WISDOM HOLY BIBLE UNIVERSITY, GHANA

COURSE TITLE: BST403 BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS

LECTURER: PASTOR EZEKIEL TAIWO DEDEIGBO PH.D

+2348062845623

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 COURSE OUTLINE
Introduction to Hermeneutics
a) Defining Hermeneutics: Nature and Significance
b) Historical Overview of Biblical Interpretation
c) The Role of Hermeneutics in Christian Faith and Practice
Contextual Analysis and Historical-Cultural Background
a) Historical Context: Ancient Near East and Greco-Roman World
b) Cultural Practices, Customs, and Social Structures
c) Archaeology and its Contribution to Biblical Understanding
Authorship, Intention, and Original Audience
a) Authorial Intent: Author’s Message and Audience’s Reception
b) Pseudepigrapha and the Issue of Authorship
c) Understanding the Historical Context of Biblical Authors
Literary Forms and Genre Analysis
a) Understanding Literary Genres: Narrative, Poetry, Prophecy, Epistle, etc.
b) Figurative Language and Symbolism in Scripture
c) Theological and Literary Significance of Genres
Theological Interpretation and Biblical Theology
a) Theological Themes and Motifs in Scripture
b) Covenant Theology and Redemptive-Historical Approach
c) Biblical Theology and the Unity of Scripture
Principles of Exegesis and Interpretation
a) Grammatical-Historical Method and its Application
b) Using Lexicons, Concordances, and Language Tools
c) Identifying Literary Devices and Rhetorical Strategies
Challenges in Interpretation: Difficult Passages and Controversial Issues
a) Dealing with Difficult Passages: Paradoxes, Contradictions, etc.
b) Controversial Issues: Women in Ministry, Homosexuality, etc.
c) Approaches to Allegorical and Symbolic Passages
Application and Preaching of Biblical Texts
a) Bridging the Gap: Applying Ancient Texts to Contemporary Life
b) Homiletics: Preaching Strategies and Expository Sermons
c) Practical Implementation of Exegesis in Ministry

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

 Introduction to Biblical Interpretation: Third Edition by William W. Klein, Craig L.

Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr.

 Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Ferguson How to Read the Bible

for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart
 Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments by Geerhardus Vos
 The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical
Interpretation by Grant R. Osborne
 New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors by Gordon D.
Fee

 Hard Sayings of the Bible by Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F.F. Bruce,

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 and Manfred T. Brauch

 Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course focuses on the principles and methods of interpreting the Bible. It
equips students with the skills necessary for sound exegesis and understanding of
biblical texts within their historical, cultural, and literary contexts.

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 LECTURE 1

INTRODUCTION TO HERMENEUTICS

To introduce this course in Biblical hermeneutics, it is very pertinent to examine Acts

8:26-31:

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to
the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)
27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court
official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her
treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the
prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you
understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he
invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

This encounter between Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a good passage to begin
this book on hermeneutics. This is because there are certain facts relevant to
hermeneutics that are very glaring in the passage. In the above passage, the
Ethiopian eunuch (who is most certainly a Jew either by birth or by proselytising)
was reading a passage of the Scripture which he could not understand. For him to
understand the passage, he needed a guide in the person of Philip which points out
the need of a teacher in understanding the scriptures.
Examining the qualities of the Ethiopian eunuch, Calvin admits that he was a man
who “acknowledges his ignorance freely and frankly”. He later compared the eunuch
with those “who have become swollen-headed with confidence in their own abilities”
in handling the scriptures and concludes that the paucity of those that will humbly
submit themselves to teaching as far as the Bible is concerned is the reason why the
reading of scripture do not bear fruit with many today.
The high rate of heresy in the Church is definitely as a result of the little
understanding of the Bible and the inability of many Bible teachers and pastors to
humble themselves to learn how to accurately interpret scripture.

ORIGIN/ETYMOLOGY OF HERMENEUTICS
The term Hermeneutics points back to the Greek word hermeneien which means “to
interpret”. This is a reference to the Greek god Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

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His task was to explain the decisions of the gods to the humans. Hermaneia thus
means interpretation or commentary.
In classical literature the verb hermeneus (interpret) is used in such senses as “to
express aloud,” “to explain,” or “to translate.” It often appears in contexts which
stress the responsibility of human beings rightly to interpret ancient writings thought
to contain messages from the gods. In view of this root meaning of the word
Hermeneutics, one important continuing question of all interpreters is “how can we
today understand the sense of the texts, especially of ancient texts whose world
view we no longer share?”

DEFINITION OF HERMENEUTICS
While the contemporary use of the term Hermeneutics varies, in a Biblical and
Theological context, it refers usually to the theory of text interpretation. Thus,
Hermeneutics can be defined as the art and science of the process of interpretation.
Interpretation is an art because of the flexibility of interpretation by the individual
person involved. It is also a science because it has to follow some rules to prevent
“arbitrary” interpretation of individual.
Hermeneutics involves the determination of the original meaning of a text which
leads to elucidation of its sense for modern readers.
Hermeneutics is deeply involved in communication because we speak or write to
give meaning; we also listen and read to receive meaning.
Two major concerns of Hermeneutics as shall be seen in this course are:
 One, the development of criteria for text interpretation;
 Two, the act of interpretation itself.
Therefore, in addition to the study of rules or principles for the interpretation of
particular texts, Hermeneutics involves philosophical inquiry, calling upon lexical,
linguistic, literary and other disciplines.

MEANING OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS

Biblical Hermeneutics is a technical kind within the larger comprehension of
Hermeneutics. It is also called sacred Hermeneutics.
Biblical Hermeneutics can be defined as the study of the rules or “principles which
pertain to the interpretation of Holy Scripture.” Many Bible passages illustrate the
task of Biblical Hermeneutics. Some examples are Genesis 40:8; Eccl. 8:1; Daniel

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2:28; Luke 24:27.
Genesis 40:8
[8]And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.
And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I
pray you.
Ecclesiastes 8:1
[1]Who is as the wise man? And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s
wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
Daniel 2:28
[28]But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the
king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of
thy head upon thy bed, are these;
Luke 24:27
[27]And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself.
As a theological discipline, the goal of Hermeneutics is the proper interpretation of
Scripture. Biblical Hermeneutics can be further divided into Old Testament
Hermeneutics and New Testament Hermeneutics. In this course we shall combine
both Old and New Testament Hermeneutics.
Theology and Hermeneutics are so close that William J. Hill OP (1988, 293) even
asserted: “Theology is thus Hermeneutics insofar as it is an interpretation, or
reinterpretation, of the Word of God that always summons every past event or
scriptural account.” One way to also define Theology is an interpretative analysis of
the revelation of God in nature, Jesus Christ and the Bible. The Bible is the primary
and major source of every Christian Theology. Bible Hermeneutics is a Theological
task because it involves interpretation of the Word of God directly, primarily and
interpretation of God, ultimately, by inference.

BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS AND EXEGESIS

Our examination of the meaning of Biblical Hermeneutics above shows that it is
related to Biblical exegesis and other fields of Biblical study like Biblical criticism,
Biblical and Systematic Theologies. This section will consider the connection of
Biblical Hermeneutics with exegesis and exposition. Actually Hermeneutical theories
are formulated from the issues of exegesis. Hermeneutics begins with exegesis and

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continues with exposition. Biblical Hermeneutics, exegesis and preaching thus form
one continuum.
Exegesis is the application of the principles of hermeneutics to arrive at a correct
understanding of the text. Exegesis takes its meaning from the prefix ‘ex’ (meaning
out of or from) and thus carries the notion that the interpreter is attempting to derive
his understanding from the text and not reading his meaning into the text (eisegesis)
which is the common trend today. Thus, we can define exegesis as “the process of
getting out of a text what it actually says in its original setting.” Biblical exegesis is
thus a scientific effort to ascertain the meaning of the text; it is the Word of God
understood historically. In exegesis the interpreter or preacher concentrates on the
meaning of the texts as meant for the original readers.
Exposition is the relevant proclamation of the text to the congregation. It is the Word
of God made relevant to present time and place. Exposition grows out of exegesis. In
exposition the preacher is concerned with the application and relevance of the text
for the contemporary generation. Therefore, every kind of preaching (textual, topical
or expository) rests upon sound interpretation of the Word of God.

FACTORS NECESSITATING HERMENEUTICS

The necessity for interpretation has become a debate today especially between the
hyper-Pentecostals and the conservatives. For some Pentecostals, the Holy Spirit
should be able to illuminate the eyes of Christians to get the message of the
scriptures hence there is no need to follow any principle or rule of interpretation that
seeks to debar the Holy Spirit from doing His work.
It is this controversy that makes it necessary to explain the reason for interpretation:
1. The Existence of Gaps between Writer and Reader
The definition of hermeneutics as stated above implies that there are certain gaps
existing between the writer and the readers that may obscure the message or the
meaning of the writer from the reader. The different gaps that we have are as follows:
a. Historical Gap: This is the separation in time between the author and the readers.
For example, the modern reader might not understand the rationale for Jonah's
reluctance to go to Nineveh, however on hearing the history of Assyrian cruelty to the
victims of war and the fact that they were overlords over Israel, it will be better
understood.
b. Cultural Gap: This is the difference between the culture of the writer and the

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readers. This would be dealt with more elaborately later.
c. Linguistic Gap: This is the gap that exists between the text in its original language
and the various translations. The Bible was written originally in Hebrew, Aramaic and
Greek, three languages that are different in structure and idiom from our
contemporary languages, be it English and our national languages, there is the need
to close the linguistic gap via interpretation.
d. Philosophical Gap: This is the existence of a different attitude towards life and the
universe between the writer and the interpreter of the text. To interpret correctly,
there is the need to examine the similarities and differences between the
philosophical worldviews.
2. Diversity of Mind among Humankind
Diversity of mind refers to the issue of mental development. For example, two men
of the same culture and nationality may not be able to communicate, if one is
learned (consequently, broadminded and liberal) and the other is unlettered. The
truth of this is grasped in 2 Peter 3:15-16:
Just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to
you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some
things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort.
From the above quotation it is clear that some Pauline doctrines are difficult to
understand and that some unlearned people have misinterpreted Paul the author.
Given Paul’s philosophical background, one can conclude safely that some people
who were not highly educated misunderstood and consequently misinterpreted him.
Such is the result of diversity of mind among human beings.
3. Diversity of Culture among Humankind
If the diversity of mind can create gaps in interpretation, the problem that diversity of
culture can generate is even greater. This is because language and culture go hand-
in-hand. Language and culture are so linked together in such a way that differences
in culture can lead to wrong interpretation.
Let us quickly examine a point in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in
Luke 18:9-14. The thirteenth verse pictured the tax gatherer as “beating his chest,” an
action which in verse fourteen was explained as a sign of humility. Among the
Yoruba, a major ethnic group in Nigeria, beating one’s chest is a sign of pride. If one
uses Yoruba culture to interpret the tax gatherer’s action, it would definitely be
misinterpreted.

