Hermanuetics Basics

[Hoddie]

23 hours ago, Jayne said:

I'm sorry that you don't like me and are still asking me the same questions from another thread where I said you were incorrect on something....

Where did you get that idea? I don't dislike anybody. I don't remember what thread it was, or what questions you were to have corrected me on Jayne. Did you correct me with scriptural or historic evidence? If so, could you please refresh my memory.

I have no idea after this chastisement of me now that you signed off with "peace". That's very confusing.

If you feel that I chastised you personally, I apologize, for that was not my intent. My only intentions are to rebuke or refute the constant misconceptions and/or the out right lies people post of what the Catholic Church teaches or does not teach. So please don't take it as being a personal attack upon yourself, for it is not. As far as signing off with peace, like our Lord, I pray for peace for all people throughout the Earth, and that includes you.

No, the Holy Spirit did not guide me to the

interpretation of Jeremiah 29:1-19. He does guide me on all scriptural things and in this case guided me to the context, but in this case - a nonbeliever could read Jeremiah 29:1-19 and tell you exactly what that passage means. It's sort of like reading "Jesus wept". That means Jesus cried tears. It's not rocket science.

I don't know about that. I've seen many Protestants/non-Denominationals disagree on simpler passages, either being guided (all supposedly by the Holy Spirit) to the context or the interpretations of them. And thats where the question lies, who among them is being guided to truth what a certain passage means or does not mean. In this case.... Jer.29:11. You would agree the Holy Spirit is impossible of greating confusion, right?

I gave NO personal interpretation. I gave the straightforward summary of what it said - word for word.

I disagree Jayne. Even though claiming to be using "proper hermeneutic tools" to what you say is a 'straight forward summary' of Jer.29:11, the next person (Protestants/ non-denominationals) may claim the passage says the complete opppsite using the same proper hermeneutic tools. So Jayne, the dilemma remains..... Who or what detirmines who is correct in their "straightforward summary", and who is not?

Those who pull verse 11 out and make this passage to mean that God is going to sprinkle us all with cupcakes, puppies, giggles, gumdrops, and $100 bills HAVE given a personal opinion and personal interpretation. And theirs is wrong. It does not fit the context.

The "those" you speak of, may say the same thing about you, as what has already been proven on this thread. And the question remains, who or what determines the truth between Openly Curious and yourself? You? Her? A flip of a coin?

I was simply giving an example of what the OP is talking about. Before people say, "The Bible says!....", they MUST have the right tools to discern that. In this case.........

context is king and my 13-year-old neighbor could read those 19 verses and tell you what verse 11 means.

So you do not adhere to the doctine of "Sola Scriptura? i.e. the bible is all one needs for complete truth , and as a sole rule of faith?

But instead, people see this verse in

isolation on Facebook memes, t -shirts, mugs, pinterest posters, graduation/congratulation cards, and other media. And they run with their own isolated thoughts and make an entire doctrine where is none.

Say's who?

Have YOU read the entire book of Jeremiah and do YOU read Jeremiah 29:11 in light of verses 1-19 and the entire book

To be honest Jayne,,, not in some time. However, thanks to you I will.

　

Peace be with you

　

And Happy Thanksgiving!

[enoob57]

The first steps is the gramatical structure of what is actually being said then immediate context as to historical, social, and political...

[thilipsis]

On 11/18/2016 at 8:06 PM, BacKaran said:

 

Interpreting the Bible—hermeneutics—is the science and art of understanding, translating, and explaining the meaning of the Scripture text. To guide this process the preacher can follow basic principles that help the interpreter discern the intended meaning of the text writer rather than imposing his own ideas on the text. Here are seven principles I would recommend.

Hermeneutics is the idea of principles that represent concurrent principles that help to guide our understanding of Scripture. Indeed, a basic exposition and cultural context are key elements but there are principles like Messianic prophecy that run concurrent in the Law, Prophets and especially the Gospel. A couple of the most important being the return of Christ and final judgment remain a concurrent theme. The introduction is a good, practical guide to a normal exposition, identifying what the principles are is often of enormous worth in determining stronger undercurrents.

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1. Identify the kind of literature your text is for insight into its meaning.

Bible scholars call this the genre of the text. That means the general form the text takes—narrative, prophecy, poetry, history, gospel, epistle. The various kinds of literature present their message in differing styles and with different structure. Narrative texts do not operate the same way epistles do in getting their message across to the reader.

