Hermeneutics--the intelligent, academic attempt to understand something a Bible writer has meant by what he has written
Understanding an ancient document is made difficult by difference in language, style and historical context.
About this course:
I. The Need to Interpret
* Introductory Statement:
Our aim is to read the text of the Bible to understand what it means, then see how we can apply it to our or someone else's life. Reading the text, we must understand what the original author meant, the result being that ability to apply the meaning to our lives and/or the lives of others
A. The Reader as Interpreter
1. Everyone has the right to read and interpret the Bible for himself, but they also are responsible to be honest, intelligent, fair and accurate in hermeneutical study and not to be quick, easy, superficial in our analysis. God's word deserves this effort.
2. There is a danger in the reader's interpretation in that the reader will always bring bias and presuppositions.
a. Be careful not to confuse literal interpretation as true and figurative interpretation as false--this indicts Jesus for His parables
b. It is of greater importance to understand the eyewitness's/author's background, beliefs and intentions to accurately interpret his writings
B. The Nature of the Bible
1. It is God's Word, actually divinely inspired (as there are eternal dimensions of God's character, so there are in His Word)
2. It is written in human languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic), and every word is subject to slightly different definitions among every person who uses it
a. Semantics--the meaning of words
b. Syntax--the relationships of words in sentences
c. Genre--the kind of literature being interpreted
C. Our First Task--Exegesis [Exegesis--"ek" (out) + "hageisi" (to lead, as a sheep)--to lead out]--the careful, systematic, intelligent study of a passage of scripture to pull out the intended meaning of the author
1. Context
a. Historical context--the author, the era he lived in, where he lived and who he was writing for
b. Literary context--the context in actual sentences themselves (a text with no context is a pretext), even paragraphs
2. Content--what is the author really trying to say?
3. Some tools to use:
a. a good translation--not a paraphrase
b. a good Bible dictionary (plus a regular English dictionary)
c. a good religious encyclopedia (like Zondervan's multi-volume Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible)
d. a good Bible commentary (not devotional commentaries)
e. a good Bible atlas
f. a good linguistic dictionary to help understanding the semantics
D. Our Next Task--Application of what has been learned
1. Categories for Hermeneutical Theories/Principles
a. General Principles (theories)--apply to all passages
i. Grammatical, or linguistic principle--find out what the author said in his language (anything less than this is dishonest)
ii. Historical principle--find out who the author was, when and where he lived and to whom he wrote
iii. Contextual principle--find out what the verses before and after your studied passage has to say
b. Special Principles (or Particular Principles)--applied after the genre has been determined
i. Figurative Principle--not to be taken literally
ii. Literal Principle--a passage means exactly what it says
2. Some Controversial Issues in Contemporary Hermeneutics
a. Validity in Interpretation is based on:
i. Author's intended idea
ii. Reader's response (what does it mean to me?)--Subjectivism
iii. Matter of Application (Practical principle)--once the author's meaning has been determined, then ask what it means to you
b. Double Authorship (involves sensus pleniar--fuller, or more complete sense; a meaning that exists beyond what even the author may have understood it to mean)--this is often referred to isogesis ("reading into"), but not necessarily true
c. How and when to apply the special (figurative/literal/allegorical) principles
d. Are there "spiritual" factors in interpretation (Calvin said the Holy Spirit had an affinity for the trained mind; if you've studied, the Spirit will make revelations to you)
e. Inerrancy--the definition of "inerrancy" must be agreed upon
i. Unlimited inerrancy--assumes every word, number or measurement in the Bible is inerrant
ii. Limited inerrancy--asserts that theological statements and meanings in the Bible are inerrant, while minor facts may not be correct
f. The Accommodation Factor--how much of the Bible had to be accommodated to the culture of the day, and how much is eternal in application?
II. The History of Biblical Interpretation
A. Jewish Hermeneutics--the oldest interpretation available
1. The oldest interpretations we are aware of were with Moses and the Pentateuch
2. The oldest application, or explanation (hermeneutic) was with Ezra
3. Scribal families--those scribes who were allowed to make handwritten copies of the manuscripts passed down; they were the "seminary professors"; they would later become legalists who made an idol of the Word of God
4. Qualities of Jewish Hermeneutics
a. They are as old as the manuscripts
b. Major emphasis came after the Babylonian exile
c. Ezra ("the Father of Jewish hermeneutics")
d. The office of scribes (scribal families)
e. Two major schools of thought among the scribes and rabbis
i. Karaits--literalists
ii. Cabbalists--allegoricalists
f. Four main types of interpretation:
i. Peshat--the literal principle (the passage taken at its surface meeting)
ii. Midrash--a comparing of words and ideas in Scripture
iii. Pesher--uses both of above, but is a study of eschatology (end times)
iv. Allegorical--advocated by Philo (a contemporary of Christ in Alexandria, Egypt), trained in Hebrew and Greek philosophy; according to Philo, use under these circumstances
(1) if your passage puts God in a bad light
(2) if there is a contradiction (specifically in the O.T.)
