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BIBLE HERMENEUTICS
Hermeneutics is the science and the art of biblical interpretation. It is a science
because there are rules for interpreting Scripture, just as there are rules for driving
a car. If you do not know the rules, you will not know how to drive properly.
Beyond knowing the principles, however, you must also know when to apply
them. Because of this, hermeneutics can also rightly be called an art. Since
Scripture is not monolithic because it contains multiple genres and was written
over a vast period of time, by many authors, in different languages, it requires
discernment to know which rules of interpretation to apply to any given text to find
its intended meaning. That, ultimately, is the goal of hermeneutics: to understand
how to interpret the text to find its intended meaning.
The primary concern when interpreting the Bible is finding the author’s intended
meaning. One common approach to studying the Bible is to read the text and then
ask, “What does this text mean to me?” While seeking to apply the text to one’s
life is important, it should never be the first question we ask of Scripture. Instead,
the first question should be, “What did the author intend to communicate?”
Skipping over this question can cause misunderstandings and misapplications of
the text.
What are the different types of biblical hermeneutics
It will come as no surprise that agreeing on the importance and veracity of the
Bible is only the first step in what can be a very long conversation. There are four
major types of biblical hermeneutics that have arisen throughout history, although
only the first is widely accepted today amongst evangelical churches.
Literal Interpretation
This approach seeks out the “plain meaning” of a biblical text. This is not to imply
that every passage of Scripture should be interpreted literally, but rather the plain
meaning be accepted as truth. For instance, when Jesus said the Christians are the
light of the world, we don’t believe we are literally a 100-watt light bulb. We do
believe that Jesus was telling us plainly that it is our role to showcase the love of
God to everyone around us. We’ll discuss this more in-depth below.
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BIBLE HERMENEUTICS
Moral Interpretation
Originally practiced by Jews who believed their laws, poems, and historical
narratives had multiple layers of meanings, this approach supposes to reveal the
ethics behind any text. One popular example is the Epistle of Barnabas, where the
author believes the Old Testament food laws were misunderstood by the people of
Israel. Rather than restricting diet, he believes the laws were meant to avoid
behavior which was associated with these animals.
Allegorical Interpretation
Closely associated with moral interpretation, this type of hermeneutics viewed the
biblical narratives as having a secondary level of meaning. Most often this meant
interpreting people and events as only foreshadowing people and events in the
New Testament, usually Jesus and his actions. One such case would be Noah.
Rather than focusing on whether or not a worldwide flood actually happened,
viewing the story as an allegory allowed the readers to conclude what type of
person God was seeking as followers.
Anagogical Interpretation
Defined as mystical or spiritual, this approach sought to interpret Scripture in view
of the life to come. Relying significantly on numerical values of Hebrew letters
and words, the focus here was on Messianic prophecies and the study of the last
days. Similar to moral and allegorical interpretation, importance was not given to
the actual story but to a perceived deeper meaning behind the story.
Why is biblical hermeneutics important?
The church today faces many important issues as technological innovation
transforms everything from communications to family structures to social
relationships. We need the wisdom from God himself to properly engage and
understand the world we live in. Yet the primary way we learn what God has to say
is the Bible—a book written between 2,000 to 3,500 years ago.
How we interpret the timeless Word of God shapes how we answer the important
questions we face as we pursue God’s mission in the world today.
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BIBLE HERMENEUTICS
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