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4. The Nature of the Bible
When some people talk or think of the Bible today, they usually have the concept of a
20th century book that was written by one author. They may not realize that the Bible
is made up of 66 books written by about 40 people who had different backgrounds
and lived at different places over a long period of time. It also covers many literary
genres from prose to poetry.
Secondly, by its nature, the Bible is the Word of God issued through the pen and the
language of human beings. The main issue then is how do we interpret a record of
divine revelation in which heavenly thoughts hitherto hidden to human beings has
been expressed in the imperfect human speech? So on the whole; no one can do
without interpreting the Bible if it is not to remain inaccessible.
5. The Problem of Language
One salient fact that confronts Bible interpreters today is that most Christians hold
versions of the Bible in their hands and not the Bible in its original languages. This
has created the first area of language problem which is translation obscurity. There
are times when in translation the thought or language expression of the original
language is not available in the receptor language hence the main thought would be
lost. Let us cite Psalm 23:1 as an example. If a Yoruba person who has no idea of
the English version of the Bible is asked to translate “Oluwa ni Oluso aguntan mi” to
English, the literal translation could be “The Lord is the One who keeps my sheep”.
However, the thought of the psalmist in this psalm is this:
“as a shepherd cares or tends for the sheep so does the Lord care or
tend for me”.
The second area of the problem is the author’s style of expression. One would have
to determine how the author has used a particular word. Is the word used
symbolically, analogically, metaphorically or literally? This point would be discussed
in details in the unit that deals with the role of grammar in interpretation.
6. The Bible Commands It
Paul wrote to Timothy:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) The Greek
word, orthotomounta, which is translated “handling accurately”, actually means
“cutting straight” thus in application to the scriptures, would mean “rightly
interpreting”. The point is that for anyone to be a minister of the gospel that must not

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be ashamed, that person must struggle hard to interpret God’s word accurately.
7. Good Exegesis is the Basis of Sound Theology
Since all that we know about God and humanity are revealed to us largely through
the scriptures, our theology then rests a lot on interpretation. If we interpret wrongly,
then the theology that would be derived would be wrong.
If our theology is wrong, then, our practical life as Christians would also become
faulty since one’s action is usually more than often based on one’s beliefs. It is
important for us to engage in sound biblical interpretation so that we could have
sound theology that is Bible-based.
8. For Good and Sound Sermons
If anyone is engaged in the task of preaching (which to Christian ministers and
laymen is becoming the norm rather than the exception) it becomes necessary to
interpret the Bible. If one’s interpretation is wrong, the sermon based on it, no matter
how beautifully packaged and delivered, would not be biblically sound. For example,
a television evangelist one day was preaching on John10:10, “the thief comes not
but to steal, and to kill and to destroy…” In his interpretation, he took the “not” as
functioning as a negative particle which is not the case in John 10:10. So, the thrust
of his message was that the thief will not come to your house. A proper
interpretation of that passage however is that whenever the thief comes, his aim and
goal is to steal, to kill and to destroy. Though the sermon was good to the ears and
was fitting in the era when armed robbers prowl the streets, killing and maiming, it
was based on a misinterpreted text.
9. Apologetic Purposes
As the world is growing more and more pluralistic, the exclusive claim of the
Christian faith to salvation makes it the subject of attack from the intelligentsia and
people of other faiths. Alongside this is the rise of radical higher criticism that seeks
to destroy the Christian faith and message. It has now fallen on us to stand up and
defend our faith in the face of these crippling criticisms, and the best way to handle
this effectively is to learn how to interpret the scriptures correctly.

TOOLS OF HERMENEUTICS

There are certain tools that would be of help as you seek to interpret the scriptures.
Some of these include the following:

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1. Good Study Bibles
Study Bibles assist in biblical interpretation because they have marginal notes,
references and extra-biblical aids that would help in elucidating one’s study. You
have to be careful however in using study Bibles because of divergent interpretations
by the authors. The interpretations of Study Bibles should be scrutinized and not
accepted hook, line and sinker.
2. Reliable Modern Versions
Modern versions of the Bible are needed because of the attempt to use
contemporary language in translation. For example, where King James Version used
“Blessed” in the beatitudes, the Good News Bible used “happy” which is a close
translation of the Greek word used (makarios).
Using different modern Bible versions, would help you see the translation differences
between them. This would open your eyes to translation, interpretation and textual
problems which are all involved in the process of interpretation.
3. Bible Dictionaries
There are various types of Bible Dictionaries and they are of help in supplying
immense amount of background materials and the meaning of many of the key
words that are used in the Bible. All these would help in illuminating the passages of
the Bible.
4. Bible Concordances
A concordance is an index of words arranged in alphabetical order in the Bible. At
times, the Concordance may give information about the meaning of a listed word. I
would recommend here, exhaustive concordances because apart from helping in
tracking down passages of the Bible that one cannot lay hands on easily, exhaustive
concordances would also trace the use of certain words in the Greek or Hebrew
language thus throwing more light on the meaning of the word.
5. Bible Commentaries
Bible Commentaries are good because they would help you to discover the various
interpretations that a particular passage has been given by scholars and ministers.
You need to be careful however in the selection of commentaries because they can
be divided into two broad classes. There are the devotional and the exegetical
commentaries. You need to balance the use of these two classes of commentaries
so that your study of the Bible would not be superficial.

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 LECTURE 2

HISTORY OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS

The history of Biblical hermeneutics shall be divided into three (3) sections: Biblical,
Patristic and Medieval Period; Reformation Period and Contemporary Hermeneutics.
This will later be concluded with some other hermeneutical approaches.

HISTORY OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS 1: BIBLICAL, PATRISTIC AND MEDIEVAL

PERIOD
The contemporary need for accurate interpretation of the Bible is not a new desire.
Throughout the history of the Church, Christian scholars have struggled to interpret
the word of God correctly. A knowledge of the history of Biblical interpretation will
help us to know the different principles and methods of Biblical interpretation. This
unit examines various Hermeneutical practices before the Reformation. The history
of interpretation at the Biblical, patristic and medieval times will be studied through
the efforts of Jewish thinkers, Greek Philosophers, Alexandrian and Antiochene
Scholars, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.

1. BIBLICAL PERIOD
Biblical Hermeneutics began in the Bible itself. Interpretation is involved anytime that
an earlier tradition or writing is reviewed from the standpoint of a later one. During
the Ezra – Nehemiah reform, Ezra read the law (referring most likely to the five
books of Moses) for about six hours to the Israelites. The entire process involved in
trying to help the Israelites to live by the law of God is summarized in verse 8”. They
read from the Book of the law of God, making it clear and giving and meaning so that
the people could understand what has been read.” About three steps seem to be
involved in the task. The first is reading the law. The second is “making it clear”. This
most likely refers to an extempore translation from Hebrew to Aramaic. This was
necessary because it appears that some of the Israelites did not understand Hebrew.
After reading the original language and translating it to an understandable language
of the people, the third step is “giving the meaning” or “sense” (RSV). They needed to
give the meaning through explanation so that Israelites could understand what was
read.
Jesus Christ also interpreted his life, ministry and death in accordance with the Old

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Testament Scriptures as follows:
 Isaiah 7:14 cf. Matt. 1:22-23; The prophecy of the virgin birth was ultimately
fulfilled through his incarnation.
 Isaiah 61:1-2 cf. Luke 4:16-21; The public declaration of his earthly ministry has
been foretold in the Old Testament.
 Isaiah 52:13-53:12 cf. Luke 24:25-27; It has been prophesied that the Messiah
would serve and suffer before entering the glory of God. Read the following
passages for more understanding; Gen. 3:15; Nu. 21:9; Dt. 18:15; Isa. 9:6; 40:10,
11; Ez. 34:23; Da. 9:24; Mic. 7:20; Mal. 3:1).
 In rabbinic Judaism a lot of interpretation involved drawing out logical inferences
and comparisons. Traces of this can be seen in the writings of Apostle Paul, e.g.
Romans 3:9-12, 13-20; vv. 10-12 (Psalm 14:1-3; 54:102); v. 13 (Psalm 59; 140:3); v.
14 (Psalm 10:7); Vv. 15-17 (Isaiah 59:7-8); v. 18 (Psalm 36:1).
The Apostles (Paul, Peter etc.) and other New Testament writers thus freely quoted
from the Old Testament to explain events or show fulfillment of the promises of God.
Sometime that practice may look arbitrary to the modern interpreter but it was an
acceptable Hermeneutical method at that time.

GREEK AND JEWISH THINKERS

In the early Christian centuries education a lot of emphasis was given to training in
grammar, rhetoric and philosophy. In view of the appreciation for the nature and
functioning of language as explained by G. R. Evans (1983, p 537) Bible readers did
not only look “at the obvious meaning of the words but also at the possibility that
they might stand for something other than at first appeared”. Greek and Jewish
thinkers developed some Hermeneutical criteria long before Christian theologians
began to do critical Biblical Hermeneutics.
Greek philosophers tried “to understand the actual meaning of linguistic components
of a text (grammatical method) and to appropriate this meaning within the wider
spiritual framework of the time (allegorical method)” (Werner G. Jearond, 1987,
p.462). Jewish scholars concerned themselves with the interpretation of Halacha
(directly legal parts of the Torah). They also gave some attention to Haggada (the
more narrative sections). An allegory is an extended narrative in which each detail
has a hidden spiritual equivalent, correlation or meaning.
More generally, during the time of Jesus Christ, Jewish exegesis was of four types:

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literal, midrashic, pesher and allegorical. The literal Hermeneutics (also called
peshat) was the basis of other types. Rabbi Hillel, through midrashic interpretation,
gave rules of rabbinic exegesis like comparison of ideas, words or phrases. Pesher
interpretation was practised by the Qumram communities by giving eschatologic
emphasis to midrashic interpretation. Allegorical will be discussed as we continue.

2. ALEXANDRIAN SCHOLARS
During the patristic period (100-590) the two centers of Christian scholarship that
dominated biblical interpretation in the church were Alexandria (in Egypt) and
Antioch (of Syria). Philo and Clement of Alexandria and Origen were the major
leaders of the Alexandrian Hermeneutics.
Allegorical methodology flourished among Jews and neo-platonic philosopher in
Alexandria. Philo of Alexandria attempted to unite the Jewish and Greek
Hermeneutical traditions. He developed the thesis that “an interpretation should
disclose that spiritual sense on the basis of an explanation of the texts literal sense.”
His overall emphasis, however, was allegory.
Clement of Alexandria also taught the twofold meaning of scripture on the basis
that the human being is made up of a body (literal) and a soul (spiritual). The
spiritual sense is therefore hidden behind the literal sense. For example in the story
of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) (Klein and Others, 1993, p.34):
The robe represents immortality the shoes represent the upward
progress of the soul the fatted call represents Christ as the spiritual
nourishment for Christians

Origen (c. 185-254). He was a Biblical critic, theologian and spiritual writer. He wrote
an important work on biblical criticism called Hexapla. He can be described as the
first major Biblical Hermeneut. Origen emphasized the need for more than one way
of text interpretation. He reasoned that scripture is essentially allegory based on I
Cor. 2:6-7 (KJV). He used allegory to look for a hidden spiritual meaning behind the
history of the Old Testament. As man consist of three parts (body, soul and spirit).
Origen recognized a triple sense – literal (body), moral (soul) and allegorical (spirit or
mystical) which he favoured the most. He believed that only allegory yielded true
knowledge.

3. ANTIOCHENE SCHOLARS
The Antiochene Scholars rejected the idea of multiple senses of scripture. They

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emphasized a Christological and exegetical approach in Biblical Hermeneutics. They
reacted radically against allegorism and stressed literal and historical interpretation
of scripture. Two leaders of the exegetical school were Theodore Mopsuestia (350-
428) and John Chrysostom (347-407).
Mopsuestia and others were highly influenced by the Jewish community in Antioch
and held that the literal, historical sense corresponded to the spiritual sense. For
instance while the allegorical scholars interpreted Song of Solomon to symbolize the
love of Christ for the Church, Theodore argued that it was essentially a poem of
Solomon to describe his love for one of his wives (Klein and Others, 1993, p.35).

4. AURELIUS AUGUSTINE
Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354 – 430), he has been described as the
greatest of the early Church Fathers. The fourth book of his De Doctrina Christiana
was developed to stories, images, examples, illustrations, analogies land figurative
meanings in an attempt to prove that the Bible was to be respected as fine writing.
Through his philosophy of language he provided philosophical support to the
hermeneutics of the multiple senses. He also supported a fourfold sense – historical,
aetiological, analogical and allegorical, which became predominant during the middle
ages. The interpretation of the city of Jerusalem is a good example of this
Hermeneutics:
 Literally: It was the historical city,
 Allegorically: It refers to the church and Christ,
 Morally: It indicates the human soul,
 Anagogically (that is eschatologically) it points to the heavenly Jerusalem.
5. THOMAS AQUINAS
Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-74). Allegorical interpretation began to decline during the
middle ages (590-1500). The scholastic period produced intellectuals like Anselm
and Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas Scholastics employed the use of reason in
Biblical Interpretation. Aquinas was a philosopher and theologian. With him and his
contemporaries the literal sense was considered to be the bearer of theological truth.
According to him (Jeanrond, 462-463) “appropriate interpretation is the task of
dogmatic theology while exegesis concentrates on the purely philological task of
preparing the text for theological understanding.”
CONCLUSION

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A study of the development of Biblical Hermeneutics at the patristic and medieval
period shows that the debate centered on literal, allegorical and other senses of
Scripture. Many favoured the allegorical, spiritual and mystical interpretation. It
should be stressed that even right from the beginning the multiple senses of
Scripture had no universal acceptance. The Antiochene scholars rejected the idea.
The Alexandrians also developed higher senses of profound meanings in place of
figurative interpretation.