(3) if the passage is clearly symbolic, or allegorical
B. Patristic, or Early Christian Hermeneutics (100--600 A.D.)
1. Clement of Alexandria (150--215 A.D.)--believed there could be up to five meanings besides the literal
2. Origen (185--254 A.D.)--apparently influenced by Philo; founded a seminary in Cessaria of Philippi
a. the body meaning--literal
b. the soul meaning--the deeper meaning
c. the spirit meaning--the deepest application
3. Augustine (354--430)--belonged to the "allegorical school"
a. Believed that faith/belief was important to biblical interpretation; a non-believer ("the natural man") was not spiritually attuned to understand the Bible at its deeper meanings; in later years, some theologians will argue that non-believers with good linguistic skills would be able to understand these deeper, spiritual things
b. Believed the literal, or surface or historical, meaning had a point, but only a beginning point; you would never stop with this meaning
c. Believed the Scripture had more than one meaning, but all meanings would agree with love for God and/or love for man (in the Reformation, the assertion would become "one meaning, many applications"
d. Believed that all numbers in the Bible had deeper, spiritual symbolisms
e. Believed that the O.T. was an ongoing Christological document
f. Believed that the interpreter is to get from the Bible passage the author's intended ideas and thoughts, and not read is own ideas into the text
g. Believed that we ought to compare our understanding of one passage with what is known elsewhere in the Bible to be true (the "analogy of faith"), then with what the Church believes to be true
h. Believed that context is important--the verses before an after (what subject is being discussed?)
i. Believed that if the meaning is a passage is unclear, don't make it a criterion for orthodox faith
j. Believed the Holy Spirit can guide us and help us, but must not become a substitute for hard study on our part
k. Believed an obscure passage on a given subject yield to the clearer passages
l. Believed that revelation is progressive--God reveals more light as people seek more light
4. Syrian School at Antioch
a. "The first Protestant school of hermeneutics"--Dr. Bernard Ramm; he said their system of study was more like ours
b. they emphasized the grammatical-historical principle (or linguistic-historical principles); here's where we'll see syntax and semantics
c. they developed a two-fold literal principle
i. the "plain" literal--the passage means exactly what it says
ii. the "figurative--literal"--the passage is simply figurative
d. their commentaries were more like ours
i. Theodore of Mopsuestia, AD 400
ii. John Chrysotom ("golden tongue"), AD 400
C. Medieval Interpretations (AD 600--1500)
1. Very little originality (like the Rabbis of Jesus day, the Roman church did not generate new, creative, fresh analysis of Scripture); Augustine continued to be influential
2. The Spanish Jews emphasized the grammatical-historical method in these days, but they emphasized the Old Testament
3. St. Victor's Abbey in Paris, France (the "Victorines")
a. held to a more grammatical-historical principle
b. held that geography was of great value
c. held that exegesis should produce doctrine, not forcing Scripture to support arbitrary doctrine
4. Nicolas of Lyra (AD 1300)
a. Asserted that the literal meaning was the primary one; other meanings were subordinate (rather than Augustine's position that other meanings beyond the literal were the more significant)
b. Would be very influential on Martin Luther
D. The Reformation Interpretations (AD 1500)
1. Introduction
a. An amazing ignorance of the Bible among the average person--most people--including the clergy--were illiterate
b. The Renaissance occurred--the "intellectual awakening"
i. insistence on thinking for oneself
ii. refusal to submit to the church
c. Occam--dealt with the issue of authority--God
i. Reason
(1) Science
(2) Philosophy
(3) Tradition
ii. Revelation--recorded in the Bible
d. Very important ideas which challenge Roman Catholic hermeneutics
i. The focus of Scripture was Christ, not the church (the institutionalized church)
ii. The ultimate purpose of Scripture is our salvation and personal relationship with God, not just human knowledge about God (faith was not mere intellectual assent of Biblical assertions)
iii. The real basis for faith/belief and practice is the Bible, not human traditions about the Bible (Sola Scriptura--"only Scripture")
iv. The individual believer, led by the Holy Spirit, has the right to interpret the Bible for himself, not just the hierarchy of the church
2. Martin Luther (1483--1546)--in 10/31/1531 nailed his Ninety-Five Theses. Felt that:
a. The Bible was the final authority in religion, not tradition; therefore, the Bible should determine what the church taught
b. The Holy Spirit will help us interpret the Bible
c. A personal faith in Jesus was necessary to interpret Scripture
d. Good hermeneutics were essential
i. Unless specific reason existed to take Scripture figuratively, we are to take Scripture literally, using the primary languages if possible (the literal, or linguistic principle)
ii. Historical backgrounds must be studied and/or uncovered (the historical principle)
e. The analogy of faith was to be followed (compare Scripture with Scripture--use all the references in the Bible on a given issue to understand the issue--the contextual principle)
f. All Scripture should be interpreted in the light of God's revelation in Christ (the Christological principle)
g. Every passage of Scripture teaches either law or gospel (the Law-Gospel principle)
3. John Calvin--probably the greatest exegete of Scripture
a. Believed the Holy Spirit had to illuminate us
b. Believed in the analogy of faith
c. Believed the linguistic/grammatical principle--had not patience with careless, less-than-thorough exegesis
d. Believed we must uncover what the author intends to say, not what we want it to say
E. The Post-Reformation Interpretations (c. 1550--1800)
1. Confessionalism/Creedism--the rise of confessions and creeds--composed to prove one side is right and the other is wrong rather than to find the truth
2. Pietism--the rise of lifestyle purity and love
a. Famous advocates
i. Philip Jacob Spener (1635--1705)--says we should read the Bible so that God can inspire and enlighten us with His Spirit and grace, not to be proved right
ii. August Hermann Francke (1663--1727)--a professor at U of Halle (Germany); highly recognized linguist; very devout master of the biblical languages
b. Drawbacks/danger--tended to over-allegorize
3. Rationalism--the rise of importance and adequacy of human reason (came out as a mainstream philosophy in the mid 1700s with Emmanuel Kant)
a. Affirmed the existence of God by having given man his reason
