Hermeneutics: The Science and Art of Bible Interpretation Syllabus Course Description: In this course you will learn to grasp the riches of the Bible so you can preach to your people the depths of what God wants them to know so they can live for Him. Principles of interpretation provide you with “power tools” for Bible study and sermon preparation so you can be sure you say what God says when you preach. You will also learn the significance of revelation, inspiration, illumination and the sufficiency of Scripture. When you return home you will begin study of the book of Philippians and preach at least three expository sermons from the first chapter before the next class. Course Goals: (1)
To teach pastors and teachers the essential elements of the Doctrine of the Bible as the foundation for interpreting, teaching and preaching God’s word in the church.
(2)
To train pastors and teachers to properly and systematically study and interpret the Bible in order to “handle accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) so that they and their people may be “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).
(3)
To train pastors and teachers to understand, believe, and live in light of the sufficiency of Scripture.
(4)
To encourage pastors and teachers to rely on the illumination and teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
(5)
To stimulate pastors and teachers to engage in personal, systematic, regular Bible study in the text of Scripture in its context.
(6)
To train pastors and teachers to develop sermons and Bible studies directly from the text of Scripture.
2 Timothy 2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. © 2006 Slavic Gospel Association
1
Course Resources: (1)
This manual
(2)
The MacArthur Study Bible.
Course Requirements: (1)
Classroom activity. Take notes in this manual on the class lectures and discussions and participate in the discussions. You may be asked to contribute to the discussion at any time.
(2)
Daily assignments. After each class session, review the material covered in class. There may be a quiz on the previous day’s material at the start of the next class. Read through the material for the next day of class, including looking at Scripture references in their context and notes about them in The MacArthur Study Bible. There may be specific homework projects each night.
(3)
Attendance. Attendance every day is expected. In order to receive an Antioch Initiative Certificate of Completion for this class, you must complete all assigned work, have passing grades on quizzes and exams, and attend each class session. If it is necessary to miss a class, you must complete the assigned work and make arrangements with the instructor to receive credit.
(4) Follow-up assignments. Each Antioch Initiative Class will conclude with assignments for you to complete before the next class.
2
Welcome To This Class! Dear Russian Brothers, As you see this course manual for the first time, I want you to know that I have prayed for you for many hours as I gathered the material for this class. We American brothers who serve with you in the Antioch Initiative consider it a great privilege to serve our risen Lord by serving with you. Thank you for your hospitality and for gathering together for this class. Some of you will learn this material for the first time. Some of you have learned this material in seminary or in a Bible Institute. Some of you have many years of experience in ministry, others are just beginning. Whatever your level of training and experience, we are glad you are in the class. The Antioch Initiative is designed for pastors and missionaries to work together to build strong churches throughout your region. You who have more training and experience will help the class by sharing your wisdom with others. We hope all of you will teach Antioch Initiative courses to many others for many years, and that you will be good examples for the next generation of leaders in the Russian Church. Our prayer is that this class will work like 2 Timothy 2:2. We received instruction from godly men who went before us. We humbly offer it to you. You have proven yourself to be a faithful man. Now you must pass it on to other faithful men who will teach others. May God bless you with understanding of His word and with great wisdom and skill as you apply His word in your life and with the people you serve in your churches.
Yours in His Service, A Fellow-Pastor
3
Hermeneutics: The Science and Art of Bible Interpretation Course Outline I.
Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Bible A.
II.
Introduction 1.
Why study Bible doctrine?
2.
How should you study Bible doctrine?
B.
Revelation
C.
Inspiration
D.
Inerrancy
E.
Illumination
F.
Canonicity
G.
The Theme of the Bible
Hermeneutics: The Science and Art of Bible Interpretation A.
B.
Theological Perspectives 1.
Definition of Hermeneutics
2.
Revelation is accommodated
3.
The Clarity of Scripture
4.
Revelation is progressive
5.
Scripture interprets Scripture
6.
Interpretations, Principles and Applications
General Principles of Interpretation 1.
Five Steps of Bible Study
2.
Interpret in Context 4
C.
3.
Scripture Agrees with Scripture
4.
The Unity of the Meaning of Scripture
5.
Take the Clearest Interpretation
6.
The Checking Principle
7.
The Priority of the Original Languages
8.
Scripture Interprets Experience
Special Principles of Interpretation. 1.
Literal and Figurative Language
2.
Narrative Passages
3.
Wisdom Literature a.
Poetry in general
b.
Proverbs
4.
Parables
5.
Figures of Speech
6.
Prophecy
7.
Letters
8.
Types
5
I.
Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Bible A.
Introduction 1.
Why study Bible doctrine? The Bible is God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
teaching reproof correction training God commands us to study Bible Doctrine and to be mature in Christ Ephesians 4:14-15: As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 2 Timothy 3:14: You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them;
6
2.
How should you study Bible doctrine?
You must be systematic. Systematic theology is the process of collecting and summarizing everything the Bible teaches on each doctrine.
The divisions of systematic theology: Doctrine of the Bible
The Inspired and authoritative Scriptures
Doctrine of God
The evidences and attributes of God and the Trinity
Doctrine of Christ
The Person and work of the second member of the Trinity
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
The Person and work of the third member of the Trinity
Doctrine of Man
The origin and nature of man
Doctrine of Sin
The origin and effects of sin
Doctrine of Salvation
God’s plan to redeem fallen man
Doctrine of the Church
Principles and purposes of the church
Doctrine of Angels
Characteristics of angels and demons
Doctrine of End Times
Chronology and significance of future events
You must be Biblical. 2 Timothy 2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
7
You must be involved. Acts 17:11: Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.
B.
Revelation 1.
Assumptions. For the purpose of this class, we will assume and not discuss three facts which are essential for understanding the Bible. a.
God exists. Hebrews 11:6.
b.
God has revealed Himself. Hebrews 1:1.
c.
Man can know God. John 17:3, 1 John 5:20.
2.
Definition. The word “revelation” means “to uncover; to show something that was previously unknown.” The study of theology has always recognized two categories of revelation: General Revelation and Special Revelation.
3.
General Revelation. “That revelation which is available to all mankind at any time in history. It is rooted in creation and is also expressed through history, the conscience and providence.” a.
Creation. That which God created bears witness to its Creator. Though the creation is distinct from the Creator, creation reveals God’s glory and His existence. To worship the creation is wrong (Romans 1:25), but to acknowledge that creation displays the glory of God is important. Romans 1:18-20 Psalm 19:1 Romans 2:14-15
8
b.
History. History is an aspect of general revelation because the events of history point to the sovereign hand of God behind everything that occurs in the affairs of men. Daniel 2:21 Romans 13:1 Acts 17:26
c.
Providence. Providence is the execution in all its details of God’s plan of the ages. It refers to the fact that God sovereignly sustains all aspects of His creation. God provides mankind with all we need to be sustained, both as individuals and in the events of nations. Even the choices man makes, including wicked choices, cannot overrule the providence of God. Matthew 5:45 Acts 14:17 Acts 17:25-26 Genesis 50:20
d.
Conscience. The Hebrew and Greek words for “conscience” bear the idea of “knowing with.” Your conscience is that part of you which knows what you do and compares your actions with your sense of right and wrong. The conscience is a person’s inner knowledge which performs self-judgment. God has implanted the idea of Himself within the mind of each person (by way of the conscience). 9
Romans 2:14-15
1 Timothy 1:5
e.
4.
The Limits of General Revelation. From the Scriptures listed in this section, it’s clear that general revelation is sufficient to bring a person to know there is a God, but it is not sufficient to bring a person to salvation. Creation reveals God such that man is without excuse for rejecting God. More revelation is necessary–Special Revelation.
Special Revelation. “God’s revelation to specific people which provides the answer to man’s sin problem.” Special revelation is needed because of man’s sin which makes it essential that God make known the way of salvation. Special revelation centers on Christ. a.
Kinds of Special Revelation (1)
Miracles. “Events in which God intervenes in the physical world, surpassing all known human or mortal powers.” Miracles are demonstration of power acting outside the range of natural causes and effects. Miracles are provided by God to authenticate a teacher or prophet or his doctrine. Hebrews 2:3-4
(2)
Prophecy. “A spokesman of God speaking forth information made known directly by God, and/or a 10
spokesman of God applying revelation of God to a particular circumstance with words directed by God.” 1 Peter 1:10-12
(3)
Dreams. Sometimes God gave His people information by means of dreams. These are clearly distinct from natural dreams. Those who received revelation by dreams were moved by God to act upon His will or to pass along new revelation. Daniel 2:1-45. In this example, special revelation involved supernatural ability to interpret the dream.
Matthew 1:20, 2:13
(4)
Audible voice. Sometimes the recipients of special revelation heard a voice directly from God. Matthew 3:17 Exodus 19:21-24
(5)
Theophanies. “Manifestations of God in visible and bodily form before the incarnation of Jesus Christ.” These are appearances of God in the form of man or angels, usually described as the angel of Jehovah. Exodus 3:2
(6)
Jesus Christ. John 1:1, 14-18 11
Hebrews 1:1-2 John 14:6, 9-10 Colossians 1:15, 2:9 (7)
Scripture. “The written and preserved word of God.” Not all special revelation is preserved in Scripture, but Scripture is what we have from God which stands forever as the standard by which all claims to truth are judged. This course is designed to enable you to use Scripture as God intends for it to be used. Psalm 119:4 Psalm 19:7-11 2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Peter 1:21
Summary: General Revelation
Special Revelation
Found in nature, history and the con- Found in Christ and the Bible science Available to all men everywhere and al- Available to those exposed to the Word of ways God or Christ Leaves men without excuse
Leaves men with a remedy for their sin problem
Leads to condemnation
Leads to salvation
12
C.
Inspiration. “The controlling influence which God exerted over the human authors by whom every word of the Bible was written.” It has to do with the author receiving the message God intended and delivering it accurately in his writing. The Holy Spirit wrote through the biblical writers using their own languages, culture and personalities, resulting in God’s word without error in the original writings. 1.
This is the claim the Bible makes for itself 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Peter 1:21
Romans 9:17, Galatians 3:8
2 Peter 3:15-16
2.
Incorrect views of inspiration a.
Dictation. “God merely dictated to the biblical writers.” This denies that God used the personality, vocabulary and cultural experience of the writers of Scripture. They were human authors under the control of a Divine author, not merely tape recorders. 13
D.
b.
Partial inspiration. “There are degrees of inspiration. Doctrinal parts of the Bible are inspired, but historical parts are not.” This is an impossible theory to uphold. How does a person decide which part is “doctrinal?” If it is not clear, who decides which parts are inspired? We will consider this more under inerrancy.
c.
Thoughts (only) are inspired. “God’s eternal thoughts are contained in the Bible. The specific words are man’s, which contain error.” This theory denies the power of God to produce an accurate record of His thoughts. Further, if there are errors in the words, how can anyone know that the thoughts are truly the “thoughts of God?”
Inerrancy. “The Scriptures are totally without error in the original writings.” The subject of the accuracy of our translations of the Bible and how it was transmitted through the centuries is beyond the scope of this class. The conclusion is that the Bibles we have are thoroughly reliable. For now, it is important to know that inerrancy is a corollary of inspiration. Here is a helpful way to think of the doctrine of inerrancy.
Statement
Comments
“God cannot err”
This is fundamental to the character of God. If He is not perfect, He is not God. Everyone who believes in the God of the Bible accepts this premise.
