Bible Interpretation I - Lesson 2
Introduction Continued
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION (Continued)
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Major Approaches to Bible Interpretation
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Allegorical
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Scripture is spiritualized so that its primary message is taken to be something other than what it plainly says.
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This is the approach of religious scholarship
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Traditional
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Scripture is made to conform to earlier traditional teachings of the accepted church
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This is the approach of church hierarchy
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Rationalistic
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Scripture is treated as any other book (uninspired and error-ridden) and is analyzed for errors more than believed for truth
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This is the approach of humanistic scholarship
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Literal
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Scripture is taken to mean what it says. Even symbols and types refer to that which is literal.
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This is the approach of Bible believers
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Importance of Approach
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Man cannot find value in the Bible until he understands what it means (Acts 8:30-31)
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Mans method of interpretation determines whether or not he understands the Bible
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Therefore, without correct interpretation of the Bible, man is blinded from the truth of the word of God
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BRIEF HISTORY OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION
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Apostolic Age (0-150AD)
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Life span of those who knew the apostles (Judges 2:7)
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Literal interpretation was predominate
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Early Church Age (150-500AD); three main directions of interpretation developed
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Literal
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Centered in the school of Antioch
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Predominate in Syria and Asia Minor
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Continued in the pattern set by the apostles
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Allegorical
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Centered in the school of Alexandria
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Predominate in Egypt and Palestine
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Main proponents: Origen and Eusebius
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Approach first developed by the Jewish theologian, Philo
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Traditional
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Centered in the school of Rome
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Predominate in Italy and North Africa
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Main proponents: Augustine and Jerome; Augustine laid down the rule that the Bible must be interpreted with reference to Church Orthodoxy Farrar
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Joined forces with the school of Alexandria to establish the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church
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Middle Ages (500-1500AD)
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Traditional interpretation as found in Roman Catholicism predominated; Hugo of St. Victor said, Learn first what you should believe, and then go to the Bible to find it there.
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Allegorical interpretation used only as it served tradition
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Small pockets of Bible believers throughout Europe held to literal interpretation
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Reformation (1500-1700AD)
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Return to literal interpretation brought revival, evangelism and increased Bible study
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Traditional views remained solid in Roman Catholicism and were never completely erased in the Protestant denominations
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With the increase of education, the seed was planted for allegoricalism and rationalism
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Reformation teaching established the threefold foundation of Bible interpretation
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Grammatical interpretation Interpretation must take into account the actual words of the passage including vocabulary, grammar and immediate context
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Historical interpretation Scripture must be studied in the context of its relationship to history, geography and customs
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Doctrinal interpretation Any doctrinal passage must be studied as it relates to those same doctrines as taught throughout the entire Bible; This involves scriptural comparison, doctrinal development and dispensational differences
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Modern Church Age (1700AD to present)
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Through scholarship, allegoricalism and rationalism predominate
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Traditionalism continues its hold on Roman Catholicism and mainline Protestantism
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Literalism becomes more and more uncommon as does Bible study, revivals and solid churches