The variety in literary forms can become a complicated study. Bible scholars go beyond the basic forms I mentioned here to subforms with subtle differences the ordinary reader might not notice. Often they disagree with one another about these subtleties. In spite of these technical distinctions, the preacher can still recognize the text’s form and how it affects the meaning.

 I keep running into this one, especially when looking at Romans or Revelations. The Revelation is especially rich in Hebrew imagery, the appearance of the Son of Man in the opening chapter for instance bears a strange resemblance to the appearance of a Levitical High Priest.

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2. Consider the context of the passage for a better understanding of its meaning.

This is often considered the first and most important principle for accurate interpretation. Bible scholars use the term context to discuss various aspects of the original writing of the text—historical, social, political, religious, literary. It is this literary concern I have in mind as the contextof the passage.

The writer follows a logical line of thought in what he writes. What he said in the previous verses or chapters and what he said in the ones that follow will help make the text in question clear. Taking the text out of that context risks misinterpreting it. Often clues in the surrounding verses will open aspects of the meaning in your text you would have otherwise missed.

Very often the immediate context is telling you what is going on with a specific text. In John 6 when Jesus says I am the bread of life, taken out of context it suggests there is something to be learned about the bread of the Lord's Supper. A closer examination reveals that Jesus is saying the bread you ate, the bread your fathers ate in the dessert will feed you today only to leave you hungry tomorrow. Believe in me and you never have to worry about being hungry again, maybe in this life you'll know want, but I am the bread of life and clearly he is describing eternal life.

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3. Read the text for its plain and obvious meaning.

A common and persistent myth about the Bible is that its real meaning is hidden behind the surface message. Even though the Bible uses symbolic or figurative language, most of it is clear to the reader. Even when you do not know about the people, places, and events in question, you can grasp the point of the text.

The use of figurative language in Scripture only enhances the plain meaning of the text. “Why do you complain about the splinter in your brother’s eye when you have a plank in your own eye?” Jesus said (Matt. 7:3 NIV). Even though this is figurative language, we have no trouble understanding what he meant. His use of the metaphors makes it even clearer.

This is a good one, should go without saying, what is it actually saying. I've seen more people try to 'interpret', their way around the clear meaning. The writer gets to deliver the message, the first order of business is to hear him out.

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4. Try to discern the writer’s intentions when he wrote the text.

This principle of intentionality is critical for the expository preacher. You study the text not to find a sermon in it but to discover the writer’s intended message. Unless you can learn the intended meaning of the text writer, you will not be able to preach the message of the text in your sermon. Remember, “The text cannot mean what it never meant.”4 Discovering the writer’s original meaning is your first task as you prepare to preach to your own generation.

The intended meaning of the text writer will also be the intended meaning of the Holy Spirit who inspired him to write. As you read his words, you are dealing with a revelation from God. Remember, “All scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV). The same Holy Spirit who inspired these words in the first place wants this message to be preached again through your sermon. And you want to preach in a way that is in line with the Spirit’s purposes.

This is where the literary features come in handy. We are all familiar with how in Proverbs there is a tendency to repeat things. It's called parallelism and their are times it's used to show the heart of the emphasis. In Genesis 1:27 the creation of Adam and Eve is repeated three times, this is a literary feature that is repeating a principle to indicate the heart of the emphasis. 

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5. Look carefully at the language of the text for what it reveals about its meaning.

Words carry thoughts. The words of the text are all we have of the writer’s thoughts. If he hadn’t written it down, we wouldn’t know what he was thinking. So we can look closely at his words, examining each one carefully for the part it plays in his message. Also look at how the words and phrases connect with one another and how the sentences are constructed.

If you can study the text in the original language, you can gain greater insight into the meaning. Many preachers study Greek and Hebrew for that reason. But even if you cannot read your texts in those languages, you can still use lexicons and word study books to guide you. Though your congregation is probably not interested in the Hebrew and Greek, your study will open insights that will make the message clearer to them. You can do this without going into detail about tenses and forms in the original languages.

Dictionaries, lexicons and concordances are invaluable in this regard. Not everything translates word for word, the more you know about the original language the better.

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6. Notice the various theological themes in the text.

Though a text has one intended meaning, it can have a number of significant theological themes. It can also have a number of different applications. When you do the structural diagram and your observations, you will list these themes and what the text says about them. Identifying these themes and understanding how they relate to one another in your text is a most helpful key to grasping its meaning.