“The word of God cannot err”
Since it is impossible for God Himself to act contrary to His own perfect nature, it is not possible for a word from God to contain any kind of error.
“The Bible, which is the word of God, can- If the Bible is the word of God, it cannot contain errors. It is illogical to claim that the Bible is the not err”
word of God and it contains errors. This validates the point that inerrancy is a corollary of inspiration. If God inspired it, the Bible is without error.
14
E.
Illumination. “The ministry of the Holy Spirit helping believers to understand and apply the word of God.” It is possible for an unbeliever to understand the facts of the Bible, but without the Holy Spirit he cannot understand how the word of God applies to his life. The New Testament mentions this ministry of the Holy Spirit several ways. John 14:26 1 John 2:20, 27 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 The doctrine of illumination does not decrease the need for you to diligently study God’s word. Prayer and a sincere desire to understand the Bible are not enough by themselves. You must carefully study the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. be diligent translates a word which describes zealous persistence in accomplishing a goal. workman comes from a word which implies expending energy. To study the Bible is joyful and fruitful, but it begins with work. handling accurately is literally “cutting it straight,” a term which probably came from Paul’s experience as a tent-maker. 1 Timothy 5:17: Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. work hard translates a word which means “to work to the point of fatigue or exhaustion.” It is not necessarily the amount of work that matters, it is the effort you put into the work of study. This work is related directly to preaching and teaching.
Summary: Revelation is what God made known to us. Inspiration is the process He used to make known His revelation. Inerrancy is the truth that because God cannot lie, His word cannot contain any errors. Illumination is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to help you understand His inerrant, inspired revelation. 15
F.
Canonicity. The Scriptures were completed by the apostolic writers in the first century. 1.
Completion of the New Testament Jude 3 Hebrews 1:1-2 Revelation 22:18-19
2.
Criteria for books to be included in the canon. Ultimately, the only criterion which matters is that the book is inspired. These are factors which were used by believers over the centuries to recognize the books which were inspired and therefore intended by God to be included in the Bible. a.
Authorship. The book must be written by an apostle or someone closely associated with the apostles.
Ephesians 2:20 2 Corinthians 12:12 Hebrews 2:3-4
16
Consider the New Testament authors: Matthew Mark Luke John Paul James Jude
3.
Apostle Associated with Paul Associated with Paul Apostle Apostle Half brother of Christ Half brother of Christ
b.
Local church acceptance. As the New Testament books were copied and distributed, they were acknowledged as the word of God by the churches which read them.
c.
Early Christian authors recognized them. The inspired books were quoted often in the writings of Christians in the first several centuries of the church.
d.
Subject matter. The inspired books agreed with and supplemented the earlier books. While new revelation was being given, it never contradicted earlier revelation. (We will study the concept of progressive revelation in hermeneutics.)
e.
Personal edification. The inspired books were readily acknowledged as changing lives and helping people grow toward maturity in their faith.
How the books of the Bible were collected a.
Old Testament (1)
Ezra may have played an important role in collecting the Old Testament Scriptures in the fifth century B.C.
(2)
2 Timothy 3:16 referring to “all scripture” is evidence that there was a recognized collection of books called “Scripture.”
(3)
The Jewish community of rabbis and scribes at Qumran around the time of Christ cited or copied every book of the Old Testament except Esther.
(4)
The Old Testament canon was closed by common consent rather than by a formal decree of the rabbis. 17
b.
G.
New Testament (1)
The books of the New Testament were used in public worship and accepted as authoritative as soon as they were distributed. See 1 Thessalonians 5:27, Colossians 4:16, 2 Peter 3:15-16.
(2)
The Apostolic Fathers (A.D. 90-120) quote from the epistles of the New Testament as Scripture.
(3)
The Apologists (A.D. 120-170) recognized the canonical gospels as distinct from false works
(4)
The Third Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) recognized the presently-accepted New Testament canon. Prior to this council, debate was carried on for a long time in response to suggestions that some books should be considered and others should not.
The Theme of the Bible The Bible is the revelation of God to man about His rule over everyone and everything. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer and the King through whom God will finally restore His rule on earth. Psalm 145:13 Daniel 7:13-14 Matthew 6:10 Revelation 11:15 Because of the sin of man, beginning with Adam, the Bible unveils to us two aspects of the theme of establishing God’s rule on earth: 1.
Redemption of a people for God. 1 Peter 2:9-10
18
2.
Punishment of the rebellious Philippians 2:10-11 Matthew 25:41 Revelation 20:11-15
II.
Hermeneutics: The Science and Art of Bible Interpretation A.
Theological Perspectives 1.
Definition of Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics is the science and art of Biblical interpretation. It is a science because it is guided by rules within a system; and it is an art because the application of the rules is by skill, and not by mechanical imitation" (Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation, p. 1). The word “hermeneutics” comes from the Greek word hermeneuo. It originated with Hermes, the Greek name of the pagan God Mercury. He was regarded as the messenger of the gods, so the verbs and nouns derived from the name came to mean “to interpret” and “interpretation.” It was used for interpreting the meaning of words into another language and for explaining their meaning. Three forms of the verb and two forms of the noun occur in the New Testament. This course on hermeneutics is designed to help you study your Bible with more confidence and enthusiasm, and to help you preach and teach with greater boldness. You will learn principles to apply throughout every step of Bible interpretation. Discussion: Hermeneutics as a science . . .
Hermeneutics as an art . . .
19
2.
Revelation is accommodated Every parent has had the experience of trying to communicate to a four-year-old who asks a question like "Where do babies come from?" or "How does a spider make its web?" You know the child can't understand a scientific explanation. So you use words he can understand, and you give the best answer you can. You must tell the truth, but you must also accommodate the answer to the child’s ability to understand. That's like the "problem" God has in communicating to us. He is infinite and eternal; we are finite and mortal. He is perfect in holiness; we're cursed by sin. But in His love, God has accommodated His word to our minds and our ability to understand. That’s why the Bible uses analogies to explain things we otherwise couldn't grasp. Jesus said "The kingdom of heaven is like . . ." and then told a story about farming, or about a wedding ceremony, or about relationships between people. He used things we know to explain things we don't know. That's an analogy. There's no way we can fully understand all the glory and perfection of who God is, so He revealed Himself in terms we can understand. He tells us He is one God, eternally existing as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By using terms we know, God makes Himself known in our world. He does not tell us everything, but He tells us “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). An example of God accommodating His revelation to us is that He reveals Himself in anthropomorphic terms. That means "in the form of man." "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth" (2 Chronicles 16:9) doesn't mean God sends little eyeballs running around the world. But it sends the clear message that God sees all. He used human terminology to accommodate His revelation to humans. Check out the majestic description of the glorified Jesus in Revelation 1:12-16 or Ezekiel's visions of God in Ezekiel 1:4-28 for examples of the writers of Scripture using every word picture they could think of to describe a heavenly vision. God also uses anthropopathic expressions in His word. That means He reveals Himself to us in terms of human emotions. Genesis 6:6 says, "And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." That doesn't mean God realized what a mistake He had made in creation–it is His way of telling us that our sin "breaks His heart." 20
Discussion: Name other examples of God accommodating His revelation to man:
3.
The Clarity of Scripture This concept is related to the doctrine of illumination. Because the same Holy Spirit Who inspired the writing of the Bible ministers in your heart (1 Corinthians 2:14-15), the result is that everything in the Bible can be known to you as a Christian. The clarity of Scripture does not mean that you automatically understand everything in the Bible, but it means that you can understand what is there. Believing in the clarity of the Bible is something that sets us apart from cults and groups like the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. Those groups believe that only an elite few people or a special individual can truly understand the Bible, or that there are "deep insights" reserved only for those who have had special experiences or special training. There is no doubt that the writers of the New Testament meant for all believers to know and understand the Bible: 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
Ephesians 4:11-16:
21
2 Peter 1:2-3:
Revelation 1:3:
Expect the Bible to make sense. Treat it like other literature, paying attention to grammar and structure, words and expressions. Relying on the Holy Spirit to help you understand, expect to understand it and expect it to change your life. Spend time to learn what you don't know. Teach other people to expect to understand the Bible. One danger of having better training than other people is that you can unintentionally communicate that they are not capable of understanding God’s word. Your goal is not only to teach what Scripture says, it is also to kindle love and appreciation for God’s word in others. Encourage people to read the Bible daily, to memorize portions of it, and to meditate on it. See Psalm 119:47-48. You cannot meditate on anything you do not know. People will want to feed themselves the word of God if you are effective at teaching them that God wants them to know it and that He makes it possible for them to understand. 4.
Revelation is progressive This is an important concept when it comes to interpreting the Bible. It means that within the Bible, there is progress from incomplete to complete revelation. The revelation God gave us in His word came sporadically over a span of 1500 years. If you had only the book of Genesis, it would still be the word of God but it would not be the complete word of God. All the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) are inspired, inerrant and God's word, but they are not the complete word of God. The progression in the Bible is not from wrong to right, or from error to truth: it is progress from incomplete to complete. The writer of 22
Hebrews put it this way: Hebrews 1:1-2: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son . . . The many portions refers to the books of the Bible (in that context, it refers to the books of the Old Testament). The many ways refers to the different methods and circumstances God used. (See The MacArthur Study Bible notes on Hebrews 1:1). There is great diversity in the methods God used to give His revelation. Each portion of the Bible builds upon the previous portions. "The Law" or the Old Testament reveals God's character, but it contains many things relevant to Israel which are not applicable to us today. What Jesus said, did, and accomplished by His death and resurrection superseded the law, but did not annul it. He said: Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished." Pay attention to the progress within the Bible. Don't force New Testament ideas into Old Testament passages. An idea the original readers could not have understood is an idea God did not include. Abraham never heard of the Law of Moses. Isaiah didn't have and didn't understand the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The church began in Acts 2 with the coming of the Holy Spirit. There was no church in the Old Testament, so don't read church concepts into passages addressing Israel. The New Testament reveals that Israel has been "set aside" until "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11). Then "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26). This revelation was never known to anyone until it was revealed to Paul. Jesus only hinted at it when He introduced the concept of the church in Matthew 16:18. Consider Genesis 15:6, which declares that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. That passage is used in Galatians 3:1-14 (and elsewhere in the New Testament) to teach that you must believe in Christ. But it is not legitimate to impose the later revelation upon Genesis 15. In that context, Abraham believed everything God had said at that time. Therefore Abraham illustrates that faith is trusting everything God has said. Be careful to preach and teach what each passage means in its 23
own historical context. If a passage is quoted later in the Bible, look for how it is used and applied there–but do not read into a passage a meaning that the original readers could not have understood. 5.
Scripture interprets Scripture Hermeneutics guides you when you need to discover what a passage is saying, and this principle is one of the first ones to apply when you encounter a difficult passage. Scripture in general helps you interpret any obscure passage. Most passages are not obscure. As you increase your knowledge of the Bible, you build understanding to help you interpret difficult passages. Passages obscure to us in modern times are often interpreted by clear passages in the broader context of all of the Bible. If you understand something clearly taught in a passage not hard to understand, you can be sure that no other passage teaches something contradictory. Discussion: How does 1 John 1:8-10 help interpret 1 John 3:9?
