	Historical-critical method
Optional:	Marshall, New Testament Interpretation 11-18 (questions raised in modern exegesis)
C.	     Modern situationist and subjectivist hermeneutics
D.         Dispensationalism
Required:	Poythress, Understanding Dispensationalists
	Ryrie, Dispensationalism chap. 5 (79-95)
Optional:	Allis, Prophecy and the Church,  chap. 2 (16-54) (dispensational hermeneutics)
	Fairbairn, Interpretation of Prophecy
	Blaising and Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism
E.    Typology
Required:	Clowney, Preaching and Biblical Theology 98-112
	Vos, Biblical Theology the part of chap. 8 on typology, 161-172 (1948) or 143-155 (1975)
  VII.	 Words
Required:	Silva, Biblical Words 17-32, 138-59 (lexical semantics)
	Carson, Exegetical Fallacies 26-32 (2d ed. 28-33)
Optional:	Carson, Exegetical Fallacies 32-90 (2d ed. 33-86)
	Pike, Linguistic Concepts 40-65 (CVD)
  VIII.	Relations between passages
Required:	Poythress, Symphonic Theology
Recommended if you aren’t sure that you understand Silva and Carson:
	Thiselton, “Semantics,” pp. 75-82, 85-88 in Marshall, New Testament Interpretation
	Carson, Exegetical Fallacies 44-48
	Barr, Semantics 206-238, 263-272 (words and concepts)
Optional:	Silva, Biblical Words 101-135
	Barr, Semantics 1-45, 107-140, 273-287
  IX.	Syntax
Optional:	Pike, Linguistic Concepts 1-38.
	Berkhof, Principles of Biblical Interpretation 82-99
	Goetchius, Language of the New Testament, chap. 3 (pp. 13-19) (linguistics of Greek)
  X.	Large-scale organization
Required:	Poythress, In the Beginning Was the Word, 199-215
Optional:	Poythress, “Propositional Relations,” in The New Testament Student and His Field.
	Ryken, How to Read the Bible as Literature
	Fee, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

ý	2.  Short analysis papers occur when we reach in the course outline:
III.E    VI.A  VI.E  VII.C    VIII.H    IX.D    X.F   X.H

ý	3.  The biblical-theological paper

ý	4.  Final examination
  A.	Goals  of  the  course
  1.	Here is the description from the WTS catalog:

	Purpose: To grow in skill in understanding, interpreting, and applying the Bible.
Topics covered include prolegomena to biblical interpretation, principles and practice of biblical interpretation, and the question of hermeneutics in the historical-critical tradition.

