INTRODUCTION
Definition of History of Hermeneutics
Principles of Interpretation among the Jelvs
The Patristic Period ........................ l?
Not only did they attach great importance to the literal meaning of the Bible, but they consciously rejected the allegorical method of interpretation. In the field of exegesis, the teaching of the Church was given normative value. He was great at systematizing the truths of the Bible, but not at interpreting the Bible.
And it was especially in this respect that he influenced the interpretation of the Middle Ages. Why is it a mistake to make the teaching of the Church the standard of exegesis. And so far as they knew it, it was only in the translation of the Vulgate, and through the writings of the Fathers.
The Period of the Reformation
Moreover, they have greatly facilitated such study: the first by publishing a Hebrew grammar and a Hebrew lexicon; and the latter by editing the first critical edition of the New Testament in Greek. Although he would not acknowledge anything other than the literal meaning, and spoke disparagingly of the allegorical interpretation as Affenspiel, he did not entirely avoid the despised method. His expositions cover almost all the books of the Bible, and their value is still recognized.
In the allegorical method he saw a contrivance of Satan to obscure the meaning of Scripture. He insisted that the prophets be interpreted in the light of historical circumstances. What is Luther's only continuous and complete contribution to the interpretation of the New Testament.
The Period of Confessionalism
His fundamental principle was that the words of Scripture mean all that they can mean in all discourse; or, as he puts it in one of his works: "the meaning of the words in the Bible is so comprehensive that it contains more than one thought, yes, sometimes a variety of thoughts, which an experienced interpreter of Scripture can Pulled. from her." Thus, as Farrar says, "he introduced a false plurality of meanings, from a fatal confusion between the actual meaning and all possible applications." And this was aggravated by his excessive typology, which led him not only to look for Christ everywhere in the Bible, but also to find the vicissitudes of the New Testament Church, throughout its history, typified in the Old Testament and in Christ's own words and deeds. But however wrong his interpretation was, he did a good service in drawing attention to the organic character of God's revelation. Tired of the strife between Protestants, they were determined to promote true piety of life.
They insisted on studying the Bible in the original languages and under the enlightenment&g inflzce%e of the Holy Spirit. They were the first to call for the necessity of psychological interpretation, in the sense that the feelings of the interpreter should be in harmony with those of the author whom he wished to understand. What a decisive objection there is to the dominance of any confession in the field of exegesis.7 What is the proper attitude of an interpreter to the confession of his church.
The Historico-Critical Period
A logical treatment of Hermeneuticu Sucra requires, first of all, a description of its subject, the Bible; for the particular hermeneutic must always adapt itself to the class of literature to which it is applied. The uniqueness of the Bible will also, to some extent, determine the principles that will govern its interpretation. However, this does not mean that all features of the Bible need to be described, but only that those features that in some way affect its interpretation need to be clarified.
The Inspiration of the Bible
In the following sections, the important biblical evidence for divine inspiration is briefly stated. "Thus hath God the Lord shown me"; "The word of the Lord came to pass. The foregoing certainty creates a presumption in favor of the inspiration of the revelatory agencies in writing the books of the Bible.
The word theo-pneustos means God-breathed, that is, the product of God's creative breath. But even this does not make much difference, for the inspiration of the Old Testament is either asserted or implied. But it is not claimed that an eternal miracle preserved the sacred text from the errors of copyists.
Unity and Diversity in the Bible
The Old Testament is the bud, the New Testament, the flower. or, as Augustine expressed it: "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, the Old lies open in the New.". Moreover, the divine factor is much more prominent in the Old Testament than in the New. In the New Testament, on the other hand, the Holy Spirit lives in the Church, and works on the apostles from within.
It is of the utmost importance to remember that the historical facts narrated in the Bible also form an essential part of divine revelation and should be interpreted as such. What is the reason why in our day diversity is emphasized over the unity of the Bible. Saphir, the Divine Unity of Scripture; Gro,sheide, De Eenheid der Nieuw-Testamentische Gads revelation; Turpie, The New Testament View of the Old; Bernard, The Progress of Learning.
The Unity of the Sense of Scripture
In the Old Testament we find it especially in the Law and in the Chokmah literature l while in the New Testament it is found in the parables and discourses of the Saviour, and in the Epistles. It interprets the ways of God in the past, reveals His will for the present, and opens clear vistas into the future for the comfort of the people of God. 4) Finally,/He also revealed himself in poetry, in which we listen to strains as of a mighty orchestra.;. Stuart Robinson beautifully says: "Notes from the strained chords of the heart of God lead the strain, and notes from all the clipped chords of the human soul answer in responsive chorus."
The necessary correspondence between the revelation of the Logos in the human mind and its revelation in nature and Scripture. Just adapting one to the other - makes all knowledge possible. This would mean that the truth of the Bible cannot be investigated by logical methods, nor can it be intellectually understood.
The logic of the human mind is naturally reflected in the language a person uses. The many interpretations which are often given to a single passage do not disprove the unity of the meaning of Scripture. In all such cases the mystical meaning is based on the literal and represents the true meaning of God's word.
And it is only in the final full fulfillment that the meaning of these prophecies is exhausted. But this feature does not give us the right to speak of a double meaning of prophecy. There is no truth in the claim that the meaning of the secondary authors, determined by the grammatical-historical method, always exhausts the meaning of Scripture, and represents in all its fullness the meaning of the Holy Spirit. Many Old Testament types ultimately pointed to New Testament reality; many prophecies found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, however many times they were partially fulfilled; and many of the Psalms express the joys and sorrows, not only of the poets, but of the people of God as a whole, and in some cases of the suffering and triumphant Messiah.
QUESTIONS: How could the theory of a double or triple sentence arise in connection with the figurative language of the Bible.
The Style of Scripture : General Characteristics. 60
Meaning of the Separate Words
When studying the words in context, the interpreter should rely on the following principles. NCZJW raises the question of the interpretation of the figurative language of the Bible. We are not talking about the special difficulties we encountered in interpreting the Prophets.
This general principle must be kept in mind when interpreting the Psalms. In connection with the foregoing, the following rules apply to the interpretation of the psalms.
Personal Characteristics of the Author or Speaker1 15
Circumstances Peculiar to the Writings
Besides the general circumstances of the author's life, there are some of a more special character which directly influenced his writings. For the correct understanding of a writing or discourse, it is of the utmost importance to know for whom it was intended in the first place. This applies especially to those books of the Bible that are occasional in character, such as the prophetic books.
It is of course adapted to the particular circumstances and the particular reeds of the reader. The defection of the Galatians explains the seriousness of the letter Paul wrote to them. The condition of the original readers not only determines the general character of the writing, but also explains many of its details.
Why would he write to the Colossians rather than to others: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). An intimate knowledge of the original readers will often illuminate the pages of a writing addressed to them in an unexpected and striking way. Therefore, knowing the ending he had in mind will not only help to understand the book as a whole, but will also illuminate the details.
Still others, as 1 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, and Hebrews, a knowledge of the original readers and the circumstances in which they lived, together with the occasion which led to the composition of the book, will help to discover its purpose. Compare Galatians with II. Timothy and Peter's speeches in the Acts of the Apostles with his Second Epistle. This applies not only to the books of the Bible, but also to the speeches and discussions recorded therein.
What is purely the fruit of the imagination should never be presented as historical truth.