Essential truth is not tucked away in some incidental remark in Scripture, nor is it found in some passage that remains ambiguous even after very thorough research. God has made His revelation knowable to us; He doesn't keep us in the dark by hiding important truth in obscure places. American humorist Mark Twain is known for "It isn't the parts of the Bible I can't understand that give me problems–it's the parts I can understand that worry me." While he was no theologian, Twain inadvertently proclaimed the significance of this principle of hermeneutics.
24
Applications of this principle: a.
Be careful of “doctrines” which are based on one or two verses but are not confirmed or illustrated anywhere else in the Bible. Your theology should stand on passages which are clear, not passages which are obscure.
b.
There is only one system of truth (theology) contained in Scripture. Therefore all doctrines must cohere or agree with each other.
c.
The interpretation of specific passages must not contradict the total teaching of Scripture on any subject.
Discussion: How does this principle help refute the Mormon interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:29?
6.
Interpretations, Principles and Applications Each passage has one and only one correct interpretation, rooted in its grammatical and historical context. To avoid abuses of the Bible and to make wise applications, it's helpful to understand the difference between interpretation, principles and applications. A passage has ONE interpretation--what the Holy Spirit inspired the original author to write to the original readers. The human authors of Scripture wrote to real people under specific circumstances. Your goal is to discover what the original author intended to say to his original readers in their historical context. Any other suggested interpretation of the passage is not correct. Rooted in the interpretation may be ONE OR MORE principles– timeless truths which can be applied by anyone. A principle is something which is true for everyone, regardless of culture. Each passage of the Bible reveals or illustrates one or more principles. 25
Those principles may have SEVERAL applications, or specific guidance for your life. As you teach and preach God’s word, you should try to help people see the application of biblical principles and it’s good to make suggestions or to use illustrations which help people apply Scripture to their lives. You must remember, though, that only you, guided by the Holy Spirit, can make the application of Scripture and its principles to your life. Whenever you teach or preach, you must pray that God will work in the hearts of people to do what His word teaches them to do.
!
!
!
!
!
Bible Passage God’s Revelation
Interpretation One
!
!
!
Principle(s) One or More
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
! Application(s) Many
26
B.
General Principles of Interpretation 1.
Five Steps of Bible Study There are five steps to Bible study, which you must be aware of at all times. As you become more experienced with careful Bible study you will recognize that these steps are not distinct from each other. But as you approach a passage of the Bible for the first time and as you begin to put hermeneutics to work in your study, it’s good to think in terms of these as a logical sequence to follow. As you teach the Bible, teach people to be aware of these steps in their own study. a.
Observation. (You and your eyes) Begin your study of any passage of the Bible with open eyes, open mind and an open Bible. Read it carefully several times. Write down your observations of things like: Is there a command here? Who is the author? What is the subject of the paragraph? Who is speaking? To whom was this book written? Make notes of everything you don't understand or problems you hope to resolve as you continue to study. The more familiar you become with the details of the passage, the more fruitful your study will be. Observations from John 3:16:
b.
Interpretation. (You and your brain) Ask "What does this passage mean? Check out the meanings of words and phrases. Observe the flow of thought and the main ideas by noting the sentence structure. Look for connecting words such as and, but, therefore, so that, etc. Try to discover what the author wanted the original readers to know. Continue noting questions you need to answer. Let the text speak to you. 27
c.
Evaluation. (You and your books) Do research to evaluate your interpretation and answer your questions. Check commentaries, word study books, Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. Ask for help from someone who knows more than you. If you discover different points of view, decide which has the best support and why. This is the part of Bible study which requires the hardest work and the most discipline. This is the step of the process which most often keeps you from going astray or keeps you from acting on your own opinion rather than acting upon what God actually says in His word. “What does this mean to you?” is not the proper question to ask–yet.
d.
Application. (You and your life) Now that you know what the passage means, ask, "How does this affect me? What must I do with what I now know?" "What does this tell me about God and His nature?" “What does this passage tell me to do?” “What must I change because of what I have learned?” Make personal applications before you teach or preach.
28
e.
Correlation. (You and your beliefs) Ask how this passage relates to the rest of Scripture. Fit this in with all you know from other passages. Gradually you will build up your knowledge of all the doctrines of the Bible. Get your theology from the Bible; don’t interpret the Bible according to your theology.
2.
Interpret in Context a.
The importance of context The Bible is not merely a collection of verses or stories. It was written to real people in real places in actual historical circumstances. You must interpret each portion of the Bible in light of when, where and how it was written.
Example: Matthew 18:18-20
29
Example: Genesis 31:49
b.
Historical Context No interpretation is correct if the original recipients would not have understood it that way. It's foolish to ask "What does this mean to me?" until you have answered the basic question "What does this mean?" The historical context deals with the cultural frame of reference in which the communication took place. Since Scripture originated in a historical context, you can understand it properly only in light of Biblical history. You must search to understand the original intent of the author based on the history and culture of his time. Example: Genesis 15:9-21
Example: Matthew 25:1-13
30
c.
Grammatical Context You must pay attention to the grammatical context in addition the historical context. The grammatical context deals with the meaning of words and the structure of the language. What do the words mean? How does the grammar of the passage help me to understand it? How to study the Bible in Grammatical Context: Use a Study Bible, word-study books, a concordance and commentaries to learn the meanings of words. Watch for connecting words such as: and, but, therefore, for, since, then, after, before, again, now, immediately. Ask questions about the context, such as: What is the theme of this chapter? What is the main point of this paragraph? Is there a theme word in this passage or in this chapter or in this book? Is there a command? Is there a question asked in the passage? The most important principle of context is simply “pay attention to it!” Read and re-read the chapter before and after a passage you are studying until you are sure you know how your passage fits the context. The meaning of a passage will never be foreign to the context. Example: The two sticks of Ezekiel 37:15-23
Example: 1 John 3:9 in light of 1 John 1:8-10
31
3.
Scripture Agrees with Scripture This principle is that there is complete harmony of Scripture on all points. The doctrines of the Bible are deduced from the passages in which they are discussed in clear, plain and intelligible language. God is consistent; therefore His word is consistent. The significance of this principle of hermeneutics is that no passage of the Bible contradicts the total teaching of the Bible on any subject. All doctrines fit together with all other doctrines. No two human authors of Scripture disagree with one another. No two passages disagree or contradict each another. People who do not respect the Bible as the word of God quickly assume there are errors or contradictions in the Bible. As soon as they see what appears to contradict something else, they conclude it is in fact a contradiction. But if you recognize that God cannot err, and therefore His word cannot err, you take a different approach. You keep studying until you understand how different passages harmonize with each other. Example: What was the inscription over the cross of Jesus? Compare Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38 and John 19:19. This is an apparent contradiction of four passages describing the same thing.
If it appears that passages contradict each other, keep studying! It isn’t a contradiction, but you don’t understand it yet. 32
4.
The Unity of the Meaning of Scripture Each passage of the Bible has only one correct interpretation: The interpretation of a passage is what the original writer (inspired by the Holy Spirit) expected the original readers to understand. No interpretation is correct if the original readers would not have understood it that way. As we stated under “Historical Context,” it is foolish to ask "What does this mean to me?" until you have answered the basic question "What does this mean?" When you write something, you don't intend for people who read it to assign a variety of meanings. You know what the words mean and how you intend for them to be accepted, even if you use figures of speech. You have specific people in mind, and you write in such a manner that they can understand your thoughts. Scripture should be interpreted with this same understanding of God's intent to communicate specific thoughts to specific people. Here are two common abuses of this concept you're likely to encounter: Allegorizing is the faulty system of interpreting the Bible which discards the literal meaning as irrelevant and searches for the "spiritual" meaning. For example, a preacher once said the city of Jerusalem represents the human heart. Its broken walls represent the ravages of sin on the heart. Nehemiah represents the Holy Spirit, and his coming to Jerusalem to repair the walls represents the coming of the Holy Spirit into the heart to bind up wounds of the heart. If you had heard that sermon, you would have wondered why you couldn't understand that "deep" meaning. The reason you didn’t see that “meaning” is that it isn't there! "Pious Personalizing" describes the practice of people who open their Bibles and expect direct, specific, personal guidance tailormade to their situation. Contemplating a trip, someone might read "Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away" (Acts 13:3) and decide "God gave me this verse" to tell me to go. When someone says "God gave me a verse," he or she doesn't understand interpreting the Bible. God gave us all the Scriptures, understood in context, for our guidance.
33
5.
Take the Clearest Interpretation Two basic principles of hermeneutics are that the Bible is understandable and that each passage has only one correct interpretation (what the original writer meant the original readers to understand). But it isn't necessarily easy for us to understand the interpretation of a passage. As you study your Bible, your observations of the text often will suggest more than one possible interpretation. You should note each possibility and then study them carefully to refine your understanding. One basis for discovering the true interpretation is to take the clearest interpretation. God doesn't hide obscure messages in His word. If you are deciding between two or more possible interpretations, it's likely the most natural and clearest one is what the original readers would have understood, unless the context suggests something else. Example: James 5:14-18
Example: The “angels” of Revelation 2-3
Example: 1000 years in Revelation 20:1-7
34
Example: Zechariah 14:4 and the Second Coming.
6.
The Checking Principle As you study your Bible and begin to formulate your overall understanding, you will encounter many passages with meanings that are not obvious at first. All these principles of hermeneutics are designed to help you with that problem. The harder a passage is to understand, the more important careful application of good hermeneutics becomes. This principle reinforces all the others. You should study the Bible on your own, but you should also be humble enough to submit your ideas to the scrutiny of others. This is applying the "Checking Principle" because it involves checking your own insights against the insights and research of others. God has promised the church, the body of Christ, in every age that certain members are especially gifted in teaching and exhortation (Romans 12:6-8). Through the writings of people who have had such gifts in the past and through the present ministries of people with such gifts, we have available to us a phenomenal amount of information to help us in our own study and discovery. If you want to be faithful to God's word, you must take the time to check out the validity of your interpretations. This is the hard and time-consuming work of Bible study. The resources for this work are excellent investments. Here are some. Your Bible. You should have a good literal translation with lots of footnotes and other helpful information. The MacArthur Study Bible has the most footnotes and information available in one volume. Bible Handbook, Dictionary or Encyclopedia. In these you can look up any person, place, concept, doctrine, or word from the Bible. Commentaries are books that contain teaching on each verse of a Bible book. To do a thorough study of a passage, ask a good Bible 35
teacher for recommendations of the best commentaries on that book. Reference Books are basics tools for a Bible student. A Concordance gives basic definitions and all the uses of Bible words. There are many excellent books to help you study key words. A Harmony of the Gospels helps you fit together the overlapping records of the four gospels. Bible Software for your personal computer contains many tools in one place. A little research can help you make a very wise investment in Bible Software. 7.
The Priority of the Original Languages When you come to the Bible, you need to recognize you are studying a book that was written in different languages. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, with little bit (mostly in Daniel) in a dialect called Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. Both languages use alphabets different from ours, and both have grammatical characteristics quite different from our language. To interpret the Bible as quickly and accurately as possible, you need to learn Hebrew and Greek. But that's not to say that you can't understand God's word unless you learn those languages. With study tools available, you can overcome virtually all the hurdles to understanding everything in the Bible. It isn't necessary to understand the other languages, but it's important to recognize their priority for three reasons: a.
Inspiration applies to the original writings of the Bible. We have accurate copies of the originals, and our translations are very reliable, but your translation is still not the inspired original.
b.
A time gap of 1900 to 3300 years exists between you and the originals. One part of understanding the Bible is dealing with the languages and cultures involved.
c.
