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Hermeneutics – What is that animal and can we eat it? Hahahha fo sure!

To interpret scripture correctly one must:

·         Study the context of the passage and the theme of the book.

·         Look up the actual meaning of each word in the original languages. (Not really necessary, but extremely helpful for those with a desire to go beyond the surface. I would say look up key words in the verses.)

·         Note the verb tenses, the cases, and other grammatical determinants.

·         Learn the cultural setting of the passage.

·         Determine what the original readers understood it to mean.

·         Check out cross-references to see how the words are used in other contexts.

·         See how the first mention of the word or topic is presented in the Bible.

·         Confirm an interpretation with two or three similar passages.

 

I got the above list from: http://billgothard.com/teaching/hermeneutics the article is well done and I highly recommend everyone reads it.

 

I will share a bit more to get your taste buds wet:

 

These are all proven study methods. However, it has always puzzled me how Bible scholars who claim to follow all of them arrive at totally opposite interpretations of the same passage. For example, in a seminary in the Northwest, two professors wrote on the topic of divorce and remarriage. Each one assured his readers that he was following sound rules of Biblical interpretation. Yet, each one arrived at a view that was opposite of the other. One day, I called up my former Greek professor at Wheaton Graduate School. He had written on the subject of hermeneutics, and I asked him if he could summarize the rules of hermeneutics in a concise list. His answer startled me. He said, “Bill, there is no such list.” I asked how we would know if we are breaking hermeneutical rules if there are no rules. He explained that there are certainly guidelines of interpretation. However, they cannot be confined to one set of rules.

So, what are the additional factors of correct Biblical hermeneutics?

 

1. Spiritual Perception Over Intellectual Understanding

2. God’s Revelation Over Human Reasoning

3. Genuine Love Rather Than Justification of Selfishness

4. Christ’s Commands Over Man’s Theology

5. One Interpretation and Many Applications

6. Correct Divisions of Truth Versus Truth Out of Balance

 

The writer goes on to give detail information about each of the above – enjoy! Proper hermeneutics requires diligent use of all the above factors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The writer of the article concludes with the preceding statement and I say a big – Amen. 

 

Is Hermeneutics  necessary? or it is just a bunch of munbo jumbo by people who think they are intellectual and who complicate matters?

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 9, 2011 at 1:18pm

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: hermeneutics

Study of the general principles of biblical interpretation. Its primary purpose is to discover the truths and values of the Bible, which is seen as a receptacle of divine revelation. Rules of biblical exegesis. 

James 3:1 New International Version (©1984)
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

 

Religion, the fear of God, must therefore be the element which inspires and animates all theological investigation. That must be the pulsebeat of the science. A theologian is a person who makes bold to speak about God because he speaks out of God and through God.
To profess theology is to do holy work. It is a priestly ministration in the house of the Lord. It is itself a service of worship, a consecration of mind and heart to the honour of His name. 

From Bavinck's Inaugural Address as Professor of Systematic Theology in the Free University of Amsterdam.

 

The Religion Book: Hermeneutics 
Hermeneutics is the art and science of biblical interpretation. It is art because it calls for nuance and craft; science because it demands technique and skill. There are accepted academic rules to follow that protect students from falling into the subjective trap of saying, "It seems to me.…"
Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 16, 2011 at 5:12pm
Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 16, 2011 at 5:51pm
What about those among us who say - I go with just sticking with the bible.

I am in total agreement with "stick to the bible". But Unless we have never gone to a church or fellowship with other believers we will never be confronted with various interpretations of the same verses we have concluded to mean something else. Most pastors, elders have a "philosophy" of how to interpret the bible, i.e. hermeneutics. Pastors and teachers will hardly ever mention this topic, but they certainly fall into one of the main theological schools of thought or be a combination of the two. It is important to be aware of those schools of thought, at least in the most basic forms to gauge if what we are being taught actually aligns correctly with scripture. Each of them "sticks to the bible" but their presuppositions as to what rules to use to interpret it, leads them to radically different conclusions. It is our God given task to rightly divide the word of truth. It is good to know how to study the bible, which rules we use for reading it. We often ask why there are so many different denominations and interpretations of a passage. One of the main reasons is because the majority of the family finds topics that deal with how we interpret the bible correctly unnecessary. The Rules of Hermeneutics (the system) whether we realize it or not describe the methods people who claim, we stick to the bible only, actually use through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but there is always things we can learn. The teachers, theologians and scholars the Lord has blessed us with simply place those methods in systems that we can actually understand.

