A. Eight Rules of Hermeneutics
1. Rule of Context
a). The three most important rules of interpretation are context, context, and context!
Context is the first and most important principle for accurate interpretation. A word can only mean what the original author meant. A text out of context is a pretext for a proof text which makes a preacher subject to teaching things that can lead people astray from sound historical and orthodox doctrine. That is what the devil used when he spoke to Eve in the Garden (Gen 3:1).
Bible scholars use the term ‘context’ to discuss various aspects of the original writing of the text. A writer follows a logical line of thought in what they write. What they said in the previous verses or chapters and what they said in those following will help make the text clear.
b). A person must never read Bible verses that have been ripped from their context.
A good rule of thumb is to read 3 to 4 verses before a verse AND 3 to 4 verses after.
Once a person accounts for the literal, historical, and grammatical nature of a passage, they must focus on the outline and structure of the book, then the chapter, later the paragraph.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7-12 ESV)
c). Taking phrases and verses out of context always leads to misunderstanding.
For instance, taking the phrase "God is love" (v8) out of its context, a person might come away thinking that God loves everything and everyone at all times with a gushing, romantic love. But, in its literal and grammatical context, “love” here refers to ‘agape’ love, the essence of which is sacrificed for the benefit of another, not a sentimental, romantic love.
The historical context is also crucial because John was addressing Born-Again Christians in the first-century church and instructing them not just about God’s love, but on how to identify those who are receivers of Jesus and Born-Again, not just those who are merely believers or false professors of faith.
True love - the sacrificial, beneficial kind - is the mark of one who is genuinely Born-Again (v7), those who do not love do not belong to God (v8), God loved us before we loved Him (vv. 9-10), and all of this is why Christians should love one another to prove that they are His (v. 11-12).
The phrase "God is love" must be considered in the context of all of Scripture (synthesis). That will keep a person from coming to the false, and all-too-common, conclusion that God is only love or that His love is more significant than all His other attributes, which is not the case. Many Bible passages state that God is also holy, righteous, faithful, trustworthy, graceful, merciful, kind, compassionate, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, as well as many, many other things. The Bible also tells us, God not only loves, but He also hates. (See Prov 6:16-19)
d). The Bible is the written Word of God, literally "God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16).
We are commanded to read, study, and understand it through the use of proper study methods, and always with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide them (1 Cor 2:14).
The study of Scripture is greatly enhanced by maintaining diligence in the use of context because it is quite easy to come to wrong conclusions by taking phrases and verses out of context. It is not difficult to point out places that seemingly contradict other portions of Scripture, but if they carefully look at the context and use the entirety of Scripture as a reference, they can understand the meaning of a passage. “Context is king” means that the context often drives the meaning of a phrase. To ignore context is to put one’s self at a tremendous disadvantage.
e). When reading the Bible, it is not wise to ask the question “what does this verse mean to me” because it will virtually guarantee that the reader will never understand the true meaning of it.
The meaning of a verse must be gathered from the context of the verse within the passage, the chapter, and even the whole book. Every word read must be understood in the light of the words that come before and after it.
Many passages will not be understood at all, or understood incorrectly, without the help afforded by the context.
In the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy, he reminds him that he was taught from the “Holy Scriptures” (the Old Testament). In the next verse, he says that all “Scripture is God-breathed” indicating he was differentiating between the Old Testament and the writings which now make up the New Testament which are also inspired.
Paul is ultimately making a logical statement pointing out that all Scripture in the Bible as it is known originates from God and can teach and equip us for good works. Ultimately this must be accepted by faith that the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God.
[See ATTACHMENT # 6]
Paul also quoted Luke 10:7 as Scripture to Timothy thereby placing Luke’s Gospel on the same level of Moses’ writings. In prior writings, Paul stated that he wrote: “by the word of the Lord” (1 Thess 4:15, See also Gal 1:12). Paul emphatically believed that he was preaching the very Word of God.
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thess 2:13 ESV)
The Apostle Peter affirmed that Paul’s writings were Scripture given by God:
“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV - See also 3:1-2).