HISTORY OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS 2: DURING REFORMATION

Every major development in the history of the Church has characteristic biblical
interpretation. This is true of the Reformation. The major characteristics of
Reformation interpretation are: Humanist Hermeneutical, Christological exegesis
and the clarity of Scripture.
These can be discussed in the works of the following scholars: Lorenzo/ Laurentius
Valla (c. 1406 – 57), Disiderius Erasmus (c. 1469-1536), Martin Luther (1483 – 1546),
Philip Melanchton (1497 – 1560), John Knox (c. 15l3 – 72), Ulrich Zwingli (1484 –
1531), and John Calvin (1509 – 64).

THE HUMANIST HERMENEUTICS

Humanism is confidence in system of thought (or philosophy) of the power of
human intellect or cultural movement. After the medieval period, there was
intellectual renewal during Renaissance. The rising humanism and interest in the
study of classical literature encouraged the study of Greek language. This had
profound implications on Hermeneutics.
According to Corley and Others (1996, 8) some of the key hermeneutical
development as a result of the Renaissance were:
 The use of textual criticism to determine the authorship, dating and quality of
texts,
 Emphasis on literal interpretation to find the essential meaning, Private Bible
translation,
 The study and printing of the Bible in original languages. When Valla, an Italian
Christian humanist, began to study the Greek text of the New Testament, that
decision began a positive reform in Theology.
In 1501 Erasmus published his Enchiridion in which he “sets forth a programme of

16
popular piety based on those Scriptures.” Erasmus published Valla’s notes in 1505.
He also published Greek New Testament with fresh Latin Version and critical notes
in 1516. Most of the reformers benefited from their efforts. In place of the complex
theology by scholastics the humanists emphasized simple explanation of the
Christian faith like that of the early Church fathers.
Valla, Erasmus, Martin Bucer and others were the humanists who sparked off a new
Reformation Hermeneutic: They returned to and edited the Greek New Testament.
They revised the archaic Vulgate Latin text; they rejected the multiple senses in
single scriptural passages.

1. Luther and Melanchton

A new element on Reformation interpretation is the Christological center of Luther,
the founder of the German Reformation. The proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ
rendered the fourfold sense of 16 Bible interpretation obsolete. In Luther’s
Christology he “found Christ as the law and Gospel in both Old and New
Testaments.” Luther argued that only the Bible has divine authority and not the
tradition of the Church. He rejected the allegorical method of interpretation and
taught that the Scripture could interpret itself, with the help of the Holy Spirit, with
the emphasis on sola fide (faith alone justifies). Luther proposed and worked with a
faith-oriented Hermeneutics. Together with Calvin, he argued that Biblical truth is
accessible only to the interpreter that is illumined by the Holy Spirit. He argued that
Biblical interpretation is to be done by applying the rules of grammar bearing in mind
the history of the text.
Luther was impressed with the authority of Scripture as expounded with the Greek
texts by Melanchton over and against the interpretation of Latin Versions and
theologians. Melanchthon, another Protestant Reformer, attempted to restore the
patristic exegesis. Luther and Melanchton emphasized the Hermeneutic principles of
Scriptural grammar with faith alone.

2. Knox and Zwingli

In John Knox, a Scottish Reformer and Ulrich Zwingli we find an insistence on the
clarity and certainty of divine words. According to Marvin W. Anderson (1967, p.124),
Knox stated his conviction for the clarity of Scripture thus: The Word of God is plain
in itself; and if there appear any obscurity in one place the Holy Ghost who is never

17
contrary to Himself, explains the same more clearly in other places, so that there can
remain no doubt, but to such as obstinately remain ignorant.” This argument for the
clarity of Scripture sounds like the contemporary principle of harmonization in
Biblical interpretation.
For Zwingli, a Swiss Reformer, and others the clarity of Scripture led to its certainty.
He also made the following remark concerning the clarity and divine authority of
Scripture: “If it is obscure in any place, it is to be expounded by God’s Word from
another place.” However, the Protestants realized that their doctrine of priesthood of
the believer could lead to private Biblical interpretation that “could become excessive
and dangerous.” (Bruce Corley and Others, 1996, p.84). They therefore gave rules
called “analogy of faith” to guide interpretation:
 “Scripture interprets Scripture by explaining obscure passages in light of
clearer ones;
 Exegesis must remain faithful to the context of all Scripture, There is an
essential, organic Christological unity to the Bible”.
3. John Calvin
John Calvin, a French reformer and theologian, along with others emphasized the
Christological sense. Christ was considered to be the subject and sovereign of
Scripture. Therefore, to be ignorant of Christ was to be ignorant of Scripture.
Like Luther he also believed in the necessity of spiritual illumination for interpretation.
He was of the opinion that allegory obscured the sense of scripture. By use of the
phrase “Scripture interprets scripture” he interpreted the Bible by studying the
context, grammar, words and phrases. He, however, argued that Christ could not be
found in some Messianic psalms advocated by Luther.
Reformation Hermeneutics thus formulated four principles to challenge Roman
Catholic tradition. According to Bruce Corley and Others (1996, 83) the four
principles were:
I. “the focus of Scripture on Christ; not on the Church and man;
ii. The ultimate purpose of the Bible was salvation, not knowledge;
III. The basis for Christian doctrine and practice was the Bible, not ecclesiastical
tradition;
iv. And the authority for interpreting scripture rests with individuals illumined by the
Holy Spirit not in a dogmatic, priestly hierarchy.”
4. Immediate Post-Reformation Hermeneutics

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The clarity and certainty of Scripture emphasized by the reformers provoked a
Roman Catholic exegesis. The council of Trent met between 1545 and 1563 and the
Roman Catholic Church issued some decrees to critique Protestantism. One of the
resulting arguments was whether Scripture authorizes bishops or bishops authorize
Scripture. The Scots Confession of 1560 was issued to formulate a Protestant
answer to that crisis of authority.
One major concern of the Reformers was “to show that the Bible could stand on its
own feet, and could actually speak as judge of the validity of Church traditions.”
Amidst the arguments and bitterness pietism arose and called for “a return to mutual
Christian concern and good works, better Bible knowledge on the part of all
Christians and better spiritual training for ministers.”

CONCLUSION
We conclude then that the Protestant Reformation gave a new importance to the
Scriptures by emphasizing the need for all individual believers to read and
understand the Scripture. The Reformers taught both “Scripture only” and “Scripture
for all.” However, they “did not alter the basic scholastic concern for an adequate
theological understanding of the literal sense of the Biblical texts.”

HISTORY OF BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS 3: MODERN/CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

In Christian thought the modern world refers to nineteenth century (1800) onwards.
The contemporary world also refers to the period within a century or generation. A
new movement that has arisen recently in Hermeneutics is both a philosophy and a
theology. The table below will introduce you to some of the modern/contemporary
philosophers and theologians who have made significant contributions to
Hermeneutics.
Name of Philosopher/Theologian Characteristics of Hermeneutics
1. Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768 – Romantic hermeneutics
1834)
Wilhelm Dithey (1833-1911)
2. Martin Heidegger (1889-1975) Existential or Phenomenological
Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) hermeneutics
3. Karl Barth (1886-1968) Kerygmatic Hermeneutics
4. Hans-George Gadamer (1900- ) Ontological or new hermeneutics

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 Ernst Fuchs (1903-1983)
Gehard Ebeling

FRIEDRICH SCHLEIERMACHER
Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher was a German theologian who is regarded as
the founding father of liberal Protestantism in particular and modern theology in
general. We can describe him as the father of modern Biblical Hermeneutics as well.
Hermeneutics got a new philosophical foundation as a result of The Enlightenment.
The work of Schleiermacher began a new era in Hermeneutics. “His work
transformed the hermeneutical question “from one of devising adequate ‘rules’ for
accurate exegesis to realization that the real issue is how any understanding of
another mind or culture through written communication is possible.” He thus
understood Hermeneutics as the reconstruction of the mental process of the author
as a reality distinct from his/her language.
Schleiermacher saw the circular nature of Hermeneutical enquiry. As the interpreter
tries to grasp the meaning of a text as a whole, this depends on the understanding of
its parts (component words and phrases). However, the meaning of the parts also
“depends equally on their context within the meaning of the text as a whole.” In other
words, a Hermeneutical circle (or circulation) is involved in the attempt to grasp the
parts and the whole in interpretation. We therefore “understand the parts of a text
first in view of our pre- understanding of the whole which is challenged in the act of
understanding.” The concept of Hermeneutical circle will be discussed more in the
preceding units.

WILHELM DILTHEY
Wilhelm Dilthey (1833 – 1911) was a Professor of Philosophy at Basel, Kiel, Breslan
and Berlin (from 1866 until his death). There is no place for the supernatural in his
methodology. He reasoned that knowledge of life comes from understanding the
mental processes and worldviews of human beings. Therefore, over against the
Biblical understanding he developed a philosophy of history in which God has no
place. His scheme of history provided a basis for the phenomenology of Edmund
Husserl (1859-1938), the historicism of R. G. Colingwood (1889-1943), and the
existentialism of Martin Heidegger (1889 – 1976).
His approach to the philosophy of history has greatly influenced 20th century

20
historical methodology. Dilthey dealt with the issue of historical understanding. In
this system the life experience of the interpreter provides a ‘pre-understanding,’ a
point of contact to approach a text.
The hermeneutical concern, issue of trying to recover the consciousness of past
cultures and persons as seen in Schleiermacher, Dilthey and especially Emilio Betti
(1890 – 1968) is called romantic (or romanticist) hermeneutics. This is because they
try to interact (a kind or romance) with the mental processes and thought system of
a writer so as Internet the work of the writer.

MARTIN HEIDEGGER AND RUDOLF BULTMANN

The Hermeneutics of Martin Heidegger and Rudolf Bultmann can be described as
existential and phenomenological Hermeneutics. A cardinal proposition of
existentialism is ‘Existence precedes essence.” Phenomenology deals with the
phenomena (things which appear).
Heidegger, a German, was one of the major existential philosophers. His thought and
work has influenced and formed existential theology as seen in the works of Karl
Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, Paul Tillich, John Macquarrie and Osadolor Imasogie.
Pre-understanding was a major hermeneutical issue for Heidegger. He taught that
we begin enquiry from within given horizons. He urged that “A particular person . .
.will interpret what he or she sees in terms of the purposes and practical
standpoints around which his or her life is already organized.”
Bultmann was a New Testament Scholar and Theologian. He trained in critical
methodology and applied this to biblical text. Convinced that only science can settle
matters of fact he incorporated anti- supernaturalism into his Hermeneutics. He
gave an existentialist interpretation of the Christian faith. His major contribution is in
the demythologization of Biblical writings. In his demythologization “attempt is made
to disengage the essential message of the gospel from the mythological and
eschatological presentation of reality in which it is clothed.”
Bultman reasoned that Biblical writings presented generalizing and descriptive
statements about God and man. Their primary purpose was the existential or
practical function of calling persons to appropriate attitudes and responses of will.
Existential Hermeneutics thus reduce questions of meaning and truth to individual
experience. Unlike the romantic concern, Bultmann and Karl Barth considered the
real Biblical Hermeneutic issue to be “the relation between the Biblical text as such

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and the ‘kerygma’ that God has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ.”

HANS-GEORG GADAMER, ERNST FUCHS AND GEHARD EBELING

The Hermeneutical approach of Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900 - ) and Ernst Fuchs
(1083-1083) can be described as either Ontological hermeneutics or “New”
Hermeneutic. The singular is derived from Greek and German. Gadamer was a pupil
of Heidegger. He proposed a new Hermeneutical theory that “seek to relate language
and meaning to the disclosure of truth in a way which transcends and calls attention
to the reality of the ‘world’ projected and mediated by a work of art.” In his work
Truth and Method (ET, 1979), he speaks of the goal of Hermeneutics as a “fusion of
horizons of the interpreter and the text which occurs within and through language.”
Gadamer’s significant contribution to Hermeneutics is the contemporary emphasis
of the cultural distance between the Biblical world and our own.
The new Hermeneutic accepts and builds on the Hermeneutical principles of
Bultmann as seen in the thoughts of his pupils, Fuchs and Gehard Ebeling. Fuchs
worked on the narrative ‘world’ of the parable. The reader enters the world and it is
grasped by it. The Hermeneutical focus is “on the text actively addressing and
scrutinizing the interpreter.” This implies that the text must first of all translate the
reader before the reader can translate the text.
For the new Hermeneutic interpretation is not a matter of simply using the right
method. Whereas the traditional Hermeneutics was concerned with the detailed
principles of interpretation, the new Hermeneutic looks upon this as merely a special
problem within the much wider activity of interpretation.” The new Hermeneutic
asserts that language itself is interpretation.
Words and sentences can be used in different ways: pragmatic, existential,
factual/scientific and formal. The new hermeneutic thus rejects the neutral, objective,
scientific approach to exegesis as done by Oscar Cullman.
Some of the criticisms of the new Hermeneutic are:
1. Its critical methodology, that is in the liberal tradition.
2. Restricted understanding of the supernatural and destruction of prophecy.
3. By stressing the purely existential and kerygmatic elements, it has a limited focus.
4. It is very subjective.
5. The anthropology is narrow and defective.
6. Its concept of the Word of God as existential communication is opaque and empty.

