Hermeneutics

Introduction

- Welcome

- Housekeeping

There is a lot of confusion regarding understanding the Bible accurately.

The attitude: “I have my interpretation of the Bible. You have your interpretation.”

There is also the attitude (aka. A spiritual lethargy) that accurately understanding and studying the Bible takes too much time and effort.

Therefore, that attitude influenced many believers not to put in the energy to study the Bible, let alone just merely reading the Bible.

There is also a prideful attitude.

What I mean is that there is this attitude in Christians where they don’t study or read the Bible because they have a general (more likely a shallow) understanding of the Bible.

They may have read through it before so they know what it says without studying it.

They may be too familiarity with the story and presume to know the meaning behind it.

But, many Christians may struggle to understand the Bible accurately is because they don’t want to sound prideful and arrogant, thinking that they have the right interpretation when there are so many different interpretations of Scripture.

Why are there different interpretations of the Bible?

Why do Bible-believing Christians, who have a high view of Scripture, come to a different understanding of the same text, such as the book of Revelation?

In fact, because there are different interpretations of the Bible, some would question whether or not the Bible is clear at all.

In the Bibliology class taught by Brother Keon, you should already know about the doctrine of the perpescuity of Scripture.

To put it more simply: the clarity of Scripture.

Scripture is clear, but they’re not all equally clear because some passages are harder to understand.

But, just because some are harder to understand, it doesn’t mean it’s not clear.

It just means that we need to spend time studying the passage to understand the meaning.

God is not the God of confusion.

He is the One who inspired the Bible so that we can learn and understand it.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The fault or the problem is not in the text but in the interpreter.

It is because we use different principles and rules of bible interpretation.

Specifically, hermeneutical principles.

In this course, we want to use a hermeneutical principle that would aim to help us understand every single verse and chapter and book of the Bible most objectively.

Perhaps it is good to begin by talking about the goal of hermeneutics.

1. The Goal Of Hermeneutics

Why are you taking this course?

What is your goal?

What is your objective?

How do you want God to transform you after this course?

Right now, I want to give you five minutes to think about these questions: (ADD FIVE MINUTES)

What is your goal for taking this class?

Why are you doing this?

You need to have some strong reason for taking this course.

If you don’t, you may as well not take this class.

Or, you may just give up later.

My prayer for you is that you don’t just be a strong starter of this course, but a strong finisher.

The goal of hermeneutics is to understand the plain meaning of the text and live it out. By doing so, we know the Triune God and His will.

Hermeneutics seeks to eliminate (as much as possible) subjectivity in Bible interpretation.

It seeks to establish rules and principles for valid interpretation of the text.

“Because proper hermeneutics helps us understand God’s will, it is crucial to faithful application. Satan tries to convince Jesus to misapply Scriptures in one of the temptations…Satan did not interpret the text in view of the context of God’s promises…Since Satan misconstrued the intention of Psalm 91, the application of a bad interpretation could have had unfortunate - even deadly - results. Thus, since we desire to obey God’s will, we need to understand how to interpret the Scriptures, which reveal his will, correctly.” (Introduction To Biblical Interpretation by KBH)

Turn to 2 Timothy 2:15.

This is probably the most important verse regarding hermeneutics.

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

In the KJV, it says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Rightly dividing or handling literally means to “cut straight.”

The intended meaning is that Timothy would teach the Scriptures ACCURATELY with PRECISION.

I’m not sure how many of are engineers.

If you ever graduate from UBC Engineering program, you would receive this thing called “The Iron Ring.”

“The ring symbolizes the pride engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The ring serves as a reminder to the engineer and others of the engineer's obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct.”

Engineers are to treat their profession with utmost seriousness.

2 Timothy 2:15 really teaches us five lessons on the motivation for hermeneutics.

2. The Motivation For Hermeneutics

What should be the motivation for studying the Bible? Why should you study the Bible?

Precept - Imperative form

He says, “DO.”

This is in the imperative form.

This is not a suggestion.

This is not an option.

Studying the Bible is a commandment from God through the Apostle Paul.

Why is this such a serious task given to Timothy?

The context of 2 Timothy is that Timothy was dealing with false teachers in the church of Ephesus back in chapter 1.

Paul gives Timothy a series of exhortation and instruction in chapter 2.

He commands him in 2 Tim 2:1 to be strengthened.

He commands him to share in suffering (2 Tim 2:3)

He commands him to REMEMBER Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:8)

And he commands Timothy to remind the Ephesian congregation and the elders of the things that Paul said earlier in chapter 2.

He commands Timothy to oppose and correct false teaching in the church because it only ruins the hearers (2 Tim 2:14).

Here, Paul commands Timothy to STUDY the word and handle it accurately.

But, the commandment is not out of the vaccum.

It is not separated from the wider context.

The backdrop of this commandment is the false teachers who are bringing shame upon themselves for their false teachings.

2 Timothy 2:16–18 ESV

16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

Really, Paul is creating a contrast between those who handle the word and those who bring shame upon themselves by mishandling the word, and thus leading people into ungodliness.

I’m convinced that Paul’s commandment to Timothy is also a commandment to all believers because there is so much false teaching in the modern world.

Therefore, we need to be like the noble Bereans in Acts 17 where they examined the Word to see if what Paul taught were indeed so.

Because it’s a commandment from our God, that ought to motivate us to practice biblical hermeneutics.

Passion - Do your best

Person - to present yourself to God

Prove - as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed

Precision - rightly handling the word of truth

2. The Definition Of Hermeneutics

To understand the MEANING of the Bible.

The principles and rules of interpretation.

Is Hermeneutics In The Bible?

Some people may say “hermeneutics” is not found in the Bible.

Greek word: hermeneia.

Translation or Interpretation

1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:26 - the interpretation of tongues.

So, hermeneutics is a biblical term.

Interesting fact in Acts 14:10

Zeus spoke through Hermes.

3. The Necessity Of Hermeneutics

Why Do We Need Hermeneutics?

Why Some Christians Think They Don’t Need Hermeneutics

4. The Foundation Of Hermeneutics

You must have a biblical understanding of the Doctrine of Scripture as the foundation of interpreting the Bible.

a. The Authority of Scripture

b. The Inspiration of Scripture

c. The Inerrancy of Scripture

d. The Infallibility of Scripture

e. The Sufficiency of Scripture

f. The Unity of Scripture

g. The Clarity of Scripture

5. The Reason For Hermeneutics

a. You naturally interpret what you .

b. Christians have the to interpret Scripture.

6. The Prerequisites For Hermeneutics

a. Spiritual Regeneration

b. Spiritual Illumination

c. Personal Holiness

d. Consistent Discipline

e. Ceaseless Prayer

7. The Challenge Of Hermeneutics

1. Distance Of

2. Distance

3. Distance

4. Distance Of

5. The Indwelling

9. The “How” Of Hermeneutics

Biblical Hermeneutics is the of interpretation, and it addresses the method of interpreting what the Bible says and means.

Read 2 Timothy 2:15. How can we “rightly” handle the word of truth?

Exegesis vs. Eisegesis

Eisegesis means reading into the text. People interpret a passage based on a subjective and non-analytical reading. Interpreters inject their own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever they want it to mean without considering the context.

Exegesis means “reading the text to find out what is there, and to understand what the text is saying.” (D.A Carson)

Example: READ John 3:14. What does Jesus mean by “be lifted up?”

10. The Method Of Hermeneutics: Literal-Historical-Grammatical Interpretation

Literal- Historical-Grammatical is the method whereby the work of the interpreter seeks to understand and explain the authorial intent of Scripture as it is shown in the actual language used, understood in the historical context, and written to be understood in a natural sense.

interpretation - interpreting the text in a literal sense based on its normal use of language. It seeks for literal/normal interpretation unless the context indicates otherwise (e.g. poetry, apocalyptic/symbolic). It avoids the interpreter from interpreting the text allegorically.

interpretation - interpreting the background of the text in its historical and cultural context. It also seeks to understand circumstances of the writing - such as author, readers, time, purpose, place, and purpose - and they influence the meaning of the text.

interpretation - interpreting the language of the text. This involves understanding the meaning of the word, the function of the word in its context, how the author uses the tenses, and the relationship of words. Biblical authors sometimes speak in idioms, hyperbole and other literary devices. (NOTE: knowing the original language would be helpful, but thank God for softwares and tools)

Why should we use this method?

a. It seeks to understand the authors’ original intention of writing the text.

b. It seeks to understand how the original readers would have responded the text.

c. It seeks to understand the text in its original context and find appropriate principles and applications for the contemporary.

d. It accepts the Bible as what it is, and the interpreters are to understand what it says and means without trying to twist and manipulate the text (or explaining it away).

e. It forces us to honestly wrestle with the texts that are difficult to understand and/or accept (2 Peter 3:15-16).

f. It is the most rational and objective approach to understanding the text.

11. Bible Translation

Interpreters should read a Bible translation that is close to the original language as possible.

There are three philosophical approaches to Bible translation

1. - NASB, KJV, NKJV, ESV, CBS

2. - NIV, NLT,

3. - The Message

11. Steps For Hermeneutics

- See The Sheet

Homework (For March 16th)

1. Read The Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy and Hermeneuetics

2. Read Knowing Scripture (pp 15- 35)