Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
Biblical Hermeneutics
 |
| Google commons |
Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Therefore, Biblical hermeneutics is the science of Biblical interpretation. Most people think that all they need to do is to read the Bible and they will fully understand it. As with all literature, this is simply not true. We must know the author, understand why he is writing on this subject, and understand his style of writing to understand the work. With the Bible this is even more complicated since the Bible is a compilation of sixty-six books written by forty different authors, writing in different styles and in different time periods. Also, the Bible has within it history, poetry, personnel letters, a book of advice, a song book, and much prophecy.
“In its technical meaning, hermeneutics is often defined as the science and art of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics is considered a science because it has rules and these rules can be classified into an orderly system. It is considered an art because communication is flexible, and therefore a mechanical and rigid application of rules will sometimes distort the true meaning of a communication.” “To be a good interpreter one must learn the rules of hermeneutics as well as the art of applying those rules.”
 |
| Google commons |
If we do not interpret the Bible correctly, we will misinterpret God’s Word. Then, it will no longer be God’s Word, but only our own words. Nobody cares about our words because they are not important, but God’s Words are everything. Nobody likes to have his or her words taken out of context. This is especially the fact with God. People who intentionally misinterpret the Word of God are involuntary agents for the dark side. The Bible is God’s Truth and Light but only if it is handled correctly and with skill. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees did just that and were rebuked for being ignorant (Matthew 22:29). Let us not fall into the same trap!
Every morning I like to drink a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. I think that is how most people start off their day. Well, anyone who reads the newspaper every day will understand that a paper will always have a political slant. Some papers in the United States are conservative but most tend to be liberal. This affects how the news is interpreted and written in the paper. A reader must consider the editor of the paper, the owner, the journalist, and of what country they are from. All of this affects the outlook of the paper and the writing which goes into it. All of this must be understood by the reader or he shall be led astray by others political viewpoint. The same could be made by books. Shakespeare was a fine author, but if you understood the man and how he wrote, you can understand his writing in a much fuller manner, and his work will come alive for us. That is called Shakespearean hermeneutics.
God’s Word is even more important. We must understand all of the principles involved to fully understand what God is telling us. The Bible student will discover that if they will follow these basic hermetical principles that the Scripture will literally interpret itself. God has written His Word so that even the most simple among us can easily read and understand for himself. Once we read and understand, then it is our responsibility to apply the knowledge to our lives for our edification. When we edify ourselves then we will edify the Church.
There may be many applications of Scripture but there is only one interpretation. That is the interpretation that God intended it to have. While reading the Bible we interpret it using the literal method unless the text implies otherwise. The literal method means to understand using everyday normal language that has the everyday straight forward meaning. If I said that there is a cow in the field eating that is exactly what I mean. Because the inspired writers of the New Testament quoted hundreds of verses using the literal method, it could even be said that it is the approved method of the Holy Spirit. When ever Jesus or the church leaders used the Old Testament they always used the literal sense. There is figurative language, poetry and even a few allegories used in Scripture. But these literary tools are only used to enhance the literal true. These figures of speech must be located, understood why they are being used, and interpret them correctly.
For example, symbols, if the verse is not clearly symbolic, no symbolism should be forced upon it. If it is clearly symbolic, the symbols must be interpreted literally. Sometimes angels are symbolized as stars. But we understand that angels are a literal entity. Here in the United States we live in a Jesus saturated culture that is biblical illiterate! There is a church on every street corner filled with Bibles. Most private homes have at least one Bible inside. Yet, only a small minority of people have actually read the book in it’s entirely. In our soup opera culture and with so little biblical knowledge is a recipe for wild stories and false doctrines preached by spiritual snake oil salesmen in the world and even within the church.
When the children of Israel returned from captivity they were ignorant of God’s Law. They had been living in bondage in Babylon and were now speaking another language Aramaic. Ezra, the priest had to read the Law to the people and give the proper interpretation. “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). Ezra and the Priests did not just leave the reading of the law to chance; they “distinctly gave the sense” and “caused them to understand.” That is what Biblical Hermeneutics can do for us today. It can give us the sense and cause us to understand God’s Word.
William James Roop
No comments:
Post a Comment