PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

APTITUDE – Interpretive Principles – How to Let the Bible Explain Itself – When Studying Difficult Passages

1. The word of God is inspired and does not contradict. Conflicts due to circumstances, culture, and incomplete information on our part. Conflicts also occur when we pit one text against another. Also (and this will be discussed more in detail), conflicts occur due to higher and lower laws, or as Jesus phrased, “weightier matters” (Matthew 23:23). Neither is to be neglected.
2. Due to inspiration, writers do not “grow” into or give into pressure in their writings resulting in contradictions (e. Christian Paul vs Rabbinic Paul). Understanding prophecies by inspiration is an exception as to how writers grew (Acts 10).
3. If God desires to communicate, and can communicate, then it is possible to understand what God means. If not, the issue is us, and not scripture. Objectivity is more difficult than we realize.
4. Because it is beyond the scope of this discussion, we accept the traditional views on the canon and writers (i.e. Paul did write 1 Timothy and all of 1 Corinthians).
5. Difficult texts should be explained by simple texts and not vice versa (although what is considered difficult is sometimes subjective because the plain meaning is rejected and unwanted). No text should be dismissed because it is more difficult.
6. A text must be treated within its full pericope (full coherent thought). Immediate context and book should be considered before parallel passages since writers use same words or phrases with different intents. Every passage and its context provide everything needed for the original hearers to understand the passage. An exception is prophecy. The point is the original readers were supposed to be able to understand what was written to them, as are we.
7. A text cannot mean to us what it never meant to the original author and audience. This is the principle of share-ability: An interpretation that the author and reader can share. Do not introduce anything into the text the writer and reader wouldn’t be aware of and couldn’t share. (Caveat: if OT prophecies to have multiple/Christological fulfillments, there are meanings intended by the divine Author that readers, and possibly writers, may not have understood.
8. Translations should be compared in case of interpretation by translators (i.e. Gen.3:16)
9. The literary form of a passage must be understood if it is to be adequately interpreted. This will not be much of an issue in this discussion.
10. Cultural and historical backgrounds must be considered because it helps separate continual vs cultural forms of obedience.
11. We must admit our own biases due to our own cultures and strive to overcome.
12. The Bible is over all consistent, but there are exceptions to rules which must be explained and understood within the overall teaching.
13. If a text does not make sense to you: 1) that does not mean you are not understanding and therefore should discard it; 2) it possibly means it might be the key to changing your understanding of other texts; 3) regardless, it does mean continue to study it until you see God’s point.
14. Deeper truths (sensori plenior – fuller sense) do not contradict surface truths, although they add much to them (this is particularly true of OT passages).
15. Guard against “hermeneutical ventriloquism” where we make the Bible say what we want by forcing our agenda into texts void of what we want it to say.
16. Interpreting texts through a pre-conceived theology is dangerous, common, and yet necessary. That is why it is necessary to always check our theological lens.
17. Applications (encoding, what it means) are more complicated than interpretation (decoding, what it meant). “Judging righteously” (John 7:24) involves understanding not everything is as simple as it first appears.
18. Culture will play a role in application, but we must avoid the danger of culture redefining truth.

A simpler list is by Tolbert Fanning on Rules for Studying the Bible (Kyle Frank, A Life Richly Lived, published by Bradley Cobb, pp 270-285):

1. We must be satisfied, before we can read the Scriptures understandingly, or profitably, that our kind Father intended them for his erring creatures of earth.
2. In reading the Bible, the study of words is not to be disregarded.
3. We should read, not to prove a system, but to learn the truth.
4. We should read the Bible with the idea that God is his own interpreter and He has made it plain.
5. The different portions of the Scriptures should be read with direct reference to their legitimate connections.
6. In reading, attention should be given to the character of the persons addressed.
7. The proper division of the Bible, should be constantly before the mind of the reader.

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This entry was posted by PHall on Monday, December 3rd, 2018 at 9:08 am and is filed under Hermeneutics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.