All,
This module is perhaps the most important of what you will learn in this class. Please read the material and go through the notes to focus on what I want you to get. I will email you a "circles of context" guide. It is very useful. Make note of the process of doing a word study. This will help you with your project.
The Philological Principle
1. Philology means the "technical and comparative study of words." This is the total program in understanding a piece of literature.
2. The true philological spirit is to discover the original meaning and intention of the text. Exegesis and not eisegesis.
3. We must be careful with our set theological assumptions because they tend to govern the interpretation rather that the interpretation corrects the system.
The whole point is that we "try" to approach with a clear mind, but we also have to keep in mind, for example, that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to salvation and interpret other scriptures with this understanding. You see? There must be some place we can begin and then build. God would not contradict himself later and say that maybe you could be saved another way, let's say, through holy living alone. The author would agree with this point. That is why we have Systematic Theology. We need a starting point, so we begin with God (A good place to start) and we gather what God has said about Himself, and then we go from there.
4. The most fundamental presupposition of this method is that all exegesis must be done in the original languages if it is to be accepted and trustworthy exegesis.
If you plan to do serious work in defending or debating theology, better get your Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic classes set up. For the rest of us, basic language study and commentaries are a great help.
5. The Bible is, however, a book for the layman. He can use it devotionally and for teaching. Scripture is able, by the Holy Spirit, to give us the essentials for Christian living in every way.
This is where most Christians live and this is where you will spend the majority of preaching and teaching. If you are a teacher in your gifting, then you might disagree with me. I just came from a conference where Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, and Teachers all gave their perspective on church growth. Wow. What a contrast in perspectives.
The Literal Study of the Scripture
“The natural or usual construction and implication of a writing or expression; following the ordinary and apparent sense of words; not allegorical or metaphorical.”
The use of nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. when so named is designation. It is also the common stock of the language or the customary, natural, proper, obvious and normal rendering of the Scripture.
The literal method of interpretation is the usual practice in the interpretation of literature. The non-literal is always the secondary meaning or level which presumes an already existing literal understanding.
1. All secondary meaning of documents depends upon the literal stratum of language. Parables, types, allegories, symbols, figures of speech, myths and fables all presume that there is a literal level of language. This is key folks, this is what we contrast allegorical interp. with.
2. Only in the priority of literal exegesis is there control on the exegetical abuse of Scripture.
-Interpreters of the past viewed the literal method as the fleshly or the superficial understanding of scripture. Are those who do that today???
Interesting. We are some danger of drifting into this in these days.
EXAMPLES:
1. Church fathers of the past
2. Roman Catholic theologians
3. The cults such as the Gnostics (Jehovah Witnesses, Mormans)
The ACTUAL METHOD OF PROTESTANT BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Words- words are the units of thought in most of our thinking and writing. They are the bricks of our conceptual formulation.
Any serious study of the scriptures requires a study of words. Kittles “Theological Word Study of the NT” is a must for every pastor or serious Bible student.
1. Words may be studied etymologically. Learn how the word was formed over time. What a word means now, is likely NOT what it meant then. The word "cool" is an example. Just temperature 100 years ago, now it is used in many different ways.
2. Words may be studied comparatively. Using a concordance to find how the word is used in other verses. Also the study of synonyms, that is, those words that mean the same things as. By using these methods one will be able to understand a word or expression that is obscure or difficult by making reference to other instances that are used in much the same context.
3. Words may be studied culturally. Studying what words meant during the first century church. This will help us really know the richness of the word in how it was used.
4. Words may be cognate languages and ancient translations. Words may come from other language groups such as the possibility that certain Hebrew words have been influenced by the Aramaic or Arabic. There is also the sacred (among Christians)and the secular (everyday market) use of a word.
Grammar- Sentences are made of words and these words are given designation in order to maintain a unit of thought. This is called grammar.
1. Everything said about word study applies to grammar.
2. Languages are put together in different ways.
-Analytic-stresses word order: English, Hebrew
-Agglutinative or synthetic language; word order partially, but mostly by word or case endings.-Inflection: the use of prefixes and suffixes to begin and end a word
-Declining-When we make changes with nouns and adjectives, from plural to singular or from the nominative to the accusative.
-Conjugate: The inflection of verbs. To run-we run, he ran, Greek is a strong synthetic language and that is one of the reasons it is so difficult for Americans to learn.