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CONCLUSION
Modern Theology and Hermeneutics began with Friedrich Schleiemacher. He and
some other Biblical Theologians made Biblical studies to be opened to scientific,
critical methodology. Modern, contemporary Biblical Hermeneutics is thus
approached more philosophically.

SOME OTHER HERMENEUTICAL ISSUES AND APPROACHES

Some of the Hermeneutical issues and other approaches, that will be discussed are
Sensus Plenior, Hermeneutical circle, socio-cultural Hermeneutics and reader –
response Hermeneutics.

SENSUS PLENIOR
One perennial issue in biblical interpretation is the question of whether a particular
text has single meaning or multiple sense. Some scholars are of the opinion that
several scriptures (especially Old Testament) do have a fuller sense (called Sensus
Plenior). In contemporary study Raymond E. Brown popularized the study and he
defined Sensus Plenior as “that additional, deeper meaning intended by God but not
clearly intended by the human author which is seen to exist in the words of a biblical
text (or a group of texts or events or a whole book) when they are studied in the light
of further revelation or development in the understanding of revelation”.
This controversy is based on the understanding that the Bible has double authorship,
divine and human. It means that there may be fuller sense of a text meant by the
divine author not known to the human author. For example, was Daniel aware that
his dream (Daniel 2:31-35) which was interpreted in verses 36-45 would have a later
ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ? (Rev. 19:17-21). Some aspects of Sensus
Plenior also concern interpretation of allegory prophecy as well as typology.

HERMENEUTICAL CIRCLE
Hermeneutical circle can be defined as the process involved between the question
(and prior understanding) that an interpreter brings into a text and the dialogue with
subsequent questions reshaped or raised by the text (along with enlargement of
understanding). This definition implies that interpreters do not approach the Bible
text “neutrally, rather they move within a Hermeneutical circle.”
David J. Bosch (1997, p.423) explained the same point further:
“Interpreting a text is not only a literary exercise, it is also a social, economic

23
 and political exercise. Our entire context comes unto play when we interpret a
Biblical text.”
The various dimensions, types of Hermeneutical circle are:
1. One, between the parts of a text and the whole or context,
2. Two, between the past (historical conditions) and the present,
3. Three, between the text and the context of worldview/human situation,
4. Four, between theory (orthodoxy) and practice (orthopraxis),
5. Five, between linguistic level (the scientific consideration of grammar and
vocabulary) and psychological experience (the interpreter has to enter into
psychological rapport with the author),
6. Six, between revelation (faith) and reason (logic).

CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION 1: SOCIO - CRITICAL

HERMENEUTICS
In social sciences Hermeneutical explorations have called attention to the role of
‘interest’ in interpreting texts. Those interests have to do with social assumptions
and practices. Examples of contemporary socio-cultural Hermeneutics are liberation,
feminist and black theologies that interpret Biblical texts about the
poor/slavery/oppression, women and the black race, respectively.
Socio-critical Hermeneutics is an integral part of the methodology adopted for
liberation theology. Liberation theologians interpret the Christian faith from the
perspective of the poor, oppressed and marginalized. Three-part Hermeneutical
agenda of liberation theology, according to Klein and Others (1993, 45) are:
Experience taking precedence over theory. The reference is to the experience of
injustice, poverty, suffering, etc. in the Third-world, Attempts to analyse or assess the
reason for the impoverishment, Precedence of action over rhetoric.
Feminism, women voices in liberation theology, is concerned with the exploited sex.
In some feminist Hermeneutics the Bible is accepted as only one of the sources of
authority. Others are experience, tradition and intellectual research. The experience
refers to the oppression of women.
It should be clarified, however that there are different and diverse models and
agenda within the feminist hermeneutical group. While some are biblical and liberal
others are social, radical and reject the biblical, Christian faith and theology for been
hopelessly chauvinist.

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In black theology the focus of liberation is freedom from racist oppression. Black
theology emerged in the late 1960s as “a new reading of the black socio-political
condition in the light of God’s revelation in Christ Jesus” (Copeland, 1987, 138). The
idea developed in the USA and South Africa from black consciousness and black
power due to the experience of racial oppression of black people. Some black
theologians like J. H. Core endorse the use of violence to achieve liberation.

CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION 2: READER -

RESPONSE HERMENEUTICS
The reader-response approach to Hermeneutics has become more prominent in the
early 1970s. It “stresses the reciprocal relation between the text and the reader. This
is opposed to an earlier emphasis on the autonomy at the text” (Corley and Others,
1996, p.137).
Paul Ricoeur (1913) has explored the role of suspicion in interpretation of dreams,
symbols and languages. He has also examined metaphors and theories of signs
(called semiotics). The active role of the reader in creating meaning is being
investigated in literary and biblical hermeneutic. This is what is called reader-
response hermeneutics. The full meaning of the text is to be supplied by the reader.
This makes reader-response hermeneutics to be subjective and relativistic.
One issue close to the centre of current hermeneutical debate is what Ricoeur
called the ‘career’ of the biblical texts after leaving the hands of the authors. This
idea appears to go along with some aspects of biblical criticism.

CONCLUSION
One recurrent issue in the history of Biblical Hermeneutics is whether a scripture has
one or multiple sense or meaning. The issue is studied in contemporary
interpretation with the term fuller sense (Sensus Plenior).
Hermeneutical circle is a modern process that arose from the work of Friedrich
Schleiermacher. Two contemporary approaches in the interpretation of biblical texts
are socio-critical and reader-response.

SELF ASSESSMENT
Using the history of Biblical Hermeneutics from Biblical times to contemporary
times as discussed in this course, highlight AT LEAST 30 KEY CONTRIBUTIONS of
ancient and contemporary scholars to biblical interpretation.

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 LECTURE 3
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS AND HISTORICAL - CULTURAL BACKGROUND
The crucial role of the historical-cultural; and contextual analysis in hermeneutics is
well articulated by Virkler (1981) who opines that, “the meaning of a text cannot be
interpreted with any degree of certainty without historical-cultural and contextual
analysis.” In doing historical-cultural and contextual analysis, your aim is to
reconstruct the situation and the needs of the original hearers and or readers as
accurately as possible. Historical - cultural and contextual analyses are of two types:
the general and the specific and each of these would be examined. In the process of
this reconstruction, four questions would be answered, namely:
a. What is the general historical milieu of the passage?
b. What is the specific historical cultural context?
c. What is the purpose of the book?
d. What is the immediate context of the passage?

Determining the General Historical Context

In determining the general historical-cultural context of a given book, you need to
ascertain the general historical situation facing the writer and the audience. These
include the political, the social, the economical as well as the religious situations. It
will also include details such as their source of livelihood and the threats and
concerns they are faced with.
Having decided these ones, the next step is to determine the culture -locked words
and actions. Let us take Sarah’s action on the solution to her perceived barrenness
as an example. According to Genesis 16:2, Sarah lured her husband into marital
relationship with her maid, Hagar so that she might obtain children by her. Culturally,
during their time, what she has done is culturally acceptable and any child or children
that Hagar would have had technically belonged to Sarah. Rachael did the same
thing with Jacob. Examining or analysing such actions with the 21st century eye may
lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
Finally, you need to take the level of the spiritual commitment of the recipients of the
book into consideration. Most of the books of the Bible were written during a period
characterized by low ebb of spirituality, discouragement and temptation and so the
meaning of the text would be misunderstood if this factor is left unnoticed.
To aid you in this task, you need to consult books on archeology, Bible Geography,

26
Bible History and on the culture of biblical times. I will advise you to read at least two
books on each topic rather than depend on bits of information that can be readily
gleaned from concordances and dictionaries. Examples of books that can be used
are:
 C. B. Murphey. The Dictionary of Biblical Literacy.
 C. K. Barret. The New Testament Background: Selected Documents
AUTHORSHIP, INTENTION, AND ORIGINAL AUDIENCE
Determining the Specific Historical-Cultural Context of a Book
After having uncovered the general historical-cultural situation, you now need to take
a step forward to determine the historical-cultural context of the book you are
working on. To do this, you need to answer the following questions:
a. Who was the author of this book?
b. What was the author’s spiritual background and experience?
c. Who is or are the recipient(s) of the book?
d. What is or are the peculiar situation(s) of the recipient(s)?
e. What was the author’s intention or purpose of writing this book?
Information about the author and the recipients can be discovered from what we call
internal and external data. By internal data, we refer to evidences that can be taken
from biblical books especially the book in focus but not limited to it alone. By
external data, we refer to evidences from sources other than biblical books. These
usually cover materials written by early church fathers and other authors who are not
even Christians.
In your study of these data you must be careful not to be guided by prejudices in
these analyses. It is also important for you to know that you may have evidences
that may not give you any conclusive evidence from both internal and external data.
An example of such is the book of Hebrews. Firstly, the book itself, unlike all other
epistles has no autograph, that is, the writer did not mention his name at the
beginning in line with the Hellenistic epistolary structure adopted by most New
Testament epistle writers nor did it have reference in any other place within the book.
Secondly, most critical church fathers did not classify it along Pauline books and
most biblical manuscripts do not also indicate that it belongs to the Pauline corpus.
Today, no serious New Testament scholar would attribute the book to Paul though
Church tradition has ascribed it to Paul. On the book, Virkler (1981) has this to say:

27
 The authorship of Hebrews is entirely another matter. We can say with
considerable certainty that it was probably not Paul because the
literary expression, thought forms, and attitudes towards the Mosaic
Law found in this book differ significantly from those found in books of
known Pauline authorship. However, beyond this we have little solid
evidence of its exact authorship. Most hypotheses offered are
conjectures unsupported by hard evidence (p.87).

You also need to take note of books like Psalms and Proverbs that are books of
multiple authorship. The books are traditionally ascribed to one author when even
internal evidence points to the contrary. For example, the book of Proverbs is
traditionally ascribed to Solomon but internal evidence shows that Proverbs 30 and
31 are not. Proverbs 30:1 reads: “The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The
man declares to Ithiel and Ucal.”. The above sentence shows clearly that the
following verses are the collection of Agur, the son of Jakeh. The same goes for
Proverbs 31 as the first verse reads: “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his
mother taught him.” After determining the author, you need to study about him and
his entire history. Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries would be useful in this
regard. Remember that because the personality of a writer cannot be easily divorced
from his writings, the book you are reading too would help you deduce much about
the author.
The next step after the settlement of authorship issue is that of the recipients. You
can conclude generally that the Jews were the recipients of most of the Old
Testament books except where texts indicate the contrary. Despite this general
assertion, you need to determine the condition of the Jews at that period. For
example, the situation of the Jews during the Mosaic period is different from that of
the period of the judges and that of the monarchy is also different. It is important to
note that the situation of the audience is an important process in hermeneutics.
Finally, we now come to the issue of the purpose of writing. There are three major
ways in which you can deduce the main purpose of the writers.
The first way is to locate the author’s explicit statement, concerning his purpose, if
there is any. The author’s explicit statement is the most direct way of stating
purpose. Examples of this kind of statement can be found in Luke 1:1-4 and John
20:31. “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things
accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from
the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me

28
as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for
you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact
truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4).
“But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).
It is also possible to locate the author’s purpose through his use of repetition of
certain phrases.
The second way is to look for the hortatory or parenthetical aspect of the book. This
is based on the premise that exhortations flow from the purpose and also give
important clues as regarding the author’s intentions. For example, in the book of
Jude, verse 3 contains the author’s exhortation: “Beloved, while I was making every
effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you
appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed
down to the saints” (Jude 1:3).
From this exhortation, it is clear that the purpose of the writer is to encourage the
believers to keep the only true faith in the face of heresy that is fast gaining ground
in the Church. At times, “therefore” is a key word that could be a pointer to the
author’s exhortation especially in Paul who characteristically uses the linker
“therefore” as a link between theoretical/doctrinal assertions and practical
applications. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Paul writes:
“So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (1 Thessalonians
5:6). The above statement is an exhortation to watchful vigilance for the parousia,
thus revealing the purpose of the writer, at least, as far as that passage is concerned.
The third way to locate the author’s purpose is to critically examine points or issues
that are emphasized and those that are omitted. This is particularly true of all
historical books because there is no way the writer could write everything that has
happened, thus they usually end up picking or using those events that would achieve
their purpose. Let us examine 2 Chronicles on this. The selection of events is
revealed by the phrase “now the acts of ---, first and last, are indeed written in the
books of the kings of Judah and Israel,” which was used of all the kings mentioned.
Another repetitive phrase is, “he did what was right” or “what was wrong”. The
purpose of the book is therefore to show that as long as Israel remained faithful to
the covenant of the Lord, she would be victorious but would also go down if she
disobeyed the covenant.

