During a recent fallout over a church split and the
subsequent ousting of the senior pastor, the church community was up in arms
over the influence of Calvinism. The senior pastor was accused of abandoning
the faith (Oneness). An elder in making the case against him cited ‘Sola
Scriptura’ and began to use the proof-texting method to denounce the pastor’s
actions. A more thorough investigation of the claims revealed a lack of
applying proper hermeneutics, which could have prevented the fallout.
Hermeneutics involves ‘the task of explaining, interpreting, and translating
the Scriptures.”[1]
Outside of the objective text, hermeneutics pulls back the curtain, and reveals
the original meaning and context of the author’s work. It is a discipline that
illuminates precisely the intended meaning, whether a single meaning, a fuller,
or even a hidden meaning. Exactly what was the writer trying to communicate to
his audience? It is not enough to just say “The Bible says so.” Nor should
doctrine be made from a position of silence. Hermeneutics then, “provides the
means for understanding the Scriptures and for applying that meaning
responsibly.”[2]
This is where the role of the interpreter becomes crucial. Since
everyone approaches the texts with a degree of biases, presuppositions and
preunderstandings, an interpreter’s understanding of the text will inform the
reader one way or another. The elder staked his position against the pastor
based on his understanding of a few texts. However, there was more to the texts
than the literal meaning. His interpretation informed his worldview and his
theology. Language informs worldview.
Our understanding of the text informs our beliefs and value system, So too the
work of the interpreter informs understanding.
The impact of the interpreter is tremendous. Depending on
the technique used, presuppositions, agendas, knowledge and discipline, the
conclusions of such will sway the reader one way or another. The interpreter can
provide accurate theology and illumination or a pathway to misunderstanding,
distortion and error.[3] The Bible was never intended to be an easy
read; as such, fuller and intended meanings of the text will require the
application of hermeneutics.
Interpretive Challenges
To the average reader, the Bible is simply a compilation of
texts with an intended purpose. Hermeneutics informs otherwise – “The Books of
the Bible are literary pieces, carefully crafted to achieve their purposes.”[4] It
is also extremely helpful when reading the Bible to consider the challenges
that distance places upon the text as it was “written to somebody else, who
lived a long time ago, in another part of the world, where they spoke a
different language, and had different cultural values.”[5]
Now, of the four interpretive challenges
I am torn between ‘culture’ and language; both difficult to overcome, but for
now, I will propose ‘language’ as the most difficult. Here’s why: In our
present world, language informs culture, which in turn informs worldview. This
postmodern world is suspect of all ‘texts’ (locution) which is still what we
use to inform metanarratives (illocution). The illocution of language used in
that world (the biblical world) requires the employment of a proper interpretive
method to decipher more than the objective meaning. When Jesus said to the
Jewish crowd “It was not so in the beginning” (Mat. 19:8), the average reader
of the text may not realize that there is a lengthy discourse on divorce and
the institution of marriage that is occurring that requires the reader to revisit
the Mosaic Law and the Creation narrative. This as Klein et al stated is “a
language gap between the biblical world and our own that further challenges the
task of biblical interpretation.”[6] The
task of deciphering language will involve historical studies, understanding the
meaning of words (in different languages e.g. Greek and Hebrew), “a complex
system of values, assumptions and habits of minds that reveal themselves in
words, grammar,”[7] syntax, and culture.
These are very hard barriers to cross for the average Bible
reader, and undoubtedly contributes to incorrect and surface expositions that
do not answer the pressing concerns for a people thirsty for solutions to their
problems. On the other hand, “distance” (i.e. geographical distance)
may be the easiest barrier to overcome. Years ago, this challenge would have
been greater, but with the advent of the internet, social media and the
far-reaching impact of globalization, anyone reading the Bible can get a mental
or even visual picture of the original audience. We can watch a video or use
Google maps for instant transportation by the Sea of Galilee. Time has changed
the topography of the places mentioned in the Bible, but there is still enough
remaining intact to provide an historical reference to Bible times. That said, I will agree concur with Richards et al in saying
that of the many interpretive challenges, “language is the most obvious and the
most insidious,” as “serious misunderstandings can occur when we fail to
recognize all that goes without being said about language and how we use it.”[8] The
inherent problem of language, and even possible disregard for distance, has led
to some of the mistrust interlocutors attribute to accepting the Gospel and
pose stumbling blocks for believers themselves.
[1]
William Klein, Craig L. Blomberg and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., Introduction to Biblical Interpretation,
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 40.
[2]
Ibid., 42.
[3]
Ibid., 44.
[4]
Ibid., 56.
[5]
Ibid., 59.
[6]
Ibid., 58.
[7]
E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien, Misreading
Scripture With Western Eyes, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2012), 71.
Deep. And stirs the mind
ReplyDeleteIt would therefore make sense, that the average pew fellow reset his priorities, in order to benefit even more as he studies "to show himself approved..." 2Tim 2:15
Thank you for the insight.