Idioms are expressions unique to a particular language and culture. ("Hot dog" has meanings in our culture which are quite different from "a warm canine.") Part of dealing with Bible languages is understanding idioms which are virtually impossible to translate word-for-word. 36
Without learning Hebrew and Greek, you can do two very helpful things to cope with the priority of the original languages of the Bible:
8.
(1)
Use a good translation for study. Whenever possible, use study tools that help you understand why a passage is translated the way you read it. The MacArthur Study Bible includes good notes on the meanings of important words.
(2)
Spend time searching good resources. Commentaries and word study books are God's provision for us to understand His word clearly despite the language barrier.
Scripture Interprets Experience God’s word is the authority, and it must be used to interpret experience, rather than Scripture being interpreted in light of our experiences. Example: 2 Peter 1:16-21
Example: Speaking in tongues
37
C.
Special Principles of Interpretation. 1.
Literal and Figurative Language The human authors of Scripture were guided by the Holy Spirit and they were protected from error in what they wrote. At the same time, they used the language familiar to them and to their readers, including many figures of speech. We interpret the Bible “literally,” but that does not deny that the “literal” interpretation includes figurative language. It means that we may not read meanings into a passage which are not what the author intended, but the author may have used any number of figurative devices to convey what he was led to write. Before we deal with several different kinds of passages, here are valuable general principles for interpreting non-literal language in the Bible so that you do not deviate from the correct interpretation of the passage. a.
The Bible interprets itself, so look for the same message to be confirmed by other passages of Scripture. A doctrine is not going to be hidden in an obscure passage.
b.
Remember: a passage has only one meaning. This applies to all the varieties of literature in the sections below. Do not forget: The interpretation of a passage is what the original author intended for the original readers to understand.
c.
Interpret words–and figures of speech–by their meaning in the language and culture of the author. Research words in the original languages as much as possible.
d.
Interpret words in connection with the sentence and the context. Words have shades of meaning, so you must seek to discover how the author used a specific word.
e.
When an inanimate object describes a living being, the statement is usually figurative. John 10:9: I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
f.
Historical events become symbols of spiritual truth only if the Scriptures actually use them that way. We are not allowed to decide for ourselves that a historical event has a 38
“spiritual” meaning. The best example is Galatians 4:21-31. Paul does not read a different meaning into Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac, but he makes an analogy from the accurate history of events to make a spiritual point which fits the context of Galatians. 2.
Narrative Passages In its historical sections, the Bible inerrantly records what happened. In the narrative, an inerrant record of a lie may be recorded, as in Genesis 3:4. Narratives also record events which actually happened, but which are not normal, and not to be copied. Example: Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40).
Understanding that historical narrative is not the primary source for doctrine is especially important for interpreting and applying the book of Acts. There are unique events recorded in Acts, which are important for our understanding of the plan of God, but they are not examples of what is normal for Christians. Narrative passages must be interpreted in light of doctrinal passages. Example: The normal work of the Holy Spirit. On occasions in the book of Acts (chapters 8, 10, and 19), a group of people heard the gospel, then repented and believed, and then (after a period of time) received the Holy Spirit. Some charismatic and Pentecostal groups use those passages to teach that a person must first believe, then (later) receive the Holy Spirit, and then speak in tongues. It’s true that it happened that way on those occasions, but clear doctrinal statements which are beyond dispute teach that every Christian possesses the Holy Spirit, and not every Christian– even in the first century–spoke in tongues (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11,13). We must understand the unusual historical events in light of the normal ministry of the Holy Spirit. It was important for the original apostles to witness and validate the experiences of the new groups who received the gospel, in order to maintain unity in the body of Christ. For that reason, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the miracle of tongues was delayed until apostles were present. 39
Principles for interpreting and applying narrative passages:
3.
a.
God is the focus of all biblical narratives. Narratives are not merely stories about people who lived in Bible times. They are stories about what God did to accomplish His will. Look for what a narrative illustrates about God.
b.
Narratives may teach directly or indirectly. In Acts 20:17-35, we have a narrative which includes direct instruction from Paul. In Genesis 50, we have the essential details of Joseph dealing with his brothers. It does not make direct doctrinal statements, but it illustrates the providence of God.
c.
Don’t over-interpret details. The author included as much detail as he was led to include for you to understand the events. The details do not contain hidden meanings. Remember to look for what the narrative says or implies about God.
Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) a.
Poetry in general Hebrew poetry is characterized primarily by parallelism. A statement is made, followed by a statement which reinforces it or contrasts it. Sometimes two lines will say the same thing in different words, followed by two lines which reinforce or contrast. Sometimes the parallelism is even more sophisticated. When you study passages which are poetry in the original language, pay attention to parallelism, especially in Psalms and Proverbs. Some Old Testament poetry is very detailed. Psalm 119 contains 176 verses: 8 verses beginning with each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse containing two parallel lines. Read the introductions to the books of wisdom literature in The MacArthur Study Bible for help in learning how to approach these books.
40
b.
Proverbs Proverbs are practical sayings of wisdom for daily living, but they are not intended to be precise theological statements. Proverbs are good advice, but they are not guarantees from God, and they are not intended to cover every aspect of living. Some proverbs are based on cultural practices different from our culture. Those proverbs require extra work for interpretation and application. Proverbs are “short saying which are long in wisdom.”
4.
Parables a.
Definition: The Greek word translated “parable” is the compound of two words, para (beside) and balló (to throw). The idea is that facts in one realm which the hearers understand are thrown alongside facts in the spiritual realm so the hearers will see by analogy what is true in the spiritual realm. A parable is a story, true to life, designed for the purpose of teaching a spiritual truth, usually related to the Kingdom of God.
b.
Principles of parables. Parables were a popular means of story-telling which generally use certain principles which make them effective. (1) (2) (3) (4)
c.
Repetition and build-up. Example: Luke 15 uses the parables of the coin, the sheep, and finally the son. Contrast. Virtue and vice, wisdom and foolishness, etc., are often set opposite each other. Example: The wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25. Rule of three. There are often three main characters or elements. Example: Three travelers in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Emphasis on the end. The final point or step is the emphasis, which everything else builds toward. Example: The “only son” in Matthew 21:33-46.
Parables are told spontaneously in the flow of conversation during real life. They teach something relevant to the specific situation or problem at hand. Example: Luke 19:11 explains why Jesus told a specific parable at that time.
41
d.
Parables press the reader or hearer for a response. They are designed to help you come to a conclusion. Examples: Luke 15's three parables show that God is gracious and He rejoices over every sinner who repents. Matthew 13's seven parables lead you to understand a form of the Kingdom of Heaven in which the King is not present for a long time.
e.
The purpose of parables. Early in His ministry, Jesus rarely used parables. After the events of Matthew 12, when the leaders of Israel rejected Him in public, Jesus began using parables in clusters and He continued to use them through the rest of His ministry. His disciples asked why He switched to speaking in parables, and He answered that there were three reasons (Matthew 13:10-17): (1) (2) (3)
f.
To reveal truth to those who are responsive To conceal truth from those who reject the truth To fulfill prophecy
Principles for interpreting parables. (1)
Discover the specific problem in the context. You will find one or more clues: An introductory question. Matthew 9:14: The disciples of John the Baptist ask “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” A simple statement in the text. Luke 19:11: “They supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.” A request. Luke 12:13: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” A criticism Christ answers. Luke 15:2: And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” An attitude of someone hearing Jesus. Matthew 21:23: “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus tells a parable (21:28-32) which responds to the attitude of the one who asked the question. 42
5.
(2)
Discover the cultural setting. A parable is always based upon something very familiar to the hearers. You must use commentaries and your study Bible to discover the background. For example, you must know Jewish marriage customs (Matthew 25:1-13) or how leaven was used in homes (Matthew 13:33).
(3)
Determine the main point. This will be related to the main problem. Each parable has one main idea to communicate, not several details. Do not overinterpret the details of a parable. The parable as a whole makes a point, which is always related to the subject in the context.
(4)
Cross reference the main idea of the parable and similar terminology. Other Scripture often helps you establish the general meaning of a parable. Example: Matthew 13:31-32 describes a mustard tree with branches where birds nest. Ezekiel 17 and 31 speak of branches being Gentile nations and birds being Gentile peoples. It’s likely Jesus expected His hearers to know that terminology, so you must decide if it is relevant to the interpretation. Similarly, ask how “leaven” is used in the Old Testament, because that is the frame of reference for Jesus’ words to Jews.
Figures of Speech There are dozens of literary devices used in the Bible. The most common figurative devices in the Bible are: Simile: A direct comparison between two different things in order to declare a resemblance between them. A simile includes the words “like” or “as.” This is most common type of figurative language. Example: Judges 5:31: Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might. Metaphor: Makes a comparison without using “like” or “as.” Example: John 15:1: I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Hyperbole: Intensified or exaggerated expression used to make a point with more force. 43
Example: John 21:25: . . . I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written. Figures of speech do not require special techniques for interpretation. You must understand that figures of speech are part of normal communication, and take them into account as you apply all the principles of hermeneutics. 6.
Prophecy a.
b.
Why is prophecy important? (1)
Because of the space God devoted to it. About 20% of the Bible was, at the time it was written, an anticipation of the future.
(2)
Because of the balance it provides. The Bible tells us the history of God’s plan of redemption, it provides us with all we need for godly living right now, and it provides is with certainty about the future. This confident hope regarding the future would be missing without prophecy.
(3)
Because it stimulates us to holy living. 1 John 3:2-3.
Systems of interpretation. There are several schools of thought about Bible prophecy which have developed in the history of the church. There are believers today who hold to each of these systems. (1)
Postmillennialism says Christ will return after a golden age on earth is realized through the spread of the gospel. The gospel will prevail so thoroughly that one nation at a time will become Christian, governing itself by the civil and moral laws of Moses. The one thousand years of Revelation 20:1-7 does not literally mean “one thousand years;” it refers to that age when the world is thoroughly Christian. A specific future for Israel is not part of postmillennialism.
(2)
Amillennialism also says that there is no literal thousand years. This view says that the thousand years is symbolical of the present age on earth in which Christ reigns in His church, or of the bliss of heaven after a 44
believer dies. Amillennialists do not place the thousand years chronologically between Christ’s second coming and the new heaven and new earth. Unfulfilled promised to Israel are spiritually applied to the church, because ammillennialism believes Israel forfeited her position forever and has been replaced by the church. (3)
Premillennialism says that Christ will return before the thousand years, which are literal, and He will literally reign on earth. Some premillennialists believe the church has replaced Israel, and they apply many of the promises to Israel to the church instead. These are non-dispensational premillianialists. Those who believe in the premillennial return of Jesus and also believe all the promises to Israel will be fulfilled literally and that He will reign for a thousand years in Jerusalem on the throne of David are dispensational premillennialists.
Caution: Do not use your conclusions about prophecy to interpret specific passages.
45
c.
Principles for interpreting prophecy The most important principle for interpreting prophecy is to use the same principles as for Scripture in general. Most of the difference of opinion among Christians about prophecy is the result of people changing hermeneutics when they deal with prophecy. Like parables or poetry, prophecy is a unique type of literature, but there is no reason to abandon essential hermeneutics to interpret prophecy. Here are some helpful questions to ask as you study prophetic passages of the Bible, but they should help you apply good hermeneutics, not change the rules of interpretation. These questions will help you deal with the symbolism of prophecy without going astray. (1)
Does the natural meaning make sense? In many passages, it does. But sometimes the natural meaning may be ruled out by other factors in the passage. Example: Isaiah 7:14.
