In the first installment of this article I mentioned a discussion I had with a friend regarding the Bible. Her main concern was how we got the Bible we now have, and can we be sure it is reliable as God’s Word. See part 1 here: http://www.marketfaith.org/2017/06/the-bible-from-gods-mind-to-our-lives-part-1/
As I indicated in part 1, her questions prompted me to research the subject of biblical hermeneutics. Thus I concluded that there were ten sequential historical hermeneutical steps from what God conceived as His Word in His Infinite Mind, to how we can accurately apply it our lives today. In this two-installment article we analyze those ten stages from Scripture’s Divine origin to its application(s) for Christians today – or in whatever time and place they may live. In the first part we looked at the first five. We will review those briefly in this installment then move ahead to steps 6-10. As I stated in my introduction to Part 1, it is not my purpose in this article to address any specific theological, ethical, or moral issue. That happens as the end result of this process in each individual’s life.
So, first we will review steps 1-5.
1. Origination
Scripture has its origin in the Mind of God. That is where the answers to the questions about God and the universe can be found. God has determined what He wants His people to know about Him and His nature. Only He has the answers to the ultimate questions about life, and what behaviors and beliefs He expects of humanity. Thus, when God establishes a fact it is absolute.
2. Revelation
God makes His Mind known to mankind through divine revelation. He speaks or reveals His truth about Himself through certain people at certain points in time by various methods. He may speak audibly, He may impress thoughts in the minds of His servants like prophets and apostles, or He may do miraculous acts in history. This principle is called Special Revelation, meaning it is revealed in ways not available to all humanity by observation or reason (General Revelation). This revelation comes only to those (individuals or groups) to whom God chooses to reveal it. They, then, have the responsibility to communicate it to others.
3. Inspiration
The act of God revealing the content and meaning of His word to specific individuals is called “Inspiration.” This kind of inspiration comes only through the supernatural enlightenment of the thought processes of specially selected persons by God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, by a supernatural process, places the ideas, and even the words, into the minds of the biblical writers. Inspiration means the words and ideas revealed are infallible and without error for the purposes for which God gives them.
4. Inscription
This refers to the actual writing of Holy Scripture. As with inspiration, the Holy Spirit filled the authors’ minds with divinely inspired thoughts and words. The authors then wrote down (or dictated to a scribe) what God led them to write down infallibly and without error. However, as we indicated, when we say the Bible is divinely inspired and inscripted, we do not mean God by-passed the author’s minds, personalities, and experiences. Rather, He used those qualities to enhance the meaning of the Scriptures.
We should note here that the Canon (Accepted List) of Scripture has been closed since the time of the early church. No other Scriptures can or need be added to the 66 books we now have in the Bible (39 OT/ 27 NT). Any church or organization that claims to have new or additional Scriptures should be rejected (egs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Christian Science).
5. Transmission
This refers to the process of copying and distributing Scripture to humanity in various places and times. We affirm that the texts of the Bible were handed down remarkably (some of us might say miraculously) pure from ancient times. This copying and spreading of the texts from the originals is called “transmission.”
Now we will examine principles 6-10.
6. Translation
“There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.” 1 Cor. 14:10-11 CSB
The process of researching the meaning of the words and grammar of the Bible books in their original languages to make them available to read in another language (English, for instance) is called “Translation.” The Bible was not, as we all should know, written in English, Spanish, German, Chinese, or any other modern language. It was written in three different ancient languages over the course of about 1500 years, from about 1400 BC to about AD 95.
The vast majority of the Old Testament (OT) was originally written in Hebrew. That ancient Semitic language was preserved for centuries by Jewish and Christian scholars, particularly in studying biblical texts – though not as a spoken language. In the 20th century, however, Hebrew, with some modifications, was actually resurrected to be the official written and spoken language of the state of Israel.
Parts of the OT were written in another ancient language; Aramaic. These include sections of Ezra (4:8-6:18; 7:12-26), Daniel (2:4b-7:28), Jeremiah 10:11, and two words in Genesis (31:47). In the New Testament (NT), Aramaic phrases are used a few times in Mark’s Gospel: Mark 5:41; 14:36; 15:34 (it was the commonly spoken language of Palestine in that era).
The NT was written in Koine (Common) Greek, the common written language of that era. Since the time of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) that language spread throughout the Greek Empire. Even the Romans could not supplant it with Latin in their Eastern empire regions. The fact that Koine Greek was so widespread was quite fortunate for the NT writers. It is a language that is highly precise so that the words and grammar are very specific in their meanings (much more so than English).
The point here is that for the Bible to be clearly understood by those who know only other languages, it must be translated as accurately as is possible from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. This, obviously, is not a simple task, and requires the skills of teams of highly trained and dedicated linguists. Since words and concepts do not always translate exactly from one language to another, and because languages inevitably change, the process of translation is an ever ongoing process.
Christians therefore, need to be knowledgeable about the various translations available, and which are the most accurate and up-to-date. Some of the more popular English translations for evangelicals include the King James Version (KJV – 1611), the New King James Version (NKJV – 1975); The New American Standard Bible (NASB – 1971, updated 1995); The New International Version (NIV – 1968 [NT], 1978 [OT]), The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB – 2003), and the Christian Standard Bible (CSB – update of HCSB, 2017).