These same theological themes will show up in different combinations in various texts throughout the Bible. In your preaching text you will try to discover the best wording for the writer’s subject and the modifier that limits and focuses it. You will also look through the text for thepredicates, the various things the writer is saying about his subject. The theological themes in the text will give you what you need for these tasks.

That one is tricky, John's Gospel is known to be deeply theological, as opposed to Romans that is more doctrinal. What I keep noticing about John is he spends a lot of time on dialogues, conversations Jesus had with different people, Nicodemus, the Samaritan Woman at the well, the Upper Room Discourse. There's a theological premise there, the key to good theology is how it generates a dialogue between the worshiper and God, not just how it informs the intellect.   

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7. Always take a God-centered perspective for interpreting your text.

This means looking at the text in terms of what it reveals about God and his dealings with his creation, particularly man. This is theological interpretation. It arises from the assumption that the Bible is really God’s means of making himself known to us. What it says about him will always be central to every text.

The Bible was not given by God to tell us about ancient religious people and how we should all try to be like them. It was given to tell us about the faithful God whom they either served or denied. Their response is not the central message; God’s will and his involvement with his creation are. Even texts that give instructions as to how we should behave reveal something about God.

You might not see it in many books on hermeneutics but sometimes you should simply ask God for understanding. Not exactly a rule but a word of advice here, it works.

Grace and peace,
Mark

 

Edited November 24, 2016 by thilipsis

[warrior12]

On 11/23/2016 at 10:51 AM, Hoddie said:

But you do?

 

Really? How are we to know that your personal interpretation of this passage is true and absolute? Let me guess... you were guided by the Holy Spirit? What if that young lady at the graduation said she too was guided to the truth of this same passage by the Holy Spirit, which interpretation of that verse is the true interpretation? Yours? Hers? Who is to determine it?

Now if you were to say that Scripture is clear and is easily interpreted, I would have to ask..
"if Scripture is so clear, then why are there so many differences of opinion as to its interpretation? And not only that, but why does Scripture itself say that it is not clear?"

"So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures."----2Pet 3:15-16

So let me ask you something Jayne, what is the answer regarding personal opinions/ interpretatins of Scripture? How can we determine which one has doctrinal truth, and which one is merely expressing a misguided personal opinion or interpretation?

　

Peace

Have to go along with Hoddie here.  While as believers we want to use the tools avaliable to us to have a yardstick, so to speak to come to a reasonable conclusion to what the Holy Bible message is for us, each one can formulate his own thoughts based on many rationale thinking.  

Hoddie, how come you choose that name man/miss, every time i see your name, i have an imagination of a guy in the hood. This is my rational thinking.    Anyway the Scripture verse below is just for contemplation and refers to no one or projected to none.

Jeremiah 9:24English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

[Ezra]

On 11/23/2016 at 8:51 AM, Hoddie said:

So let me ask you something Jayne, what is the answer regarding personal opinions/ interpretatins of Scripture?

Roman Catholics have been taught that any interpretation of the Bible which rejects their doctrines is "personal" and "private" and unworthy of serious consideration, since it is merely an "opinion". But when the Pope says that climate change is the biggest threat to mankind, that is perfectly OK, even though it is total nonsense.

[Guest BacKaran]

Thank you Ezra.

I made the post so those who were wondering exactly what hermanuetics is would know.

Context and knowing your audience and what the writer means to say is crucial.

Example.

In the 1800s a person could say that person is so gay! And everyone would know they were speaking about a happy, cheerful person.

Today if I said I'm so gay, the connotation would be understood by people that I'm claiming to be a homosexual which has nothing to do with being happy or cheerful and everything to do with a sinful lifestyle.

Hermanuetics helps one understand why something was said that we in the 21St century may not get.

Otherwise people could and do pick and choose scriptures to make a man made religion based on verses taken totally out of context.

The scholars I read and listen to are well versed in hermanuetics and expository preaching.

I'm just trying to help people understand what it is so they can listen for it in their church from their pastor.

I never heard of it until I went to and end times prophecy seminar, listened to Jan Markel interview some pastors on her radio show and I then visited one pastors church. I knew this man was preaching the meat of there bible so many are hungry for!

Turned out it was Jan Markels church and my pastor, who preached at that church, began a sister church in the east metro area where I live.

Bible study classes, books and seminars by the experts in their field like Walter Kaiser, Charles Cooper and Warren Coe, have helped me to grow more in the past seven years as a true Christian than all the years before. 

