Biblical Concept: A Biblical Hermeneutic
Hermeneutics is the science and art of Bible interpretation.
Science because Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek have grammatical rules. Bible
translations into native tongues have rules. Art, because application of rules and communicating to
an audience is art.
Context is king in Bible interpretation.
Perform your own contextual outline of the letter. Know when each topic starts and ends. Who is the
author? Who are the recipients? Why has the letter been written? What are the universal
spiritual truths? How do these truths apply in our day?
Biblical words have definitions.
What are the key vocabulary words in the letter? For example, in the letter to the Romans, righteous
vocabulary is found 66 times. Faith is found 65 times. Pretty strong hints regarding the contents of
this 16-chapter letter.
Biblical sentences have meaning.
In most human-to-human communication, sentences are how the communication is performed. Sure
there is nonverbal communication but that does not apply to Biblical Letters. Sentences are how an
author builds topic after topic. There might be a one sentence topic, but usually, sentence after
sentence is used to present the author’s point. Not identifying the contextual situation of a sentence
can lead to misinterpretation. (NAS 2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are
some things hard to understand, which
the untaught and unstable distort, as they
do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their
own destruction.)
Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Having trouble understanding a Bible verse? The previous context and post context will tell you the
meaning of the difficult verse. Not saying it will be easy. Especially when a verse goes against your
theology…
Divine inspired authors wrote letters to people groups (Jews, Hebrews, Israel), Biblical individuals
(Timothy, Titus, etc.), and Local
Churches (NAS Colossians 4:16 And when this letter is read among
you, have it also
read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.)
Use the best science to analyze the text. Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek, grammars, grammatical
commentaries, book commentaries, systematic theologies, etc. If this cannot be done, use a superior
literal translation like the New American Standard.
More about context:
NAS 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
“Handling
accurately” is the Koine Greek word ovrqotomou/nta
(orthotomounta), a present participle form of ovrqotome,w (orthotomeo). This is the only use of the word in the Greek
New Testament. Orthotomeo
is formed by combining the word orthos
(straight) with temno (to cut). Orthos alone
is found in Hebrews 12:13 where it is translated “make straight.” Orthos is
combined with podeo in Galatians 2:14 (ovrqopode,w) and the NASB has translated
it: “straightforward.” The Septuagint
uses orthotomeo in Proverbs 3:6 and
11:5 of “making straight paths.” Orthotomeo in the 2 Timothy 2:15 context means “to
cut straight the word of truth.” The
King James version translates it “rightly dividing the word of truth.” What does it mean to “cut straight the word
of truth”? In the first part of verse
15, straight cutting requires “diligent, approved, workmen, not need to be
ashamed.” To ‘cut the word of God
straight’ takes hard work. In 2:14, “not to wrangle about words” is
required. ‘Cutting the word straight’
requires not nit-picking about the details of a given passage. In 2:16, “avoid
worldly and empty chatter” is required. ‘Cutting the word of God straight’
requires focus on the word itself and application. If “straight cutting” is the
correct interpretation in 2 Timothy 2:15, compare Peter’s comment in 2 Peter
3:16 about the “untaught and unstable” ‘distorting the Scriptures.’ “Distorting” is the Greek word streblo,w (strebloo)
and literally means “twist, torture.”
“Cutting straight” versus “twist” makes a helpful hermeneutical
contrast. Interpreting the Bible
requires an objective approach rather than a manipulative approach. A literal
application for any Bible interpreter is to divide whatever passage is being
studied into contexts (“cut straight”).
I am reminded of this: “The principle of contextual interpretation is,
at least in theory, one of the few universally accepted hermeneutical
guidelines, even though the consistent application of the principle is a
notoriously difficult enterprise” (Silva, Biblical Words and Their Meaning:, p.
138).
Opinion: How the Bible interpreter
performs and presents context is personal.
However, I think contextual divisions should be presented as a very
important part of any Bible presentation.
Personally, when performing a verse-by-verse study or a categorical
study, I expend a tremendous amount of time establishing context. Perform your
own contextual outline of the letter at hand. “A text without a context becomes
a pretext for a proof text” (I am not sure where I read this?). Again: Context
is king in Bible interpretation. An
original Bible language scholar not having the context is inferior to an
English, French, German, Italian, etc., Bible reader who has the context.
When an Apostle wrote a Biblical letter to a group of people, it was a
sufficient self-contained communique.
The recipients did not have concordances to analyze various words and
how they were used in other letters, etc.
The Bible interpreter should first exhaust the contextual
universal truths from the passage being investigated. Parallel passages can be
very instructive and particular vocabulary words can lead to fruitful topical
investigation. I am reminded of Luke 24:27 “Then beginning with
Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning
Himself in all the Scriptures.” The resurrected Jesus gave an interpretive
explanation of certain Messianic Scriptures to a couple on the way to
Emmaus. This is an example of
categorical study, done by the Messiah about the Messiah. Note 24:44.
Cool, I love word
studies and all that they offer.
However; contextual outlines, word definitions, grammatical points,
recollection of previous pericopes, etc., should be exhausted before leaving
the letter at hand for other passages. As noted previously, the Colossians were
to collaborate with the Laodiceans in sharing and reading various Apostolic Letters. The Scriptural Cannon would be years from
completion. These letters are all they had at the time. (However, there were many different advantages
during their Apostolic Era.) It seems likely that they compared the contents of
the letters and learned many things.
In our portion of
the Church Age, technological advantages exist like no other time. I like to
use as many of these advantages as I can.
However, I exhaust the immediate contextual offerings of any given
passage before considering other passages.
Look for the universal spiritual truths in the
Scriptures. Stories are not needed to
find the truths. Stories
can assist in the application of the universal
spiritual truths, not in the interpretation.
Not forsaking my assembling:
I attend many a sermon and I concur with
Bernard Ramm from 1970: “The
preaching and pulpit
teaching in our
land is not as yet sufficiently guided by a sound hermeneutics” (Ramm, Protestant
Biblical
Interpretation, p.
x).
Conclusions:
The Bible itself teaches how to teach the Bible.
Biblical hermeneutics = grammar, history, context, literal
translation, categorical study, objective approach, and application of the
Bible.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
1 I solemnly charge you
in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the
dead, and by His
appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and
out of
season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time
will come when they
will not endure
sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will
accumulate for
themselves teachers
in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears
from the truth
and will turn aside
to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the
work of an
evangelist, fulfill
your ministry.
Hermeneutical
conclusion: The actual Word of God is what needs to be proclaimed. Bible
contexts, Bible sentences, Bible words, Bible grammar, not time
wasting stories.
2 Peter 3:16
as also in all his
letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to
understand, which
the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures, to their
own destruction.
Hermeneutical conclusion:
“Distort” is the Greek word streblo,w (strebloo) and has the
definitions of “twist, torture.”
Scripture twisting is not part of a sound hermeneutic. Interpreting the
Bible requires an objective approach rather than a manipulative approach.
2 Timothy 3:15
and that from childhood you have
known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom
that leads to
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Hermeneutical
conclusion: As the Bible is being interpreted, the special spiritual intent
(“sacred writings”) must be considered.
The “sacred writings” of the Bible have the goal of providing “wisdom.” The application of Scripture is the
goal of hermeneutics.
2 Peter 3:18
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the
glory, both
now and to the day of eternity.
Amen.
Hermeneutical
conclusion: Hermeneutics leads to growth, grace, knowledge, and God’s glory.
The goal of hermeneutics is God’s Glory.