A reader following the handbook’s bifocal approach first enters the biblical world and then connects it with the reader’s own world.

### Why this is right The handbook’s bifocal approach has two movements: first understand the world of the biblical text, then look through it toward present experience. This order protects readers from applying a passage before understanding its historical and literary details. ### The concept A **bifocal** approach uses two interpretive perspectives. The first focuses on the ancient setting and the passage’s particular details. The second considers how those details connect with universal human experience and present circumstances. ### Terms - **Bifocal approach**: A method that first studies the biblical world and then relates it to the reader’s world. ### Remember Travel to the text’s world before building a bridge back to your own.