  2.	The basic goal is to become more skilled in understanding, interpreting, and applying the Bible. Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:
				a. start with a passage or a topic, and to proceed through analysis and prayer to prepare a sound and effective written presentation on the passage or topic.
				b. understand the value of biblically sound presuppositions in biblical interpretation.
				c. understand the interlocking of theology, hermeneutics, and exegesis.
  3.	In the end, this goal includes all of our lives, and every course in the Seminary curriculum.
  4.	Focus in this course is on the wide framework for interpreting the Bible, and on techniques useful in understanding particular facets of the Bible.
  5.	Detail
	The following is a more extended description of the course purposes.
	The course NT 123 is a required course on the principles and practice of interpreting the Bible.  Normally, students take this course in the spring of their first year at Westminster.
	Every course at Westminster is related to our understanding of the Bible in some way.  So why do we need a separate course on principles for interpreting the Bible?  At Westminster, we do not provide students with ready-made answers to the meaning of every passage in the Bible.  Rather, we aim at providing tools by which people can discover those answers more and more effectively for themselves.  The hermeneutics course is a foundational course in this very area.  And so, understandably, it interlocks with almost every other course in the curriculum.
	What do we do in this course?  We examine a combination of two things.  First, we study general principles for interpretation.  We get these from the Bible’s own teaching about itself and its message.  Second, we engage in the practice of interpretation and discuss difficulties and challenges presented by detailed features of the Bible.
	In the first part of the course we concentrate more on general principles for interpretation.  We examine particularly what the Bible has to say about the task of interpretation, and about God’s over-all program in the history of redemption.  We focus particularly on the way in which the whole Bible witnesses to Christ.  The Old Testament looks forward to his coming and the New Testament reflects back on his coming in all its significance, including the promise of his Second Coming.
	In the later part of the course we focus more on the practice of interpretation.  The practice is based on using the Bible in the original languages.  We discuss how to use effectively advanced lexicons and how to use advanced grammars.  We talk about how to pay attention to paragraphs and larger groupings of thought, how to use themes, how to integrate biblical teaching as a whole, and how to understand God’s program of progressively revealing himself in the course of the writing of the books of the Bible.
	We use a particular text, from Isaiah 51-52, John 8, or 1 Thessalonians, to practice and illustrate many of the points.  But I also include discussion of some general features of language and meaning.  This is in order to help us to sharpen our ability to weed out true interpretations from plausible but erroneous ones.  I also introduce several special techniques of my own devising.  These techniques are designed to help students to notice features and aspects of texts that are often neglected even by the best commentaries.  Students learn to be more accurate in their judgments about the meanings of words and grammatical features, and to recognize structural and thematic connections between different parts of the Bible, within a given book of the Bible, or within a given paragraph.  For this purpose, I endeavor to use all the resources of structural linguistics, discourse analysis, and literary studies.  But in agreement with the general stance of Westminster Seminary, ideas coming from our culture are transformed in order to bring them into subjection to Christ and the revelation of God given to us in the Bible.
	People who wish to have more background for hermeneutics can read the book by Louis Berkhof entitled Principles of Biblical Interpretation.  Beyond that, the best preparations for hermeneutics are a good knowledge of English Bible, and experience in linguistics and literature.
		6. This course contributes to the following learning goals for degrees:
			a. Exhibit a deep love for the triune God, his word, his truth and his church and a Christ-like humility in relation to others. (M.Div.; MAR.)
			b. Be able to exegete the text of scripture as given in the original languages. (M.Div.; MAR.)
			c. Be able to understand and articulate the system of doctrine contained in the Westminster Standards and its importance for biblical, systematic, and practical theology, and integrate this system of doctrine into life and ministry. (M.Div.)
			d. Be able to understand the particularity of cultural context and apply God’s eternal word to a changing world and to particular individuals and congregations. (M.Div.)
			e. Understand the biblical principles of leadership and demonstrate potential for becoming a future leader in the church. (M.Div.)
			f. Understand and articulate in writing a foundational knowledge of theological disciplines, including the scriptures, Reformed theology, church history and apologetics. (MAR.).

  B.	Overview
	For NT 123 you will need this syllabus.  In addition, you will receive in class a list of expected dates when assignments are due and an up-to-date bibliography.  A few other materials will be handed out in class at the appropriate times.  For references to articles and books, you will find full bibliographic data in the bibliography handed out in class.

 C. Extra discussions
	For the purpose of extra interaction and extra opportunity for discussion, I will offer 4-8 hour-long sessions, scattered throughout the term, during which there can be open-ended discussion of matters being covered in the course. These sessions will be in addition to the normally scheduled course hours. Attendance is optional.