Paul told the Church at Corinth, Galatia, and Thessalonica that he wrote with authority given to him directly by God to instruct them, and they should not distort or ignore them (1 Cor 14:37-38; 2 Cor 13:3, 10; Gal 1:11-17; 1 Thess 4:2,8; 2 Thess 2:13-15, 3:6, 13-18).
The Apostle John in the Book of Revelation wrote that those who read and keep what was written in it would be blessed because it was given to him directly by God and gave a warning that if anyone adds or subtracts to what he wrote there would be dire consequences for them (Rev 1:1-3, 9-19, 14:13, 19:9-10, 21:5-7, 22:18-19).
Quotes:
“Many a passage of Scripture will not be understood at all without the help afforded by the context; for many, a sentence derives all its point and force from the connection in which it stands.” (Biblical Hermeneutics, Terry, M. S., p. 117. 1896)
“[Bible words] must be understood according to the requirements of the context.’ (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 97)
“Every word you read must be understood in the light of the words that come before and after it.” (How to Make Sense, FIesch, Rudolph, p. 51, Harper & Brothers, 1954)
“[Bible words] when used out of context.. . can prove almost anything. [Some interpreters] twist them . . . from a natural to a non-natural sense.” (Irenaeus, second-century church father, quoted in Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 50, Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1957)
“The meaning must be gathered from the context.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, Interpretation of Documents, V. 8, p. 912. 1959)
a. Principles for Understanding Context
The reason it is so vitally important to study Bible passages and stories within their context is that taking verses out of context leads to all kinds of error and misunderstanding. Taking a text out of context becomes a pretext for a proof text that leads to misinterpretation.
The understanding of context begins with Seven Principles:
1. The literal meaning (what it says)
2. Historical setting (the events of the story, to who is it addressed, and how it was understood at that time),
3. Grammar (the immediate sentence and paragraph within which a word or phrase is found)
4. Synthesis (comparing it with other parts of Scripture for a fuller meaning)
5. Immediate Context - Exposition of a passage must agree with both the immediate context around a passage and is most important and usually pivotal.
6. Remote Context - Exposition of a passage must expand out from the entire book being interpreted, then to the whole New Testament, and then the Old Testament.
7. Always take a God-centered perspective for interpreting Scripture. Look at the text in terms of what it reveals about His will, goodness, character, nature, and His dealings with Creation, particularly His involvement with human beings.
2. Rule of Definition
a). Any study of Scripture must begin with an examination of words to determine their meaning.
b). Terms must be defined and then kept to the term defined. [See ATTACHMENT #7]
The interpreter should conscientiously abide by the plain meaning of the words. This will most often require using a Hebrew/English or Greek/English lexicon to make sure that the sense of the English translation is understood.
Ex: The Greek words "allos" and "heteros." Both are usually translated as "another" in English – yet "allos" literally means "another of the same type" and "heteros" means "another of a different type."
Quotes:
“The Bible writers did not invent new words because they would not have been understood, so they used those already in the common language of the day. The content of meaning in these words is not to be determined by each expositor. . . to do so would be a method of interpretation [that is] a most vicious thing.” (Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, Wuest, Kenneth, pp. 3037, Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1945)
“The author confines the definitions strictly to their literal or idiomatic force; which, after all, will be found to form the best, and indeed the only safe and solid basis for theological deductions of any kind.” (Young's Analytical Concordance, Prefatory Note)
3. Rule of Usage
a). The Old Testament was written originally by, to, and for Jews.
The words and idioms must have been understood by them – just as the words of Jesus when talking to them were understood.
b). We must interpret the Bible in the light of its language and history.
Language, or 'literary setting,' means that language has different meanings in different social, historical, and cultural settings. We must know what Bible words meant to the writers of the Bible. Understanding something of the meaning of the original languages is necessary for correct Bible interpretation, although you should also know that no new or novel doctrines are hidden in the Greek and Hebrew.