My first three years were strictly bible only (ohhh how I thank God for the foundation that was built in me because of it), because the circumstances surrounding God’s calling in my life, I started to teach and preach very quickly and I would at times go back to the brothers and tell them that as I kept on reading I realized I had misinterpret something’s and would rectified my previous statements. I also was led to preach by the Spirit in a certain way. When I went to a bible instituted and then to a seminary I was amazed that the way (the class that teaches how to preach -Homiletics) the Spirit had guided me to construct my sermons was exactly how the school was teaching how to effectible do so. I was amazed how God had guided me. I also realized the beauty of having brothers before us who placed systems in place to teach others. Hermeneutics teaches us how many among our family approach scripture and as we study hermeneutics we see as well how we ourselves do it and that helps us to understand if we are doing it correctly. Many who claim bible only are misinterpreting scripture, but don't have a teachable spirit and find no worth on topics GOD has blessed some among us to expand on for the edifying of the body. I say these things  not to blow my own horn or anything silly like that, but because our abundant life depends on the truth of our Lord and King.

Beloved family we should be passionate about God’s word, the truth, WE SHOULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT KNOWING HIM MORE. These topics help us know Him more, so we study them out. God is not against these things, He has blessed us with wonderful teachers and we understand that the ultimate authority is His word and the teacher of teachers is the Holy Spirit, but we should not fail to also partake of the tools that we have available to us through Christ.

I wish every Christian would by books like - Knowing Scripture from RC Sproul - they can only enhance our understanding of scriptures. Some in our family find it a worthless effort and that breaks my heart when there is some really excellent material out there that can enhance our personal bible study.

The description of the book I mention is the following: R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. He lays the groundwork by discussing why we should study the Bible and how our own personal study relates to interpretation. Then he presents in simple, basic terms the science of interpretation and gives practical guidelines for applying this science. Here is a basic book for both beginning Bible readers and those who have been at it for a long time.
Permalink Reply by Leonard T on January 16, 2011 at 8:00pm

David,

 

Heremeneutics is fundemental and essential. There are several other points that cause division or at least varied views of Scripture.

 

1. Allegoric vs. literal

2. Liberal vs. fundemental

3. Exegesis vs Eisegesis

 

I find that when one is speaking to a person who approaches Scripture from one of the opposing views it is as if we speak a different language.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on January 17, 2011 at 7:55am

Rick,

 

I am a pretty black and white guy. I have no idea regarding what you just said, thus I have no response at this time :-)

 

Lord Bless,

LT

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on January 17, 2011 at 7:50am

Robin,

 

In addition to what David has said I will post my simple thoughts on the subject.

 

Yes. That is part of the point of my listing the three pairs I listed above. A simple view of eisegesis and exegesis is as follows:

 

Eisegesis attempts to read into the text what the reader wants it to say.

Exegesis attempts to extract what God meant.

 

So, yes, eisegesis is outside the boundaries of hermeneutics and is a dangerous way of interpreting Scripture, for the reader gets what they want out of it instead of what God said. 

 

Lord Bless,

LT

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 17, 2011 at 1:43am

Great question sis Robbin,

 

What Is Eisegesis ?

 

Eisegesis [ < Greek eis- (into) + hègeisthai (to lead). (See 'exegesis'.)]

Eisegesis is what's being done when someone interprets the Bible according to notions that were born outside of the Bible. It's when we read stuff into Scripture. To some extent, eisegesis is unavoidable. We don't come to the Bible with a blank slate. If we really bring our whole selves to the study of the Bible, all that stuff in us will have an impact on how we learn from the Bible. Here's where prayerful obedience and discipline come in, for the Spirit rewards hard work and prayer. The hard work uncovers what the Bible is telling us, and the obedience sets aside the ideas we cherish so that we may take on the truth of the Bible. The same living and learning that would have made us do an eisegesis of the text instead becomes the raw material for re-visioning our lives and thoughts as the truth renews our mind (hermeneutics) in the light of what the Spirit reveals in Scripture (exegesis).

