How to understand the meaning of a passage

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INTERPRETING THE BIBLE

BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS

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“Nowhere is the debate of the contemporary hermeneutical problem so lively as in the

area of protestant theology”

“The problem of reading the Holy Book – if you have faith that it is the Word of God – is the most difficult problem in the whole

field of reading.”

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“Hermeneutics concerns itself with…

• not just the ‘what’ of a segment of text but also the ‘why’

• ‘how’ does this part relate to what it is part of

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I Samuel 23:6

Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to

David at Keilah.

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I Samuel 23:1-6

1When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”3But David's men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

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I Samuel 23:1-6

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I Samuel 23:1-6

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I Samuel 23:6-13

6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah… [8he] called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.9When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.”12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.” 13So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

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I Samuel 23:6-13

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I Samuel 23:6-13

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“Hermeneutics concerns itself with…

• not just the ‘what’ of a segment of text but also the ‘why’

• ‘how’ does this part relate to what it is part of

• we need to look at context

• we cannot miss any part out

• we can always look for a bigger context

• we may not be able to exhaust the meaning

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David Dockery, Biblical Interpretation: Then and Now

Robert Morgan with John Barton, Biblical Interpretation

Richard Longenecker, Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period

Kevin Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning in This Text?

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

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hermeneuoJohn 1:42, 9:7, Hebrews 7:2I Corinthians 12:10, 14:26

exegeomaiLuke 24:34, John 1:18

Acts 10:8, 15:12,14, 21:19

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ephods and praying

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• Parables

• Genesis 1 & 2

• the end of Revelation

• Isaiah

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In the three- or four-month interval between the decease of the procurator of Judea, Porcius Festus in A.D. 62 and the arrival of his successor… the high priest Ananus… took the opportunity to rid the province of a number of popular leaders who were suspected of not supporting the patriotic front. One of those leaders was James the brother of Jesus, who was arraigned and put to death…

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The priests were in contention with the aristocratic high-priesthood…

The high-priestly families who owed their tenure in office to Herod were not Palestinian Jews but powerful families imported from the Diaspora who looked to Rome to maintain them in office and were ill-famed for their exploitation of the poor generally and the lower priests in particular.

The priests and Levites… were open to the cause of the poor, with whom they often identified since they themselves were sometimes employed as day labourers.

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It is not possible to draw any closer lines between the historical James and the political-religious movements that swirled around him… But certain assumptions and educated guesses may be offered…

The most we may want to affirm is that both early Christian history and later ecclesiastical developments… make James a person of commanding stature and leadership. It is not difficult to conceive of him as playing a significant role in opposing injustice and defending the poor.

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• Origen - parables

• Antioch and Alexandria

• Control of allegory, control of heresy – ‘rule’ of faith

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• literal

• allegorical

• tropological or moral

• anagogical

Fourfold Method

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• A Jewish city

• The Church of Christ

• The souls of men and women

• The heavenly city

Fourfold Method - Jerusalem

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• Problems with authoritarianism

• Early scientific method, lay movement – Erasmus

• Back to the text

• What is its meaning?

• Author - reader - text

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THE ‘BIG PICTURE’

BACKGROUND/ THE ORIGINAL

CONTEXT

OUR CONTEXT/ MEANING FOR

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CONTEXT

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CONTEXT

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CONTEXT

NARRATIVE

CONTRAST

GENREPROBABLY NO ‘SPECIAL EFFECT WORDS’

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All praise we would render; O help us to see,

‘tis only the splendour of light hideth thee;

And so let they glory, Almighty, impart,

Through Christ in the story, thy Christ in the heart.

Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise…

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How to understand the meaning of a passage

Education

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