Example: Revelation 9:1
(2)
Are there similar prophecies in the same section or same book which shed light? Example: Isaiah 7:14.
46
Example: Revelation 12:14.
(3)
Does later Scripture or a parallel passage help indicate a time of fulfillment? Example: Daniel 9:27.
(4)
Does an event in the near future also serve as a picture of an event in the distant future? Example: Isaiah 13.
(5)
Does the New Testament state a fulfillment of a specific passage? Sometimes it states an unequivocal fulfillment, such as Matthew 1:22, “Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, . . .” Sometimes the New Testament wording does not require fulfillment, but it seems that New Testament writers often used Old Testament prophecies yet to be fulfilled as illustrations or examples of what they described, such as Acts 2:16.
47
7.
(6)
Does the New Testament passage which cites the Old Testament prophecy match the details of the prophecy? Example: Acts 2:16 and Joel 2:28-32.
(7)
Have I worked hard to relate this passage to other prophetic passages? The final step of correlation– putting together your doctrine from your study of individual passages—is always important, especially with prophecy. As you begin to build your understanding, you will do well to take instruction from good commentaries and your MacArthur Study Bible. This is a wise application of the “Checking Principle.”
(8)
Have I been as honest as possible? Be very careful to avoid guiding your own study toward a conclusion you feel you must come to. Your goal is to preach and teach accurately what the Bible actually says, not to find a new interpretation, and not to make sure you agree with a certain viewpoint you have heard or believed in the past.
Letters a.
Perspectives (1)
The letters (Romans through Jude) are the richest sources for the doctrine of salvation, because they deal with applications of the gospel in the first century when the church was getting started.
(2)
There are significant differences between letters because of the different circumstances which led to them being written. 48
b.
8.
(3)
Even though there is much theology in the New Testament letters, they are not written primarily to teach theology. What is in them is written for a specific purpose to address a specific issue in a specific time and place. It is always necessary to correlate what you learn from other passages.
(4)
Be careful not to leap to applications. Do not ignore the concept of one interpretation, one or more principles, and several applications.
Principles for interpreting letters (1)
Learn the historical situation of the author at the time of writing. Who was he? Where was he? What was his connection with the readers?
(2)
Learn the historical situation of the readers at the time of writing. Who were they–an individual, a church, or a region of churches? Where were they? Jews or Gentiles? What problems were they facing? Was a certain false teaching influencing them?
(3)
Discern the author’s purpose for writing the book. Encouragement? Correction? Resolving conflict? Responding to specific questions?
(4)
In each paragraph, search for one or more principles which can be identified. Are there similar passages in other letters? Does my interpretation fit the context?
(5)
Be careful to interpret before leaping to applications. How does your situation compare to the situation of the author or original readers of the letter?
(6)
Remember that no single passage by itself contains everything pertaining to a doctrine.
Types a.
Definition. The Greek word tupos occurs 14 times in the New Testament. Its literal meaning comes from the verb “to strike an image” as in our word “typewriter.” “A type is an Old Testament person, animal, object, event or institution which is part of an actual historical situation, but at the same 49
time is specifically intended by God to picture a greater future reality.” The resemblance must be easy to recognize so that the connection with the New Testament makes sense. Examples: Person: Melchizedek. Hebrews 5, 7 Animal: Passover lamb. John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7 Object: Bronze serpent. John 3:14-15 Event: The Passover. 1 Corinthians 5:7 Institution: The tabernacle. Hebrews 9-10 b.
Principles for determining a type. (1)
Specific statement of Scripture. Romans 5:14 states that the first Adam is a type of the last Adam, Christ, “the one who was to come.” When Scripture itself states that something from Old Testament history is a type, you can be certain that God intended it to picture something in the New Testament.
(2)
Direct use of terminology. 1 Corinthians 5:7 does not use the word tupos, but Paul used a precise Old Testament expression to make it clear that the Passover was a type of Christ. In this case, several New Testament passages use the same technique.
John 1:29
1 Corinthians 5:7
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
1 Peter 1:19 . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
50
(3)
Parallel Idea Joseph was a deliverer of many people; Christ is a deliverer of many
c.
Clear and sensible analogy. Sometimes the word “type” is not used, and the terminology is not quoted directly in the New Testament, yet there is very clear analogy which is easy to see. In such cases you can see the parallels, arrangement by God, and elevation from the type to the fulfillment. Consider Joseph as a picture of Christ. Arrangement by God
Elevation
God placed Joseph where he was so he could be the deliverer (Genesis 45:5); God sent Christ in the fulness of time (Galatians 4:4)
Joseph delivered the family of Jacob and preserved Egyptian lives; Christ is the one who died for sins, once for all (Hebrews 10:10, 12)
Caution about typology. Some interpreters use the third category above as an excuse to make almost everything in the Old Testament a type. For example, one preacher says the typology of the book of Nehemiah is that the city of Jerusalem represents the human heart, the broken walls of the city represent the needs of the broken heart, Nehemiah coming to Jerusalem represents the Holy Spirit coming into the heart to “re-build” it, and the mortar in the re-built walls of the city represents the gift of speaking in tongues. There is nothing in any passage of the Old Testament or New Testament which supports those ideas. To teach or preach such things is not honest with the Bible, and it makes people who read the Bible think they must be incapable of understanding God’s word because they couldn’t “see” such meaning. In reaction to such absurd abuse of typology, some interpreters completely deny the existence of all types, or limit them to only the passages which use the word “type.” This is an over-reaction. You can be confident that when the New Testament cites an Old Testament person, animal, object, event or institution as a picture of a greater truth now revealed, it is a valid type. The word “type” does not need to be in the New Testament passage. If you are confident, based on applying good hermeneutics, that something in the Old Testament is a valid 51
picture which God intended to illustrate a New Testament truth, you can use it as a tool to help people understand a doctrinal truth. A good general rule is to limit types to illustrations of the person and work of Christ and to the doctrine of salvation.
52
APPENDICES Appendix 1: Assignments Homework Assignment #1: Commands to Pastors in Pastoral Epistles Homework Assignment #2: Observations from Philippians 1:9-11 Homework Assignment #3: Developing Sermons from Philippians 1 Ministry Project: Preaching from Philippians 1 Appendix 2: Checklist for Course Completion Certificate Appendix 3: Article: “The Perspicuity of Scripture” Appendix 4: Course Evaluation
53
Appendix 1 Assignments
54
Hermeneutics Homework Assignment # 1 Every student must read through 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus at least once. Divide the class into six teams to concentrate on these sections: Team 1: Team 2: Team 3: Team 4: Team 5: Team 6:
1 Timothy 1-2 1 Timothy 3-4 1 Timothy 5-6 2 Timothy 1-2 2 Timothy 3-4 Titus 1-3
Each team must find the commands to pastors/elders in their assigned chapters. Have each team prepare to report to the whole class what they find. Use a white board or chalk board to summarize the findings for all to see. Note what is repeated, and discuss this list compared to what most pastors actually do. Try to limit each team to 5-8 minutes. Assignment is due at the start of class on the third day of class. The summary below is provided for you to monitor the findings of the class. It is wise for the modern pastor to review the commands of Scripture to men in full-time ministry. While not an exhaustive list, the commands Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus form a solid foundation for our understanding of God’s expectations of the pastor. Understanding His expectations helps you decide which man-made expectations are worthy of time and energy. Commands to Pastors and Elders in 1 Timothy 1:3 remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 1:18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 2:1 FIRST of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 4:6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine. 4:7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
55
4:11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. 5:1 Do not sharply rebuke an older man, 3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; 5:7 Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. 21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. 5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”
Commands to Pastors and Elders in 2 Timothy 1:6 And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
56
1:13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. 2:1 YOU therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2:7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 3:1 BUT realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 3:14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 4:1 I SOLEMNLY charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 4:5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 4:9 Make every effort to come to me soon; 11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. 13 When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. 19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 21 Make every effort to come before winter. 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; . . . 1 5 Be on guard against him yourself,
Commands to Pastors and Elders in Titus 1:10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain.
57
1:13 This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 2:1 BUT as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 2:6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. 2:9 Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 3:12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. 14 And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful. 3:15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
58
Hermeneutics Homework Assignment # 2 1.
Read through the book of Philippians at least twice.
2.
As you did in class, make as many observations as possible about Philippians 1:9-11. Spend at least a half hour, and try to record at least 20 observations from what the verses actually say. Observations can involve Paul, the Philippian Christians, the circumstances of Paul and Philippians, commands, promises, principles, sentence structure, questions you want to research later, or anything else you see. Record your observations below.
1 11 2 12 3 13 4 14 5 15 6 16 7 17 8 18 9 19 10 20 Others:
59
Hermeneutics Homework Assignment # 3 1.
Read Philippians 1:1-30 again. Look for the grammatical breaks in the text which give you clues as to home many paragraphs or different sections are in this chapter. Write your own outline of this chapter.
2.
How many sermons or lessons do you think it would require for you to teach or preach what is in this chapter? Based on the text, why did you choose that number?
3.
Based on the actual words of Philippians 1, write titles and outlines for at least three messages or lessons from this chapter. They do not necessarily have to cover then entire chapter, and you may write more than three if you want to. This assignment is due at the beginning of the last day of class.
60
Hermeneutics Ministry Project After the close of this class and before the next class in about three months, preach at least three sermons or teach at least three lessons on Philippians 1. Here are suggestions to guide you. 1.
Start with the outlines you created in your last homework assignment. You will probably modify your outlines as you study the chapter carefully on your own.
2.
You are not required to teach the entire chapter in three messages or lessons. You may select smaller portions if you want to, and you may do more than three if you want to.
3.
Each message or lesson must be based on what Philippians 1 actually says. If you use other passages along the way, make sure they reinforce the point you are making from the text of Philippians.
4.
As you study, make notes of which principles of hermeneutics you apply. If there is not a good reason for your interpretation, keep studying until you are confident you understand the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit.
5.
When you preach or teach, make sure you show people what the text says and ways it might apply to them. Do not spend time explaining how you did the study. Your goal is to feed God’s people a good meal of spiritual food, not to give them a class in cooking.
When you come to the next class, please bring the teaching or preaching notes from Philippians 1 with you. You might be asked to preach one of them during the next class. Between now and the next course, use your notes to teach this material to at least two other men.