7. Publication
“And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” Acts 13:49 KJV
Once a translation is finished and the scholars are satisfied as to its accuracy, it becomes the task of various companies to print and publish English (or other languages) editions for sale and distribution. A number of companies print Bibles in the USA including Holman Bible Publishing Co. (LifeWay Christian Resources), Thomas Nelson Pub., the International Bible Society, the American Bible Society, United Bible Society, the Gideons International, Zondervan Pub. House, Crossway Publishers, World Publishers, Abingdon Press, Eerdmans Pub. Co., and many others.
Christians should be careful in choosing a good Bible translation. Unfortunately, some publishers produce distorted or inaccurate versions. For instance the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society published the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT). The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the corporate name for the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult. The NWT contains hundreds of translation distortions made to conform it to Jehovah’s Witnesses heretical theology. (see The Jehovah’s Witnesses Bible: Is It Reliable? http://www.marketfaith.org/the-jehovahs-witnesses-bible-is-it-reliable/)
8. Interpretation
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB).
Interpretation (the science of hermeneutics) is the process of carefully studying the words and grammar of the Scriptures (in their original languages if possible) to determine as closely as possible their meanings as written by the original authors. This is humanly very difficult. That’s why there are so many varying interpretations of many passages.
Nonetheless, here are several basic principles for doing accurate interpretation.
First, we must take into consideration the particular passage’s or book’s type of literature. The Bible contains all sorts and varieties of literature. They include historical texts, poetry, wisdom, epistles or letters, apocalyptic writings, and so on. Knowing the form of literature directly determines how we understand its meaning. Historical books, like 1 and 2 Kings, are very different than, say, a poetic one like Psalms. But neither of those can be understood in the same way as epistles or letters, like 1 and 2 Corinthians. Further, Daniel and Revelation are apocalyptic books and must be viewed with a totally different lens than the others. The sort of literature a book represents determines how we understand the writer’s purpose and intended meaning as he wrote it.
Second, each Scripture’s historical setting, and the time it was written in the progress of God’s revelation, impacts its meaning and how we interpret it. The Bible books were not written in a vacuum. A book written around 1200 BC and set in ancient Israel has a very different historical perspective than one written in the First Century AD. The writer’s words and meanings can be best known by understanding when, where, and who he was addressing, and the issues they were facing at that time and place. For instance, when Peter wrote his letters (1 and 2 Peter), he was writing to churches in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) to encourage them in the very real possibility of imminent persecution. Also, God provided greater revelation over the centuries, so some passages in the OT must be looked at in light of the NT and the person Jesus Christ. This is what is known as “progressive revelation.”
Third, and perhaps most important, Bible passages must be analyzed with consideration for their context. This actually involves two contextual dimensions. Dimension one is the general context of the passage. This refers to where it is located in the specific book where it is written. All Bible books have overarching purposes for their composition. Understanding the writer’s ultimate theme helps us know the relevancy of any one verse or passage. For example, when Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he was concerned about the growing influence in their midst of Judaizers who were distorting the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith.
The other contextual dimension involves locating a word, phrase, or passage in the specific context of the chapter and other verses surrounding it. One of the worse ways some cultists twist Scripture is to quote verses out of their context. In some cases they can make it appear to mean something that was never intended by the author. For instance, some groups like to quote John 3:5 as proof that baptism is necessary for salvation: “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God'” (NASB). Yet when we look at that verse’s immediate context of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), it says absolutely nothing about baptism.
Another thing to keep in mind; if you ever hear a Bible teacher claim she or he has discovered the hidden “keys” to understanding the real meaning of the Bible, beware! The Bible is not a “hidden” book, nor are there “deeper truths” to be found. The Scriptures should be studied in light of the clear and plain meanings of the words and phrases. Difficult passages, and there are some, should be interpreted in light of the obvious passages.
9. Illumination
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26 NASB).
Illumination is the supernatural way that the Holy Spirit (the same Holy Spirit who inspired the authors) helps Christians to read and understand the meaning of Scripture. In I Corinthians 2:14-16, the Apostle Paul indicated that the natural minded person (non-Christian)… “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” However, he then states that … “the spiritual minded person appraises all things.…” The point is that the Holy Spirit “illuminates” (enlightens) the mind of the Spirit-filled Christian to understand what it says.
Thus, we have a Guide to help us in reading and interpreting God’s Word. Jesus Himself promised the “Helper” (Paracletos – AKA: “the Counselor”; “the Comforter”; “the Advocate”), the Holy Spirit, would lead us into the truth (See all of John 14-17).
10. Application
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16 CSB)
The ultimate purpose for Christian Bible study should be personal application. This is how Christians can and should correctly apply the Scriptures to the situations of their lives.
Indeed, all the previous steps are useless and a waste of time without the intention to apply it to our lives. Scholarly study of the process of biblical interpretation is a good thing. It helps us to get to the real meanings of Scripture. Nonetheless, that purely academic kind of Bible study is inadequate for Christians. Our primary motive for learning the Bible is to determine what it means practically for our lives and communities.
That being said, though there may be only one correct interpretation of any Bible passage, it may actually have many applications. It depends on the situations of life. While the absolute principles derived from Scripture never change, they may apply to many different life circumstances.
So these are the ten steps that have brought us to the point of understanding the Mind Of God. He has revealed His truth to us in the Bible. It has involved a long process and requires we take the time to investigate what it means and how it applies to our lives today!
© 2017 Tal Davis