|
|
|
|
Hermeneutics Part 1 The Need For The Study of Hermeneutics 1. Sin darkened the understanding of man, and still exercises a negative influence on his conscious mental life. 2. Men differ from one another in many ways that naturally cause them to drift apart mentally. They differ, for instance:
Importance of Hermeneutics The importance of hermeneutics lies in its capacity to provide a standardized approach to interpretation of written materials. It would be disastrous for each person who reads any written material to adopt his or her own method of interpreting that material. The importance of hermeneutics is made valid in the following ways: 1. Only the intelligent study of the Bible will furnish students with the material which they need for the construction of their theology. 2. Every sermon preached ought to rest on a solid exegetical foundation. 3. In instructing the young people of the church, and in family visitation, students are often called upon, unexpectedly, to interpret passages of Scripture. 4. It will be a part of the student’s duty to defend the truth over against the assaults of higher criticism.
History of Hermeneutics Definition: Hermeneutics is the science that teaches us the principles, laws, and methods of interpretation. Exegesis is the art of explaining the results of the hermeneutist. Hermeneutics attempts to discover the original meaning of the original author, while exegesis attempts to explain the original meaning of the original author to contemporary hearers in terms that will be relevant for them in their era and culture. General Hermeneutics: Applies to all kinds of writings whether secular or religious. Everything that is written must be interpreted. Some written materials lend themselves to interpretation quite easily, while other materials require considerable thought and effort to be interpreted. Special Hermeneutics: Applies to definite kinds of literary works, such as, laws, history, prophecy, poetry. Hermeneutica Sacra: Deals with the Bible as the inspired word of God. In the study of the Bible, it is not sufficient that we understand the meaning of the secondary authors (Moses, Isaiah, Paul, John, etc.); we must learn to know the mind of the Spirit. A history of hermeneutical principles seeks to answer three questions: 1. What was the prevailing view respecting the Scriptures? 2. What was the prevalent conception of the method of interpretation? 3. What qualifications were regarded as essential in an interpreter of the Bible? The Three Fold Approach of Hermeneutics Though not infinite in its scope, biblical hermeneutics extends to three areas:
The Jewish Community One of the greatest interpreters of scripture was Hillel. He left us seven rules of interpretation by which, at least in appearance, the oral tradition could be deduced from the data of the Written Law. These rules, in their briefest form, are as follows:
The Proper Conception of The Bible, or The Object of Hermeneutica Sacra The Inspiration of The Bible Any theory of interpretation which discounts the inspiration of the Bible is fundamentally deficient, and will not be conducive to our understanding of the Bible as the word of God. But the claim that the Bible is inspired is not sufficiently definite. By inspiration we understand that the supernatural influence exerted on the sacred writers by the Holy Spirit, by virtue of this influence their writings are given divine truthfulness, and constitute an infallible and sufficient rule of faith and practice. Unity And Diversity in The Bible The various books of the Bible constitute an organic unity. The word “organic” should be stressed because this unity is not a mechanical one, consisting of different parts which were prepared for their correlation, like the parts of a watch, and finally collected into one volume. The Bible was not made, but grew, and the composition of its several books marks the stages of its progressive development. The different parts of it are mutually dependent, and are all together subservient to the organism as a whole. The progressive character of God’s revelation is also an effective proof of its unity. The Unity of The Sense of Scripture It cannot be overstated that Scripture has only one sense, and is, therefore, susceptible to a scientific and logical investigation. This foundational principle must be placed emphatically in the foreground, in opposition to the tendency, revealed in history and persisting in some circles even up to the present time, to accept a manifold sense of Scripture, - a tendency which makes any science of hermeneutics impossible, and opens the door wide for all kinds of arbitrary interpretations. The delusion of a multiple sense originated largely in a misunderstanding of some of the important features of Scripture, such as its figurative language, its mysterious and incomprehensible elements, its symbolical facts, rites, and actions, its prophecies with a double or triple fulfillment, and its types of coming realities. It is a settled principle among men that a man of unswerving veracity will habitually express himself in unequivocal terms. And if a really truthful man would not consciously resort to the use of ambiguous language, then certainly God, who is the absolute truth, cannot have given us a revelation that is either designed or destined to mislead. God reveals his will and the way of salvation to men, in order to glorify himself in the redemption of sinners. It is utterly inconceivable that he should provide man with a dubious revelation, since this would defeat the very purpose which he sought to realize. There must be a compatibility between the revelation of the Logos in the mind of man and his revelation in nature and in Scripture. All revelation, in order to be understood, must be rational. It would be the height of inconsistency to think that God had revealed himself in a reasonable manner in nature, but not in Scripture, which is said to be his most perfect revelation. It would mean that the truth of the Bible could not be investigated by logical methods, nor intellectually comprehended. The logic of the human mind is naturally reflected in the language that is used by man. It is absolutely foreign to the character of this language that a word would have two, three, or even more significations in the same connection. If this were not so, all communication among men would be utterly impossible. The distinction should also be kept in mind between the proper sense of a passage and the different ways in which it may be applied. If the question be asked whether it is permissible to speak of a deeper sense of Scripture (huponoia), an affirmative answer may be given. But we must be careful not to misunderstand why this is allowed. When properly understood, the deeper sense of the Bible does not constitute a second sense. It is, in all cases, based on the literal, and is the proper sense of Scripture. The real meaning of Scripture does not always lie on the surface. Many of the Old Testament types pointed ultimately to New Testament realities; many prophecies found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, no matter how often they had obtained partial fulfillment. These considerations lead us to what may be called the deeper sense of Scripture. The Exegetical Standpoint of The Interpreter While it is true that the interpreter must be free in his labors, he should not confuse his freedom with licentiousness. He is indeed free from all external restrictions and authority, but he is not free from the laws inherent in the object of his interpretation. In all his expositions, he is bound by that which is written, and has no LEFT to ascribe his thoughts to the authors. |
|
|