b. Asserts human reason is the superior aspect when it comes to understanding all things, and faith comes from reason
c. Reason is directed by scientific studies; specifically, how truth is perceived by the five senses (empirical, or experiential knowledge
i. Kant asserted that any "knowledge" perceived outside of the five senses cannot really be known at all
ii. Any instances of divine events must be determined to be figurative, as miracles that seem to defy natural law must merely be moral stories
d. Subject to the intellectual bent of the day
F. Modern Interpretations (1800--present)
1. "Liberal" approach--a more free-thinking approach; more of a rational approach, where human reason is assumed to be the supreme way to interpret the Bible
a. All elements in the Bible must be testable and provable to be taken literally
b. Some significant figures believed the Bible needed to be tested and proven to be proclaimed as truth, subject to the same requirements as any other book
i. Sir Thomas Hobbs (1588--1679)--A Christian
ii. Benedict Espinoza (1630--1677)--a German Jew living in Holland
c. The rise of a scientific methodology--test all assertions of the Bible empirically (the authoritarian nature of the Bible is being called into question)
d. The rise of a naturalistic view of the world
e. Key ideas in this approach
i. They apply the secular principles of scholarship to the Bible (the modern educated mentality alone can interpret the Bible, without the aid of the Holy Spirit)
ii. They redefine "inspiration" as the something that inspires you, not that inspiration existed in the creation of the document (reader response)
iii. They redefine the supernatural as things that are merely more important than natural law (ethics, prayer, etc.), not miraculous events
iv. There has been a widespread application of the principle of evolution to biblical studies (began with Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859); for instance, the redaction principle suggests that primitive ideas would be followed by more advanced ones
v. The principle of accommodation--as we all believe that some accommodation is in order, we argue not with the fact as much as the degree of accommodation the liberals assert is necessary in Bible study; for instance, a liberal would not believe in hell, as the concept of hell was created to accommodate a perception of the people being written about
vi. The principle of an exclusive, cultural-historical method of interpretation, wherein as human reason and the scientific method can examine a faith for its ethics and moralities without believing it
2. Neo-Orthodoxy--a new kind of orthodoxy
a. Karl Barth--argued that the Bible is theologically valid, but may have factual errors; he argued high Christology (there truly is no way to God other than Christ) and that God can only be argued by God Himself
i. Some people believe that, in fact, the Bible cannot be said to have ever made a mistake, or it can't be believed. If this is so, this person must be completely free from error, or he can't be believed either.
b. Emil Brunner
3. Existentialism--Rudolph Buttmann (1884--1976)--famous for "de-mythologizing," wherein the meaning of a biblical account, however scientifically/rationally dubious or arguable, should be accepted existentially, or as morals not to be dismissed
4. The "New Hermeneutic"--somewhat an extension of Barth and Buttmann; developed in Europe at the end of World War II; redefines hermeneutics as the philosophy of language (since language carries ideas from one mind to another)
5. Hermeneutics within evangelical Christianity today--evangelicals believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that the Bible should be interpreted literally unless specific cues exist to interpret it figuratively; the text is not to be manipulated to make it say what we want it to say
a. The intended meaning of the author is important, not so much what it means to us
b. Scripture is God's revelation to mankind through human words and experiences and is to be applied to us
c. Biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew), geography, history, etc. are essential to understand the text and what it means
d. It is both a science and an art
i. A science in the sense that you can pinpoint definitely what some words mean
ii. An art in that words may have different connotations that require a judgment made
e. Some of the best Bible study tools (commentaries, word studies, Bible atlases, etc.) and equipment are now available
f. Some of the best books on hermeneutics are now available
g. Scripture is both human and divine; the words are in human languages, but they carry divine truth
III. Identifying Valid Principles and Methods for Ourselves
A. The Linguistic, or Grammatical Principle--examinations of grammar and semantics of the original text of a passage; study, if possible, the original texts
B. The Historical Principle--know the author, his origin, his recipients
C. The Contextual Principle--comparison of separate but similar Scriptural passages
1. The immediate context--examine the pervious and following couple of verses surrounding the target passage
2. The local context--compare target passage with other passages on the same subject by the same author in the same book
3. The philosophical context--compare the target passage with other passages on the same subject by the same author in another book
4. The testamental context--compare the target passage with other passages on the same subject by different authors within the same testament
5. The biblical context--compare the target passage with other passages on the same subject in the other testament
D. The Theological, or Religious, Principle--understanding the religious or theological level of the author in the day and age in which he lived
E. The Practical Principle--determination of what one should do in response to the passage being studied, as religious literature seeks to affect the reader religiously
F. The Special Principles
1. The literal principle--the passage is to be taken at face value; assuming the passage means what it says
2. The figurative principle--the passage seams to say one thing but means another (or means more)
3. The allegorical principle--different from the figurative in that a fiction is used to communicate a truth, involving application of the figurative principle to even the details
IV. Applying These Principles--discussed by case study
A. The Epistles--the largest type of document in the New Testament (besides the gospels, history [Acts] and apocalypse [Revelation])
1. Not all letters are exactly alike, even within this same genre. For instance, in the book of Romans Paul begins in chapters 1--3 with heavy theology (formal). Philemon, however, is a letter to a man (Philemon) that is more circumstantial (informal).