Quotes:
“The majority of the New Testament was written in the common language of the Greco-Roman (and to a lesser extent Jewish) “...It was necessary to view that Life and Teaching in all its surroundings of place, society, popular life.... This would form not only the frame in which to set the picture of the Christ but the very background of the picture itself.” (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, Alfred, V. 1, xii, Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1953)
“In interpreting very many phrases and histories of the New Testament, it is not so (The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study, p. 67. Moody Press, 1921. Testament, Girdlestone, R. B., p.14) much worth what we think of them from notions of our own . . . as in what sense these things were understood by the hearers and lookers on, according to the usual custom and vulgar dialect of the nation.” (Bishop Lightfoot, quoted in The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, xii, Moulton & Milligan, Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1959)
c). It is essential not to impose modern usage on one’s interpretation.
It is not worth much to interpret phrases and histories if one’s interpretations are shaded by pre-conceived notions and cultural biases, thereby rendering an inaccurate and ineffectual lesson.
4. Rule of Historical Background
a). Youe must have some awareness of the life and society of the times in which the Scripture was written.
The spiritual principle will be timeless but often can’t be adequately appreciated without some knowledge of the background. If a person can have in their mind what the writer had in his mind when he wrote it – without adding any excess baggage from their own culture or society – then the actual thought of the Scripture can be captured, resulting in an accurate interpretation.
This first rule reveals the need for Bible dictionaries and commentaries. They are helpful in obtaining background material as to the culture, setting and the history of the passage in question.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:2.
Q. What is the third heaven?
The Mormons build a whole doctrine of levels of eternal reward based on this verse. But if you just understood something of ancient astronomy, you would know that the first heaven was the sky and clouds, the second heaven was the realm of the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars), and the "third" heaven, beyond the sun, moon and stars, was the realm of God. The third heaven is paradise, which Paul indicates in verse 4.
Read Mark 1:1-21.
Q. Why did the disciples so quickly and readily leave everything and follow Jesus?
Q. Because they were so committed to him?
No. Israel was under the iron yoke of Roman domination and occupation and everyone was expecting the Messiah who would liberate Palestine and rule the world. The disciples probably followed Jesus for very selfish reasons. Even later they were arguing over who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom, and who would sit at the right hand of the throne of the Messiah!
Quotes:
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Our only interest in the past is for the light it throws upon the present."
“Even the general reader must be aware that some knowledge of Jewish life and society at the time is requisite for the understanding of the Gospel history.” (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, Alfred, V.1, xiii, Eerdmans Pub.Co., 1953)
“The moment the student has in his mind what was in the mind of the author or authors of the Biblical books when these were written, he has interpreted the thought of Scripture.... If he adds anything of his own, it is not exegesis.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, V. 3, p. 1489. 1952)
“Theological interpretation and historical investigation can never be separated from each other.... The strictest historical . . . scrutiny is an indispensable sable discipline to all Biblical theology.’ (A Theological Word Book of the Bible, 30 scholars, Preface, Macmillan Co., 1958)
"I have said enough to show the part which the study of history necessarily plays in the intelligent study of the law as it is today ....Our only interest in the past is for the light it throws upon the present." (U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 1902-1932, quoted in The World of Law, V. 2, p. 630, Simon & Schuster, 1960)
5. Rule of Logic
a). Interpretation is merely God-given logical reasoning.
When interpreting Scripture, the use of reason is everywhere to be assumed.
Question to ask yourself: Does the interpretation make sense?
The Bible was given in the form of human language and therefore appeals to human reasoning, which invites investigation. It is to be interpreted as one would any other volume: applying the laws of language and grammatical analysis.
