Book excerpt: Understanding and Applying the Scriptures is well-named. It gives an overview of how the Bible was created, from the time it was in the mind of God to the various translations of the Bible we use every day. It also divides the rules of interpreting the Bible into eight general categories with illustrations and projects designed to make these practical. In addition, the book explains how to understand the various special literary devices in the Bible such as psalms, proverbs, prophecies and parables. The final section practically demonstrates how to convert interpretation into application. The book grew out of the authors almost forty years of combined teaching experience. It reflects not so much the scholar's approach to hermeneutics as the practitioner's. The principles taught in this book are the ones the authors use every day in their preparation for teaching and preaching. This book will help you understand the Bible better and apply it more accurately in your life and the lives of those under your ministry