D. Assignments  and  grading  for  NT 123
  1.	Reading assignments
	The reading assignments are summarized on p. 1.1 and in a separate hand-out.  I have tried to arrange the course sequence so that we may accomplish the goals discussed in I.A.  For each section of the course, there is a corresponding reading assignments.  The dates indicate approximately when we will discuss these matters in class and therefore when you should have completed the reading assignments.  You are, of course, free to do assignments early and avoid a rush on reserve books.
	See the bibliography, in the section entitled “6. General Bibliography,” for more complete bibliographic information on the book titles.
  2.	The system of grading
	I propose to base the final grade on three factors: (a) short analysis papers; (b) final; (c) one biblical-theological paper.
 a)	Short analysis papers.
	These will be of various kinds, based on techniques developed in class.  They will usually be graded satisfactory (full credit; 10 points) or unsatisfactory (0).  Please include your name and your box number on each paper.  Since these papers depend on the classroom lectures, I will announce an exact due date for each assignment at the time when the assignment is first discussed in class.  These papers are due at the beginning of class session on the due date.  Bring the papers to class.  (Do not put them in my box, unless you cannot make it to class.  Do not wait until later in the day.)  Late work will be accepted only when there is good excuse for the lateness, and when the late work still has some significant learning value.  If you wish to receive credit for late work due to sickness, emergency, or other contretemps, consult me.
 b)	Final exam.
	Point score will be given, which will contribute roughly a third of the total grade.
c)  One biblical-theological paper.
	You are to write a major biblical-theological paper on any one of the passages listed below for such a paper.  If you wish to take a passage other than those listed, you must obtain my approval.  Much of the material in the course lectures will be useful in analyzing the passage that you choose.  So you will find it unwise to try to complete the paper too soon.  I recommend planning your schedule for the semester so that you have significant time during the month of April for researching and writing the paper.  Even at the beginning of the course you may choose a passage and study historical background, grammatical problems, textual problems, and think about the cross references and related passages.
	Write a unified, readable paper including an exegesis of the passage and an explanation of any interpretive difficulties.  Also, give the reader some sense of what impact the passage has within its larger literary and historical context.  Explore the redemptive-historical connections and the Christocentric bearing of the passage.  Write with an audience of fellow students in mind.  Minimal length is 5 pages; really good papers often run 20-30 pages.  There is no upper limit to length, but please don’t take any longer than the minimum length you need to say what you have to say.  Don’t pad or be long-winded.  I have to read a lot of papers!  On the other hand, don’t feel that you must squeeze out material that is genuinely relevant.  Take as much space as you genuinely need.
	Letter grades will be given.  The grading on these papers will be rigorous.  B represents a well-done paper.  C represents minimal competence, but not real refinement.  A- represents real depth or originality (but not kookiness!).  I do sometimes give straight A’s and even A+’s on these papers.  But the very highest grades are reserved for exceptionally good work.  Quite a few students do good jobs even on their first experience with a biblical theological paper: the competition is keen.  I give only a few of the highest grades so that there will be stimulus for further improvement.
	I am saying this so that you won’t be disappointed if the grade you receive doesn’t seem to acknowledge adequately all that you learned and all the work that you put in.  You will learn a lot!  You should also be aware that the grading for the course as a whole will not be as stringent on the upper end (A end) as is the grading on the biblical theological papers.
	More detailed guidelines for the biblical-theological paper are included below.  Please especially note the part on plagiarism.  At the end of your paper you are required to include the follow words, together with your signature:

I understand and have not violated the Seminary’s position on plagiarism.

	Please include your mailbox number as well as your name on the paper.  The Center for Theological Writing at courses.wts.edu has some sample papers from previous years, to let you have some examples of how you might proceed.
	Late biblical-theological papers will be accepted, but seriously penalized.  If the paper is late because of sickness or another legitimate excuse, you must still inform me of the reason on or before the due date if possible.  Any paper (with or without excuse) submitted later than the end of exam period will be accepted only if the student has received permission for an incomplete, through the normal procedures maintained in the registrar’s office.
	Papers are due at 10:00 a.m. on the last day of class. Please submit your paper on time in two different formats: a hard copy should be delivered to my campus mailbox, and an electronic copy to the NT123 section of courses.wts.edu.

	Write on one of the following passages:

 “fast start”			intermediate			“slow start”
Ps 46:4-7(Heb. 5-8)	Num 17:1-7 (Heb. 17:16-22)	Gen 39:6b-12
Isa 54:1-3			Ps 112:6-10			Josh 6:15-19
Isa 42:1-3			John 9:1-5			2 Chron 23:12-15
Mic 4:1-2			Phil 2:14-18			Judges 3:15-23
1 Cor 3:10-15		Matt 14:22-33		1 Kings 13:1-6
Col 1:25-27							Joel 2:3-5
Rev 22:1-2							Obad 10-14
								1 Sam 4:4-11

	The passages above are classified with respect to the kind of connections that they have with major themes of the Bible as a whole.  “Fast start” passages are passages where it is easy to get started exploring the connections, but difficult to stop (because the number of connections keeps multiplying).  The “slow start” passages are passages where it is more difficult to get started, but somewhat easier to stop.  None of these are necessarily “easier,” because I try to take into account the difficulty of the passage when I assign a grade.
      3. Long-range goal
	All of us realize that the grading system does not test very well the education that contributes to making pastors and other servants of the kingdom of God.  I would urge you to focus on long-range learning and maturing.  Treat this system as a framework which you may use flexibly, focusing primarily on serving the Lord, not man.

