top five

[Preach]

I will be teaching a short course (very basic hermeneutics) to new converts and reforming dispensationals after the holidays. I was hoping that you all would post your top 5 Biblical hermeneutical principles. The tentative title for the two lesson overview is "How to read your Bible for all its worth". Thanks.

"In Christ",
Bobby

 

[BrianBowman]

Here are two that I've come to live by:

- Cultural/Historical/Grammatical Context
- The Abiding Validity of the Law

Bobby, if you're not aware from my other posts, I spent 6 years in the Dispensational Sect: Greater Grace World Outreach in your hometown of Baltimore and after moving back to North Carolina -spent 2 more years pursing their Ordination Program. These two principles have really helped me "get clear" from a lot of the muck that GGWO's former (now old and infirm) leader Carl H. Stevens taught.

If you have not already, you could potentially have a real ministry to those leaving GGWO.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

The following are things to "keep in mind" when studying one's English Bible:

1) Analogy of Scripture/Anaology of Faith--the underlying issue with both of these is the unity and cohesiveness of revelation.

2) Scripture is the history of Redemption--it is universal (to all humanity, past, present, and future) and cosmic in scope, but it is also particular and unique. It is not one "god-story" among many that all teach some basic, common message (whatever that means). There is a fundamental factual quality about the Bible.

3) The centrality of the Person of Jesus Christ (the living Word) as both the mediator of all divine revelation and its ultimate interpretation (everything with reference to him). The Bible isn't simply data, but a personal message.

4) "The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man." (WSC 3)

5) The unity of God's one people, as expressed in the form of covenant; these arrangements setting forth the structure of God's dealings with mankind--"What is a sacred covenant? A relationship God sets up with us and guarantees by his word."


I think it is worth adding that the different types of literature in the Bible demand a flexible interpretive strategy. The Bible has an essential historic, factual backbone to it, Genesis through Acts. But it also has poetry, sermons, parables, dramatic passages, letters (written out) etc., written out of the lives of flesh-and-blood people who shared our experience of living in this fallen world. The story of redemption includes real humanity in all of its expressions, and especially the exposure of inner soul- or heart-realities expressed in word. God's radical superintendence of inspiration utilizing these people is part of Scripture's dynamic power.

 

[daveb]

- Analogy of Faith
- Scripture is to be interpreted according to its literal sense
- Take into account its literary forms and devices, grammatical constructions and historical context
- Understand the difference between Proverb and Law, and the Spirit and the letter of the Law

 

[turmeric]

Context, Context, Context!

The Gospel is for Christians too!

I don't know if that last one's a hermeneutic principle though.

 

[Peters]

Prophet, Priest and King

 

[alwaysreforming]

One way you can "spice up" a class like this (at least this is what I have thought about doing), is calling the class something like: "The Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Reading the Bible", or "How NOT to Read the Bible!"

Then, you can take whatever principles you're positing and first show the mistake made when the principle is ignored, and then show how the principle behind the correct interpretation clarifies such.

I want to put together something like this myself. Let us know what Final Five make it to your list!

God's Blessings to you, brother!

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

We should set this down first:
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience. (The Larger Catechism Question 3)

The unity of Scripture as a whole is the context for interpreting any of its parts.

Thus: Scripture must interpret Scripture. (The WCF: "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it may be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. Ch. I, 9)

Thus - one must adhere to the original intent of the Scripture - Grammatico-Historico interpretation.

Analogy of Scripture From Berkof

The Bible is analogical - different texts speak to the same issues, thus modifying and reinforcing each other as they present a unified message. "What God means to teach us in a specific passage cannot be understood apart from everything else he teaches us. And what God teaches us in a specific passage may not be the whole truth he reveals to us about a topic."

Not all texts have Equal Theological or Doctrinal Weight - Berkhof

The number of passages that teach a doctrine. What is affirmed in a number of places is stronger than what is taught in one or two.
Unanimity or correspondence of passages. If different texts fully agree, their doctrine is firmer than if they are merely similar in teaching.

The charity of a passage. Appeal to ambiguous or obscure texts is far less sure than appeal to those whose meaning is clear.
The distribution of passages is determinative. What is taught in a single book is not as valuable as that which is taught throughout the entire Bible.

 

[Casey]

Originally posted by Contra_Mundum

3) The centrality of the Person of Jesus Christ (the living Word) as both the mediator of all divine revelation and its ultimate interpretation (everything with reference to him). The Bible isn't simply data, but a personal message.

Luke 24:27 (and similar passages) provides us with the necessity of recognizing Christ throughout all of Scripture. "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." For your dispensational brethren, this is an important point indeed.