Biblical Interpretation Seminar Notebook, A BRIEF SUMMARY OF HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLES

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLES

1. ALWAYS PRAY FIRST (The Spirit is essential. God wants you to understand.)

2. ESTABLISH THE ORIGINAL TEXT

a. Check the notes in the margin of your study Bible for Greek manuscript variants.

b. Do not build a doctrine on a disputed text, look for a clear parallel passage.

3. UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

a. Read the entire context (literary context is crucial). Check the outline in a study Bible or commentary to determine the literary unit.

b. Never try to interpret less than a paragraph. Try to outline the main truths of the paragraphs in the literary unit. This way we can follow the original author’s thoughts and their development.

c. Read the paragraph in several translations which use different translation theories.

d. Consult good commentaries and other Bible study aids only after you have studies the text first (remember the Bible, the Spirit, and you are priority in biblical interpretation).

4. UNDERSTANDING THE WORDS

a. The NT writers were Hebrew thinkers, writing in Koine (street) Greek.

b. We must find the contemporary meaning and connotations, not modern English definitions (see Septuagint and Egyptian papyri).

c. Words have meaning only in sentences. Sentences have meaning only in paragraphs. Paragraphs have meaning only in literary units. Check the semantic field (i.e., various meanings of words).

5. USE PARALLEL PASSAGES

a. The Bible is the best interpreter of the Bible. It has only one author, the Holy Spirit.

b. Look for the clearest teaching text on the truth of your paragraph (reference Bible or concordance).

c. Look for the paradoxical truths (tension-filled pairs of eastern literature).

6. APPLICATION

a. You cannot apply the Bible to your day until you understand what the inspired author was saying to his/her day (historical context is crucial).

b. Be careful of personal biases, theological systems, or agendas. Let the Bible speak for itself!

c. Be careful of principlizing every verse. Not all texts have universal relevance. Not all texts apply to modern individuals.

d. Respond immediately to new truth or insight. Bible knowledge is meant to produce daily Christlikeness and Kingdom service.