61
Appendix 2 Checklist for Course Completion Checklist for Course Completion Certificate UAttended at least 4 of 5 (or 8 of 10) days of class UParticipated in classroom discussions UCompleted homework assignments UScored average of 70% or more on quizzes UScored at least 70% on final exam
62
Appendix 3 Article: “The Perspicuity Of Scripture” The following article reinforces the concept that the Bible can be understood by anyone: Translated from “The Perspicuity of Scripture” Dr. Larry D. Pettegrew The Master’s Seminary Journal Volume 15 No. 2, Fall 2004, pp. 209-225 Used by permission
63
TMSJ 15/2 (Fall 2004) 209-225
THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE Larry D. Pettegrew Professor of Theology The perspicuity or clarity of Scripture in its relation to almost all areas of systematic theology is affected by postmodern hermeneutics that fail to respect the authority of Scripture. The doctrine raises a number of questions difficult to answer in a brief span, but two very basic issues are the meaning of the doctrine of perspicuity and the long-range historical context in which the doctrine has arisen. The basic doctrine means that the Bible can be understood by people through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and that people need to search the Scripture and judge for themselves what it means. Scripture itself attests its own perspicuity, but not to the point that it cannot be misunderstood or is in every point equally simple and clear. The doctrine does not rule out the need for interpretation, explanation, and exposition of the Bible by qualified leaders. The doctrine does mean that Scripture is clear enough for the simplest person, deep enough for highly qualified readers, clear in its essential matters, obscure in some places to people because of their sinfulness, understandable through ordinary means, understandable by an unsaved person on an external level, understandable in its significance by a saved person through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and available to every believer whose faith must rest on the Scriptures. Historically, debates about perspicuity have related to Marcion’s attack on the OT, the fathers’ denial of OT perspicuity, covenant theology’s subordination of the OT to the NT, and the medieval church’s attack on biblical perspicuity. The Reformers, the Protestant scholastics, and the German pietists supported the doctrine which is of primary importance for the practice of contemporary Christians. ***** It is not difficult to define perspicuity even though, as some wag remarked, the term is not very perspicuous anymore. The perspicuity of Scripture means simply “the Bible is a plain book.”1 But the study of the perspicuity, or clarity, of Scripture is complicated by at least three matters. In the first place, almost all of the doctrines of the theological encyclopedia are intertwined with the doctrine of perspicuity. In the doctrine of God, for example, is God incompre1 Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, n.d) 1:183.
64
hensible, as most evangelical theologies teach? And if so, how does He accommodate Himself to mankind in order to make Himself and His revelation clear? Concerning the doctrine of man, how does man’s creation in the likeness of God relate to the clarity of Scripture? In the doctrine of sin, how did man’s fall into sin and his subsequent condition of depravity keep him from understanding clearly God’s communication to him in the holy writ? As to pneumatology, how does the Holy Spirit’s illumination make Scripture clear?2 Or in the doctrine of the Bible, what is the relationship of translation theory to Scripture’s clarity? Second, the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture is complicated by the vociferous antagonism of the postmodern critics of biblical authority. This antagonism is especially noticeable in the field of postmodern hermeneutics. A defender of the clarity of Scripture, James Patrick Callahan, writes, “There is a sincere distrust of perspicuity, and a praise of obscurity, afoot in modern [i.e., contemporary] hermeneutics. . . . Perspicuity is quickly and easily missed as nothing more than an illusion, a fideistic commitment to a religious fallacy. . . .”3 Standing on the philosophical shoulders of Immanuel Kant, these postmodern philosophers insist that clarity of meaning is only to be found in the reader, not in the text itself.4
2 The illumination by the Holy Spirit is a major part of the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture. This article, however, is focused on other basic biblical and historical issues. 3 James Patrick Callahan, “Claritas Scripturae: The Role of Perspicuity in Protestant Hermeneu-tics,” JETS 39/3 (September 1996):362. 4 But Kevin Vanhoozer is correct: “Precisely because they have authors, texts don’t mean just anything. The author’s will acts as a control on interpretation. Thanks to an author’s willing this rather than that, we can say that there is a definite meaning in texts prior to reading and interpretation. As God’s will structures the universe, so the author’s will structures the universe of discourse” (Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning in This Text [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998] 47). See further, Robert Thomas’ article in this issue.
65
In the third place, saying that “the Bible is a plain book” raises a number of practical questions. Callahan asks, In what way is Scripture clear? In its language, its translation, its every word, its expression of the authors’ intent, its reference to historical matters, its narration of its story? And what makes one text so easily understood and others so obscure? Isn’t all writing intended to be clear, and all communication meant to be understood? And if so, what is special, if anything, about the Bible’s clarity? And another important question follows: To whom is Scripture clear? To Christians only, to the critically educated, to church authorities like pastors or bishops, or to anyone at all?5
All of these questions cannot be answered in a brief essay. Therefore, this study has a twofold purpose. First the meaning of the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture will be investigated; and second, some key debates over perspicuity will be identified in their historical context.
THE MEANING OF THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE Definition of Perspicuity What does the assertion, “the Bible is a plain book,” mean? In further explanation, Hodge writes, “Protestants hold that the Bible, being addressed to the people, is sufficiently perspicuous to be understood by them, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and that they are entitled and bound to search the Scripture, and to judge for themselves what is its true meaning.”6 His son and successor at Princeton Seminary affirmed, “[T]he Scriptures are in such a sense perspicuous that all that is necessary for man to know, in order to his salvation or for his practical guidance in duty, may be learned therefrom, and that they are designed for the personal use and are adapted to the instruction of the unlearned as well as the learned.”7 Even more clearly, Callahan explains, Scripture can be and is read with profit, with appreciation and with transformative results. It is open and transparent to earnest readers; it is intelligible and comprehensible to attentive readers. Scripture itself is coherent and obvious. It is direct and unambiguous as written; what is written is sufficient. Scripture’s concern or focal point is readily presented as the redemptive story of God. It displays a progressively more specific identification of that story, culminating in the gospel of Jesus Christ. All this is to say: Scripture is clear about what it is about.8
Biblical Support of Perspicuity
5 James Patrick Callahan, The Clarity of Scripture (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 2001) 11. Callahan has done the most work on perspicuity in recent years, and his article and book have been of considerable help in the preparation of the first part of this article. 6 Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology 1:183. 7 A. A. Hodge, A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, 1926) 63. 8 Callahan, Clarity of Scripture 9.
66
The doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture pervades the Bible, as the following chart displays: Biblical Teaching about the Perspicuity of Scripture Scripture Is Clear Because: Scripture is light.
Scriptural Reference “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105). “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place . . .” (2 Pet 1:19a).
Scripture is profitable.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Scripture explains salvation.
“. . . the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15b).
67
Scripture is addressed to common people, not religious experts.
“Hear, O Israel” (Deut 6:4). “The common people heard Him [Jesus] gladly” (Mark 12:37, NKJV). “to the saints who are in Ephesus” (Eph 1:1). “with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:2).
Parents can teach Scripture to their children.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut 6:6-7).
Even a child can understand Scripture’s message.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings. . . ” (2 Tim 3:1415a).
Scripture tests the accuracy of religious ideas.
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
What Perspicuity Does Not Mean In spite of what Scripture teaches about itself, it is still possible to misunderstand this doctrine, of course. So, what does this doctrine not mean, and what does it mean? First, perspicuity does not mean that all of Scripture is equally clear as to its precise meaning. The Second 68
London Confession of Faith of the Baptists (1677, 1688), reflecting the Westminster Confession at this point, begins its statement on perspicuity: “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all . . . .”9 The great church father, Chrysostom, compared Scripture to a river: “In one part there are whirlpools; and not in another,” he wrote. And he concludes, “Why then art thou bent on drowning thyself in the depths?”10 Second, the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture does not mean that the teaching of Scripture is everywhere equally simple. There is a difference between clarity and simplicity. Scripture is clear, not mystical or hidden. But it often takes work to understand what the biblical authors meant in a certain passage. Commenting on Paul’s writings, the apostle Peter admits, “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Pet 3:16). Third, perspicuity does not mean that interpretation, explanation, and exposition by a Bible teacher are never necessary. The New Testament speaks of the gift of teaching and the office of pastor-teacher. In Acts 8, Philip heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah the prophet and asked him, “‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:30-31). Our Lord also explained Scripture to his disciples. After His resurrection, for example, He met some of His disciples on the Emmaus road. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Those heroes in church history who emphasized the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture never implied that the teaching ministry is unnecessary. The Reformers, for example, like Calvin and Luther, “wrote numerous exegetical and expository commentaries on the text, and discussed issues concerning the problem of biblical interpretation.”11 One of the qualifications of a pastor, in fact, is that he be “able to teach” the Scriptures (1 Tim 3:2). Even the change from one culture to another, and one language to another, mandates teachers. Bernard Ramm writes, Words and sentences occur in the context of a culture. Their meaning depends in a large part to these contexts in which they occur and without that context it is either difficult or impossible to know the meaning of the words or sentences. It is therefore no great thing nor something out of the ordinary that we should have words, concepts, and sentences that puzzle us in Holy Scripture.12
Thus, perspicuity does not mean that interpretation, explanation, and exposition by a Bible teacher are never necessary. The Bible teaches that they are.
9 Second London Confession of Faith (1677, 1688), 1,7, in Baptist Confessions of Faith, ed. by William L. Lumpkin (Philadelphia: Judson, 1959) 251. 10 John Chrysostom, “Homilies on Timothy”, in A Select Library of the Nicene and PostNicene Fathers of the Christian Church, ed. by Philip Schaff, 1st series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988) 13:507. 11 Anthony Thiselton, New Horizons in Hermeneutics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 179. 12 Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1970) 99.
69
Fourth, the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture does not mean that even essential biblical doctrines are everywhere stated with equal clarity. Correct understanding may involve comparing one passage with another passage. The great church father, Augustine, wrote, Thus the Holy Spirit has magnificently and wholesomely modulated the Holy Scriptures so that the more open places present themselves to hunger and the more obscure places may deter a disdainful attitude. Hardly anything may be found in these obscure places which is not found plainly said elsewhere.13
What Perspicuity Does Mean So what does the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scriptures mean? First it means that Scripture is clear enough for the simplest person to live by. Scripture says, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Ps 119:130). Wayne Grudem comments, “Here the ‘simple’ person (Heb. peti) is not merely one who lacks intellectual ability, but one who lacks sound judgment, who is prone to making mistakes, and who is easily led astray. God’s Word is so understandable, so clear, that even this kind of person is made wise by it.”14 Robert Reymond explains, For example, one does not need to be ‘learned,’ when reading the Gospels or hearing them read or proclaimed, to discover that they intend to teach that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed mighty miracles, died on the cross ‘as a ransom for many,’ and rose from the dead on the third day after death. These things are plain, lying on the very face of the Gospels.15
On the other hand, perspicuity also means that Scripture is deep enough for readers of the highest intellectual ability. Augustine, one of the great minds of the ancient world admitted that certain passages of Scripture seem to be covered with “a most dense mist,” which he believed “was provided by God to conquer pride by work and to combat disdain in our minds, to which those things which are easily discovered seem frequently to become worthless.”16 Third, perspicuity means that Scripture is clear in its essential matters. Scripture, “in any faithful translation, is sufficiently perspicuous (clear) to show us our sinfulness, the basic facts of the gospel, what we must do if we are to be part of the family of God, and how to live.”17 The late R. V. Clearwaters, president of Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis, when confronted by the old argument that “Scripture is obscure and has many different interpretations,” would read Rom 3:23 to that person: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “Now,” he would say, “you give me your interpretation of that verse, and I’ll give you mine.”
13 Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, trans. by D. W. Robertson, Jr. (Indianapolis: BobbsMerrill, 1958) 38. 14 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994) 106. 15 Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998) 88. 16 Augustine, On Christian Doctrine 37. 17 Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., “Legitimate Hermeneutics,” in Inerrancy, ed. by Norman L. Geisler (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980) 128.