3. The interpreter must have a general knowledge of syntax. The more technical word for the study of the structure of a sentence.
4. Grammatical interpretation involves consideration of the context.
a. The context of any verse is the entire Scripture. Catching this?
b. The second context of any passage is the Testament it is in…OT or NT.
c. The third context is the particular book (Genesis, Romans, etc.) in which the passage occurs.
d. The fourth context of any passage are the sentences immediately before it, and immediately after it. Robertson’s remark “the first step in interpretation is to ignore modern chapters and verses.”
e. Grammatical interpretation takes into consideration parallel passages (same sentences in another book) or cross references (same topic used in same or another book)
“The reason for this principle is that what is said in one part of Scripture may illuminate what is said in another part of Scripture."
-Verbal cross reference. Verses that have similar wording. Not always good use.
-A real cross reference is the parallelism of words where the content or the idea is the same.
1. looking up similar concepts like the son of man.
2. looking up all references where a certain word is used.
3. examining all the passages within two different books that teach the same subject.
-Conceptual cross references. When two or more books describe essentially the same events.
f. Literary Mold or Genre.
The literary form or standard pattern. All Scripture is expressed in some form of this.
1. Figures of speech. Author expresses himself beyond ordinary method of assertation.
-Metaphors-expresses something by direct comparisons, direct similarity, or direct parallelism. “Ephraim is a cake” Hos. 7:8-Simile-functions like a metaphor but only uses the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.
-Hyperbole-means that some idea or event is stated in as exaggerated manner to indicate its importance or its quantity. John 21:25
2. There are larger forms of special literary expression ordinarily used within the text of a larger work, parables, allegories, fables, myths, and riddles.
3. Every book in the Bible is placed in some sort of literary Genre.
Historical Acts, dramatic epic, Job, apocalyptic-Revelation, Daniel,-poetry, Psalms, wise sayings-Proverbs.The genre of a passage or book of Holy Scripture sets the mood or the stance from which all the rest of the book is seen.
Lecture Questions: (Choose one of the following. Try to spread out.)
1. Explain Biblical Context and give and example. We will expand on this later.
2. Explain the 3 different kinds of study of words. Give some examples.
3. Explain the use of "figures of speech" in the Bible. Give examples.
This module is perhaps the most important of what you will learn in this class. Please read the material and go through the notes to focus on what I want you to get. I will email you a "circles of context" guide. It is very useful. Make note of the process of doing a word study. This will help you with your project.
The Philological Principle
1. Philology means the "technical and comparative study of words." This is the total program in understanding a piece of literature.
2. The true philological spirit is to discover the original meaning and intention of the text. Exegesis and not eisegesis.
3. We must be careful with our set theological assumptions because they tend to govern the interpretation rather that the interpretation corrects the system.
The whole point is that we "try" to approach with a clear mind, but we also have to keep in mind, for example, that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to salvation and interpret other scriptures with this understanding. You see? There must be some place we can begin and then build. God would not contradict himself later and say that maybe you could be saved another way, let's say, through holy living alone. The author would agree with this point. That is why we have Systematic Theology. We need a starting point, so we begin with God (A good place to start) and we gather what God has said about Himself, and then we go from there.
4. The most fundamental presupposition of this method is that all exegesis must be done in the original languages if it is to be accepted and trustworthy exegesis.
If you plan to do serious work in defending or debating theology, better get your Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic classes set up. For the rest of us, basic language study and commentaries are a great help.
5. The Bible is, however, a book for the layman. He can use it devotionally and for teaching. Scripture is able, by the Holy Spirit, to give us the essentials for Christian living in every way.
This is where most Christians live and this is where you will spend the majority of preaching and teaching. If you are a teacher in your gifting, then you might disagree with me. I just came from a conference where Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, and Teachers all gave their perspective on church growth. Wow. What a contrast in perspectives.
The Literal Study of the Scripture
“The natural or usual construction and implication of a writing or expression; following the ordinary and apparent sense of words; not allegorical or metaphorical.”
The use of nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. when so named is designation. It is also the common stock of the language or the customary, natural, proper, obvious and normal rendering of the Scripture.
The literal method of interpretation is the usual practice in the interpretation of literature. The non-literal is always the secondary meaning or level which presumes an already existing literal understanding.
1. All secondary meaning of documents depends upon the literal stratum of language. Parables, types, allegories, symbols, figures of speech, myths and fables all presume that there is a literal level of language. This is key folks, this is what we contrast allegorical interp. with.