            4.  GUIDELINES  FOR  BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL  PAPERS
  a.	Plagiarism
	In writing the paper do not use other people’s ideas or words without acknowledgment.  Most of you need no reminder of this rule.  But a few have not had previous training in Western standards for college essay writing.  From now on, at Westminster and afterwards, please use care.
	Most of you will eventually hold positions of some prominence in the church.  In your position, worldly society will hold you responsible for high standards.  The world will be delighted if it can accuse you of dishonesty or theft, even if this was far from your intention.
	Therefore, follow these standards: (a) Suppose that you paraphrase a sentence or a paragraph from another source.  That is, suppose you read a sentence or a paragraph of value and want to include the gist of it at some spot in your paper.  You do so by copying the thought but rephrasing it in your own words.  In such cases, cite the page you used, but do not use quotation marks.  In indicating the source of your idea, use one of the standard footnoting systems described in the WTS Library handbook for writing theses.  (b) If, in situation (a), you wish to use a key phrase, a clause, a sentence, or the general wording of your source, copy the wording you want exactly (or with ellipsis marks to indicate omissions), and use quotation marks.  Once again, use one of the standard footnoting systems described in the Library handbook.  (c) In oral presentations, standards are more relaxed.  But try to give credit where credit is due.
	Further explanations and examples of plagiarism can be found in the “Statement on Plagiarism” on the Westminster Theological Seminary website, <http://www.wts.edu/resources/westminster_center_for_theolog/plagiarism.html>.
	In papers for me, clear-cut violations of these standards will lead to an F.  The Seminary has further penalties of its own, beginning with suspension for one year.

  b.	Things that I like:
	1.  Careful attention to each verse of the passage.
	2.  Attention to how the passage as a whole fits together.
	3.  Attention to the influence of the immediate context in the book, both literary and historical.
	4.  Viewing the passage in the light of major concerns, emphases, themes, and other illumination provided by the book as a whole (very important).
	5.  Awareness and reflection on any allusions to other passages of Scripture.
	6.  Seeing the whole of Scripture from the point of view of this verse, but in a way that emphasizes the remoteness of what is only remotely connected, and utilizes the lines laid down by (1)-(3).
	7.  Distinguishing what an earlier audience could have understood from connections that may now be seen by us.

  c.	Things to which I am relatively indifferent:
	1.  How many footnotes you have.  (I suggest cutting footnotes to zero by including Scriptural references in the text, and citing sources using the author-date system.  The library has guidelines for this system.)
	2.  How many commentaries you cite in notes or bibliography.
	3.  Whether you use the “right” commentaries.
	4.  What format you have.  (But many people have found it useful to develop a separate section for part b.6 or for discussion of some particular topic at length.  I do care that the material be readable and organized in such a way that the arguments are presented with cogency.)
	5.  Whether you discuss at any length harmonistic problems and objections by liberals.
	6.  Whether you go into grammatical minutiae (except as these may bear on a major interpretive question).
	7.  Whether you make preaching-type applications.
	8.  Whether you provide an extended introduction and discussion of the setting (though these matters ought to be brought up at any point at which they illumine a particular verse or particular idea).
	9.  How long your paper is.

  d.	Things that may sink your grade:
	1.  Neglecting to comment at all about an important verse.
	2.  Majoring on minors.
	3.  Missing a key OT background or background from the book in question, for a given verse.
	4.  Approaching the passage from the framework of systematic theology in a way that overwhelms many of the fine nuances of the passage (e.g., reading in “standard Reformed interpretations” with no redemptive-historical appreciation).
	5.  Keeping your nose too exclusively fixed on one text (b.1-3), or too exclusively on the whole of Scripture (b.6), or doing both without distinguishing the two, or doing both without showing an organic connection between the two.
	6.  Giving priority in interpretation to a reconstructed situation about which you suppose the narrative to be speaking, rather than to the narrative itself as it comes from author to reader.  (This is particularly a danger in interpreting Gospels, if you try to base interpretation on a harmonistic reconstruction rather than on any one Gospel.)
	7.  Etymologizing.
	8.  Emphasizing verbal parallels more than conceptual (real) parallels.
	9.  Making the passage speak more definitely, more precisely than what it will bear.
e. Grading guidelines

