8/9/2019 Hermeneutical Principles Analysis
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BT501 Bible & Interpretation
Dr. Miyon Chung
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Hermeneutical principles nalysis
Chenbing!00"1!!!5!
1. Homily II on Matthe# 1$1 by %t. ohn Chrysostom
%t. ohn Chrysostom #as one o' the hermeneuts in the schools o'
ntioch( he also
'ollo#e) local e#ish tra)itions o' interpretation( the emphasis
#as 'irmly on a
primarily literal rea)ing o' the Bible an) on the
historical reality o' its re*elation.
Here( his homilies on the gospel o' Matthe# treate) the te+ts
*erse by *erse. He
starte) to analysis the *erse 1 o' Matthe# care'ully. ,e can see
his concern #as
care'ul te+tual an) grammatical rea)ing. He spent long time
)iscussing the meaning
o' %on o' Da*i) an) %on o' -o). He )i)nt imply that there #as
hi))en meanings o'
it( but trie) to e+plain the reason #hy Matthe# calle) esus
Christ %on o' Da*i)( %on
o' -o). He #rote( /you are tol) that the son o' -o) is son o'
Da*i) an) o'
braham( )oubt not any more that thou too( the son o' )am( shall
be son o' -o).
He continue) to e+plain #hy Matthe# mentione) esus as %on o'
Da*i) 'irst(
then %on o' braham. s he #rote here( /But #here'ore )i) he not
say( /the son o'
braham( an) then /the son o' Da*i)2 It is not ( as some suppose(
that he means to
procee) up#ar) 'rom the lo#er point( since then he #oul)
ha*e )one the same as
3u4e( but no# he )oth the contrary. ,e coul) see that he #as
analying the
grammatical issues an) the literal meaning an) reason.
It is so clear that %t ohn trie) to rea) the Bible literally
#hen #e rea) he trie) toargue #hy Matthe# )i)nt trace the genealogy
o' Mary( but oseph. /But( #hence is it
mani'est that he is o' Da*i)2 6ne may say. 7or i' he #as not
sprung o' a man( but
'rom a #oman only( an) the 8irgin hath not her genealogy trace)(
ho# shall #e 4no#
that he #as o' Da*i)s race2
Ho#e*er( it is not true that %t. ohn Chrysostom #as e+clusi*ely
literalist( since
there #ere also plenty o' allegorical uses among his homilies.
7or e+ample( in the
beginning o' his homily on the -ospel o' Matthe#( he #rote
the historical issue
happene) to the e#s #hen they #ere in the #il)erness( that #hen
they approach a
mountain that burne)( an) 'ire an) blac4ness( an) )ar4ness an)
tempest( the e#s
#ere comman)e) 'or 9 )ays be'ore to abstain 'rom their #i*es an)
to #ash their
garments( an) #ere in trembling an) 'ear. The %t ohn Chrysostom
use) this
metaphorically to encourage the Christians to come to hea*en
#ith a right attitu)e.
Here is #hat he e+plaine)( /much more #e( #hen #e are to hear4en
to such #or)s(
an) are not to stan) 'ar 'rom a smo4ing mountain( but to enter
into hea*en itsel'(
ought to sho# 'orth a greater sel':)enial( not #ashing our
garments( but #iping clean
the robe o' our soul( an) ri))ing oursel*es o' all mi+ture #ith
#orl)ly things.
lso( sometimes( %t ohn Chrysostom engage) in a christological
interpretation
o' the 6l) Testament( #hich can be seen here #hen he #rote( /an)
the patriarch acob
also 'ortol) that He shoul) arise out o' the tribe o' u)ah(
saying on this #ise( thereshall not 'ail a ruler out o' u)ah
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%o it can be sai) that %t ohn Chrysostom both interprete) Bible
metaphorically
an) literally.
!. The %al*ation o' ll Men by ohn Cal*inust as asper #rote(
/Cal*ins rea)ing o' the Bible is groun)e) in rational
re'lection( sel':un)erstan)ing( an) common sense( 'or he
a''irme)( #ithout
4no#le)ge o' oursel*es( 4no#le)ge o' -o) )oes not ta4e place.
Cal*in #as
constantly searching o' the original meaning o' the #riter o'
the Bible. Cal*in #rites(
/%ince it is almost the interpreters only tas4 to un'ol) the
min) o' the #riter #hom he
has un)erta4en to e+poun)( he misses the mar4( or at least
strays outsi)e his limits( by
the e+tent to #hich he lea)s his stu)ents a#ay 'rom the meaning
o' author. In the
sal*ation o' all men( Cal*in 'irst cite) the *erse 'rom 1
Timothy !$9:5( /'or this is
goo) an) acceptable in the sight o' -o) our sa*ior$ #ho #ill
ha*e all men to be sa*e)
an) to come unto the 4no#le)ge o' the truth
Then he starte) to argue #hether here all men means e*ery human
being or ;ust
means e*ery nation( all 4in)s o' people. He trie) to interpret
literally an) 'in) the
original meaning o' the #riter. In arguing this( he mentione)
%t