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Determining the Immediate Context of a Passage
After determining the specific context of the book, you now have to zero down to the
passage you want to interpret and the first step in this is to determine its immediate
context. The importance of the immediate context is underscored by the fact that it
is the only antidote to proof-texting. Once the context of a passage is ignored, the
statements and teachings therein are susceptible to heretical interpretations.
The first step in determining the immediate context is to pick up the major block of
materials and also determine how they fit together into a whole. This could be done
by examining the outline of the whole book. Various Study Bibles have already given
outlines of the books of the Bible and these could be of help to you.
The second step is to discover the contribution of the passage to the author’s flow
of argument. This can be deduced by locating the relationship between the passage
in focus and the passages immediately preceding it and that immediately following it.
In most cases, there would be logical connection between the three blocks.
Thirdly, you need to determine the perspective of the author in the passage.
Two major perspectives exist. The author can speak as God’s spokesman especially
when writing on moral issues and they can also speak in phenomenological manner
which occurs mostly during narrative sections.
You must note that making this distinction is of paramount importance to accurate
exegesis.
Fourthly, you need to determine the focus of the passage. Doing this would help you
to separate the main lesson being taught from incidental details only. An example of
this could be drawn from 1 Corinthians 12:12 where Paul used the body metaphor to
discuss the membership of Christians in the church. The ridiculousness of pressing
incidental details and analogies too far can be seen in the story I once heard of a
preacher who was using this passage to preach. He got to the point of saying that
some people are like artificial teeth because one day they are in the church and the
next day they are not. Indeed, this point seems interesting and fitting but it is still a
misreading of the Scriptures. You need to know that the Pelagian error which rocked
the Church in the early fifth century stems out of this error of pressing incidentals
and analogies too far. They used the return of the prodigal in the parable of the
Prodigal Son to teach that humanity needs no mediator to return to God.
Fifthly, you need to determine who is being addressed in the passage you are
interpreting. No matter how spiritual you may be, one basic fact you must know is

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that not all the bible promises are directed to you and neither could you claim
everything. This statement seems out of place in an age that loves to sing
“Abraham’s blessings are mine!” let me also tell you a joke that has become
commonplace in theological circles which is used to taunt believers who believe in
opening the Bible at random and obeying the command therein. This young man was
said to have opened Matthew 27:5 which says, “…and he went away and hanged
himself.” Believing that the message could not have been for him, he decided to
reopen the Bible. The second time, he opened to Luke 10:37 which say: “Go and do
likewise!” he finally decided to open the Bible the third time and he opened to John
13:27 which also read: “What you do, do quickly!”
To arrive at the message of the passage of the Bible systematically, the following are
the steps that you can take:
i. Identify who is speaking?
ii. Is the instruction or message normative or descriptive?
iii. To whom was it directed?
Finally, take note that most descriptive passages (these are passages where what
happened at a particular time was described or related) should not be taken to mean
that it is applicable to everybody, everywhere and at every time. However some
passages are prescriptive because they seem to articulate normative principles. This
principle would come to play seriously in interpreting the Book of Acts and the
Epistles (which forms the bulk of the New Testament). Identifying this problem, Fee
and Stuart (1993) write:
“Does the book of Acts have a word that not only describes the primitive Church but
speaks as a norm to the Church at all times? If there is such a word, how does one
discover it or set up principles to aid in hearing it? If not, then what do we do with the
concept of precedent? In short, just exactly what role does historical precedent play
in Christian doctrine or in the understanding of Christian experience?”
Let me briefly cite an example here. The early Church as described in the book of
Acts worshipped both on Saturdays and Sundays. If it is normative, then the
contemporary Church has violated a principle. However, remember to identify in any
passage you are interpreting, if the message is descriptive or prescriptive.

CONCLUSION
You have learnt in this module that the meaning of a text cannot be interpreted with

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any degree of certainty without historical-cultural and contextual analysis. You were
also taken further to steps that have to be taken to determine the historical-cultural
and contextual analysis which includes the determination of the general historical
context, the specific historical - cultural context of the book as well as the immediate
context of the passage to be interpreted.
The following are the major points you have learnt in this section:
i. That the meaning of a text cannot be interpreted with any degree of certainty
without historical-cultural and contextual analysis.
ii. Determining the general historical context includes the political, the social, the
economical as well as the religious situations.
iii. You also need to determine culture-locked words and actions and the spiritual
level of the recipients.
iv. The next level is the determination of the specific historical-cultural context of the
book.
v. In doing this, the authorship of the book has to be determined through the analysis
of internal and external evidence.
vi. The authorship is followed by the determination of the recipients.
vii. After ascertaining the authorship and the recipients comes the purpose of writing.
viii. The purpose can be identified through the explicit statement of purpose from the
author, the analyses of repetitions, the analyses of then exhortations in the book and
an examination of the omitted and emphasised points in the book.
ix. Finally the immediate context of the book has to be determined.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Discuss the steps you have to take in determining the historical-cultural and
contextual situation of a biblical passage.

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 LECTURE 4

LITERARY FORMS AND GENRE ANALYSIS

One essential requirement to understand the Bible is to understand the nature of the
literature. Some Christians object to the treatment of the Bible as literature because
it is an inspired document.
While that concern is understandable it should be recognized that the Spirit of God
used human beings to record the message (2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Since the divine message is communicated with human language we have no choice
but to use some principles and tools of language studies with the help of the Holy
Spirit to interpret the Bible.
Clyde T. Francisco (1977, 31-32) thus explains:
We need to renew an appreciation of the beauty of the biblical accounts, for it
is the open door to the realization of the fundamental revelation… An
appreciation of the sublime beauty of Old Testament literature will never
destroy its religious interest, it will both enhance it.
In an academic study of the Bible like this course it is also common for students to
express concern that it is not fair for the Word of God to be treated with critical
scholarship. Some fear that an academic study of the Scriptures will destroy it. This
is over- protectionism as a spiritual attitude and that is naïve. Down the ages the
Bible has been subjected to critical studies and it has survived the tests. Truth must
never be afraid of critique. Even destructive criticism cannot destroy the word of God.
Quiet to the contrary, through a critical study of the Bible we can have more
knowledge of God and our understanding and faith will be strengthened the more. A
critical bible study is both an academic and a spiritual exercise.
There are many literary forms in both Old and New Testament: Parable, Poetry,
Narratives, Prose, Law, Prophecy, Apocalypse, Symbol and Wisdom literature. Most
of these literary types are explained below.

SIMILES AND METAPHORS

Similes and metaphors are brief figures of speech that communicate by comparing
two things. The essential difference between the two is that similes use the word
“like” or “as”, whereas metaphors do not. The comparison is thus explicit in simile

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while it is implicit in metaphor.
William W. Klein and Others (1993, pp.242-251) have given various examples of
similes in the Old Testament. In a simple simile there is a “single correspondence
between two items in a single sentence”.
Examples are Amos 2:13 and Song 2:2. The parables of the Kingdom used by Jesus
are extended similes (e.g. Matt. 13:31, 33, 44, 45, 47).
Please read these and other Bible references to understand this unit.
It is easier to recognize a Biblical simile because of the words “like” or “as”. However,
a metaphor is more likely to be taken literally but it is also “more direct and forceful.”
Examples are Psalm 119:105; Zeph. 3:3 Anthropomorphic languages, picturing God
as a human being with eyes, ears/voice, face, nostrils, a mouth, feet, are also
metaphoric (Psalm 34:15-16; 18:8, 9, 13, 15, 16). Less popular special kind of
metaphor are the anthropopathic languages which describe God as expressing
human emotions like feelings and passions delight, joy, hatred, anger and jealousy
(Jer. 9:24; Zeph. 3:13; Deut. 12:31; Jer. 7:18; Ex. 20:5).
Examples of metaphors in the New Testament are description of Jesus as lamb and
shepherd (John 1:29; 10:11) and Christians described as salt and light of the earth
and world respectively (Matt. 5:13, 14).

Self-Assessment Exercise
Explain the differences between similes and metaphors using specific Biblical
examples.

PARABLES
A parable, according to David H. Wallace (1967, p.107) is “an extended metaphor or
simile which compares a religious truth with a common experience or circumstance
in life.” Stories told as parables usually keep within the limits of human experience.
Parables abound both in the Old Testament (especially Proverbs) and in the New
Testament. A good example of parables in the Old Testament is the story of the poor
man’s little lamb told by the Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-4). In the New
Testament the greatest numbers of parables are found in the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Parable was a very common feature of the teaching ministry of Jesus.
As a specific illustration of a spiritual truth, a parable is usually likened to an arrow
with one point, one area of impact. As a rule, a parable generally has one point, one

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overall lesson. It is generally not necessary to try to find a special meaning in every
detail of a parable, unless the context so indicates. It will be helpful to look at some
examples:
 Matthew [Link] The Parable of the Yeast. The literal meaning makes sense
which is that the growth of the Kingdom of God comes steadily through a
positive influence. It is of no use to try to explain the spiritual meaning of the
yeast and the woman. Some interpreters have proposed without justification
that the woman stands for the Church.
 Matthew 25:1-13: The Parable of the Ten Virgins. The overall lesson is the
need for wisdom and adequate preparation for the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ to establish His Kingdom. It is wrong to look for the detailed meaning
of the virgins, the lamps, oil, etc.
 Luke 10:25-37: The Story of the Good Samaritan. The main lesson of this
parable is that we should care for and love others as we ourselves.
However, Jesus Himself sometimes put meaning into the specific details of parables:
 Matthew 13:3-9: The Parable of the Sower. The detail explanation is given in
verses 18:23.
 Matthew 13:24-30: The Parable of the Weeds. The interpretation is found in
verses 30-43.

Self-Assessment Exercise
Mention some of the principles guiding interpretation of parables using one New
Testament example.

PROPHECY
Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself, His ways, His purposes and what He
intends to do to His people (Gen. 18:17; Amos 3:7). Prophecy is the Word of God
concerning the present and future. Therefore, the whole Bible is prophecy (2 Peter
1:20-21). All Bible passages are prophetic, whether they are forth telling (speaking
about contemporary situation) or foretelling (speaking about the future). The word of
God concerning the future, sometimes called predictive prophecy, is the concern of
this section.
However, when Biblical prophets spoke to their generation things which related to
their own immediate, particular historical circumstances, such words often have

35
second, further or ultimate significance. In an attempt to interpret prophetic
Scriptures we must allow for its future (even possible multiple) fulfillment. This idea
is sometime called the “gap principle” or the “law of double reference.” Some
examples will help to clarify how to interpret prophetic Scriptures:
 Isaiah [Link] This prophecy applies immediately to the situation of the King of
Judah, Ahaz. God gave him this sign to reassure him of His presence and
victory over his enemies. However, beyond this first purpose this prophecy
also has a second fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ through a virgin (Matt.
1:22-23).
 Joel 2:28-32: According to Apostle Peter, what happened on the day of
Pentecost was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. However, we must note that
Joel’s prophecy contains other parts that were not fulfilled that day. There is
thus a “gap” between the fulfillment of verses 28-29 and verses 30-31. The
Holy Spirit poured out that day (verses 28-29) but there were no wonders in
the heavens as predicted. Verses 30-31 will be fulfilled at the end of the age
(Rev. 6:12). The “moon turned to blood” is a figurative expression meaning
that the colour of the moon shall turn blood-red.
Prophetic Scriptures are often beyond complete human description so they usually
employ figures, symbols and poetic languages. This observation calls for warning in
interpretation of prophecies. Both prophetic utterance and interpretation should be
done in proportion to revelation given by God (Deut. 18:22; Rom. 12:6b). A prophecy,
which lacks fulfillment or a false interpretation qualifies a speaker/interpreter to be a
false prophet.
Self-Assessment Exercise
How should prophetic scriptures be interpreted? Illustrate with one Old Testament
example.