70
His point was, of course, that it is almost impossible to misinterpret “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”? This verse and all other essential matters in Scripture are clear. Fourth, the perspicuity of Scripture means that the obscurity that a reader of the Bible may find in some parts of Scripture is the fault of finite and sinful mankind. Grudem explains, In a day when it is common for people to tell us how hard it is to interpret Scripture rightly, we would do well to remember that not once in the Gospels do we ever hear Jesus saying anything like this: “I see how your problem arose—the Scriptures are not very clear on that subject.” Instead, whether he is speaking to scholars or untrained common people, his responses always assume that the blame for misunderstanding any teaching of Scripture is not to be placed on the Scriptures themselves, but on those who misunderstand or fail to accept what is written. Again and again he answers questions with statements like, “Have you not read . . .” (Matt. 12:3, 5; 19:14; 22:31), “Have you never read in the scriptures . . .” (Matt. 21:42), or even, “You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29; cf. Matt. 9:13; 12:7; 15:3; 21:13; John 3:10; et al.).18
The blame must not be placed on the Scriptures themselves, but upon finite and sinful man. Fifth, perspicuity means that interpreters of Scripture must use ordinary means. The writing of Scripture, though completed under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, was accomplished by ordinary men using normal means of grammar and syntax. So, “if an interpreter properly follows what has been called ‘the laws of language,’ or ‘the rights of language,’ he can know what the Scriptures specifically mean.”19 Sixth, the perspicuity of Scripture means that even an unsaved person can understand the plain teachings of Scripture on an external level. Some might think of 1 Cor 2:14 that says that the things of the Spirit are foolish to the man without the Spirit, and he cannot understand them. But the point is not that an unsaved person cannot understand what the Scripture is saying or teaching. The point is that he cannot have a spiritual understanding. At best, Scripture is insignificant to him; at worst, it is incredible. In other words, there are two levels of knowing and understanding. At the first level, it is possible to see and hear with the senses—one could even say, to see or hear with the mind— while on the other hand not seeing or hearing with the Spirit of God (Matt 13:13-15). Joseph Bayly recounts an interesting story: I remember studying under C. T. Craig, New Testament scholar and Revised Standard Version translator at Union Seminary the summer of 1942. The course was “The Pauline Interpretation of the Gospel.” For the first few weeks Dr. Craig could not have been more clear in his understanding of the Pauline teaching if he had been teaching at Dallas or Wheaton. Then, at a critical point in the course, he said, “Up to this time we’ve been studying what Paul actually said. Now we shall proceed to reinterpret his writings in the light of the twentieth century.” From then on he cut down what he had previously built. St. Paul was “a child of his times”; culture changes necessitated a drastic revision of his ideas.20
18 Grudem, Systematic Theology 106. 19 Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation 98. 20 Joseph Bayly, “Out of My Mind,” Eternity (November 1982):59.
71
So, Paul’s teaching in 1 Cor 2:14 does not mean that unsaved people cannot understand any part of the Bible. Unsaved man, as a matter of fact, “will be judged for rejecting that which Scripture itself declares should be abundantly clear to them, because they refuse to receive it.”21 Reymond writes, One does not need to be instructed by a preacher to learn that he must believe on Jesus in order to be saved from the penalty his sins deserve. (This includes the unbeliever, who is certainly capable of following an argument.) All one needs to do in order to discover these things, to put it plainly, is to sit down in a fairly comfortable chair, open the Gospels, and with a good reading lamp, read the Gospels like he would read any other book.22
Seventh, perspicuity means that the Holy Spirit must illumine the mind of the reader or hearer of Scripture if he is to understand the significance of Scripture. This is the correct meaning of 1 Cor 2:14. Finally, the perspicuity of Scripture means that in accordance with the priesthood of the believer, every Christian has the right and is bound to read and interpret it for himself, so that his “faith may rest on the testimony of the Scriptures, and not on that of the Church.”23 There are no church officers, class of officers, or Bible expositors to whose interpretation of the Scriptures the people are required to submit as a final authority. To summarize, All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for Salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.24
HISTORICAL DEBATES OVER THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE Having surveyed the basic features of the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture, the question to be pursued is, How has this doctrine been treated in church history? Perspicuity became a major issue in the Reformation and post-Reformation eras. Before then, however, the church wrestled with the clarity of the Old Testament, and eventually even the clarity of the New Testament. The Attack on the Perspicuity of Scripture One of the first issues to confront the church as it came out of the apostolic era dealt with the clarity of the Old Testament. The fathers asked and answered such questions as, Should the Old Testament be totally replaced by the New Testament? Should the church even keep the Old Testament in its canon? 21 Kaiser, “Legitimate Hermeneutics” 123. 22 Reymond, A New Systematic Theology 88. 23 Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology 183. 24 Second London Confession of Faith, 1,7.
72
Marcion’s Attack on the Old Testament At least one well-known theologian, Marcion by name, denied that the Old Testament (and some of the New Testament books) deserved the dignity of being included in the Christian canon of inspired books. Marcion did not deny that the Old Testament deserved to be read or that it had any teachings for Christians. But to Marcion, new wine must not be poured into old bottles, and the Old Testament was an old bottle. In response, the church fathers wrote passionate treatises against Marcion. Tertullian, for example, wrote five books against Marcion. Irenaeus, in his Adversus Haereses, Book Four, responded to some of the doctrines of the Marcionites. Justin Martyr, Cyprian, and other fathers took every opportunity to condemn Marcionism. According to one specialist, “No other single man had called forth such a volume of anxious apologetic from the Church. For Marcion was a real danger.”25 The Fathers’ Denial of the Perspicuity of the Old Testament Though the church fathers defended the canonicity of the Old Testament, they in effect denied its clarity in a couple of ways. First, they denied perspicuity by employing the allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament. Augustine, for example, learned the allegorical method from Ambrose. He writes, “This [the defensibility of the Catholic faith] was especially clear after I had heard one or two parts of the Old Testament explained allegorically—whereas before this, when I had interpreted them literally, they had ‘killed’ me spiritually.”26 James Preus, a scholar of the early and medieval hermeneutical developments, says that Augustine believed that . . . whenever the interpreter encounters a passage which does not literally teach faith or love, his task is to interpret it figuratively: he must raise it to the level of the edifying. For the passage that in its literal meaning does not edify must (according to Augustine’s understanding of the divine intention) be a figura of something that does edify—a signum of something spiritual or theological res whose true meaning must be revealed . . . as doctrina, lex, or promissio.27
Thus, the clear sense of Scripture has two levels of value for Augustine: one level is edifying, and one is not. And that which is not edifying should be allegorized. The Old Testament, in its literal meaning, almost in total, falls under the unedifying classification. The only exceptions to the unedifying classification are the Old Testament law and the direct prophecies about Jesus Christ. 25 E. C. Blackman, Marcion and His Influence (London: SPCK, 1948) ix. 26 Augustine, Confessions, trans. by Albert C. Outler (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999) 9697. 27 James Preus, From Shadow to Promise (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1969) 13. Preus’ book is based on his Harvard dissertation. His translations from Latin and analyses of the medieval theologians inform this section of the essay.
73
But there is something more significant happening in the fathers’ understanding of the Old Testament. Not only did they believe in allegorizing much of the Old Testament, they also subordinated the Old Testament to the New Testament. After all, the key for allegorical interpretation was the New Testament. In other words, the interpreter of the Old Testament believed that he should read the Old Testament through the paradigm of the New Testament. The Old Testament in itself was not perspicuous for faith and practice. As the church moved into the Middle Ages, the theologians (now Roman Catholic) taught “that the OT, spiritually understood, is the same as the NT; or even the NT is the true literal sense of the OT.”28 Covenant Theology’s Subordination of the Old to the New When the Reformation came, the Reformers reawakened to the value of the history and ethics of the Old Testament, to be sure. They studied it more and developed their idea of the theological covenant out of Old Testament theology. There was also a renewal of the commitment to literal interpretation and an awareness of the dangers of allegorical interpretation. However, one hermeneutical principle from medieval attitudes toward the clarity of Scripture remained: the subordination of the Old Testament to the New Testament. This principle continues to this day to be the method of doing theology in covenant theology. Covenant theologian, Hans K. LaRondelle, for example, argues that the Old Testament Scriptures can only be interpreted accurately by studying the New Testament. Historic Christianity, he says, has always tried to understand the Old by the New. The Christian interpreter of the Old Testament is once and for all obliged to read the Hebrew Scriptures in the light of the New Testament as a whole, because the Old is interpreted authoritatively, under divine inspiration, in the New Testament as God’s continuous history of salvation. Historic Christianity has always confessed that the New Testament is the goal and fulfillment of the Old.29
Of course the “historic Christianity” that he is referring to in this case is the medieval method of interpretation. For covenant theology, doing theology proceeds as follows:30 1. The formulation of a biblical theology from the New Testament; 2. The formulation of a biblical theology from the Old Testament; 3. The production of a systematic theology by harmonizing points 1 and 2. But there are serious weaknesses in this system of interpretation. By reading the New Testament back into the Old Testament, covenant theologians may in effect minimize the histori28 Ibid., 16. 29 Hans K. LaRondelle, The Israel of God in Prophecy (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 1983) 19. 30 See the helpful study by Mike Stallard, “Literal Hermeneutics, Theological Method, and the Essence of Dispensationalism” (unpublished paper, Pre-Trib Research Center, 1995) 1316.
74
cal-grammatical interpretation of great sections of the Old Testament and produce allegorizers of the Old Testament. Covenant theologians in effect “undo, or replace the results that would have been obtained in performing a true biblical theology of the OT.”31 The Old Testament is almost an afterthought in this procedure. The New Testament is used like the “presidential power of veto”32 over legitimate exegetical results in Old Testament passages. So, there is no true Old Testament biblical theology that serves to form the production of systematic theology. The systematic theology is “one-legged.”33 The proper approach for doing theology would progress as follows: 1. The formulation of a biblical theology from the Old Testament; 2. The formulation of a biblical theology from the New Testament; 3. The production of a systematic theology by harmonizing all biblical imputs to theology. And why is this best? For at least three reasons. First, because this is the nature of progressive revelation. In progressive revelation, revelation builds upon previous revelation. Second, because this process enables the interpreter to read the Old Testament with a grammaticalhistorical hermeneutic. And third, because in this procedure, there is really no priority of one testament over another except in a chronological order of progressive revelation. In the end, it is superior to be able to insist that an Old Testament text must not be stripped of its original meaning in its context, found through historical-grammatical interpretation and biblical theology. Both the New Testament and the Old Testament should be treated as perspicuous. The Medieval Church’s Attack on the Perspicuity of the Entire Bible The situation in the Middle Ages had yet one more turn. In the on-going development of the Roman Church’s doctrine of the interpretation of Scripture, Thomas Aquinas argued that clarity of meaning of a passage of Scripture can only be constituted by later interpretation. All historical material is subject to further interpretation because “things passing through their course signify something else. . . .”34 This means, as already has been pointed out, that the New Testament reinterprets the Old Testament. But what about the New Testament? What clarifies it? Since there is no “third testament,” “the obvious answer is . . . his [Christ’s] mystical body, the Church, endowed with the Spirit.”35 Later Roman Church theologians such as Jean Gerson (d. 1429) went so far as to argue that the authority to judge and declare what the literal sense of Scripture rests in the church 31 Ibid., 15. 32 Ibid. 33 Ibid. 34 Thomas Aquinas, Quaestiones Quodlibetales, VII q. 6 a 3 corp, in Opera Omnia IX, 546f., translated and quoted in Preus, From Shadow to Promise 56. 35 Preus, From Shadow to Promise 57.