Quotes:
"What is the control we use to weed out false theological speculation? Certainly, the control is logic and evidence… interpreters who have not had the sharpening experience of logic…may have improper notions of implication and evidence. Too frequently such a person uses a basis of appeal that is a notorious violation of the laws of logic and evidence." (Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Boston: W. A. Wilde, 1956)
“Interpretation is merely logical reasoning.” (Encyclopedia Americana, V. 15, p. 267. 1953)
“The use of reason in the interpretation of Scripture is everywhere to be assumed. The Bible comes to us in the forms of human language, and appeals to our reason . . . it invites investigation, and. . . it is to be interpreted as we interpret any other volume, by a rigid application of the same laws of language, and the same grammatical analysis.” (Biblical Hermeneutics, Terry, M. S., p. 25. 1895)
“What is the control we use to weed out false theological speculation? Certainly the control is logic and evidence . . . interpreters who have not had the sharpening experience of logic. . . may have improper notions of implication and evidence. Too frequently such a person uses a basis of appeal that is a notorious violation of the laws of logic and evidence.” (Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Ramm, Bernard, pp. 151-153, W. A. Wilde Co., 1956)
“It is one of the most firmly established principles of law in England and in America that "a law means exactly what it says, and is to be interpreted and enforced exactly as it reads." This is just as good a principle for interpreting the Bible as for interpreting law.” (The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study, Torrey, R. A., pp. 67-70, Moody Press, 1921)
6. Rule of Precedent
a). We must not violate the known usage of a word and invent another for which there is no precedent.
Just as a court Judge has the primary occupation of studying previous cases, so must the interpreter use precedents to determine whether they support an alleged doctrine.
Read: Acts 17:10-12,
Q: Whey were they called "noble"?
Answer: Because they searched the Scriptures to determine if what Paul taught them was true.
Quotes:
“We must not violate the known usage of a word and invent another for which there is no precedent.” (The Greek New Testament for English Readers, Dean Alford, p. 1098, Moody Press)
“The professional ability of lawyers in arguing a question of law, and the judges in deciding it, is thus chiefly occupied with a critical study of previous cases, in order to determine whether the previous cases really support some alleged doctrine.” (Introduction to the Study of Law, p. 40, Woodruff, E. H., 1898)
“The first thing he [the judge] does is to compare the case before him with precedents.... Back of precedents are the basic juridical conceptions which are postulates of judicial reasoning, and farther back are the habits of life, the institutions of society, in which those conceptions had their origin.... Precedents have so covered the ground that they fix the point of departure from which the labor of the judge begins. Almost invariably, his first step is to examine and compare them. It is a process of search, comparison, and little more.” (U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo, 1932-1938, The Nature of the Judicial Process, quoted in The World of Law, V. 2, p. 671, Simon & Schuster, 1960)
7. Rule of Unity
The parts of Scripture being interpreted must be construed concerning the significance of the whole. An interpretation must be consistent with the rest of Scripture.
Ex: - The doctrine of the Trinity. No single passage teaches it, but it is consistent with the teaching of the whole of Scripture (e.g., God, the Father, God, the Son, Jesus, and God, the Holy Spirit are referred to individually as God; yet the Scriptures elsewhere teach there is only one God).
Quotes:
“[It is] fundamental to a true interpretation of the Scripture, viz., that the parts of a document, law, or instrument are to be construed with reference to the significance of the whole. (Dean Abbot, Commentary on Matthew, Interpretation, p.31)
“Where a transaction is carried out by means of several documents so that together they form part of a single whole, these documents are read together as one.... [They are to be so read] that construction is to be preferred which will render them consistent.” (Interpretation of Documents, Sir Roland Burrows, p. 49, Butterworth & Co., London, 1946)
8. Rule of Inference
Quotes:
“…An inference is a fact reasonably implied from another fact. It is a logical consequence. It derives a conclusion from a given fact or premise. It is the deduction of one proposition from another proposition. Such inferential facts or propositions are sufficiently binding when their truth is established by competent and satisfactory evidence. Competent evidence means such evidence as the nature of the thing to be proved admits. Satisfactory evidence means that amount of proof which would ordinarily satisfy an unprejudiced mind beyond a reasonable doubt. (Jesus proved the resurrection of the dead to the unbelieving Sadducees by this rule Matt. 22:31, 32.)” (See Encyclopedia Britannica, V. 6, p. 615 (1952) and Black's Law Dictionary, p. 436, Fourth Edition, West Pub. Co., 1951).