APOCALYPSE
The average Bible reader finds apocalyptic portions of the Bible to be strange and
even puzzling. This is quite understandable because the language of apocalypse is
not usually plain. It involves the use of symbols and codes. Apocalypse actually
means “an uncovering” or “revelation”.
Apocalyptic writings in the Bible can be found in Ezekiel, Zechariah, 1 & 2
Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Peter. The books of Daniel and Revelation are the greatest

36
Biblical apocalypses. Some Bible prophecies are also in form of apocalypse. While
there are no universal symbols (of numbers, materials, colours) there is a high
degree of regularity in the symbolic use of certain numbers (like 7, 12, 40) and
colours (like white, red, black) in the Bible. To interpret apocalyptic symbols there is
a need for knowledge of “the historical significance of those symbols at the time and
place of the writing.” Let us illustrate with two examples:
Daniel 2:31-35: This text contains a record of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the
interpretation given it by Daniel.
 The king saw a statue of enormous size with a head of gold, chest and arms
of silver, belly and thighs of bronze and legs of iron.
 Daniel also interpreted this to be four successive empires: Babylonia, Medo-
Persia, Greece and Rome. However, this prophecy will be fulfilled ultimately
when Jesus Christ comes to establish His everlasting Kingdom to replace all
these and other earthly powers (verses 36-45; Rev. 19:17-21).
Matthew [Link] In the prophecy of Jesus concerning the signs of the end of the age,
“the abomination that causes desolation” is mentioned recalling the earlier prophecy
of Daniel (Daniel 9:25-27). This prophecy is generally understood to have been
primarily fulfilled in “168 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanies erected a pagan altar to
Zeus on the sacred altar in the temple of Jerusalem.” However, other stages are
identified as the progressive, subsequent fulfillment of this same prediction: The
destruction of the temple by Roman soldiers in A.D. 70, and the rise of the Antichrist
before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:14-15).
Biblical apocalypses should not be interpreted arbitrarily. The interpreter needs to
benefit from the insights of informed scholars as found in Bible commentaries.
(Perhaps commentaries are most useful for the interpretation of apocalyptic
Scriptures).
Self-Assessment Exercise
“Biblical apocalypses should not be interpreted arbitrarily.” Discuss.

SYMBOLS
It is difficult to avoid symbolic language in religion. How do we speak about God
except through the use of symbolic and anthropomorphic language? Let’s cite two
instances:
 We refer to God as our Heavenly Father who hears our cries (Matt. 6:9; 2 Cor.

37
 7:14). Father and hears in this usage are symbolic.
 Description of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:36; Rev. 5:5) and the
Good Shepherd (John 10:11) are valid and good symbols.
 As we interpret symbolic Scriptures we must observe again that symbolism is
not the same as spiritualizing Scriptures. Usually in symbolism the text or
context will provide the meaning of the symbols.
 Daniel 2: The dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. The text provides the
interpretation of the various parts to mean four real nations of history.
 Isaiah 11:6-9: It is wrong to make the Wolf, Lion and Bear to represent three
nations. Neither the text nor the context suggests so. This must be taken to
be literal.
Self-Assessment Exercise
Write a short note on “The Interpretation of Symbolic Bible Passages.”

POETRY
Poetry abounds in Psalms, Job, Songs, and other portions of the Bible. We see
poems in prayers, songs and liturgies. Poet can be defined as “a piece of writing in
which the words are chosen for their sound and the images they suggest, not just for
their obvious meanings. The words are arranged in separate lines, usually with a
repeated rhythm, and sometimes the lines RHYME at the end.” With this definition
people expect to see in a poem rhythm and rhyme. Only in few cases do we have
rhyme in Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament. Examples are Judges 16:24; Psalms
14:1; some verses in Isaiah 40-60 (such as 43:2). However, these familiar features of
common, modern poetry are lacking in most Hebrew poetry as found in the Old
Testament. Hebrew poetry uses a rhythm of meaning and ideas and not that of
sound and words.
The rhythm of thought in the Old Testament poetry is called parallelism and this is
the most important internal characteristic of Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry
emphasise parallelism. The second line echoes or reinforces the first. Some
examples are (Ps. 14:1-2; Prov. 14:28 and Is. 1:3). The second line may repeat the
thought of the first line (e.g. Ps. 2:4; Prov. 1:8; Job 22:3-11). The second line may
contrasts with the first (e.g. Prov. 10:1, 5, 7; 22:16). The second line may also
supplement the thought of the first (e.g. Prov. 1:10; 3:27-30). What is more important
to the Hebrew writers as recorded in the Old Testament is to record the mighty acts

38
of God and to communicate the messages of God. In their songs, oracles and
sayings they were not particularly concerned with literary style. Of course it is
anachronistic to expect ancient writings to conform to modern, contemporary styles.

NARRATIVES
Narratives in various types constitute about half of the whole of the Old Testament
and it is the most common literary genre. Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are
essentially historical books, along with many parts of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua,
Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah and Haggai. The Israelites had a sense
of history and their religion has always been a historical faith. The faith of the Old
Testament people was based on concrete actions of God in their history such as the
Exodus from Egypt, conquest of the Promised Land and restoration from exile.
It has been observed by several scholars that the biblical writers should not be seen
as “historians” in the modern, objective, “documentary” sense. Objective history is a
scientific enterprise supposedly devoid of personal prejudice. It requires accurate
reporting and supply of information and it is impersonal. On the other hand biblical
history does not only discover and report facts it also interprets the events and it is
coupled with exhortation. As a religious reportage it is written to elicit faith and to
call for obedience to God. The significance of the events recorded for the people of
God are as important as the events themselves.
In view of this explanation Old Testament narratives are to be treated as interpreted
history (technically called Geschichte) and not ordinary history (Historie). The
interpreted history is the vehicle of the revelation and lesson that it seeks to
communicate. Some scholars question the historicity of some Hebrew narratives
and describe them as myth. For now we affirm that the biblical narratives are
historically accurate and reliable while their overall interest is to interpret the acts of
God. The Old Testament is not a document of philosophy of religion of the Israelites;
it is a record of definite historical events.

PROSE
Prose occurs in various forms like speeches, sermons, prayers and letters. Most
prose sections of the Old Testament can be read and interpreted literally. However,
some are figurative. Examples of symbolic prose in the Old Testament are allegory
(Ezekiel 16) and apocalypse (Daniel 2:7-12). The laws have unique literary forms in

39
the Old Testament. The Israelites did not think of the law as legal codes as we do
today. The law, as found in the Pentateuch is to them God’s revelation; It is not
judicial but instructional. The two types of legislative forms found in Moses’ Laws
are the casuistic style (e.g. Ex. 22:1, 14) and the apodictic type (e. g. Ex. 20:1-17).

WISDOM LITERATURE
Wisdom Literature constitutes a significant portion of The Writings, the third major
division of the Old Testament. The wisdom literatures are Proverbs, Job,
Ecclesiastes and some Psalms. They encourage godly choices in life. Proverbs are
short parables. The wisdom lesson of Job is enigmatic while that of Ecclesiastes is
puzzling.

CONCLUSION
It is safe to draw some conclusions from the discussion of the various principles and
methods considered above: many Bible passages are not to be understood literally
but figuratively; we need to determine the particular type of a figurative scripture and
treat it accordingly. It is recognized, however, that some figurative texts may be
categorized into two or more types. Since figures of speech sometime blend, a
scripture may be interpreted as a parable or allegory, as both prophecy and
apocalypse. For example, the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23) is also an
allegory.

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 LECTURE 5
PRINCIPLES OF EXEGESIS AND INTERPRETATION

HISTORICAL – GRAMMATICAL METHOD

The sixty- six books of the Bible were written between over two thousand to four
thousand years ago. The three original languages were Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
st
There is a gap between the reader of the Bible in the 21 century in Africa and the
authors of the Bible. This point was explained under Factors Necessitating
Hermeneutics (Refer to and revise Lecture 1). Since the authors wrote in certain
historical and linguistic contexts it is imperative for the contemporary interpreter to
know the history and grammar of the Bible. This is why the historical/grammatical
method of Bible interpretation is basic and important as stated by Corley and Others
(1996, p.217): “Without an honest, careful, intelligent use of grammatical and
historical knowledge, there is little or no hope for a correct interpretation of
documents written in foreign languages within several different ancient historical
contexts”.

THE NEED FOR THE HISTORICAL METHOD

Christianity is an historical faith based on certain concrete historical events in human
experience. The Bible is also an historical document a record of definite events of
the past. However, the authors are not just historians. They were people who
encountered God and put down their experience and testimonies for the benefit of
other persons. This is why it is necessary to know about the Biblical authors, the
original recipients of their messages, the characteristics of their societies and the
geography of their lands.
In order to interpret the Scriptures accurately we must bear in mind the history,
customs, circumstances and thought forms of the people God used to write the
Bible. This is important because the individuals used concrete terms from their daily
life experiences. The Historical Principle argues “that unless the historical
circumstances of a passage is unveiled the accurate meaning might not be known
and that the style and manner of expression with the circumstances under which the
author wrote all have a role to bare open the mind of the author”.
The meaning of a Bible passage thus becomes clearer when we know the politics,
custom, geography of the Biblical world and times. This will give us an

41
understanding of its original meaning to the first, earliest readers. An important
aspect of Bible interpretation is the discovery of the original meaning of a text, as
Bruce Milne (1998, p.60) explained: “God’s word is almost always immediately
relevant to the situation to which it was addressed; we need, therefore to uncover as
fully as possible the original setting and meaning before attempting to relate it to
ourselves”.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE AUTHOR

Knowledge of the life of an author will help us to interpret the writing in line with the
historical reality of his/her times. For instance it is reasonable to believe that Moses
is the author of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy) because he grew up in the Egyptian palace (Exodus 2:10) and he
must have been exposed to Egyptian civilization. Most likely, however, his writings
were updated to include the story of his death (Deut. 32-33).
Apostle Paul wrote 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament. We cannot
understand or appreciate his doctrine of the grace of God unless we know his
backgrounds (birth and upbringing), persecution of the church, dramatic conversion
and commission to preach the Gospel (Acts 9:1-19), his missionary journeys and
experiences. These constitute the historical background of his writings and it is of
crucial importance to use them to interpret his teachings.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
1. Is it necessary for us to know the history of the author to interpret a Bible passage?
2. Explain with an Old Testament example?

KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORIGINAL RECIPIENTS

Who were the original audiences of the messages of God that have been compiled
as the Bible? Most of the epistles in the New Testament indicate the original readers
of the letters. It is of significant value if we know what the messages meant to them.
Corley and Others (1996, 226) explain: “Valid interpretation demands that before we
try to understand what a writer is saying to us, we must do our very best to
understand what he said and meant to that original group. ” Let us corroborate the
explanation above with some illustrative examples. Many Old Testament prophets
delivered God’s judgement concerning the sin, evil and wickedness of people. Amos

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denounced the injustice and unrighteousness of Israelites around 760-750 B.C.
We can then apply the pronouncements to many 21st century African societies
characterized by idolatry, oppression of the poor, misgovernment, moral and
religions corruption. Also knowledge of the city of Corinth and the founding and
composition of the church (Acts 18:1-7) help to understand the numerous problems
and issues confronting the church which include: division/disunity, incest, court-case,
marital relationships (like incest), idolatry conduct in public worship and the doctrine
of resurrection.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Is it helpful to know the original recipient(s) of a text for biblical interpretation?
Explain with a New Testament example.

