Bible Interpretation or Hermeneutics "Reading the Bible
Biblically"
How do we become like the Berean Christians that the Holy Spirit
had the Apostle Luke record in the book of Acts in chapter 17 and
verse eleven? Act 17:11 "These were more noble than those in
Thessaloniki, in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were
so. 12 Therefore many of them believed..." Let us begin by
dissecting a couple of keywords or segments of verse 11 by using some
of the Biblical methods of sound hermeneutics to get a full sense of
the message of the verse: }MORE NOBLE- eugenes{ Adjective, an outline
of its Bible usage: Well born, noble-minded- used one time in the KJV
Definition- eugenes- WELLBORN literally, HIGH IN RANK-MORE NOBLE
}RECEIVED- dechomai{ Verb, an outline of its Biblical usage: To take
with the hand, take hold of, take up, grant access to, educate of the
the thing offered in speaking, teaching, or instruction, to give ear
to, make one's own, approve, not reject, get, learn.
}WORD-Logos-Jesus{ as in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Noun, an
outline of its Biblical usage: Jesus, speech, a word uttered by a
living voice, embodies a conception, idea, what Someone has said or
is saying in our case when we read the Word of God, the sayings of
God, decree or moral mandate or order of moral precepts given by God,
instruction, doctrine, teaching. }ALL READINESS OF MIND- prothumia{
Noun, an outline of its Biblical usage: Zeal, spirit, eagerness,
inclination, }SEARCHED- h'anakarino{ Verb, past tense, an outline of
its Biblical usage Examine or judge, enquire into, scrutinize, sift,
question specifically in a forensic sense, of a judge, to hold an
investigation, to interrogate, estimate determine (the excellence or
defects of a person or thing.) This is the heart of Bible
interpretation! The Principles we will follow these next few weeks,
always prayerfully and Holy Spirit led: 1.) God's Holy Spirit, He One
with God, and Jesus, and a Person unto Himself at the same time with
an office, function, and job to do Himself, spoke through preordained
and chosen men, with differing personalities, backgrounds, countries,
communities, three different human languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and
Greek, and times or dispensations or segments of linear human
history. 2.) Since Scripture is "God breathed" and ABSOLUTE
TRUTH, the unity, flow, theme, message, must be searched and its
Divine message from our Father in heaven known and understood. 3.)
Scripture is the Divine authority for doctrine and life in our walk
in and with Jesus, and His bride the church here at Glade. #1st
Principle Guideline: base our study on the geographical and cultural
setting of the verse, passage, chapter, book, and unity of the whole
Bible. #2nd principle guideline: WORD STUDY-research each unclear and
important Word. #3rd principle guideline: Take apart the structure of
the verse or sentence's Holy Spirit thought or message.
Presuppositions and Principles: Our approaches to the Word of God-
"The basic presupposition about the Bible that distinguishes
Believers from unbelievers is that the Bible is God's revelation of
Himself and His will for us humans. Although Christians are united in
that basic affirmation, the implications of the statement are viewed
in very different ways. It is IMPORTANT to understand those different
approaches, for a person's presuppositions, will determine, to a
large extent, how he understands and interprets Scripture." Dr.
McQuilkin AUTHORITATIVE Since God is the Author, the Bible is
authoritative and absolute in its rule for human thought and
behavior. Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament an
astounding 855 times: The Gospel of Matthew 96 The Gospel of Mark 34
The Gospel of Luke 58 The Gospel of John 40 Acts of the Apostles 57
Romans 74 1 Corinthians 41 2 Corinthians 13 Galatians 16 Ephesians 11
Philippians 3 Colossians 3 1 Thessalonians 2 2 Thessalonians 2 1
Timothy 6 2 Timothy 2 Hebrews 86 James 16 1 Peter 20 2 Peter 10 1
John 6 Revelation 249 Total 855 Times TRUSTWORTHY Since God is the
Author, ALL of the Bible is INFALLIBLE and TRUSTWORTHY, every Jot and
tittle, iota, from "In the beginning..." in Genesis to
"Amen." in Revelation 22:21 Consider Isaiah 53 and read the
"Passion of Christ" passages in the Gospels, and remember
the Holy Spirit spoke this passage through Isaiah 753 years before
our Lord's birth. DISTORTED APPROACHES TO THE BIBLE: 1.)
Supernaturalistic approach-seeking several meanings which are to be
discovered through fleshly intuition and "personal spiritual
experiences." 2.) Naturalistic approach-limits the meaning and
significance of Scripture via human rationalization or flesh
intellect. This approach is prevalent in the "Post Modern"
era of history, ie the children of the parents born before and during
the Great Depression and WWII. 3.) Dogmatic approach-All specific
interpretation is made to fit a predetermined system of teaching or
external authority outside of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the
Word of God. Some doctrinally sound brothers and sisters in Christ
may err in dogmatically setting aside the plain meaning of the text
to make it fit to a system of doctrine or human authority ie
Calvinism, Arminianism, Catholicism for three examples. "Character
of the New Testament In these inspired writings we have, not indeed
an equivalent, but a reliable substitute for the personal presence
and the oral instruction of Christ and his apostles. The written word
differs from the spoken only in form; the substance is the same and
has, therefore, the same authority and quickening power for us as it
had for those who heard it first. Although these books were called
forth apparently by special and accidental occasions, and were
primarily addressed to particular circles of readers and adapted to
peculiar circumstances, yet, as they present the eternal and
unchangeable truth in living forms, they suit all circumstances and
conditions. Tracts for the times, they are tracts for all times;
intended for Jews and Greeks of the first century, they have the same
interest for Englishmen and Americans of the nineteenth century. They
are to this day not only the sole reliable and pure fountain of
primitive Christianity but also the infallible rule of Christian
faith and practice. From this fountain, the church has drunk the
water of life for more than fifty generations, and will drink it till
the end of time. In this rule, she has a perpetual corrective for her
faults and protection against all error. Theological systems come and
go, and draw from that treasury their larger or smaller additions to
the stock of our knowledge of the truth; but they can never equal
that infallible word of God, which abideth forever." (Schaff pg
12,716)
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