The Eight Rules of Interpretation. “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:19-20 NAS) As mentioned above, we cannot have a “sure word” about the meaning of Scripture (or anything else) unless we have and utilize a sure method of interpreting the words.
The following “Eight Rules” are the heart or center of all grammatical interpretation. If one's interpretation rests upon the foundation of these accepted “Eight Rules”, then one may feel confident and sure regarding that interpretation which is attributed to those passages. These “Eight Rules” have been accepted and used by scholars from Socrates to the present time. Biblical interpretation is more than knowing a set of rules, but it cannot be accomplished well without the guidance of these rules, none the less. Biblical literalism. Biblical literalism (also called Biblicism or Biblical fundamentalism) is the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible.[1][2] A literal Biblical interpretation is associated with the fundamentalist and evangelical hermeneutical approach to scripture—the historical-grammatical method—and is used extensively by fundamentalist Christians,[3] in contrast to the historical-critical method of liberal Christians.
The essence of this approach focuses upon the author's intent as the primary meaning of the text.[4] Literal interpretation does place emphasis upon the referential aspect of the words or terms in the text. It does not, however, mean a complete denial of literary aspects, genre, or figures of speech within the text (e.g., parable, allegory, simile, or metaphor).[5] Also literalism does not necessarily lead to total and complete agreement upon one single interpretation for any given passage. Background[edit] History[edit] Criticism[edit] Exegesis. How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 1: Principles for Understanding God’s Word. In a culture where God’s Word is constantly under attack from those both inside and outside of the church, we must always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us.
This web series on Apologetics is designed to give you the tools required to defend the faith. Introduction A popular seminary professor recently wrote the following about the creation of Adam and Eve: Any evils humans experience outside the Garden before God breathes into them the breath of life would be experienced as natural evils in the same way that other animals experience them. The pain would be real, but it would not be experienced as divine justice in response to willful rebellion. So according to this professor, Adam and Eve were animals before God breathed the breath of life into them. How does this line up with the Word of God, which states that God made Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) and Eve from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:22)?
How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 2: Is Genesis 1–11 Historical Narrative. In a culture where God’s Word is constantly under attack from those both inside and outside of the church, we must always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us.
This web series on Apologetics is designed to give you the tools required to defend the faith. In the previous chapter, the term “hermeneutics” was defined, and it was shown why it is so important to accurately interpret the Word of God. The best method of interpretation is known as the historical-grammatical approach. Not only did the people in the New Testament utilize this method when interpreting the Old Testament, but also it is the only system that provides a series of checks and balances to keep us on track as we interpret. We looked at the following six key principles to follow when interpreting the Bible: Carefully observe the text Context is key Clarity of Scripture Compare Scripture with Scripture Classification of the text Church’s historical view.