Biblical Hermeneutics - Rightly Dividing the Word of God Rev. Darren Middleton, Dip.Min, B.Th, MA.Th* Contents: An Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1 The Bible Affirms its Own Clarity ................................................................................................................ 1 Cultural / Historical Perspective .................................................................................................................... 2 What This Text Means to Me... ..................................................................................................................... 3 Some Definitions: Revelation, Inspiration, Illumination, and Interpretation ................................................ 4 Schools of Biblical Interpretation .................................................................................................................. 4 The Principles of Biblical Interpretation ....................................................................................................... 6 The Grammatico-Historical Method.............................................................................................................. 8 Some Common Exegetical Fallacies ............................................................................................................. 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 11
An Introduction Skeptics often ask me, "If the Bible is God's Word, why are there so many different interpretations of what He supposedly said?" Those who accept the Bible as the Word of God believe that God has spoken to us unambiguously. We believe that there is only one "right" interpretation of any given Biblical passage the meaning God intended when He "breathed" His word into the human author. If this view is correct, it follows that of the many "different interpretations" skeptics refer to, there must be only one that is valid. That is, while a particular passage may have many applications, it must have only one meaning - the one the author (through inspiration of the Holy Spirit) intended. How, then may we determine the proper interpretation of Scripture? The science of Biblical Hermeneutics - in all it's varied "schools" - seeks to provide a methodology to answer that question. Biblical hermeneutics is the science that teaches the principles and methods of interpreting the Word of God. Proper hermeneutics provide us tools to help ensure that we are basing our interpretations on the truth as God has revealed it, while avoiding error to the greatest degree possible. Using sound hermeneutic principles is not optional for the true disciple of Christ. The Apostle Paul enjoins us to "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). The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to some basic hermeneutical principles - principles that we strive to adhere to in the commentaries on this website. A short bibliography and links to resources for additional research are provided at the end of this paper. The Bible Affirms its Own Clarity The Apostle Peter reminded his readers that some things in the writings of the Apostle Paul are "hard to understand" (2 Peter 3:15-16). We must therefore admit that not all parts of Scripture are able to be easily understood. However, it would be a grave error to conclude that all Scripture is obscure or that it requires years of study to adequately interpret it. The Bible it1