Hermanuetics reveals why it's so radical that Jesus spoke to the woman at the well. First she's a woman, low on the pole of society importance,  a Samaritan woman, who talks to Samaritans?.. and one that was living with someone who was not her husband. Jesus spoke truth to her and she marveled running back into town to witness to everyone she knew about Jesus and how he knew her, of course they asked Jesus to stay for a few days.

Little nuances in a verse are very telling. God wastes no words, every word's  in the Bible exactly where it's at for a purpose and reason.

Not being from the first century, the language nuances are lost to me since I'm centuries removed.

I understand any one can claim to be an interpreter, like the pope,  and that's where the Holy Spirit gives discernment to the saved. 

I pray this would be a blessing to all who are lost in a man made religion as only the Holy Spirit will help one discern what God words means and anyone can understand the bible, it's not just for the Pharisees or pope. It's for all saved believers in Jesus Christ.

Blessings for a great week,

Karan

[thilipsis]

1 hour ago, Ezra said:

Roman Catholics have been taught that any interpretation of the Bible which rejects their doctrines is "personal" and "private" and unworthy of serious consideration, since it is merely an "opinion". But when the Pope says that climate change is the biggest threat to mankind, that is perfectly OK, even though it is total nonsense.

First of all even the Pope is entitled to his opinion. I remember he said the Christian thing was build bridges not walls, all I could think was doesn't Vatican City have a wall? Anyway, what he was saying about 'opinion' is probably Aristotelian, the weakest kind of knowledge Aristotle thought was basic belief or opinion. I think he might have missed something, for most Christians reading the Bible is devotional and there are a lot of ways it can speak to you on a personal level. 

Just because you brought it up, I think global warming is real but I often wonder if the international effort to deal with it is helping.

[Marilyn C]

2 hours ago, BacKaran said:

Thank you Ezra.

I made the post so those who were wondering exactly what hermanuetics is would know.

Context and knowing your audience and what the writer means to say is crucial.

Example.

In the 1800s a person could say that person is so gay! And everyone would know they were speaking about a happy, cheerful person.

Today if I said I'm so gay, the connotation would be understood by people that I'm claiming to be a homosexual which has nothing to do with being happy or cheerful and everything to do with a sinful lifestyle.

Hermanuetics helps one understand why something was said that we in the 21St century may not get.

Otherwise people could and do pick and choose scriptures to make a man made religion based on verses taken totally out of context.

The scholars I read and listen to are well versed in hermanuetics and expository preaching.

I'm just trying to help people understand what it is so they can listen for it in their church from their pastor.

I never heard of it until I went to and end times prophecy seminar, listened to Jan Markel interview some pastors on her radio show and I then visited one pastors church. I knew this man was preaching the meat of there bible so many are hungry for!

Turned out it was Jan Markels church and my pastor, who preached at that church, began a sister church in the east metro area where I live.

Bible study classes, books and seminars by the experts in their field like Walter Kaiser, Charles Cooper and Warren Coe, have helped me to grow more in the past seven years as a true Christian than all the years before. 

Hermanuetics reveals why it's so radical that Jesus spoke to the woman at the well. First she's a woman, low on the pole of society importance,  a Samaritan woman, who talks to Samaritans?.. and one that was living with someone who was not her husband. Jesus spoke truth to her and she marveled running back into town to witness to everyone she knew about Jesus and how he knew her, of course they asked Jesus to stay for a few days.

Little nuances in a verse are very telling. God wastes no words, every word's  in the Bible exactly where it's at for a purpose and reason.

Not being from the first century, the language nuances are lost to me since I'm centuries removed.

I understand any one can claim to be an interpreter, like the pope,  and that's where the Holy Spirit gives discernment to the saved. 

I pray this would be a blessing to all who are lost in a man made religion as only the Holy Spirit will help one discern what God words means and anyone can understand the bible, it's not just for the Pharisees or pope. It's for all saved believers in Jesus Christ.

Blessings for a great week,

Karan

Hi Karan,

It is a very important subject & glad you brought it up. Well done. I think to know how God would have us understand His word with the Holy Spirit is key. To have one without the other can lead to error. People often say -"Well I have the Holy Spirit & therefore I don`t need anyone to teach me." The trouble with that is we are not perfect in hearing the Holy Spirit. It would rely on US to always hear correctly. Then if we just use the skills of interpretation then we can also be in error for we would be looking at God`s word from our, man`s perspective & not God`s, which the Holy Spirit reveals as we grow in Him.

So glad that you have been able to find some good teaching & it has opened your eyes more to God`s word. That is why the Head, Christ has given of Himself - teachers whom He gifts to understand & teach, step by step, so that we can learn & grow. I`m ever so thankful for the teachers etc that I received truth from.

regards, Marilyn.

