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HERMENEUTICS – PART 2NEW LIFE FELLOWSHIP

WHAT IS HERMENEUTICS?

Methods for reading, studying, &

interpreting the Bible

WHY DO WE NEED HERMENEUTICS?

Everyone already has a system of hermeneutics, i.e., a system for reading, interpreting, and understanding. The issue is not whether to have one or not, but whether to have a GOOD set of hermeneutics or not!


Culturally, most Americans have developed bad reading and interpretive habits. Also, we have bad interpretive theories underlying our popular hermeneutics (i.e., they are relativistic).


God’s Word is written TO us THROUGH another people, language, culture, and historical context.

We need good hermeneutics to interpret the “through” part of God’s revelation in order not to distort the “to” part!

THE BASIS OF OUR INTERPRETIVE UNDERSTANDING

ONE interpretation, SEVERAL applications


ONE interpretation, SEVERAL applications


Don’t pull the text through your own interpretive keyhole!


Don’t pull the text through your own interpretive keyhole!


Meaning is determined by the author, not the text, and not the reader!


Meaning is determined by the author, not the text, and not the reader!


To take hold of the gold, you must mine mindfully!


To take hold of the gold, you must mine mindfully!


So how do we mine mindfully?

STEP 1: AVOIDING THE TRAP OF OUR INTERPRETIVE KEYHOLE

The focus of both the Old and the New Testaments is on the fulfillment of God’s plan, not on our own

individual plans

REALIGNING WITH GOD’S PLAN

Personal fulfillment as individual Christians is a byproduct of fulfilling our role within God’s people,

the church!

REALIGNING WITH GOD’S PLAN

The emphasis of the Bible is not on individual rights or fulfillment, but on the unity of God’s people

Before asking how the Bible applies to us, we must first ask: What is God doing in history? How can I better understand and align with what God is

doing?

DISCUSS

What do you think is the danger of losing our sense of “history” when we read the Bible? How would the different worldviews affect the kinds of questions we bring to the Bible?

What do you think about the idea of finding fulfillment in God’s plan, rather than personal satisfaction in living?

DISCOVERING MEANING

Read the Bible from a birds-eye view, not a worm’s eye view!

Old Testament Genres

Books of the Old Testament

Historical Narrative

Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Law Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy*Wisdom Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

Poetry (& Psalms) Psalms, Songs of Solomon, LamentationsProphecy Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,

Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

New Testament Genres

Books of the New Testament

Historical Narrative

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts

Epistles Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon,

Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude

Apocalyptic Revelation

SIGNIFICANCE OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION VARIES WITH GENRE

CULTURE & HISTORY

Culture = values, beliefs, mannerisms, people / people groups Ways of relating and looking at the world that its

members share and that provide the framework for all communication

History = events & places Usually the events of history give rise to the culture at

hand

CROSSING CULTURESome advice for Japanese tourists traveling to the U.S.: 3. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by American

traffic patterns. 5. They have free time all week long! 6. Knowing how to use sarcasm is a must to

communicate with an American. 7. They tend to horse laugh, even the women. It’s

how they show they’re honest. 10. But darn it all, they’re so weirdly optimistic you

just can’t stay irritated at them!

CROSSING CULTURE

How would you characterize our church culture?

What sort of cultural baggage do we tend to bring to Christian living, church life, or reading the

Bible?

CROSSING CULTURE

Modern West Ancient Near EastEgo-centric identity Group-centric identitySelf is independent entity Self is organically interlocked

with othersPrimary responsibility to self Primary obligation to groupEquality HierarchyStatus is achieved Status is ascribed/inheritedFriendships are functional Friendships are long-term

obligationsStrong desire to be personally satisfied

Strong desire to be satisfying

Personal decisions made by self Personal decisions submitted to group consultation or leader’s will

Uniqueness ConformityCompetition is motivational Competition is disruptive

MUNDANE BITS OF CULTURE CAN FLESH OUT OUR UNDERSTANDING

Where was Jesus Christ born?A manger in Bethlehem?

What manger?

