condensed theology lecture 6

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 6

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


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Where Weve Been &

Where Were Going Six lessons on the Bible Addressing the following subjects:

Revelation & Inspiration

Authority

Sufficiency

Unity Necessity Power

Truthfulness

Inerrancy Infallibility

Clarity

Illumination Hermeneutics

Grammatico-historical exegesis Redemptive-historical interpretation

Canonicity


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The Clarity of Scripture

Is the Bibles meaning clear?


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Defining Clarity


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Defining the Bibles Clarity

When we say that the Bible is clear, wemean that its message can be understood

by human beings through the ordinarymeans of understanding any writtencommunication


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The Bible Can Be Understood by

Human Beings This part of our initial definition is an

inference from the doctrine of revelation

Since the Bible is a revelation of God; i.e.an unveiling of truth, we reason that itmust be able to be understood.

Put negatively, if the Bible cannot beunderstood, then it cannot properly be arevelation of God


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The Bible Can Be Understood by

Human Beings 1 Cor 2:12-13: Now we have received, not

the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is

from God, so that we may know the thingsfreely given to us by God, which things wealso speak, not in words taught by humanwisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit,

combining spiritual thoughts with spiritualwords.


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The Bible Can Be Understood

through the Ordinary Means This part of our initial definition is an inference

from the phenomena of Scripture; i.e. it is aninference from what the Bible is: Gods written

revelation composed through men

2 Pet 1:20-21: But know this first of all, that noprophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's owninterpretation, for no prophecy was ever made

by an act of human will, but men moved by theHoly Spirit spoke from God.


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The Humanity of Scripture:

The Bible Composed by Men The ordinary means of understanding

human documents must take into account

the phenomena of Scripture itself We must reckon with the fact that God

revealed this word (the Bible) to us inearlier times and in many forms


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The Phenomena of Scripture


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The Bible Was Written by Men:It Is a Human Book

Literary Gaps

Religious Gaps

Linguistic Gaps

Historical Gaps

Cultural Gaps


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Historical Gaps ANE

2nd Temple Judaism (a.k.a. theIntertestamental Period)

Roman rule in the ancient world, esp. in

Palestine Development of the provinces of Asia Minor

The dates of the respective compositions

The reasons for which each was composed

The original audience(s) of a composition Geography (e.g., cities no longer in existence)

Textual transmission, text criticism


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Cultural Gaps

Family relationships

Political protocol

Economic practices Military systems

Agricultural methods

Legal systems Philosophical systems


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Religious Gaps

The temple cult and the religions of theANE

Judaism of Jesus Day Emperor Cult

Mithraism

Proto-gnosticism Mystery religions


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Linguistic Gaps

The Bible has been composed in Hebrew,Aramaic, and (Koine) Greek

The issues of translation: difficulty,interpretative function


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Literary Gaps

The Bible incorporates a variety of literarystyles, some of which are no longer in use(e.g. apocalyptic)

In addition, of those still in use, theirancient function is different from theircontemporary function (poetry, proverb,

taunt, etc.)


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In order to understand the ancient texts ofthe Old and New Testaments, thehistorical, cultural, religious, linguistic,

literary gaps must be bridged Thus we need a method for bridging these

gaps that we might understand therevelation of God given in earlier times

This branch of study is calledhermeneutics


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Hermeneutics

The Science and Art of Biblical

Interpretation


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Hermeneutics

Luke 24:27: Then beginning with Moses andwith all the prophets, He explained to them thethings concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

The word translated explained is d i er mh ,n eu s en(diermneusen), which means to explain on amore extensive and formal level the meaning ofsomething which is particularly obscure or

difficult to comprehend. It may be rendered, toexplain, or to interpret.


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Hermeneutics

From here (Luke 24) biblical hermeneutics hasdeveloped as a discipline and may be definedsimply as the science and art of biblical

interpretation The reason why it is considered science and art

is that although there are certain rules whichwhen strictly applied will yield similar results,

there is also an art to interpretation that figuresinto ones interpretive work


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Hermeneutics

Our method for interpretation is derived both from whatthe Bible says about itself and from the phenomena ofScripture

Since we believe that the Bible is the word of God written

in human language, inerrant and inspired, we reasonthat our methodology must take into account the originallanguages, the literary forms, and the historical contextof Scripture.

This is commonly called grammatico-historical exegesis,

or literal interpretation. By literal is meant that the wordsof Scripture are to be read according to their normalgrammatical and philological sense.


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Hermeneutics

And since we believe the Bible to beunified in its teaching as the word of Godwritten, our methodology must also take

into account what the Scripture sayselsewhere on a given subject as we drawconclusions about what a given text maymean.

This is commonly called the principle ofScripture interpreting Scripture


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Hermeneutics

The unity of Scripture in the person ofChrist also indicates that our methodologymust take into account the Christocentricnature of the biblical witness

This is sometimes called Christocentricinterpretation


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Hermeneutics

And finally, since we believe the Biblerepresent the progressive unfolding ofGods work of redemption, ourmethodology must also take into accounthow the writers of the New Testament andthe apostles interpret the Old Testament

This is sometimes called the redemptive-historical interpretation


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Hermeneutics: Summary

Grammatico-historical interpretation

Scripture interprets Scripture

Christocentric interpretation The New Testament is the final word on

our understanding of previous revelation


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Hermeneutics & Clarity


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These principles will help us not toconclude erroneously that clarity is amyth simply because the process of

interpretation is complex; for though theinterpretation of Scripture may becomplex for us, it was not so for theoriginal audiences

Though they had to employ the samemethodology, they did so unconsciouslyas we do every day


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In addition, our interpretativeprinciples can also help us to

address other commonmisconceptions about the clarity ofScripture


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Misconceptions about Clarity


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Obscure Passages of Scripture

Make Clarity a Myth 1 John 5:16: If anyone sees his brother committing a sinnot leading to death, he shall ask and God will for himgive life to those who commit sin not leading to death.There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that heshould make request for this.

1 Cor 15:29: Otherwise, what will those do who arebaptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all,why then are they baptized for them?

2 Thess 2:6: And you know what restrains him now, sothat in his time he may be revealed.


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The Bible Testifies against Its

Clarity Isa 6:9-10 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep

on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but donot understand.' "Render the hearts of this peopleinsensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Lest they

see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understandwith their hearts, And return and be healed."

2 Pet 3:16: as also in all his letters, speaking in them ofthese things, in which are some things hard to

understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, asthey do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their owndestruction.


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Clarity Is a Myth because Only

Christians Can Understand It 1 Cor 2:13-14: which things we also speak, not in wordstaught by human wisdom, but in those taught by theSpirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spiritof God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannotunderstand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

1 John 2:27: And as for you, the anointing which youreceived from Him abides in you, and you have no needfor anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches

you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and justas it has taught you, you abide in Him.


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Believers Disagreements Make

Clarity a Myth Spiritual Gifts: Are they or are they not all

operative today?

The Lords Table: Transubstantiation,consubstantiation, a simple memorial, or aspiritual meal with Christ?

Baptism: Infant or Believers only?

Eschatology: Premillennial, amillennial,postmillennial? Pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational?


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Conclusion


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Toward a Definition of Clarity

The Bibles overall message is clearenough that the average reader employingthe ordinary means may understand it.

Only those enlightened by the Spirit willbelieve what it says.


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Glossary


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Glossary

Hermeneutics: The science and art ofinterpreting texts

condensed theology lecture 6

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