Grade Description for NT exegetical and biblical-theological papers:  
A  An outstanding and thoughtful piece of work, showing evidence of superior research, judiciously weighing alternative interpretations, presenting evidence and arguments, and discussing contexts appropriately and thoroughly. The student has shown insights which are well-supported by cogent and profound arguments.  
B  A standard, good piece of work which fulfills the assignment and shows a good grasp of the basic principles. There is substantial evidence of ability to do research on a passage, analyze, weigh options, present evidence, and utilize skills developed in the course.
C  This work is satisfactory but is lacking in a significant area and does not show a grasp of some basic principles.  
D  There are serious problems with this work, though it is still passable. It represents a poor performance in comprehending the passage and meeting the requirements in analyzing it in context; it only meets the minimal standard of the professor.  
F  This work is unacceptable and fails to meet the requirements of the assignment.  

E. Important miscellaneous information on the course
1. Please note the first few sets of reading assignments, p. 1.1
Make sure Allen, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church, chapters 2,4,5, is done early.
Some of the later exercises are based on Isaiah 51:17-23 or 52:7-12.  If your Hebrew is shaky, you may want to go over these two passages beforehand in Hebrew.  Familiarize yourself with vocabulary and parsing for the passage.
2. Prerequisite for this course is NT 111, NT 013 (in progress), OT 013 (in progress)
  3.	Organization of the course
II. is foundations.  The rest is application of these foundations.
Under application, we will start slowly, and build up.
We will go through the process of interpretation three times.
We go once through the steps in interpretation in III.A-E., once in III.F., and a final time in the whole rest of the course (IV-XI).
  4.	Asking questions.
Because of the large class size, please try to restrict yourself in class to questions of clarification and questions that you are sure many other people have on their minds.  I would also encourage you to submit written questions to me.  Whenever such written questions are of wider interest, I intend to answer one or two at the beginning of each class hour (without revealing the names of students asking them).  However, please sign the questions if you want to make sure that I am able to respond to you outside of class on a question that may not be of wider interest or may not be within the scope of the course.  If you wish to pursue questions that are outside of general interest, please also feel free to come to see me during my office hours. You may email me at vpoythress@wts.edu.
  5.	Office hours
Office hours will be announced in class. I can also be contacted by email (vpoythress@wts.edu) and phone (work 215-572-3820; home 215-885-7785).
  6.	Electronic resources
The various course materials are available on the internet at: <http://campus.wts.edu/homepages/VPoythress/courses.html>.
  7.	Regularly bring to class an English Bible and the class syllabus.
  8.	My approach as a teacher
  a.	This course is in many ways introductory in nature.  I hope to provide many key answers, but not all answers.
  b.	My approach emphasizes the scientific rather than poetic mentality, rationality rather than intuition.  Both are in fact necessary.  I teach method and hope that intuition comes in time.  Be patient with early stages of method.
  c.	As the section on foundations makes clear, any formalizable method is subordinate to the essentially unformalizable task of individual and corporate sanctification.  In terms of importance, we should devote the greatest share of attention to cultivating piety and knowledge of God.  But since this concern is in various respects the goal of every aspect of church life and of every course in the curriculum, it will not be the special focus in this course.
  d.	I have a tendency to say things that are important only once.
  9.	Your responsibilities as a student
Proper Bible study demands prayer, work, and transformation of life (see diagram).
Sterrett, p. 16:
We recognize that we must read the Word of God prayerfully, seeking the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and we know that God gives understanding in answer to prayer, but it is a mistake to conclude that Bible study is unnecessary.  God gave the Israelites water from a rock when Moses struck it with his rod, but this was exceptional.  God required Abraham and Jacob to do the hard work of digging wells.  The water came from God in answer to prayer, and through hard work.  We must not let our natural tendency to avoid work and hard thinking deceive us.
God can give both supernaturally or naturally.  He has given us minds with which to understand him, and he asks us to cleanse them and use them.