What is hermeneutics?
It is the science (principles within an ordered system) and art
(applications of the principles derived) of biblical interpretation.
In Greek mythology, Hermes (god of transitions – moving between the
mortal & divine worlds) was the divine messenger for the gods; Greek hermeneuo means interpret.
And they began
calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief
speaker. Ac 14:12 NASB
Exegesis: to draw out (the meaning) of the text
We can have an exegesis of
A word eg. “Take and eat; this is my body.” Mt 26:26b [doctrine of
transubstantiation]
A phrase or verse eg.
John 1:1
i A book, usually seen in
commentaries on the different books of the Bible
The opposite of exegesis is eisegesis.
Eisegesis: to draw in (the meaning based on one’s
subjective interpretation) of the text
Do we need
hermeneutics?
“The Bible is easy” but the apostle Peter tells us that some of Paul’s
writings are hard to understand, giving rise to distortion by people who were
ignorant.
He writes the same way in
all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some
things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort,
as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Pet
3:16 NIV
“The Bible is difficult” but the apostle Paul tells us that Timothy has
known the holy Scriptures since infancy due probably to the godly influence of
Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice:
I am reminded of your
sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother
Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2 Tim
1:5 NIV
Some guiding principles for Bible interpretation
(not exhaustive)
“It is the first business of an interpreter to let his
author say what he does, instead of attributing to him what we think he ought
to say.” John Calvin (French
theologian, principal figure in the development of Christian theology –
Calvinism – during the Protestant Reformation)
1.
Bridging the gap: between our minds and the
minds of the biblical writers.
† a. Time
gap: geographical, historical and cultural (material/social)
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together
with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of
Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!” Mk 10:46-47 NIV
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When
he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They
told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Lk 18:35-36 NIV
There are
scholars who love to find “problems” or “Bible contradictions” to “prove” that
it is not the word of God, but rather the mere work of men. The above is a case in point; in Mark’s
passage Jesus met the blind man Bartimaeus when He was leaving Jericho while in
the Luke’s passage, he was met when Jesus was approaching Jericho.
One
possible reconciliation of the two passages is to understand history and the
perspective of the gospel writers. It is probable that Mark (& Matthew) refer to the old
Jericho, the ruins of which have been discovered, while Luke alludes to the new
Roman Jericho. The two blind men were apparently sitting between the two towns
(Matthew mentions 2 blind men). This is an example of a historical gap that needs to be bridged.
† b. Language
gap: Ancient Hebrew, Ancient Chaldee and Koine Greek (Bible translations)
o
Vocabulary:
to understand a sentence, it is necessary to understand the words of which the
sentence is composed.
Same word but different meanings: 1 Pet 5:8 and Rev 5:5 (lion)
Same word in English but different Greek roots: eros, phileo, storgy,
agapeo (love)
Different words in English but same Greek word: kurios = sir
(13x), owner (1x), master (14x), lord (719x)
Meaning of word changed with time: “father” in Dan 5:2 is not
necessary a 1-generation relationship; word had several separate and distinct
usages; Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon, son of Nabonidus. Father encompasses grandfather or many
preceding generations relationship eg. Jesus is known as the son of David.
o
Grammar:
to understand a sentence it is not only necessary to have defined its words,
but also the part each word plays in the sentence.
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find, knock,
and it shall be opened to you.” Mt
7:7 NASB
The verbs used signify a commitment to a long term way of doing something
i.e. a command to keep on doing an action as one’s general habit or life-style.
o
Genre:
style of writing (historical, poetical, apocalyptical or prophetical) and
literary expressions (parables, allegories, metaphors, similes)
† c. Spiritual
gap: knowing the mind of God through the help of the Holy Spirit (need for
illumination)
2. The Context and Harmony Principles
“A Text
Taken out of Context Becomes a Pretext”
The context of any verse is not only the passage, but also the book,
the Testament and the whole Bible. The general emphasis of the OT is law; the emphasis of the
NT is grace. The dividing point between
the two Testaments is the cross. As a
general rule, the New is the interpreter of the Old.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in
God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become
conscious of our sin. … For
we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the
law. Rom 3:20, 28 NIV
There is no contradiction between the two texts quoted if we understand
the intended thrust of each book to the readers at that time.
In the letter to the Romans, Paul was writing to both Jews and
Gentiles, presenting the basic system of salvation to a church that had not
received the teaching of an apostle. As
he had other pressing needs to handle, Paul sent this letter ahead of his
intended visit to Rome as part of his mission to Spain. He shared with them how God’s righteousness
had been revealed through Christ, declaring that the basis of salvation
is through exercising one’s faith in Jesus Christ and not through observance of
the Jewish law. The general theme and
thrust for the book of Romans is therefore justification (made right) by faith
in Jesus Christ.
As for the book of James, James (brother of Jesus) wrote to predominantly
Jewish Christians (living outside Palestine) to highlight the ethical practice
of faith (doing good works; not law observance). He was correcting some for their intellectual
accent to faith without showing the fruits of a transformed life that ought to
be seen in loving actions towards others.
His emphasis was more on the outcomes of saving
faith. In fact, Paul also gave practical tips on how to live out their
Christian faith in Rom 12-15. The
general theme and thrust for the book of James is justification as evidenced by
good works.
Harmonise with Jn 1:12-13 and Eph 2:8-9
Finally, in terms of application, there is a need for balance between
- self-study and learning from others
Meanwhile a Jew
named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man,
with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He
had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and
taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila
heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God
more adequately. Ac 18:24-26 NIV
Tools: Commentaries,
concordances, dictionaries, study bibles, etc. are great helps but don’t over rely on one source; read and triangulate information from multiple sources.
- heart and mind knowledge
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts
burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures
to us?” Lk 24:32 NIV
Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and
perfect will. Rom 12:2 NIV
Head knowledge of God’s word must be
translated downwards toward heart knowledge; that’s the greatest distance
between the 2 human anatomies. The Bible
exhorts us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet
3:18 NIV
The best gospel is backed up by a transformed life.
