Hermeneutics – part 2

1. Hermeneutics – part 2 New Life Fellowship

2. What is hermeneutics? Methods for reading, studying, & interpreting the Bible

3. Why do We need Hermeneutics? • Everyone already has a system of hermeneutics, i.e., a system for reading, interpreting, and understanding. The issue is not whether to have one or not, but whether to have a GOOD set of hermeneutics or not!

4. Why do We need Hermeneutics? • Culturally, most Americans have developed bad reading and interpretive habits. Also, we have bad interpretive theories underlying our popular hermeneutics (i.e., they are relativistic).

5. Why do We need Hermeneutics? • God’s Word is written TO us THROUGH another people, language, culture, and historical context. • We need good hermeneutics to interpret the “through” part of God’s revelation in order not to distort the “to” part!

6. The basis of our interpretive understanding ONEinterpretation, SEVERAL applications

7. The basis of our interpretive understanding ONEinterpretation, SEVERAL applications

8. The basis of our interpretive understanding Don’t pull the text through your own interpretive keyhole!

9. The basis of our interpretive understanding Don’t pull the text through your own interpretive keyhole!

10. The basis of our interpretive understanding Meaning is determined by the author, not the text, and not the reader!

11. The basis of our interpretive understanding Meaning is determined by the author, not the text, and not the reader!

12. Why do We need Hermeneutics? To take hold of the gold, you must mine mindfully!

13. Why do We need Hermeneutics? To take hold of the gold, you must mine mindfully!

14. Why do We need Hermeneutics? So how do we mine mindfully?

15. Step 1: Avoiding the trap of our interpretive keyhole

16. The focus of both the Old and the New Testaments is on the fulfillment of God’s plan, not on our own individual plans

17. Realigning with God’s plan Personal fulfillment as individual Christians is a byproduct of fulfilling our role within God’s people, the church!

18. Realigning with God’s plan The emphasis of the Bible is not on individual rights or fulfillment, but on the unity of God’s people  Before asking how the Bible applies to us, we must first ask: • What is God doing in history? • How can I better understand and align with what God is doing?

19. Discuss • What do you think is the danger of losing our sense of “history” when we read the Bible? How would the different worldviews affect the kinds of questions we bring to the Bible? • What do you think about the idea of finding fulfillment in God’s plan, rather than personal satisfaction in living?

20. Discovering meaning Read the Bible from a birds-eye view, not a worm’s eye view!

23. Significance of background information varies with genre

24. Culture & History • Culture = values, beliefs, mannerisms, people / people groups • Ways of relating and looking at the world that its members share and that provide the framework for all communication • History = events & places • Usually the events of history give rise to the culture at hand

25. Crossing culture Some advice for Japanese tourists traveling to the U.S.: • 3. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by American traffic patterns. • 5. They have free time all week long! • 6. Knowing how to use sarcasm is a must to communicate with an American. • 7. They tend to horse laugh, even the women. It’s how they show they’re honest. • 10. But darn it all, they’re so weirdly optimistic you just can’t stay irritated at them!

26. Crossing Culture How would you characterize our church culture? What sort of cultural baggage do we tend to bring to Christian living, church life, or reading the Bible?

27. Crossing culture

28. mundane bits of culture can flesh out our understanding Where was Jesus Christ born? A manger in Bethlehem? What manger?

29. mundane bits of culture can flesh out our understanding LUKE 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. kataluma

30. Differences in Bible Translations Note the translations of the difficult term “sarx” (“flesh”) in Galatians 5:24: “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (NASV)

32. The translation Spectrum

33. 5 Steps for interpreting a biblical passage • Identify the genre. • State your initial understanding or hypothesis of the passage’s main idea. • Make observations about the context of the passage in 4 categories: literary, grammatical, historical, and cultural. • Interpret the meaning of the passage as you meditate on the passage with the observations you made. • Apply the passage to yourself and to those around you.

34. Let’s try it! “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

35. What is your Initial Hypothesis? “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Hypothesis: If two or more believers pray together in Jesus’ name, then God will grant the prayer because Jesus is with them.

36. Matthew 18:19-20 • Genre: New Testament Gospel Narrative • Hypothesis: If two or more believers pray together in Jesus’ name, then God will grant the prayer because Jesus is with them.

37. Top-Down to Matthew 18

38. Matthew 18:15-20 15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses everyfact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

40. How should we Interpret the passage? Jesus conveys the importance of church discipline, outlines steps to deal with sin, and promises his presence and authority over our decisions.

41. Interpretation Therefore… • This passage is NOT about God answering general prayer or assurance of God’s presence • My sin and your sin affects all who are in the body of Christ! • We have a high calling of accountability to one another • Church discipline is not about punishing or judging our brothers • It is tough love to push a brother or sister to repent and restore him in the body. The goal is to win them! • We have both the authority and the responsibility to discipline and forgive. • We NEED Jesus for this process!

42. Meditate Think of the significance of this passage for your life and the life of this community: • Is there any unconfessed sin for which you need to seek forgiveness? Can you see how the sin might be damaging to our spiritual growth as a body? Is God calling you to confess to a brother or sister? • If someone confronted you about a sin today, would you be able to listen graciously without argument, for the sake of the body? • Do you know of a brother or sister who is stuck in unacknowledged sin? How may God be calling you to practice tough love and forgiveness? Can you depend on the assurance of his presence and authority to strengthen you through the process?