2. All epistles are occasional literature--i.e., they were written in response to a particular occasion to specific people in a certain place. Often epistles are written in response to circumstances in a church that need addressing.
3. The historical principle is especially important in interpreting epistles--you need to know about the region wherein the addressees live
4. Read the whole letter at one time, if at all possible, before attempting interpretation--this will often establish context for your target passage
5. Listen for changes in the content within the epistles (also changes of subject)
6. Ask this question as you read the text: "What appears to be the main point, or key idea, the author is trying to make?"
7. At the end of study, examine a good commentary to see what someone else thinks this may mean
8. What to do:
a. Try to identify the author--most of the time this is easy to determine, as the author identifies himself at the beginning of the document
b. Identify the church or person to whom the letter was written and understand its societal and cultural habits
B. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
á Introduction: there are two main parts, or components, in the gospels:
a. The teachings of or by Jesus
b. Narratives about Jesus
á Important things to remember when interpreting the Gospels
a. Jesus did not write any one of the Gospels--we have no record that Jesus never wrote anything, except possibly in the sand when the prostitute was about to be stoned
b. here are four accounts of the life of Jesus--hence, four Gospels
(1) This helps when all the gospels talk about the same thing
(2) This hurts when the accounts record the event differently
c. The gospel writers did not record everything Jesus ever did or say; hermeneutics cannot determine what documents are or are not part of the accepted canon
1. Nature of the Gospels
a. To preserve information about Jesus
b. To persuade, or influence people in their relationship to Jesus
2. The Importance of the Historical Context
a. First-century Judaism--know the sectarian groups and their basic theologies (Pharisees, Saducees, etc.)
b. Jesus' immediate audience
i. His own disciples
ii. Non-disciples
iii. Jewish religious leaders
c. The gospel writer's intended audience
i. Mark is believed to have aimed his gospel to Romans (it is the only gospel that does not mention his birth or genealogy; Romans would not have cared about family history, but of the action and power of Christ)
ii. Matthew is believed to have aimed his gospel to Jews (Jesus needed to be shown to Jews as being a direct male-line descendant of David)
iii. Luke is believed to have aimed his gospel to Gentiles (who would be interested by the fact that, since Jesus was ultimately a son of Adam, He was like us, although He was also the Son of God)
3. The Importance of the Kingdom of God
a. Darby and Scofield believed in premillenial dispensationalism: the rule of God in the hearts and minds of people were the Kingdom of God; the second coming of Christ would bring in the Kingdom of heaven.
b. Parables are not merely morality plays; they are laws for the kingdom that has already begun, though not fully realized until the second coming
C. Interpreting Parables
¤ Introduction--a writer or speaker has put something alongside a specific topic to help explain it (para--"alongside")
1. Natures of parables
a. Story parables
b. Similitude--a brief analogy, or comparison; not a story
i. Faith as a little leaven
ii. Faith as a mustard seed
c. Similes--a figure of speech making a comparison using the words "like" or "as"--Metaphors--like a simile, but not using "like" or "as"; includes hyperbole (a deliberate overstatement or exaggeration to emphasize a point)
2. The function of parables
a. Not first of all sermon illustrations (though occasionally used as such)
b. Sometimes used to reveal truth to teachable, open-minded listeners
c. To conceal certain truths from the close-minded, unteachable opponent
d. To elicit a response from a listener or listeners
3. The interpretation of parables
a. Read the parable several times very carefully, watching for:
i. Determine the context of the parable--either the audience or the literary context of the parable's location in scripture
ii. Identify the audience, if possible
iii. Identify the occasion of the parable
b. Try to understand the parable the way the original audience would have interpreted it (will call upon understanding their culture)
c. Attempt to determine the original audience's response, or reaction
4. The relationship of parables to the concept of the Kingdom of God--what does a parable do to cast light of the rule of God on the lives of believers
a. A sense of urgency of responding to the word of God
b. The importance of the response to the kingdom--this will cause certain determinations:
i. Will identify those who are citizens of the kingdom
ii. Will describe the value of the kingdom
(1) The pearl of great price
(2) The treasure in the field
D. The Book of The Acts (literal interpretation)
¤ Introduction: how objective is any historian? History was not seen in antiquity as something to be passed on fact for fact
1. Purpose of the book
a. To show how Christianity moved from its Jewish background into the pagan Roman empire
b. Does not emphasize
i. The lives of all twelve apostles--they are mentioned as a group, but only at the very beginning does he mention each by name
ii. The church organization--pastors? Ministers? Musicians? Committees? Luke addresses none of this
iii. How the gospel left the Mediterranean world
c. Wants his readers to see a need for the word of God in the world (a missionary book as much a history)
d. Trying to defend Christianity as non-threatening to Rome and to those who are worried about how Christianity affects their lifestyle in their own religious superstition
2. Organization (divisions) of the book--indicated in Acts 1:8
a. Understand how the book is separated
3. Description of an event, Prescription to show that others should do it
a. Is the book a manual?
b. Can we get some basic principles from it?