THE ROLE OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

The physical features and climate of Palestine exercises a very powerful influence
on the history found in the Bible. Many Biblical events can be understood only in their
geographical settings. For instance a knowledge of the physical feature of Palestine
will help us to understand David’s experience in Shepherding (Psalm 23) and the
security he found in God as reflected in his reference to God as “my rock” (Psalm 18).
You are advised at this point to obtain a good Bible Atlas for this lesson and Bible
interpretation generally.
Some specific examples will now be given to explain the role of historical geography
in Biblical Hermeneutics. The student should study the following in an atlas:
 The movements of the Patriarch Abraham in Ur (Gen. 11:31), Haran (Gen.
11:37) Shechem (Gen. 12:6) and Hebron (Gen. 13:18),
 The route of the journey from Egypt to the promised land,
 The missionary campaigns of Apostle Paul: First Journey (Acts 13:4-14:28),
Second Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22), Third journey (Acts 18:23-21:17).
A knowledge of historical geography will also help the Bible interpreter to understand:
why people are always going up to or down from Jerusalem (Psalm 125:2; Luke
19:28; Luke 10:30), and why the Sea of Galilee is susceptible to sudden storms and
waves (Matt. 8:23-24).

THE NEED FOR THE GRAMMATICAL METHOD

In an attempt to interpret the Bible grammatically we need to recognize the literary

43
form of the passage. Is it poetry (e.g. Psalms, Proverbs), prose (e.g. the epistles),
parable (e.g. Matt. 13:1-23), allegory (e.g. Ezekiel 16; Gal. 4:21-31), apocalyptic (e.g.
Revelation), or fable (e.g. Judges 9:8-15)? For instance while a poetic Scripture can
contain factual material it should not be interpreted the same way as
historical/narrative or doctrinal passages. Some of the features to observe in an
attempt to interpret a Bible passage are: etymology of words, punctuation, tenses,
verbs, idioms, etc.
We should endeavour to determine the correct meaning of each word and phrase in
a text. According to Colson (1959, 15) we cannot know what a whole passage means
“until we know what each separate word and phrase exactly means.” The task of
trying to discover the original meaning of text is called exegesis. Exegesis means “to
bring out.” Through exegesis the interpreter seeks to bring out accurately the
meaning of the words. The opposite is eisegesis which means to bring or read ideas
into a passage. In an attempt to eagerly apply the Scriptures while preaching or
teaching many Bible interpreters do not put in a great deal of efforts at exegesis
before they apply the scriptures to contemporary life situations.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Write a short note on “The Need for the Grammatical Method in Biblical
Interpretation.”

THE USE OF THE GRAMMATICAL METHOD

Theoretically, the starting point to the grammatical study of the Bible is to examine a
passage in the original languages – Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. However, most
Bible interpreters in the African context are not familiar with the use of lexicons and
grammars which are considered to be the primary tools for biblical interpretation.
For accurate biblical interpretation the basic text should be a good, literal translation.
Various Bible versions available today has been classified by Fee and Stuart (1981,
pp.34-39) as follows:
 Literal versions e.g. KJV, NKJV, RSV,
 Dynamic equivalence e.g. GNB, NIV,
 Free/paraphrase e.g. LB, NLT.
In case you are not familiar with these acronyms they mean the following:
KJV - King James (Authorized) Version,
NKJV - New KJV,

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RSV - Revised Standard Version,
GNB - Good-News Bible,
NIV – New International Version,
LB – The Living Bible,
NLT – New Living Translation,
Philips – Philips Modern English,
NEB – New English Bible.
Words and sentences can be identified as found in literal version e.g. Faith, grace
and repentance. It will be of interest to the interpreter to also see how the word is
rendered in some other versions. For instance “study” (2 Tim. 2:15; KJV) is rendered
as “Do your best” in RSV, “concentrate” in Philips, “try hard” in NEB. Every Bible
interpreter should remember to constantly refer to the Amplified Bible which gives
shades of meaning of Bible words. A word can also be studied using a BIBLE
DICTIONARY which may give the etymology and history of the use of the word.
Apart from word study interpreters will find STUDY BIBLES to be very helpful to study
Bible books. These provide information about the following to aid the interpretation:
the author, date/historical situation/date of writing, recipients, purpose,
structure/outline, literary features and theme/message. BIBLE COMMENTARIES are
also good for biblical interpretation. However, most scholars counsel that they
should be consulted last.

OTHER TOOLS FOR ETYMOLOGICAL STUDY OF WORDS

1. CONCORDANCES
A concordance is a book containing a list of all the times a given word is used in the
Bible. A good concordance that you would find extremely useful is the Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance. Strong has compiled all the words used in English and
shown their Greek and Hebrew occurrences (already transliterated so that it can be
pronounced and understood without stress by those whose knowledge of Hebrew
and Greek is not deep). It also goes ahead to list the words so transliterated. For
example, through Strong you will discover that the word peace occurs more than 400
times in the English Bible and that ten Hebrew words and six Greek words are
rendered peace in the English Bible.
2. LEXICONS

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A lexicon is “a reference book that alphabetically lists words and their meanings,
especially of an ancient language” (Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, 2008). Though in a
sense, a lexicon is a dictionary, but the dictionary of ancient language is more
appropriately referred to as a lexicon. Thus we have Greek and Hebrew lexicons. Like
a dictionary that they are, lexicons would list the various denotations of each word
listed.
The very good ones go further to discuss the various occurrences of the word in
both ancient secular and biblical literature with specific examples.
For example, Arndt and Gingrich (trans.) (1957) in giving the meaning of
ba/qov(bathos) indicated that the word was used by Aeschylus, Herodotus, the
Septuagint, Philo as well as Josephus. After giving the general meaning as “depth”, it
goes ahead to treat literal and figurative meaning citing the literature in which they
have been so used. The following are recommended lexicons if you are able to lay
your hands upon them:
 Brown, Driver, and Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament.
 Gesenius. Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament
 Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature. Translated and edited by Arndt and Gingrich.
 Thayer. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
3. THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOKS
The advantage that the theological wordbooks have over the lexicons is that they
often give more exhaustive analysis of the words listed. The most popular of all
theological wordbooks are the 10 Volume Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament edited by Kittel and Friedrich and the twin sister 4 Volume Theological
Dictionary of the Old Testament edited by Botterweck and Ringgren. They are both
referred to as TDNT and TDOT. Please note that there is a one volume abridged
version of the TDNT by G. W. Bromiley. The TDNT, in its analysis of any word would
trace its usage of Greek words from secular Greek sources, the Old Testament, Philo,
Josephus, pseudipigraphical and rabbinical literature, the various New Testament
books as well as the usage by the apostolic fathers.
The TDOT on the other hand usually begin from the etymology to usage in Ancient
Near East and the usage in the Old Testament and at times makes reference to the
usage of the word in the Septuagint (LXX).

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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Describe briefly how you can guide a new Christian to use the grammatical method
to interpret the Bible.

CONCLUSION
The Bible is full of both literal and figurative languages. The meaning of literal
languages can be discovered by the historical and grammatical method explained in
this section. A knowledge of the life, times and culture of the writer helps to discover
the literal meaning a passage. However, such study will also indicate the texts that
are not meant to be interpreted literally.

BIBLICAL CRITICISM
The term biblical criticism is a description of a modern complex field of study, which
involves a variety of principles, techniques and methods.
In biblical criticism, biblical writings are studied “in order to establish their text,
understand their context and style, and determine their origin and authenticity.” The
goal of biblical criticism is thus “to enable the reader to know as much as possible
about the meaning of the text in its original setting.” The major tasks, methods or
sub-divisions of Biblical criticism are: Textual Criticism, Literary and Source
Criticisms, Historical Criticism, Tradition and Form Criticisms, and Redaction
Criticism. Some others are Canon Criticism, Grammatical Criticism, among others.

1. TEXTUAL CRITICISM
Textual criticism is used to be called “lower Criticism” and the aim is to construct a
text as close to the original text written by its author (i.e. Autograph) as possible.
This discipline “endeavours to restore the original text of documents which have
been exposed to the hazards of successive copying and recopying”. Usually, earlier
copies have suffered less from alterations than latter ones. Three of the rules that
help to determine the original reading are:
 One, the older text;
 Two, the more difficult text,
 Three, the shorter text.
Illustrative Examples:
One of the things that led scholars to conclude that Mark is the earliest of the
synoptic gospels is because it is the shortest. The NIV Study Bible, 1995 ed, pp.15-28

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states that “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witness do not have
Mark 16:9-20”. This is a textual critical comment.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
What is the aim of textual criticism?

2. LITERARY/SOURCE CRITICISMS
Literary and Source Criticism attempts to answer questions like: “Who wrote the
document? When and where was it written under what circumstances and with what
purpose? Literary criticism “refers to the systematic analysis of a text with regard to
its words and images, characters, progress of thought or structure, form and
meaning.” This means that the concern of literary criticism is to understand the
context and style of the biblical context.
The literary form is related to the message of the writer. Biblical writers appear “to
convey their truth in artistically appealing and memorable literary forms.” Source
criticism is part of literary criticism and it tries to discern the oral or written sources
on which a literary work has drawn.” Therefore, it “seeks to establish where already
existing material has been incorporated, either by following explicit statements that
a source has been used or by arguing on the basis of literary style and content.”
Examples:
 The author of Chronicles used Samuel and Kings, Matthew and Luke used
Mark to compose their own gospels.
 The Pentateuch consists of four major sources (Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly and
Deuteronomist).
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Explain the relationship and difference between literary and source criticisms.

3. HISTORICAL CRITICISM
Historical criticism relates documents to their historical context. That is to say it
“concerns the origins and authenticity of the Biblical documents.” It approaches all
data with an initial skepticism with the use of hermeneutic of suspicion.
Historical criticism can be “used in a narrow sense to refer to the event behind the
text” in which case “the goal is to describe the event exactly as it happened.” Literary
and historical criticisms were at one time called “higher criticism” as they are
concerned with the issues of literary structure, date and authorship.

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One problem of historical criticism is that it “often proceeds on the basis of
philosophical assumptions that rule out divine intervention and the miraculous, and
holds negative views about the faith-communities that transmitted the Biblical
sources.” Unlike this liberal, critical approach some other scholars argue that the
Bible should be studied with hermeneutics of faith.
Example: Feminist critical hermeneutics. They have argued that historical records of
Christian origins has sexist bias that oppress women and put them at a
disadvantage in church life (e.g. 1 Cor. 14:33b-38; 1Tim. 2:11-15).
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Evaluate historical criticism using the feminist critical hermeneutics as example.

4. TRADITION/FORM CRITICISM
Tradition history answers the question “By what processes have various written and
oral traditions come to be formed into the Biblical document?” Form criticism is an
important aspect of tradition criticism.
It is “the study of the ‘forms’ which the material took in the course of being handed
down.” The concern of form criticism is: “How do the distinct forms of literary
expression reveal something of the origins, history and meaning of the text?”
Therefore, “Form criticism deals with the range of literary devices used in
communicating the message and tries to determine the historical settings in which
the forms were employed before they became part of the Biblical books.” The task of
form criticism thus ”suggests that some biblical writers had at their disposal already
existing sources in written or oral form.”
Illustrative Example
Why did Matthew and Luke differ in the order of the second and third temptations of
Jesus? The temptation to jump down from the Jerusalem temple was placed second
by Matthew but third by Luke (Luke 4:1-13, Matt. 4:1-11cf). This is a tradition critical
concern.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
What do you understand by tradition/form criticisms?

5. REDACTION/CANON CRITICISMS
This is a theological criticism which complements tradition, historical criticism. “It
studies the use which an author makes of the material at his disposal whether

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received by tradition or otherwise.” The relevant question of interest to redaction
criticism is “How has the author shown his own creativeness in reshaping older
traditions to serve his particular theological purpose?” Therefore, it is concerned with
“how the final author or editor used the sources to address the concerns and
problems facing his audience in their historical setting.” Canon criticism is an
extension of redaction criticism. It is a theological study of the completed canon of
Scripture. The emphasis is not on the original form of the text as it is done in some
other critical approaches.
Illustrative Example
How do we account for the difference between the gospel written by John and the
three Synoptic Gospels? His primary intention evidently was to evangelise non-
Christians and to teach new Christians (John 20:31).

CONCLUSION
Biblical criticism “involves textual, literary and historical methods.” Thus, the biblical
critic is concerned with the historical setting of the document itself (redaction
criticism) and of the small units (form criticism) or sources (source criticism)
contained in the document.”