75
alone. Instead of the literal sense being the plain sense, or grammar of the Bible as it expressed the intention of the author, the literal sense “has become the private property of the Spirit endowed Church.”36 Instead of a grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture, Gerson and other medieval theologians argued for an ecclesial-literal understanding. So, “in the last analysis, the Bible itself has no theologically authoritative literal meaning. The possibility of argument from Scripture against the magisterium is . . . programmatically and theoretically eliminated.”37 Since the right to say what Scripture means has been given by God to the Roman Church, the problem of the perspicuity of Scripture is solved. Scripture means what the church says that it means. The Roman Catholic Church officially defended this view at the Council of Trent during the Counter-Reformation: In order to restrain petulant spirits [the Council] decrees, that no one, relying on his own skill, shall,—in matters of faith, and of morals pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine,—wrestle the sacred Scripture to his own senses, presume to interpret the said sacred Scripture contrary to that sense which holy mother Church,—whose it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy Scriptures,—hath held and doth hold. . . .38
To complete the story, Rome in the Counter-Reformation and since has not said that the Bible is completely obscure and inaccessible, written in some secret code. A clear understanding of Scripture is possible, but only through the mediation of the church. The issue ultimately is not so much obscurity of Scripture as much as it is authority over the interpretation of Scripture. And this leads to the response of the Reformers to the position of the Roman Church. The Protestants’ Proclamation of the Perspicuity of Scripture One of the major principles of the Protestant Reformation was the priesthood of the believer. Thus the believer is his own priest before God and has the right to interpret Scripture for himself. The corollary principle was that Scripture was clear and every Christian could understand it. Callahan writes, Yet, while Protestants did not invent the notion, Protestantism certainly linked its own identity with a reinvented version of Scripture’s clarity, making the claim to Scripture’s ‘plain meaning,’ a logically necessary article of the Protestant faith. . . . This has its origins in Zwingli and Luther, and is particularly evident in the Protestant scholastic tradition.39
The Reformers’ Doctrine of the Perspicuity of Scripture
36 Ibid., 79. 37 Ibid., 81. 38 Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (fourth session, April 8, 1546), in The Creeds of Christendom, ed.by Philip Schaff (New York: Harper and Brothers, n.d., reprint; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977) 2:83. 39 Callahan, Clarity of Scripture 128.
76
All of the major Reformers spoke and wrote about the clarity of Scripture. Zwingli, in September 1522, published “Of the Clarity and Certainty or Power of the Word of God.” John Calvin argued that the church must not withhold the Bible from Christians because withholding would rob them of necessary armor in the struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil.40 The debate between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants over perspicuity climaxed, however, in the interchange between the Roman Catholic humanist, Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Martin Luther in their respective works, The Freedom of the Will and The Bondage of the Will.41 In his work, Luther laid down several principles that more or less outline the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture for the Reformers. The following chart summarizes Luther’s doctrine of perspicuity. Martin Luther’s Doctrine of the Perspicuity of Scripture The Principle
Luther’s Statement in Bondage of the Will
1. Nothing in Scripture is obscure.
“. . . in opposition to you I say with respect to the whole Scripture, I will not have any part of it called obscure. What we have cited from Peter holds good here, that the Word of God is for us ‘a lamp shining in a dark place” (II Peter 1:19). But if part of this lamp does not shine, it will be a part of the dark place rather than of the lamp itself” (163).
2. Anything that seems to be obscure is so because of the ignorance of man, not the obscurity of Scripture.
“It is true that for many people much remains abstruse; but this is not due to the obscurity of Scripture, but to the blindness of indolence of those who will not take the trouble to look at the very clearest truth” (111).
40 John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, trans. by T. H. L. Parker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965) 221. 41 Martin Luther, “The Bondage of the Will,” in Luther and Erasmus: Free Will and Salvation, ed. by E. Gordon Rupp and Philip S. Watson, The Library of Christian Classics, vol. 17 (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1969).
77
78
3. Some texts are obscure because the reader does not understand key words and grammar.
“I admit, of course, that there are many texts in the Scriptures that are obscure and abstruse, not because of the majesty of their subject matter, but because of our ignorance of their vocabulary and grammar; but these texts in no way hinder a knowledge of all the subject matter of Scripture” (110).
4. Satan also tries to blind human eyes to the meaning of Scripture.
“It is due to the malice of Satan, who sits enthroned in our weakness, resisting the Word of God. If Satan were not at work, the whole world of men would be converted by a single word of God once heard, and there would be no need of more” (167).
5. If a Scriptural topic seems to be obscure in one place, it will be clear in other places.
“If the words are obscure in one place, yet they are plain in another . . .” (111).
6. There are two kinds of clarity in Scripture.
“To put it briefly, there are two kinds of clarity in Scripture, just as there are also two kinds of obscurity: one external and pertaining to the ministry of the Word, the other located in the understanding of the heart” (112).
7. External clarity extends to the whole world, not just Christians.
“If, on the other hand, you speak of the external clarity, nothing at all is left obscure or ambiguous, but everything there is in Scripture has been brought out by the Word into the most definite light, and published in all the world (112).
8. Internal obscurity comes from depravity.
“All men have a darkened heart, so that even if they can recite everything in Scripture, and know how to quote it, yet they apprehend and truly understand nothing of it” (112).
9. The Holy Spirit brings about internal clarity.
“If you speak of the internal clarity, no man perceives one iota of what is in the Scriptures unless he has the Spirit of God” (112).
10. One of the worst results of the Roman Catholic doctrine of Scripture is that it has kept people from reading and studying the Bible.
“Yet with such a phantasmagoria [bizarre illusion] Satan has frightened men away from reading the Sacred Writ, and has made Holy Scripture contemptible . . .” (110).
11. Another result of Roman Catholic doctrine is that it has sometimes set wicked men above Scripture.
“Nothing more pernicious could be said than this, for it has led ungodly men to set themselves above the Scriptures and to fabricate whatever they pleased, until the Scriptures have been completely trampled down and we have been believing and teaching nothing but dreams of madmen” (159).
Protestant Scholastics’ Doctrine of the Perspicuity of Scripture In the years following the deaths of the firs-generation Reformers, Lutheran and Reformed scholastics had the opportunity to state with some precision of words the various doctrinal emphases of the Reformation.42 The battle over the perspicuity of Scripture between Protestant and Roman Catholic scholars remained intense during these years. Possibly the best illustration of the scholastics’ statement of the perspicuity of Scripture is found in the work of Re42 See further, Robert D. Preus, The Theology of Post-Reformation Lutheranism (St. Louis: Concordia, 1970), for a complete study of the Lutheran scholastics.
79
formed scholastic, Francis Turretin (d. 1687). Turretin highlights the perspicuity of Scripture in a chapter in his book, The Doctrine of Scripture. In this chapter, Turretin makes twenty-two points about Scripture’s clarity, most of which simply develop the Reformers’ teaching. In point two, for example, Turretin writes, “No one denies that Scripture is obscure to unbelievers and unregenerate people, to whom the gospel is its own concealment, as Paul says (II Cor. 4). . . . [But] is it so obscure that a believing person cannot comprehend it for salvation without the authority and decision of the church? This we deny.”43 In point six, Turretin writes, It is not a question of perspicuity that excludes necessary means for interpretation, such as the inner light of the Spirit, the attention of the mind, the voice and ministry of the church, lectures and commentaries, prayers and vigils. We acknowledge such means are not only useful but also normally are necessary, but we want to deny any obscurity that keeps the common people from reading Scripture, as if it were harmful or dangerous, or that leads to a falling back on traditions when one should have taken a stand on Scripture alone.44
Point fifteen reads, “It is one thing for there to be in Scripture difficult passages . . . whose difficulties can be mastered, but another for there to be insuperable . . . difficulties, which cannot be understood no matter how painstakingly they are investigated.”45
German Pietists’ Emphasis on the Perspicuity of Scripture Contemporary with, and sometimes in conflict with, the scholastics were the Pietists.46 A helpful compendium scholastics had overemphasized the fine points of Protestant theology and underemphasized the necessity of the new birth and practical Christian living.47 Practical Christian living included the study of the Bible, and this meant an emphasis on the perspicuity of Scripture. One of the most important of the Lutheran Pietists was Philipp Jakob Spener (d. 1705). In his famous Pia Desideria, for example, Spener wrote, Indeed, it was by a special trick of the cursed devil that things were brought to such a pass in the papacy that all these spiritual functions were assigned solely to the clergy (to whom alone the name “spiritual,” which is in actual fact common to all Christians, was therefore arrogantly allotted) and the rest of the Christians were excluded from them, as if it were not proper for laymen diligently to study in the Word of the Lord. . . . This presumptuous monopoly of the clergy, alongside the aforementioned prohibition of Bible reading, is one of the principal means by which papal Rome established its power over poor
43 Francis Turretin, The Doctrine of Scripture, ed. and trans. by John W. Beardslee III (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981) 185. 44 Ibid., 187-88. 45 Ibid., 191. 46 The best book-length studies of Pietism in English are still the three works by F. Ernest Stoeffler. See F. Ernest Stoeffler, The Rise of Evangelical Pietism (Leiden: Brill, 1971); Stoeffler, German Pietism During the Eighteenth Century (Leiden: Brill, 1973); and Stoeffler, ed., Continental Pietism and Early American Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976). 47 Pietist Lutheran groups who honor Scripture and believe in the necessity of the new birth still exist today—the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, for example.
80
Christians and still preserves it wherever it has opportunity. . . . Every Christian is bound not only to offer himself and what he has, his prayer, thanksgiving, good works, alms, and so forth, but also industriously to study in the Word of the Lord, with the grace that is given him to teach others, especially those under his own roof.48
In a message, “The Necessary and Useful Reading of the Holy Scriptures,” Spener refers to Gregory the Great’s metaphor: Scripture is water in which a lamb can touch bottom and walk on it but an elephant must swim. This we can understand in the following sense: A simple person can discover his need in it and come to it even though he can only wade; on the other hand, the person who has greater understanding will meet with so many difficulties in the text that he must swim through them with great struggle, that is, he must turn all his powers toward overcoming those difficulties.49
The doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture pervades the Pietists’ writings, so much so that a major work on the Pietist doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture would, in fact, be helpful. CONCLUSION The practical lessons from the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture are many. The first is surely thankfulness to the God of grace who clearly reveals in a book how to have one’s sins forgiven, how to have eternal life, and how to live a life pleasing to Him. This doctrine is also one of the important teachings of Scripture for which Jude instructed Christians to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3). Clarity of Scripture is denied by every false theology, usually putting a priesthood, a cult’s founder, an inner light, a critical methodology, or a postmodern hermeneutic, between the Scriptures and the Christian. Finally, pastors may need to be reminded never to give the impression to their people that they cannot understand the Bible without their sermons. On the contrary, pastors must help their people to learn to love to read and study God’s Word. The Bible is a precious book, able to make people wise unto salvation, profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness—and it is clear.
48 Philipp Jakob Spener, “Pia Desideria,” in Erb, ed., Pietists: Selected Writings 35. 49 Philipp Jakob Spener, “The Necessary and Useful Reading of the Holy Scriptures,” in Erb, ed., Pietists: Selected Writings 72. See also in the same volume Spener’s, “The Spiritual Priesthood” 50-64; and “The Necessary and Useful Reading of the Holy Scriptures” 71-75.
81