E. Revelation ("Apocalypse"--the reveal, shine light upon)
¤ Introduction--probably most disagreed upon in interpretation
1. Nature of the book--it is not homogenous
a. Three genres are represented in the book
i. Epistolary--letters to churches
(1) Some consider these epistle literal letters
(2) Some consider them pictures, or allegories, of periods of history (though there is nothing explicit in the text to support this; this opinion must be manufactured)
ii. Prophetic, or preaching literature (proclamatory)
iii. Apocalyptic literature--the use of symbolism and figurative language; the literature of persecution (as it was often used to pass messages in code undecipherable by all but those for whom it was intended)
b. Four understandings (not necessarily interpretations)
i. The preterist (Gr. for "past") believes:
(1) Chapters 1--3 were written to historic, literal churches
(2) Chapters 4--19 as symbolic of first-century conditions (under Rome)
Þ The number "7" occurs 45 times in Revelation
Þ "Babylon" was probably code for Rome (the city known as being built on seven hills; this type of town is mentioned in Revelation)
(3) Chapters 20--22 as symbolic of future end-times (the only part of the Revelation meant to address the future)
ii. The futurist believes:
(1) Chapters 1--3 were written to historic, literal churches, but these churches were representative of the seven stages of church history
(2) Chapters 4--19 are future tribulation of seven (or 3 1/2 years), immediately before the second coming of Christ
iii. The idealist believes the book is on the conflict and triumph of good over evil; it is more philosophical opinion entertained by academicians
iv. The historicist believes that the Revelation is an allegory
c. Millennial views--post-millennial, amillennial, historical pre-millennial and dispensational pre-millennial (Christians will be raptured out before the tribulation begins)--the thousand years being literal
i. Post-millennialism
(1) Believe the first three churches are historical
(2) Believe Revelation is an outline of world history
(3) Believe 1000 years of peace will end with the return of Christ and the transfer of the redeemed to heaven and the lost to hell, marked by the Battle of Armageddon
(4) Believed the "leaven leavening the lump" had to do with the millennium
(5) Believed that since Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world, He would not be founding a kingdom physically on the earth
ii. Pre-millennialism
(1) Believe that a literal thousand-year time period wherein Satan is bound and Jesus rules on earth
(2) Christ will come at the beginning of the thousand years of peace
(3) Generally futurist--believe that Revelation 4--19 is about a seven year period called the Great Tribulation
(4) Historical pre-millennialism:
Þ Older and earlier; popularized by C. I. Scofield's Bible
Þ Believes that as time goes on before Christ returns, the Great Tribulation will occur
Þ At the end of the seven years, Christ will return and Christians on earth will be raptured
Þ Christians will suffer through the 7 years of tribulation
(5) Dispensational pre-millennialism
Þ Christians will be raptured to meet with Christ, out of the earth, absent for the seven years of the Great Tribulation
Þ Some believe a rapture will occur halfway through the tribulation
Þ All Christians will return with Jesus after the tribulation to rule with Him over the earth for the millennial reign
Þ Old Dispensationalism teaches:
Ź Six dispensations (or covenants) preceded Christ
Ź He came to bring the seventh (but the Jews rejected it, causing it to be postponed)
Ź The church age was instituted between the previous six and final dispensation
Þ New Dispensationalism:
Ź All people are saved through faith
Ź Still maintain a pre-tribulation rapture
iii. Amillennialism
(1) Believe there will be no literal thousand year reign; it is only a figure of speech representing the time between Christ's earthly life and His Return
(2) The seven year tribulation will be the battle of Armageddon
(3) Tend to be preterist--chapters 4--19 is about first-century persecuted Christians
Liberalism is indicated by a person's Christology, not their eschatology.
iv. Post-millennialism
(1) Believes that chapters 4--19 regarded to church history, identifying the papacy and the Catholic church were symbolized by the beast and the harlot (this view appeared in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation and is still held by some today)
2. Necessity of good exegesis
a. Do your best to understand John's intent and meaning, if you can find it. What does it look like John had in mind when he wrote this?
b. Let your exegesis include some study of apocalyptic literature of the first century; find a book that addresses this stuff
i. Understanding the apocalyptic literature of the time reveals some of the ciphers and codes the Jews used to pass messages undiscernable by Gentiles
ii. Many Bible dictionaries and other study aids contain some reference information, either on the literature itself or points to such sources
c. Look at O.T. apocalyptic literature specifically
i. Much apocalyptic literature is recorded in the book of Daniel
ii. John pulled much of his symbolism from the O.T.
d. Try to understand John's interpretation of his own visions, if He gives one
e. Let the visions serve as paragraphs as you read through the book
i. Some believe the seven broken seals are basically the same as the seven sounded trumpets, which in return are the same as the seven bowls of wrath
ii. Others believe the seals are tribulations that lead to even worse tribulations in the trumpets and ultimately the worst tribulations in the bowls of wrath
iii. Some still believe there is overlapping of each of these; that is, the last seal is broken to reveal the trumpets, the last of which sounds to reveal the bowls of wrath
iv. No one disagrees with the idea that the Lamb in chapter 5 is Jesus, but what do the seven eyes mean?