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 LECTURE 6
APPLICATION AND PREACHING OF BIBLICAL TEXTS
I believe that your study of Biblical Hermeneutics in the past units has inspired,
provoked, challenged, enlarged, and enriched your thoughts. What I want to do in this
concluding unit is to try, through application and correlation, to tie together all that
you have studied thus far.
Application will deal with how to put the theory of Biblical Hermeneutics into practice.
The concern of correlation is how to integrate the principles and methods as you
handle the word of God and preach Biblical texts. In this unit I will try to be very
practical.

RATIONALE FOR APPLICATION AND CORRELATION

Why do we have to apply and correlate Scriptures? Why did we take the pain to
survey the history and principles of Biblical interpretation? How do we bring the
lessons learnt unto practical use and operation? What is the connection between the
historic and contemporary methods of Biblical Hermeneutics? It should stated at the
onset that the value of this exercise is not only academic but it is profoundly
practical. It is meant to give us practical benefits in Christian life and ministry.
We need to apply and correlate the Biblical information for some reasons which
include the following:
1. The Bible should be applied because it is inspired and authoritative (Read 2 Tim.
3:16a). It is God-breathed means that it is God-inspired, God-given. Since the Bible is
the breath and word of God it is no ordinary but divine book. To obey the Bible is to
obey God. The Bible thus reveals to us who God is, and what God requires of us.
There is a sense in which our knowledge of the Bible will determine our knowledge of
God.
2. Application of the Bible will give us some benefits that can be described generally
as spiritual blessing (Deut. 30:11-20). It is good to find truth but the more important
thing is what we do with the truth. Obedience to the Bible gives spiritual knowledge,
meaning and satisfaction in life. It also regulates human conduct (Psalm 1:1-3)
without application Biblical interpretation is a scholarly exercise in futility.
3. There is a need for correlation because God has revealed (unveiled) the truth
recorded over a long period through diverse human experiences. Since the revelation
of God is progressive, we need to correlate and harmonise what God has said in

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different situations through different persons in different ages. We need to correlate
the revelation of God in the Old and New Testaments, in the narratives and
instructions as well as in the poetry and prose.

METHODS OF APPLICATION AND CORRELATION

How should we apply and correlate the Bible? To ask the same question more
practically, what is the purpose or value of the Bible? How shall we benefit from Bible
reading, study and interpretation? The first three methods in this section concern
application while the last two concern correlation.
1. Apply for Spiritual education (2 Tim. 3:14-15): The Bible talks about the holiness
of God, creation, sin and redemption of human beings. This knowledge can help to
transform the reader. It can also enrich the spiritual life of the interpreter (John 6:63).
2. Apply for Spiritual maturity (2 Tim. 3:16b): The Bible is milk and meat for spiritual
life (1 Peter 2:2; Jer. 15:16). It is valuable for doctrine (teaching and rebuking) and
conduct (correcting and training). The Bible should help us to formulate and live by
Godly principles. It rebukes us when we do wrong, when we commit sin and evil. It
also ought to correct us when we are set on the path of indiscipline and error. It
trains us to live in righteousness, Holiness and Godliness. This leads to a life of
maturity.
3. Apply for Christian service (2 Tim. 3:17): The Bible gives instructions on how to
serve the Lord. It is full of examples of people who helped others. In the Bible we find
encouragement to be faithful in the use of our life, possessions, time, talents and
spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 4:2).
4. Apply appropriate Hermeneutical principles and methods as described in the
previous units: Klein and Others (1993, 406) summarize the point succinctly:
“legitimate application requires the use of both the general Hermeneutical principles
(establishing an accurate text, the correct meaning of words, the historical – cultural
background, the larger literary contexts and the like) and, also, special Hermeneutics
or genre criticism.”
5. Apply the peculiar principles of Biblical precedent and cultural relativity: These
methods are especially applicable to narratives and epistles respectively.
At this juncture it is appropriate to warn you of some misapplication of the Bible like
using it: to swear, to catch a thief, to put it under a pillow to ward off evil spirits, to
wash with water and drink. These magical, fetish and pagan uses of the Bible are

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wrong.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Explain three values of Bible study and interpretation.

EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES OF APPLICATION AND CORRELATION

In this section, I will be considering some specific texts and issues for application
and correlation. I will also give you some passages and issues to interpret, apply and
correlate yourself. You can use Study Bible and Commentaries to answer the
questions.
1. The Bible is full of records of the lives of people. Some are good examples for us
to emulate. Others are bad examples to be avoided. What lessons can we learn from
the following stories?
 God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Read Genesis 22:1-2; Heb. 11:17-19). Is
this a justification for ritual sacrifice today? Explain (Lev. 18:21, 20:25).
 God asked prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, a harlot (Hos. 1:2). Does that justifies
an evangelist to be involved with a prostitute today? (Lev. 19:29; 1 Cor. 6:15).
How do we reconcile that with the idea of divorcing a spouse on the basis of
adultery? (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:8-9).
 In the creation of Adam and Eve we see an example of monogamy (Gen. 2:18-25).
However, several Old Testament Saints were polygamous including Abraham,
David and Solomon. On the other hand the Lord Jesus Christ did not marry.
Search the scriptures to explain the ideal marital status (celibacy, monogamy or
polygamy) for Christians in general and priests (gospel ministers) in particular.
 The New Testament specifically instructs that persons who would be
consecrated/ordained for ministries (Missionaries, Evangelists, Pastors, Deacons,
etc.) should be monogamous (1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6). Is there a Biblical
justification today to deny polygamists church membership and opportunities to
serve God in other areas of Church life?
These examples illustrate the principle of Biblical precedent discussed in the
interpretation of Acts of the Apostles. It shows the need for us to reconcile
description of events and lives of people with instructions. The lifestyles of some
people are not necessarily building on us. We are to evaluate the conduct of others
on the basis of requirements of the word of God. We are to base our conduct on
Biblical practices that conform with God’s commandments.

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SELF–ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
On the basis of the principle of Biblical precedent how should we interpret and apply
the following bible passages today? (Acts 2:2-3; 2:45cf. 4:32; 5:5-10)

2. Now let us consider some bible passages and practical issues that relate to
Christian worship. These are not just for you to read. Study the texts. Consider the
issues. Write down your conclusions.
 Do you think practices like holy kiss and feet washing be observed literally in
places where it is not their culture? (1 Thess. 5:26; John 13:1-17). Please explain
on the basis of the principle of cultural relativity.
 Is head covering the same as putting on the veil? (1 Cor. 11:3-9; 13-15). Is the
emphasis on covering the head/hair or the eyes? Is the hair to be accepted as a
covering? (1 Cor. 11:13-15cf. Num. 6:1-21). Should it be made compulsory for
African women to cover their heads “because of the angels”? (v.10).
 Should women be allowed to talk in the Church? (1 Cor. 14:33b-38; 1 Tim. 2:11-
15). Can they ask questions, teach, lead and pastor a Church? How would women
who have gifts of pastoring and teachings use them?
 A pair of trousers is considered to be a male dress in most traditional African
societies. Is it right now for African ladies to put it on in view of the global culture
that Africa has imbibed? (Deut. 22:5).
In many of these cases the issue of limited application of culturally conditioned Bible
passages cannot be ignored. The truth is that culture is the total way of life of a
society. Today’s Christian practices should be judged not only from the traditional
African culture, but from contemporary culture. Culture is not static. Culture is
growing and dynamic. Let us note that most of the issues above are not just issues
of what is universally right and wrong, but what is acceptable and permissible or
otherwise in a particular local church and society.
SELF – ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Apostle Paul claimed to “have become all things to all men.” Study 1 Cor. 9:19-23
and discuss how to put this example of cultural relativity into practice today.

3. Some other issues that pertain to Christian faith and life are as follow.
 When Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples he asked them not to take a purse or
bag or sandals (Luke 10:4). Why? Later on he asked them take them and even

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 buy sword (Luke 10:36-38). Why? However, when Peter used the sword to defend
Jesus, Jesus objected (Luke 10:47-50). Why? Can Christians use the sword and
other Africa weapons to defend themselves today when attacked by non-
Christians? How does this relate to the principle of non-retaliation? (Matt. 5:38-
42).
 Homosexuality in form of lesbianism and gay is gaining ground today. Some of
the people involved claim that it is their genetic being. Should the Church
recognize homosexual marital relationships today? (Gen. 19:4-5, Rom. 1:18-32, 1
Cor. 6:9-10).
 Paul exhorted Timothy to use a little wine for the sake of his ailment (specifically
stomachache (1 Tim. 5:23 cf. Ps. 104:15). The Bible severally consistently
condemns drunkenness (1 Cor. 6:10; Rom. 13:13; Eph. 5:18). Should the Church
teach moderation of or complete abstinence from wine?
 What is your interpretation of Paul’s instruction about meat offended to idols? (1
Cor. 8:1-13, 10:23-11:1). Is it wrong for a Christian to receive or partake of rams
that Muslims sacrifice during festivals? What of the meat offered as sacrifices in
African Traditional Religion Worship?

EXPLANATORY NOTES
As a matter of principle sometime a Christian may have to forgo his/her right for the
sake of modeling the Gospel to non-Christians or to young (or weak) Christians. Sins
are not to be treated the same way we treat cultural items. Homosexuality should
not be treated as a mere social or cultural behaviour. It is consistently condemned in
the Bible as a sexual sin along with fornication and adultery. We must admit that
there are no explicit Biblical examples or instructions about some aspects of
contemporary life. In such cases we should be guided by the principles in the entire
Biblical revelation as well as the laws of society to determine Christian conduct.
SELF–ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
The list of sins in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 are universal absolutes. How can we apply them in a
context where some of these are approved by the culture?

SOME ESSENTIALS FOR SOUND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION, APPLICATION AND

CORRELATION
Biblical Hermeneutics is both an academic as well as a spiritual activity. It has both

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objective and dimensions. It is both theory as well as practice. I believe that you
appreciate these statements in view of all you have studied in this course. However
in view of this nature of the task I will like to state some essentials required for
sound biblical interpretation in this section. The arrangement of the requirements is
not necessarily in order of importance.
 Since the Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible (Read 2 Peter 1:19-21) the
interpreter needs to seek the leading of the Spirit. To receive God’s Word from the
Holy Spirit, a life of holiness in thus crucially important (1 Peter 1:15-16).
 The interpreter can receive so much spiritual insight and understanding from the
Word of God through prayer and meditation (Psalm 119:9-104). These spiritual
habits are essentials to interpret the Word of God. I believe that if we approach
Bible study with humility and dependence on God we have a disposition to
receive truth. In addition to these spiritual requirements, however, we also need
academic efforts.
 Truth, even Biblical truth, is often multifaceted and complex. It is necessary for
the interpreter of the Bible to have wide study exposure. A good starting point is
to use more than one version of the Bible. Every serious Bible interpreter
(Preacher, Teacher, Counselor) needs to constantly use the following sources:
 One Bible literal version e.g. RSV
 One dynamic equivalence e.g. GNB
 One paraphrase e.g. GNB
 One study Bible e.g. The NIV Study Bible
 One commentary e.g. Matthew Henry Commentary
Without this exposure a bible interpreter stands the risk of being myopic and
parochial.
 Competent Biblical Hermeneutics always require hard work (1 Tim. 5:17). The
help of the Holy Spirit is not a substitute for intelligent diligent study. As a matter
of fact the person who does more prayerful study is a better instrument in the
hand of the Holy Spirit to do correct Bible interpretation more than the lazy,
causal inquirer.
I will like to summarise the essential requirements for effective interpretation,
application and correlation of the Bible thus:
 Search diligently and sincerely (John 5:39)

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  Depend on God for insights (2 Tim. 2:15)
 Pray for understanding (2 Tim. 2:7)
SELF – ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
List four important requirements for effective interpretation, application and
correlation of the Bible.

CONCLUSION
The principles and methods of Biblical Hermeneutics were discussed in the previous
units (Lecture 1 – 4). Bible interpretation is not complete if we are only interested in
or able to determine the meaning of Biblical texts to the original first recipients. This
concluding Lecture shows that the significance of Bible texts for today ought to be
equally important to the interpreter. This is the question of application and
correlation dealt with in this Lecture. Having introduced you to biblical hermeneutics
in this course, I encourage you to try to put what you have learnt into practice. I also
encourage you to continue to study this very important subject the more.

WISHING YOU THE BEST IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE AND

MINISTRY

PASTOR DR. EZEKIEL TAIWO DEDEIGBO

+2348062845623
JANUARY TO MARCH, 2025

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