MUNDANE BITS OF CULTURE CAN FLESH OUT OUR UNDERSTANDINGLUKE 2:7And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. kataluma

DIFFERENCES IN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

Note the translations of the difficult term “sarx” (“flesh”) in Galatians 5:24:

“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (NASV)

Literal Translations (Pass on the difficulty to the reader)

New American Standard Bible “the flesh” King James Bible/New King James Bible “the flesh” Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version “the flesh”

Dynamic Equivalent Translations (Find equivalent concept in English)

New International Version (until 2011 version!) “the sinful nature” New Living Translation “of their sinful nature” New English Bible “the lower nature” Revised English Bible “the old nature” New Jerusalem Bible “self”

Paraphrases (Seek to bring maximum clarity with additional words)

Today’s English Version (Good News Bible) “their human nature” Living Bible “their natural evil desires”

Phillips “their old nature” The Message “everything connected with getting our own way

and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities”

THE TRANSLATION SPECTRUM

5 STEPS FOR INTERPRETING A BIBLICAL PASSAGE

1. Identify the genre.2. State your initial understanding or hypothesis of the

passage’s main idea.3. Make observations about the context of the passage in

4 categories: literary, grammatical, historical, and cultural.

4. Interpret the meaning of the passage as you meditate on the passage with the observations you made.

5. Apply the passage to yourself and to those around you.

LET’S TRY IT!

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

WHAT IS YOUR INITIAL HYPOTHESIS?

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Hypothesis: If two or more believers pray together in Jesus’ name, then God will grant the prayer because Jesus is with them.

MATTHEW 18:19-20

1.Genre: New Testament Gospel Narrative2.Hypothesis: If two or more believers pray

together in Jesus’ name, then God will grant the prayer because Jesus is with them.

TOP-DOWN TO MATTHEW 18

Book of MatthewNarrative (13:53-

17:27)• Jesus’

transfiguration• Heals demonized

boy• Predicts death &

resurrection• Pays the temple

tax

Discourse (18:1-35)

Discussion of relationships in the church: specifically

dealing with sin

Narrative (19:1-22:46)

• Questions of divorce and remarriage

• Blesses the children

• Rich young man / cost of discipleship

18:1-6Who is the greatest?

18:7-9Causing others to stumble

18:10-14 Wandering

Sheep

18:15-20Confronting

sin

18:16-35 Forgiving

your brother

MATTHEW 18:15-2015 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Literary Grammatical Historical Cultural

• Repetition: “two and three,” conditional “if,” “listens”

• Instrumentation: progression in 3 steps

• Listens = won your brother

• Contrast: “bind” & “loose"

• Continuation: “again I say”

• Causation: gathered > in their midst

• Go and show (verbs) his fault (noun) in private (adverb)

• Verbs: bring witnesses, tell to church

• “every” & “anything” within context

• “agree” on decision

• “gathered together” to decide on discipline

• Time of book of Matthew’s writing (post-church?)

• Surrounding events: Christian persecution?

• “Brother”

• “in private”

• “two and three” = witnesses (Deut 19)

• “church” = Jew + Gentile, male & female

• Heaven & earth

• “name” = fame, authority

• Capernaum in Galilee

• Matthew the tax collector

HOW SHOULD WE INTERPRET THE PASSAGE?

Jesus conveys the importance of church discipline, outlines steps to deal with sin, and promises his

presence and authority over our decisions.

INTERPRETATIONTherefore… This passage is NOT about God answering general

prayer or assurance of God’s presence My sin and your sin affects all who are in the body of

Christ! We have a high calling of accountability to one another

Church discipline is not about punishing or judging our brothers It is tough love to push a brother or sister to repent and

restore him in the body. The goal is to win them! We have both the authority and the responsibility to

discipline and forgive. We NEED Jesus for this process!

MEDITATEThink of the significance of this passage for your life and the life of this community:

Is there any unconfessed sin for which you need to seek forgiveness? Can you see how the sin might be damaging to our spiritual growth as a body? Is God calling you to confess to a brother or sister?

If someone confronted you about a sin today, would you be able to listen graciously without argument, for the sake of the body?

Do you know of a brother or sister who is stuck in unacknowledged sin? How may God be calling you to practice tough love and forgiveness? Can you depend on the assurance of his presence and authority to strengthen you through the process?