2. Only in the priority of literal exegesis is there control on the exegetical abuse of Scripture.
-Interpreters of the past viewed the literal method as the fleshly or the superficial understanding of scripture. Are those who do that today???
Interesting. We are some danger of drifting into this in these days.
EXAMPLES:
1. Church fathers of the past
2. Roman Catholic theologians
3. The cults such as the Gnostics (Jehovah Witnesses, Mormans)
The ACTUAL METHOD OF PROTESTANT BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Words- words are the units of thought in most of our thinking and writing. They are the bricks of our conceptual formulation.
Any serious study of the scriptures requires a study of words. Kittles “Theological Word Study of the NT” is a must for every pastor or serious Bible student.
1. Words may be studied etymologically. Learn how the word was formed over time. What a word means now, is likely NOT what it meant then. The word "cool" is an example. Just temperature 100 years ago, now it is used in many different ways.
2. Words may be studied comparatively. Using a concordance to find how the word is used in other verses. Also the study of synonyms, that is, those words that mean the same things as. By using these methods one will be able to understand a word or expression that is obscure or difficult by making reference to other instances that are used in much the same context.
3. Words may be studied culturally. Studying what words meant during the first century church. This will help us really know the richness of the word in how it was used.
4. Words may be cognate languages and ancient translations. Words may come from other language groups such as the possibility that certain Hebrew words have been influenced by the Aramaic or Arabic. There is also the sacred (among Christians)and the secular (everyday market) use of a word.
Grammar- Sentences are made of words and these words are given designation in order to maintain a unit of thought. This is called grammar.
1. Everything said about word study applies to grammar.
2. Languages are put together in different ways.
-Analytic-stresses word order: English, Hebrew
-Agglutinative or synthetic language; word order partially, but mostly by word or case endings.-Inflection: the use of prefixes and suffixes to begin and end a word
-Declining-When we make changes with nouns and adjectives, from plural to singular or from the nominative to the accusative.
-Conjugate: The inflection of verbs. To run-we run, he ran, Greek is a strong synthetic language and that is one of the reasons it is so difficult for Americans to learn.
3. The interpreter must have a general knowledge of syntax. The more technical word for the study of the structure of a sentence.
4. Grammatical interpretation involves consideration of the context.
a. The context of any verse is the entire Scripture. Catching this?
b. The second context of any passage is the Testament it is in…OT or NT.
c. The third context is the particular book (Genesis, Romans, etc.) in which the passage occurs.
d. The fourth context of any passage are the sentences immediately before it, and immediately after it. Robertson’s remark “the first step in interpretation is to ignore modern chapters and verses.”
e. Grammatical interpretation takes into consideration parallel passages (same sentences in another book) or cross references (same topic used in same or another book)
“The reason for this principle is that what is said in one part of Scripture may illuminate what is said in another part of Scripture."
-Verbal cross reference. Verses that have similar wording. Not always good use.
-A real cross reference is the parallelism of words where the content or the idea is the same.
1. looking up similar concepts like the son of man.
2. looking up all references where a certain word is used.
3. examining all the passages within two different books that teach the same subject.
-Conceptual cross references. When two or more books describe essentially the same events.
f. Literary Mold or Genre.
The literary form or standard pattern. All Scripture is expressed in some form of this.
1. Figures of speech. Author expresses himself beyond ordinary method of assertation.
-Metaphors-expresses something by direct comparisons, direct similarity, or direct parallelism. “Ephraim is a cake” Hos. 7:8-Simile-functions like a metaphor but only uses the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.
-Hyperbole-means that some idea or event is stated in as exaggerated manner to indicate its importance or its quantity. John 21:25
2. There are larger forms of special literary expression ordinarily used within the text of a larger work, parables, allegories, fables, myths, and riddles.
3. Every book in the Bible is placed in some sort of literary Genre.
Historical Acts, dramatic epic, Job, apocalyptic-Revelation, Daniel,-poetry, Psalms, wise sayings-Proverbs.The genre of a passage or book of Holy Scripture sets the mood or the stance from which all the rest of the book is seen.
Lecture Questions: (Choose one of the following. Try to spread out.)
1. Explain Biblical Context and give and example. We will expand on this later.
2. Explain the 3 different kinds of study of words. Give some examples.
3. Explain the use of "figures of speech" in the Bible. Give examples.
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