Christianity 101: Week One

Knowledge begins with respect for the LORD. Proverbs 1:7 (NCV)

Everyone today wants to believe the Holy Bible and accept the Holy Bible as the source of our faith. However not too many people want to obey and respect the Holy Scriptures’ teaching. To get around obeying God’s teaching from the Holy Bible, some people will try to twist and contort the Holy Scriptures to say what they want the Holy Bible to say so they can continue an unholy lifestyle. Also, some people take figurative language and keywords found in the Holy Bible beyond the authors’ original meaning (e.g., Revelation 22 and connection with Genesis chapters 1 through 3). Hence, there is the need for hermeneutics or exegesis. Exegesis is the science of interpreting the Holy Bible to help people understand God’s Word. 

For most modern people trying to understand the Holy Bible, they approach the Holy Bible with their personal agendas, worldviews, and beliefs –consciously and unconsciously – before actually reading the text itself. Sadly, many people, particularly non-Christians, frequently deny the absolute truth and the existence of God. To understand and interpret the Holy Bible, one must acknowledge first that God the Creator exists and that He has communicated to humanity through His created world and the Holy Bible (see Romans 1:19-21). Even more, one must humbly submit our personal agendas, worldviews, and beliefs to God and His teachings found in the Holy Bible (see Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 111:10; Isaiah 50:10). True knowledge begins with respect and reverence for God (Proverbs 1:7). With our submission to God, God’s Holy Spirit will help everyone distinguish and absorb God’s true teaching (see John 14:17; John 15:26; John 16:13). Diligent study of the Holy Bible and God’s Holy Spirit give readers significant judgement and insight to distinguish counterfeit teaching and false doctrine (see 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 4:13-16). 

Throughout church history, people have tried numerous methods to interpret the Holy Scriptures. In the early church, many church fathers commonly interpreted the Holy Scriptures through allegorical methods as the pagan world. For example, Origen of the early church spoke of the Holy Bible having a three-fold meaning or sense: body, soul, and spirit. The body of the Scripture is the Scriptures plain or literal meaning. The soul of the Holy Bible means the practical or moral application. The spirit points to Jesus Christ, His Gospel and eternal truths. During the Reformation period, the church fathers aimed to get to the true meaning of the Holy Scriptures and to accept the Bible as God’s final authority and not church doctrine, church council nor Rome. Modern theologians today support the grammatical and historical interpretation to ascertain God’s true meaning of the Bible. According to these theologians, one cannot understand the Holy Scriptures without first understanding the grammatical and ancient culture of the Bible authors. S.R. Driver is a modern theologian who appreciated the awareness of the ancient world to interpret fully and understand the Holy Scriptures. 

Regardless of your approach, the Holy Scriptures calls everyone to study God’s Word so one can understand God and His teaching. When we study God’s Word carefully and invest time understanding His teachings, we absorb God’s truth and gain true knowledge for living (Proverbs 2:1-5).

 

References

McCartney, Dan. Let the Reader Understand (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presb. and Reformed Publishing, 2^nd Edition, 2002)

Schwab, George, Ph.D., Professor of Exegesis (Due West, SC: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2016).

Schwab, George, Ph.D. “Origen: The Principles and Methods of His Exegesis As Seen In Comparison with S.R. Driver” (1993).