v. What are the 144,000 witnesses all about? Who are they? True believers of all ages? Jewish evangelists during the tribulation?
f. Be cautious about reading current events into the book of Revelation
i. This is not to say that revelation will not be revealed in our day, but it has happened before that assertions were made about Revelation that were not borne out to be true
ii. Many cults are developed based on improper, uneducated and unverifiable dates and interpretations of scripture
iii. These irresponsible interpretations often lead to disillusionment by those who once were subscribers to these misguided interpretations
3. The historical context--when did John live, and what was the culture like? Roman historians have written a great deal about this time
a. Domitian was emperor of Rome at this time; he expected emperor worship (impacting the preterist view)
b. Wescott and Hort believed that Nero's time was the setting for the book, and that the burning of Rome was the "fall of Babylon"
4. The Literary context--how literally do the visions connect to each other?
a. How does an individual "vision" in Revelation fit in with the whole series of visions of the whole book? We cannot pull out one vision without discussing those preceding and following it.
b. Try to keep in mind the book as a whole--Read the whole book as a unit occasionally
c. The theological key to the whole book is in chapter 12--if you don't understand the dragon as Satan seeking to destroy Christ and Christianity, you don't understand the book at all
5. Concluding suggestions
a. To the degree that you can, try to put yourself into the first century, and ask yourself:
i. How the original readers understand the book?
ii. What did it mean to the original readers?
iii. What did they do as a result of the book?
b. Keep in mind the overall lessons of the book
i. God is on His throne
ii. Christ is alive and reigning
iii. Christ is due to return as the victorious Lord
c. We must come to grips with the fact that God's people are going to have to endure suffering, persecution, opposition and martyrdom
d. Remember that the book teaches that it will all be worth it if we are faithful to Christ, and will see and know Him in the glory we will share with Him
e. Try to learn more about the different millennial views, and treat each one with respect. There is no reason these views should divide believers.
i. Be aware about what Jesus, Paul and the other N.T. authors had to say about the end times
ii. Be aware of Old Testament prophecies
F. Old Testament Narratives
¤ Introduction--the place/role of Narratives in the O.T.
o Almost all of Genesis is narrative; the first nineteen chapters of Exodus are narrative; Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, etc. is narrative
o How do we go the narrative with the expectation of drawing spiritual lessons from these sources without allegorizing?
o The most common type of genre
1. The nature of narrative literature
a. Basically story-form about people and events
b. The narratives do have a purpose--not to just entertain, but to show God at work
i. In creation
ii. In His world
iii. In working with His people
iv. We can see the reconciliation of these stories in the appearance of Christ and the church; they were not just "hero tales"
v. The entirety of the Bible is about salvation
2. Fee & Stuart suggest that there are three levels of narrative in the O.T.
a. Top level--"Salvation history;" the over-arching purpose of God as He works in creation to call out His people to redeem them, relate them to Himself, and to provide redemption for people, from one creation to another
b. Middle level--the focus on Israel as the chosen people for the coming of the Messiah to redeem all people
c. Bottom level--concentration on the small, individual narratives that comprise the larger views
3. What Narratives are not
a. Not simply "history of religion" stories--the study of these texts are merely academic, with no intention to apply it. If God is actively moving in history to reveal Himself, we must assume that these texts have relevance to us today.
b. Not allegories with secret or hidden meanings, unless the text indicates overtly that it is allegorical. There may be, however, morals in certain biblical account
c. May not always teach a biblical principle explicitly or directly, but may imply or illustrate one
d. Every narrative may not have a moral lesson about it
4. Guiding principles for the interpreting of narratives--look at bottom of page 83 and 84; a working knowledge of these principles will enable you to handle nearly all O.T. narratives
a. O.T. narratives usually do not directly teach a doctrine
b. Narratives often do illustrate a doctrine taught elsewhere in the Bible
c. Narratives record simply what happened, not necessarily what should have happened or ought to have happened
d. What people do in narratives is not always a good thing--the Bible is honest in admitting the moral shortcomings and failures of biblical characters
e. Most characters are far from perfect
f. We are often not told at the end of a narrative whether the results were good or bad
g. Not all narratives are selective or complete
h. Not written to answer all our theological questions
i. They may teach explicitly (clearly) or implicitly (not so clearly)
j. Ultimately, God is the over-arching Hero of any narrative
5. Common errors people commit when interpreting O.T. narratives (look at pages 91-3)
a. Allegorizing--not the same as principalizing, where we see moral principles at work but symbolism is not carried out
b. Decontextualizing--ignoring the historical context of the narrative and its author
c. Selectivity
d. False Combination
e. Redefinition
f. Extracanonical authority
g. Moralizing
h. Personalizing
G. The Law Literature
There is not as much Law material in the O.T. as there is narrative material, but there are four books with major collections (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy); much prophetic texts will refer back to the Law (Amos, Isaiah, etc.).