 

What Is Exegesis ?

 

Exegesis [ < Greek exègeisthai (to interpret) i>ex- (out) + hègeisthai (to lead). Related to English 'seek'.]

To interpret a text by way of thorough analysis of its content. In its most basic Bible-relevant meaning, exegesis means finding out what the Spirit originally was saying in the Bible passage through its author.

Exegesis is what comes out of the Bible, as against what gets read into it. (Of course, the ways we use to find out from the Bible are often merely ways to put something into it 'between the lines'. That's really eisegesis in a Halloween costume.) In a more theological setting, exegesis means what comes from the use of certain methods of studying the Bible. Just about every imaginable method already has a name, and there are all sorts of mixes, but the main types are :

  • historical (using the form, word choices, editing work, historical context, main themes, and so on, to find what it meant back when it was written or when it happened),
  • canonical (treating the Bible as an whole document designed to be what a specific community lives by),
  • symbolic/allegorical (figuring out what each character and event represents),
  • rational (thinking it through using logic and deductive technique).

Most Bible students use most of the methods in their own way at some time, even if they don't think they do. All of them are often helpful, sometimes not at all helpful, and occasionally downright deceptive. It's best to see all methods as tools for the Bible student to use prayerfully, rather than as rules to follow. There are many angles and facets to most passages of Scripture, and the different methods can help you get at more of them.

 

If you aren't doing some kind of exegesis, you are not finding out what the writings themselves are saying. But what good is knowing eternal truth if it doesn't matter to you? Thus, exegesis is just one important step in studying the Bible; there also needs to be hermeneutics (see below).

 

Yes sis Eisegesis is not something we want to practice though it’s done unconsciously and being aware of such a tendency we should be on guard we don't allow our presuppositions, notions, biases, etc to determine what a passage is saying but context and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit who has promise to lead us to all truth.

 

"Exegesis...is an act of love. It means loving the one who speaks the words enough to want to get the words right. It is respecting the words enough to use every means we have to get the words right. Exegesis is loving God enough to stop and listen carefully." -- Eugene Peterson, in *Theology Today*, April 1999, p.10  

 

Thank you for asking and blessings and love to you.

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 17, 2011 at 3:28am

WHAT IS EXEGESIS?
29 July 2006

Defining Terms

  1. Exegesis ("reading out of a text") is the process of uncovering the literal meaning of a text, i.e., what that text meant to the original, historical audience.
    1. The historical meaning is the literal meaning.
    2. Any reliable interpretation of a text must begin from this historical, literal meaning.
    3. Hence, it must begin with exegesis.
  2. "Reading" a text without consideration of its historical meaning results in "eisegesis," i.e., reading into the text.
    1. "Reading" a text a-historically means the reader gets whatever meaning he/she imposes upon the text.
    2. Imposed readings are manifold, including spiritual readings, historicist readings, literalistic readings, symbolic readings. None of these are readings of the text. They are readings of the reader.

Purpose

  1. The primary purpose of an exegetical paper is to demonstrate an understanding of the primary text through discussion of one of the main segments (one pericope), or through discussion of one of the major themes which have been presented in the text.
  2. The paper is to concentrate on the text itself, rather than upon secondary sources or modern issues which are comparable to the ones discussed in the text. Secondary sources may help you better to understand the issues involved, and modern issues may help you to realize the importance of the author's discussion; but the paper is to concentrate on the text itself.