“A proposition of fact is proved when its truth is established by competent and satisfactory evidence. By competent evidence is meant such evidence as the nature of the thing to be proved admits. By satisfactory evidence is meant that amount of proof which ordinarily satisfies an unprejudiced mind beyond reasonable doubt. Scripture facts are therefore proved when they are established by that kind and degree of evidence which would in the affairs of ordinary life satisfy the mind and conscience of a common man. When we have this kind and degree of evidence it is unreasonable to require more.” (Systematic Theology, Strong, Augustus H., p.142, Judson Press, 1899)
"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: to understand a proverb, and the interpretation." (Prov 1:5-6 NIV)
Attachment # 7
Definition of Terms
Definition Abbr. def.
1.
a. A statement conveying fundamental character.
b. A statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, or term, as in a dictionary entry.
2. The act or process of stating a precise meaning or significance; formulation of a meaning.
3. The act of making clear and distinct: a definition of one's intentions.
a. The state of being closely outlined or determined: “With the drizzle, the trees in the
little clearing had lost definition” (Anthony Hyde).
b. A determination of outline, extent, or limits: the definition of a President's authority.
4. The clarity of detail in an optically produced image, such as a photograph, effected by a combination of resolution and contrast.
a. The degree of clarity with which a televised image or broadcast signal is received.
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[Middle English diffinicioun, from Old French definition, from Latin d f n ti -, d f n ti n- from d f n tus, past participle of d f n re, to define; see define.]
Define
1. To state the precise meaning of (a word or sense of a word, for example).
2. To describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain: define the properties of a new drug; a study that defines people according to their median incomes.
3. To delineate the outline or form of: gentle hills that were defined against the sky.
4. To specify distinctly: define the weapons to be used in limited warfare.
5. To serve to distinguish; characterize: “portraits that defined the style of an epoch” (Gloria Vanderbilt).
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[Middle English definen, diffinen, from Old French definir, diffiner, from Latin d f n re, to limit, determine: d -, intensive pref.; see de- + f nis, boundary, limit.]
Idiom adjective
1. A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on.
2. The specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given language.
3. Regional speech or dialect.
4.
a. A specialized vocabulary used by a group of people; jargon: legal idiom.
b. A style or manner of expression peculiar to a given people: “Also important is the uneasiness I've always felt at cutting myself off from my idiom, the American habits of speech and jest and reaction, all of them entirely different from the local variety” (S.J. Perelman).
5. A style of artistic expression characteristic of a particular individual, school, period, or medium: the idiom of the French impressionists; the punk rock idiom.
Idiomatic adjective
1. Peculiar to or characteristic of a given language.
2. Resembling or having the nature of an idiom.
3. Using many idioms.
4. Peculiar to or characteristic of the style or manner of a particular group or people
Interpret noun
To explain the meaning of: interpreted the ambassador's remarks. See Synonyms at explain.
1. To conceive the significance of; construe: interpreted his smile to be an agreement; interpreted the open door as an invitation.
2. To present or conceptualize the meaning of by means of art or criticism.
3. To translate orally.
[Middle English interpreten, from Old French interpreter, from Latin interpret r , from interpres, interpret- negotiator, explainer; see per-5 in Indo-European Roots.]
Interpretation noun
1. The act or process of interpreting.
2. A result of interpreting.
a. An explanation or a conceptualization by a critic of a work of literature, painting, music, or other art form; an exegesis.
b. A performer's distinctive personal version of a song, dance, piece of music, or role; a rendering.
Paraphrase noun.
1. A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.
2. The restatement of texts in other words as a studying or teaching device.
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[French from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek from paraphrazein, to paraphrase: para-, alongside; see para-1 + phrazein, to show, explain; see gwhren- in Indo-European Roots.]
Translation n 1: a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language [syn: interlingual rendition, rendering, version] 2: a uniform movement without rotation 3: the act of transforming; "a photograph is a translation of a scene onto a two-dimensional surface" [syn: transformation] 4: rewording something in less technical terminology 5: the act of uniform movement [syn: displacement] Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
Transliteration \Trans*lit`er*a"tion\, n. The act or product of transliterating, or of expressing words of a language by means of the characters of another alphabet.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc
