Chapter 1 - The what & why
Notes
Transcript
Definitions in Hermeneutics
Definitions in Hermeneutics
Exactly what is hermeneutics? And how does it differ from exegesis and exposition? The English word “hermeneutics” comes from the Greek verb hermēneuō and the noun hermēneia.
These words point back to the wing-footed messenger-god Hermes in Grecian mythology. He was responsible for transmuting what is beyond human understanding into a form that human intelligence can grasp. He is said to have discovered language and writing and was the god of literature and eloquence, among other things. He was the messenger or interpreter of the gods, and particularly of his father Zeus. Thus the verb hermēneuō came to refer to bringing someone to an understanding of something in his language (thus explanation) or in another language (thus translation). The English word interpret is used at times to mean “explain” and at other times “translate.” Of the 19 times hermēneuō and hermēneia occur in the New Testament, they are more frequently used in the sense of translating. In the verb diermēneuō is used: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” When Jesus spoke to Simon He said, “You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter)” (). The word “translated” renders the Greek hermēneuō. In a sense a translation is an explanation, explaining in one language what is conveyed in another language. Thus interpretation involves making clear and intelligible something that was unclear or unknown.
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Hermeneutics, as mentioned earlier, is the science and art of interpreting the Bible. Another way to define hermeneutics is this: It is the science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning of the biblical text is determined. As Terry wrote:
Hermeneutics, therefore, is both a science and an art. As a science, it enunciates principles, investigates the laws of thought and language, and classifies its facts and results. As an art, it teaches what application these principles should have, and establishes their soundness by showing their practical value in the elucidation of the more difficult Scriptures. The hermeneutical art thus cultivates and establishes a valid exegetical procedure.3
What then is exegesis and exposition? Exegesis may be defined as the determination of the meaning of the biblical text in its historical and literary contexts. Exposition is the communication of the meaning of the text along with its relevance to present-day hearers. Exegesis is the actual interpretation of the Bible, and hermeneutics consists of the principles by which the meaning is determined.
Homiletics is the science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning and relevance of the biblical text are communicated in a preaching situation, and pedagogy is the science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning and relevance of the biblical text are communicated in a teaching situation.
Exegesis is the study in private, and exposition is the presentation in public. Exegesis is done in the study; exposition is done in the pulpit or at the teacher’s desk or podium. The primary concern in exegesis is an understanding of a biblical text, whereas the primary concern of exposition is the communication of the meaning of the text.
Definitions of Hermeneutics and Related Terms
HERMENEUTICS
The science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning of the biblical text is determined.
EXEGESIS
The determination of the meaning of the biblical text in its historical and literary contexts.
EXPOSITION
The communication of the meaning of the text along with its relevance to present-day hearers.
HOMILETICS
The science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning and relevance of the biblical text are communicated in a preaching situation.
PEDAGOGY
The science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning and relevance of the biblical text are communicated in a teaching situation.
An effective expositor is first an effective exegete. Exegesis precedes exposition, just as baking a cake comes before serving it. The exegetical process takes place in the workshop, the warehouse. It is a process in private, a perspiring task in which the Bible student examines the backgrounds, meanings, and forms of words; studies the structure and parts of sentences; seeks to ascertain the original textual reading (textual criticism); etc. But not all those details are shared when he preaches or teaches the Bible. An artist, in the process of creating his work, agonizes over the minutia of his painting, but in the end he wants others to see not the fine details but the whole and how the parts are related.
Exegesis is thus a means to an end, a step toward exposition. Exegesis is more technical and is basic to exposition, which is more practical. In the privacy of his study the exegete seeks to comprehend the exact meaning of the Bible passage being studied. But in the pulpit or classroom the expositor, having built his material on an exegetical base, seeks to communicate that content. One is to the other as the foundation is to the building. “To be valid, exposition must be firmly based on exegesis: the meaning of the text for hearers today must be related to its meaning for the hearers to whom it was first addressed.”4
Hermeneutics is like a cookbook. Exegesis is the preparing and baking of the cake, and exposition is serving the cake. The chart on page 21 illustrates the relationship of these and other elements, all of which lead to the final step of edification, that is, spiritual growth in the life of the interpreter/communicator and the hearers or readers.
In playing a game such as football or the table word game Boggle, rules are to be known and followed. If football players are on the field and have a football, but do not know the rules of the game, they can make no progress. If a person is playing Boggle, he may have all the parts but not know what to do with them. The rules enable the players to proceed. Similarly hermeneutics provides the rules or guidelines, the principles and theory governing a proper approach to understanding the Bible. Biblical interpretation, however, is not like a computer program. We cannot plug in certain principles and expect to receive automatically a printout with the proper interpretation.
4 F.F. Bruce, “Interpretation of the Bible,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), 505.
@inbook{Campbell_1991,
place={Colorado Springs, CO},
title={Foreword},
booktitle={Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth},
publisher={David C. Cook},
author={Campbell, Donald K.},
editor={Bubeck, Craig, Sr.Editor},
year={1991},
pages={19–22}}