Task of Exegesis

  1. The task of exegesis means carefully looking at passages from as many angles as possible, including asking any pertinent questions that will help determine their meanings
  2. See the following resources for specific suggestions
    1. Beginning N.T. exegesis
    2. Beginning O.T. exegesis
    3. N.T. Synoptic analysis
    4. O.T. Source analysis
    5. Suggested questions for N.T. exegesis
    6. Suggested questions for O.T. exegesis

Exegetical Research

  1. The first step in exegesis is establishing the text by determining the length of the pericope. The beginning and ending must be established with care otherwise you can lose the author's original meaning.
  2. The second step includes determining the original wording as best you can. In order to get back to the original text, one must examine all the evidence that would most likely give the original wording. To do this one must ask "What wording would account for the history of the text?" In the New Testament, establishing the text relies on comparison of Greek manuscripts. Textual Criticism involves giving the best judgment about the original wording.
  3. Translation: Changing a text into language that is familiar to the audience without changing its meaning or effectiveness. You want to be able to say that the translated text conveys the same thing to the mind as does the original text.
  4. The historical context helps us to get a clearer sense of meaning and some general knowledge of the time. We need to know the historical background. Things that happened before the text and things that are written in it are also important. We need to know what things went on then in order to understand what they were saying. We also need to figure out the date for the text. We can see the other events and passages that relate to it.
  5. Literary Context: -Establish the Relationship between your passage and the entire book in which it is found. Look at what comes before and after your passage. The meaning of a passage derives in part from its position in the overall text. Meaning depends upon what the readers already know and what they will find out.
  6. Genre & Form Analysis: There are eight major genres in the Bible: law, historical narrative, gospel, illustrative narrative, wisdom, prophecy, hymnody and epistle. These genres can be written in either prose or poetry. Once you know the genre of the book, you can then determine the form of the smaller unit (your pericope), such as a law. This form can be further broken down into a subtype such as apodictic or unconditional law. Identifying the subtype of your pericope aids in making comparisons to other passages while also showing how it is unique. By identifying the form of the passage, you get a clue of the "life setting." Then one can adapt the passage for new purposes and situations. It is important to pay attention to the characteristic features of a form to analyze it completely. Form analysis should be used to make comparisons with similar forms, not to date passages or evaluate their historicity.
  7. Structure:
    1. Analyzing the structure of the text is a distinct step in exegesis that allows you to pick out the important information in a text so it is easier to comprehend. Structure is a guide to the logic of the piece of writing you are reading.
    2. Steps in Analyzing Structure
      1. Outlining the passage: The pattern of the outline must match the rhythm of the information of the piece to help the reader follow the information Use the major points to list the information in steps When constructing the outline, the volume and significance of the material are important
      2. Pattern Analysis: Any passage will be made up of certain key features: transitions, parallelisms, unique forms of phrase, etc.
      3. Arrangement: It is easier to move from largest to smallest units of information -- identify what is important
      4. Minor Patterns: Minor details may be irrelevant; they sometimes are added to help the story along. Focus on important info.
      5. Poetic/Structural Patterns: The poem form and content must be related. It helps organize the information in a different way
  8. Grammar:  Since grammar is the logical substance of language, a correct understanding of grammar is essential in understanding the passage. The reader must analyze the grammar to determine if there are errors in the text. Since the OT was written over such a long period of time, analysis of the terms and grammar is a key in finding the date of the passage. Sometimes the grammar and words of the Hebrew language represent ancient preserved traditions. Others show centuries of copying accidents. In the NT, failure to appreciate the simple grammar and Greek words may cause a significant mis-understanding
  9. Lexical analysis: finging out the meaning of the key words and terms in your passage
    1. Identify the audience and unknown words
    2. Focus on terminology of the original language
    3. Conduct a word study in which all meanings of a word/term are considered
    4. Decide which meaning applies
    5. Naïve approaches to defining words are still widespread.
    6. Take the meaning in its context
  10. Synthesis: After examining the various meanings of the parts of a passage, the Bible scholar seeking to reproduce the original author's intent must see the individual pieces as parts of a greater whole, as a microscope would zoom out to see the larger picture of a specimen. Connections can be drawn between recurring themes within the passage, entire book, or the Bible overall. Vaguer connections between parts of scripture re still valuable in finding a broad notion of the original message. Finally, the passage can be scaled as either very important or less important to understanding the overall message of the Bible. Does the Bible's character hinge on this passage, or is it just a "side issue."
  11. Theology: Continuous study of the Bible's truth. Concerned with how the passage relates to understanding God and other issues. Each passage, while clarifying some things, also raises complications; these must be evaluated. Any passage of scripture has some contribution to make to theology, some are easily identified and others not. Must be careful in explaining the contribution.
  12. Secondary Literature: To get the historical meaning, it is necessary to consult many kinds of books and articles. It is important to use the Bible itself, not just secondary sources. But, it helps to see what others have written, to test your interpretation of the text. One should keep revising previous conclusions. It is more credible to use secondary sources that show extensive research and that have a large following. Nevertheless, one must review the literature as thoroughly as possible and be informed accordingly.

http://www.jcu.edu/Bible/academicexcellence/Exegesis/WhatIsExegesis...

Permalink Reply by Michael Vernon McEntire on January 17, 2011 at 9:41am
Wow, this conversation has waxed very esoteric, and perhaps not very profitably so.  I guess it's alright for a diversion, an entertainment, but I hope that doesn't cause the less erudite members of our community to feel excluded.  I can be somewhat of a wet blanket, so please forgive me if I'm being one here, but I think that hermeneutics is a hobby that can be afforded only by those who don't need to labor for their daily bread.  I like to lighten serious work, including serious thought, with some humor (like honey on my oatmeal), so I really enjoyed the light-hearted remarks about a food fight.  Nevertheless, using the analogy, a food fight is something that can only be afforded by those who already have too much food.  I think that weighty discussions about the various possible interpretations of obscure passages of Scripture can be very much like a food fight.  I hope that the necessary daily bread doesn't get wasted in the (entertaining) mess.  I see a lot of food fights in All About God, and I see members of the Body getting their feelings hurt when they catch some pees and mashed potatoes in the eye.  I hope they get over it quickly, and I hope we never again come to a time when anyone in the Body catches any really serious persecution (in any of the really serious forms it can take) over a difference in hermeneutics.  I wish that the children of the LORD did not think that each generation had to interpret the Bible all over again for itself.  I have two thousand years of Church Tradition to do nearly all of the work for me, and I find that the very oldest parts, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers and Early Church Fathers, to be the very best because they tackled (cooked) just the most basic parts of the meal for me. 
Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 17, 2011 at 3:14pm

>>I can be somewhat of a wet blanket, so please forgive me if I'm being one here, but I think that hermeneutics is a hobby that can be afforded only by those who don't need to labor for their daily bread. 

 

Michael - I love you but you are killing me here hahaahaha Naw, as always you bring up and excellent point and grant me the ability/opportunity to speak on yet another angle of this discussion. Thank you beloved. God will lead us to all truth, that is a fact and these principals and disciplines are not to replace our seeking the Holy Spirit's enlightenment.

 

>>Nevertheless, using the analogy, a food fight is something that can only be afforded by those who already have too much food.

 

You are too much old friend hahaha I am so glad you are among us. Excellent example you all of why we need the body. We all make up a wonderful bunch of trail mix. 

 

Family Michael's post is a gem in the mine of thoughts and Godliness. I am in 100% percent agreement with this saint and encourage you to deal with this issue according to where God leads you.

 

I love you all very much, you are my family and nothing can change that. 

 

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

 

The word of God here does not tell us if you lack wisdom consult your hermeneutics book hahahah yet Hermeneutics can bless you if you have a firm foundation in Christ. 

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on January 17, 2011 at 4:51pm

David,

 

In my opinion something that will help in this discussion is if we recognize the difference between reading our Bibles daily and studying the Word of God. There is much to be learned through our daily reading, but studying the Bible goes deeper and requires using Scripture to interpret Scripture and principles for accurately interpreting the Word as God intended (exegesis).

 

Thus, hermeneutics does not negate the need for daily Bible reading, but presents the principles for accurately digging deeper. I would be concerned if a teacher simply read the text and tried to teach on that text without actually studying the text (context, original words, word usage, intended audience, cultural relevance, etc).

 

Lord Bless,
LT

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 20, 2011 at 11:41pm
I had missed this post LT and it is a good one my brother. Great way of saying a lot of truth succinctly. I wish I had that skill.

 

Love and blessings to you.

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