"Make a mistake in the interpretation of one of Shakespeare's plays, falsely scan a piece of Spenserian verse, and there is unlikely to be an entailment of eternal consequence; but we cannot accept the similar laxity in the interpretation of Scripture. We are dealing with God's thoughts: we are obligated to take the greatest pains to understand them truly and to explain them clearly,"

In the Holman Guide to Interpreting the Bible, David Dockery and George Guthrie set forth the basics of interpreting, applying, and communicating the Word of God in teaching and preaching. The heart of the book is a mentoring session with Dockery and Guthrie. It’s as if they are at the table with you showing you the steps to interpretation, applying it to Philippians 2:5-11. They have summarized the steps to interpretation in a chart that will be useful every time you prepare a lesson or sermon. And, you will find helpful workbook features for hands on experience.