I'm still working through some of these thoughts so bear with me. Sidenote: I learned today, with the help of google, that I would have been incorrect to ask you to 'bare with me' as oppose to 'bear with me' as this is not an invitation to undress together. Good thing I checked.
In much of the evangelical tradition, there is a strong emphasis on being faithful to the scriptures. I will be the first to admit that I still have a far way to go in terms of learning, growing, and understanding God's Word. It is my responsibility, along with all believers, to have a familiarity and knowledge of the scriptures. However, this is where I run into problems. Is not the individual the least solid of all biblical interpreters? When proper interpretation is left entirely to the individual, aren't we running the risk of being influenced and swayed based on our own individual history? Our individual personalities? Individual biases? Individual fears? Individual agendas? If we believe that there is more to God's Word than 'whatever you think it might mean' then we need some sort of accountability in our interpretation.
So the obvious solution is 'we must interpret scripture in the context of a community.' But then, I wonder, which community? Our particular church body? Our particular denomination (after all, there are thousands of them)? Our favorite theologian's interpretation? The other individuals who think the same way we do? That could also be an unreliable alternative.
Some may take it a step further and say that we must interpret the scriptures within the context of a community that is most faithful to church history or a community that is most faithful to the historical creeds or a community committed to being culturally relevant, and so on.
At the end of the day, we all must interpret the scriptures in a certain manner. To those who claim to read the scriptures literally... you still interpret them. Just one example (of hundreds) of this is John 6 when Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." For one to come to the conclusion that Jesus is speaking metaphorically requires one to interpret and exegete the text in a manner that they have chosen for themself.
Is the answer to continue to interpret the text among communities that think the same way we do, AND in doing so, continue to produce endless amounts of denominations and 'non-denominational communities' (which, are simply a denomination unto themselves)?
So, as a Christian people how do we appropriately interpret and read the scriptures?
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The first "step" to interpretation has to be an acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit. After that, I think that all of those bodies (individual, community, historical, etc.) are helpful.
ReplyDeleteJay, a proper hermeneutic can only derive from strict holiness preaching. Unless we believe that the Bible is the 100% completely inerrant and infallible Word of God, then we are already off track. Also, I firmly believe in a KJV only interpretation; NIV and soforth are becoming increasingly more liberal in their agenda.
ReplyDeleteTHE DANGER OF PRIVATELY INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE
ReplyDeleteActs 8:30-35 - 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
32 This was the scripture passage he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
33 In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."
34 Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"
35 Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.
2 Peter 1:20 - Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation,
2 Peter 3:16 - Speaking of these things 12 as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, everyone.
ReplyDelete