 

[Guest BacKaran]

Hi Marilyn, 

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it. People really need to know all about the hermanuetics to understand the questions they may have can be answered even when skeptics say the bible contradicts itself, when it is the reader reading incorrectly what's been said in error.

There are no errors on the bible but people maker plenty of errors not knowing the cultures, the languages and so on. They can be mislead by false preachers.

I bought a Greek, Hebrew, and English interlinear bible and Wayne Grudems book on Systematic Theology. Together with excellent bible study classes, I have grown so much to love Gods word that I need to tell people about everything I know so they can learn and grow as well.

I learned so much at Jan Markels conference, about church movements, meeting other knowledgeable people like Dr Regan, John MacArthur, Walter Kaiser, Mike Gendron, Adrian Rogers etc. It was as if my long journey finally brought me to what I was in search of and I didn't know what it was. 

I never heard of Christian bookstores, study Bibles or commentaries, I was in a whole new world all because of His leading, I am so blessed.

Witnessing? Gospel tracts? Where does one get info on this stuff? 

I practiced witnessing on my hubby two years before he died so I know he is saved. I want every hurting soul to know God and love Him as all believers do and to have that hunger for knowing his word.

This forum is awesome, and I'm sure God will bring many to it, I pray they are blessed and then to Christ as their Living Redeemer!

Shalom,

Karan

 

 

[missmuffet]

Question: "What is biblical hermeneutics?"

Answer: Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles and methods of interpreting the text of the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 commands believers to be involved in hermeneutics: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who . . . correctly handles the word of truth.” The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to help us to know how to properly interpret, understand, and apply the Bible.

The most important law of biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally. We are to understand the Bible in its normal or plain meaning, unless the passage is obviously intended to be symbolic or if figures of speech are employed. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. For example, when Jesus speaks of having fed “the five thousand” in Mark 8:19, the law of hermeneutics says we should understand five thousand literally—there was a crowd of hungry people that numbered five thousand who were fed with real bread and fish by a miracle-working Savior. Any attempt to “spiritualize” the number or to deny a literal miracle is to do injustice to the text and ignore the purpose of language, which is to communicate. Some interpreters make the mistake of trying to read between the lines of Scripture to come up with esoteric meanings that are not truly in the text, as if every passage has a hidden spiritual truth that we should seek to decrypt. Biblical hermeneutics keeps us faithful to the intended meaning of Scripture and away from allegorizing Bible verses that should be understood literally.

A second crucial law of biblical hermeneutics is that passages must be interpreted historically, grammatically, and contextually. Interpreting a passage historically means we must seek to understand the culture, background, and situation that prompted the text. For example, in order to fully understand Jonah’s flight in Jonah 1:1–3, we should research the history of the Assyrians as related to Israel. Interpreting a passage grammatically requires one to follow the rules of grammar and recognize the nuances of Hebrew and Greek. For example, when Paul writes of “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” in Titus 2:13, the rules of grammar state that God and Savior are parallel terms and they are both in apposition to Jesus Christ—in other words, Paul clearly calls Jesus “our great God.” Interpreting a passage contextually involves considering the context of a verse or passage when trying to determine the meaning. The context includes the verses immediately preceding and following, the chapter, the book, and, most broadly, the entire Bible. For example, many puzzling statements in Ecclesiastes become clearer when kept in context—the book of Ecclesiastes is written from the earthly perspective “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). In fact, the phrase under the sun is repeated about thirty times in the book, establishing the context for all that is “vanity” in this world.

A third law of biblical hermeneutics is that Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture. For this reason, we always compare Scripture with Scripture when trying to determine the meaning of a passage. For example, Isaiah’s condemnation of Judah’s desire to seek Egypt’s help and their reliance on a strong cavalry (Isaiah 31:1) was motivated, in part, by God’s explicit command that His people not go to Egypt to seek horses (Deuteronomy 17:16).

Some people avoid studying biblical hermeneutics because they mistakenly believe it will limit their ability to learn new truths from God’s Word or stifle the Holy Spirit’s illumination of Scripture. But their fears are unfounded. Biblical hermeneutics is all about finding the correct interpretation of the inspired text. The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to protect us from misapplying Scripture or allowing bias to color our understanding of truth. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). We want to see the truth, know the truth, and live the truth as best we can, and that’s why biblical hermeneutics is vital.

https://gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html