1. Christians and the Old Testament Law
a. Old Testament Law was God's covenant only with Israel at the time it had been written
b. The Old Testament is not our covenant, thought it is the word of God; ours is the New Covenant, made through Jesus Christ
c. Some things have not been renewed from the Old Covenant
i. Dietary laws
ii. Sacrificial laws
d. Some things have been renewed, and we are been by them--most of the Ten Commandments, for example
e. God's word to Israel is still His word, but not His direct command to us
f. Only that part of Old Testament law which is renewed by Christ and the New Testament writers are binding on us (since they are part of our covenant)
2. The Role of the Law in Israel and the Bible
a. Apodictic laws--concrete, indisputable commands, positive or negative; the easiest to identify (like the Ten Commandments)
b. Casuistic law--deciding in a particular circumstance what the judgment might be
3. Old Testament law and other ancient codes
a. The Code of Hammurabi (Babylonian)
i. Found in 1901 in Iran (ancient Persia)
ii. Some found to be strikingly like Mosaic Law
iii. 300-400 years older than Mosaic Law
iv. Interested in equity in justice, not exaggeration in revenge
b. No code of law found in Egypt
4. Old Testament benefits that brought to Ancient Israel--the Law was not given to Moses to bring salvation or provide "eternal life"
a. Food laws--in the past, and with climatic conditions that existed then, items like pork would be dangerous to eat; consequently, God forbade eating it to keep the Israelites from getting sick
b. Worship laws--some cooking prohibitions were written to address pagan practices involving the mixing of ingredients for worshipping false gods
5. Hermeneutical guidelines for interpreting law (pp.163-4 of Fee & Stuart)
a. Recognize the O.T. as God's inspired word, but not as God's direct command to you
b. Recognize it as the basis for the Old Covenant to Israel (the tutor [the Law] who brings the student to the Teacher [Christ]), but is not binding on Christians in the New Covenant except where specifically renewed
c. Recognize it as God's justice, love and high standards, but does not supersede God's mercy
d. Recognize that the law is not complete or comprehensive, but it is a paradigm that provides examples
e. Recognize that it won't be cited often by the prophets or New Testament, but the essence will be repeated and renewed in the New Testament
f. Recognize it as a gift to Israel to bring blessing when obeyed, but not as arbitrary, annoying regulations to limit freedom
H. The Prophets
Introduction--like today, many of the prophets were writing to a culture that was experiencing prosperity and becoming spiritually and morally lax
1. The Nature of Prophecy
a. The prophet is primarily a preacher for his day & age (this is called "forth-telling")
b. "Foretelling" is, of course, telling of events in the future
2. The Function of Prophecy
a. Covenant enforcement mediators--they stood on behalf of God before the people to remind them of the pre-existing covenant between them and God
b. The prophetic message was not these prophets' own personal message, it was God's message ("Thus saith the LordÉ" occurs a lot for this reason)
c. The prophetic message was not original with the prophets themselves-- they are simply providing material from God (in this sense, it was "unoriginal")
3. The Exegetical Task--how do we go about our challenge of exegesis?
a. Because of the distance of time, we should start with a Bible dictionary or commentary (the background is different, the thought process is different) to try to recreate the circumstances the author would have written in
b. Try to recreate the historical context--making sure we understand the location of the prophet and his book in the landscape of history
i. The larger historical context--the century in which the prophet lived
ii. The specific historical context--related to a given time frame
c. Identify the specific oracles (or sermons) and see them as a paragraph, or literary unit of thought--How long does this oracle last?
d. Identify the forms, or kinds of oracles
i. The lawsuit oracle--the idea that God, like an attorney, has gathered evidence of the wrongs done to indict the nation of Israel
ii. The woe--a warning in a "funereal" style
iii. The Promise, or Deliverance oracle--God seems to offer a promise to deliver or help them (be careful not to superimpose the New Testament's concept of salvation, or deliverance, on this O.T. term; it simply means rescue) conditioned upon their repentance
e. Understand that the prophets are free to use poetry, hyperbole, and other imaginational forms
4. Concluding Remarks
a. Remember that the prophets are not first of all simply predictors of future events
b. Do your best to understand the original meaning to the original audience
c. Watch for New Testament authors to see how they interpreted some of this prophetic literature
I. The Interpretation of Psalms
¤ Introduction--the word "psalm" means song, but they were also prayers; not all psalms were included in the book of Psalms; these were basically hymns
¤ The Psalms are not first of all intended to provide systematic theology; it is to express worship, adoration, or praise, and perhaps contain theology
1. Some Preliminary Observations
a. The psalms are poetry
b. They are usually set to music--most were actually sung poems performed in corporate worship
c. They are a special type of literature--worship literature
d. There are may different other kinds of psalms--some functional or occasional (performed at coronations, funerals, etc.)
2. The Use, or Function of Psalms
a. Primarily in corporate worship
b. Primarily public worship, though private worship was possible
c. They were biblical
3. The seven types of psalms (according to Fee & Stuart)
a. Psalms of lamentation--not to be confused the with the book of Lamentations (same genre); an outpouring of a broken heart
i. Often about an individual person
ii. Sometimes pertains to the lament of the nation
b. Psalms of thanksgiving
c. Psalms of praise--the opening and outpouring of the heart in praise
d. Psalms of salvation history--"Heilesgeshischte"--not pertaining to personal salvation experiences, but God's deliverance of the nation, of His people, and of the psalmist
e. Psalms of celebration and affirmation
i. like coronations (and anniversaries thereof), births, marriages; in the life of the psalmist or of the nation
ii. Sometimes called "songs of ascent," when pilgrims would sing upon their return to Jerusalem
f. Psalms of wisdom
i. Wisdom often being almost personified
ii. Wisdom is not necessarily a measure of intelligence, in the Western sense of the word; cherished more than knowledge or intelligence
iii. How to live your life in a way that honors God
g. Psalms of trust
i. In God in times of trials and dangers
ii. trust in God because of who He is, regardless of circumstances
4. An exegetical sampling--Stuart explains how to do exegesis with psalms on pages 197-201 (Psalms 3 & 138)
5. Imprecatory psalms--the most difficult to appreciate and understand
a. They express with honesty strong personal feelings--anger, hatred, frustration--in ways that may, in our culture, be offensive or overly confrontational (almost hostile with God)--be careful not to expect Christian ethics of people in the Old Testament who never lived on this side of the cross
b. Such honesty may be spiritually healthy because such feelings need to be expressed openly with God
6. Concluding remarks concerning the Psalms
a. Psalms can serve as a guide for worship--they are heavy in adoring and praising God
b. Psalms show us that we can be honest with God about our feelings, when they are both right and wrong (hypocrisy does not serve the interests of true religion)
c. Psalms can motivate and stimulate spiritual reflection and inspiration
J. Wisdom Literature--Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon--the wisdom literature of the Old Testament has a much wider spread than just in these books
1. The nature of wisdom literature
a. Definition of wisdom--the ability to make godly choices in life; choosing to do things that honor and please God and ultimately benefit my life
b. We can easily misuse and misinterpret wisdom literature
i. We might read one part but ignore the larger picture
ii. We might misunderstand the terms and categories. Sometimes wisdom is personified (as wisdom literature is often figurative).
iii. We might fail to follow its logic and arguments--in our Western way of thinking, we may lose subtleties in the fact that the language is not as precise or globally accurate as we would normally expect
c. Who are the truly wise, according to wisdom literature?
i. Not necessarily those with theoretical or abstract wisdom, but a personal and practical wisdom
ii. Pertains to making right choices in living life
iii. Responsible, successful living (successful in God's terms; living life so that God is pleased)
2. The teachers of wisdom--Dr. Kyle Yates suggests that Daniel is a wise man more than a prophet
3. Wisdom at home--Most children learned wisdom at home: other schools may have been involved, but teaching at home has been historically the preference
4. Wisdom among colleagues--a corporate body of knowledge formed by co- workers
a. Learning was an interchange of knowledge "in the marketplace"
b. Learning occurred through discussion and debate
5. Wisdom as expressed through poetry
a. In recent years translators have tried to indicate where poetry might be in use
b. Since early information must have been oral, it is logical to conclude that much of the knowledge retained were learned poetically (also story form)
c. The poet is allowed to be more figurative than the historian--hyperbole
6. The limits of wisdom literature
a. Does not cover all aspects of Jewish life
b. Is not heavy systematic theology
c. May not even be particularly religious; may be secular
7. The book of Ecclesiastes--actually a Greek word (ecclesia--"church")
a. Begins by talking bout the Teacher, or Proclaimer (probably Solomon)
b. It is about cynical wisdom
c. Key words and concepts--Meaninglessness of life
8. The book of Job--"Why do good people suffer?" (It is assumed that bad people deserve to suffer.)
a. If God is good, He will give good things to good people.
b. A good God can still give bad things to bad people (justice).
c. The book, however, is about when good things came to bad people, and bad things to good people
d. Part of the point is "Why does everything have to be perfect? Suffer that can't be understood will happen; it is a part of finite existence. It is better to learn to trust God now." (Sin causes some suffering, but not all.)
9. Proverbs
a. Definition--brief, wise sayings to help people make right choices for the right type of life
b. Concentrate on practical attitudes & habits (not just philosophical/theoretical sayings)
c. Often expose the follies of life (so some are negative)
d. Words of caution
i. Whenever there is a brief wise saying, it cannot always be precise at every point--must be counted as general statements, not universal ones
ii. They may be figurative, and thus more suggestive in the idea, rather than detailed and elaborate
iii. Always use common sense--there is the essence of truth in each proverb, but don't try to force it to mean more than it was meant to
10. Guiding hermeneutical principles
a. They (proverbs) are not legal guarantees that bind God, so don't be legalistic
b. Try to read proverbs by comparing them with other proverbs on the same subject (contextual principle)
c. Proverbs are worded so as to be easily remembered, but when you do this you often make them not quite as accurate as they would be otherwise
d. Proverbs are usually culturally-oriented
11. Song of Solomon/Song of Songs--the name is determined by the translation used
a. About human love, but because of the intimate nature it is uncomfortable to some, some views were cultivated
i. Some early Jewish scholars have interpreted it as God's love for the nation of Israel
ii. Early Christian scholars have interpreted it as Christ's love for the church
iii. The primary view is about an intellectual, moral, emotional, sexual relationship between a husband and wife
b. Guidelines to interpret the book
i. Monogamy--it magnifies a husband's love for his wife; this relationship alone is meant to exercise the god-like right from God to bring new life into the world
ii. Emphasizes fidelity within marriage
iii. Focuses on an unselfish love for the object of our love, not on love for selfish gratification