Scripture Series: The need to Interpret Part 5.

Scripture Series: The need to Interpret Part 5.

THE BIBLE "NEED TO INTERPRET SERIES ICON

‘READING A GOOD TRANSLATION?’

Welcome to my Fifth and final post in a series of 5 on the need to Interpret the Bible.  If you missed the last four posts, check it out in the category of Scripture- the need to interpret. You may also find the posts in the 4-part series Scripture- Bible Reading Methods useful as well.  

In choosing a good translation we need to know something of the science of translation. The translator must make textual and linguistic choices which can affect us.  The translator has a number of problems in relation to the question of text including:

1. No original copies exist (manuscripts)

2. Thousands of copies produced by hand over a period of 1400 years vary.

3. Vast majority from later medieval times are similar, but they differ from earlier era translations.

The reader should also be aware of: -

1. Textual criticism is a science that works with careful controls. The translator has to consider external and internal evidence.  In the Old Testament the quality and age of the manuscripts have to be considered as well as a choice between Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. Sometimes neither the Hebrew nor the Greek makes sense, so conjecture is made. In regard to internal evidence, copyists and authors make mistakes and translators decide which variant is correct, based on a proper analysis of scribal habits and tendencies, their style and vocabulary. The best external evidence combined with the best internal evidence provides a high degree of certainty about the original text.

2. Textual criticism is not an exact science because of too many human variables.

3. There are many versions available, but some have accumulated mistakes over 1000 yrs.

CHOOSING A GOOD TRANSLATION.

So, in choosing a translation keep in mind that there are problems associated with both literal and free translations including:

1. Language and grammar (literal) where the Greek or Hebrew is translated into English in an inappropriate way.

2. English may be ambiguous to the reader as compared to the clear reading of the Greek and Hebrew.

3. A free translation tends to update the language too much, becomes like a commentary and is completed by one translator, which may lead the reader astray.

4.Gender inclusive language might be appropriate in some texts but not in others.

5. Finding appropriate equivalents for weights and money can destroy the true meaning of the parable.

6. Finding appropriate Euphemisms for matters related  to matters of sex and toilet.

7. Vocabulary- finding the right English word that means the same in Hebrew or Greek, does not have foreign connotations to the original language, and takes into account the shades of meaning in the languages.

8. Grammar and Syntax: each language has its own preferred structures as to how words and ideas are related in sentences. This does not necessarily produce idiomatic English.

We must not despair- the Holy Spirit is our guide.

             

Scripture Series: The need to interpret the bible no 4

NEED TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE SERIES

THE BIBLE

10 PRINCIPLES FOR INTERPRETING NARRATIVES.

Welcome to my fourth post in a series of 5 on the need to Interpret the Bible.  If you missed the last three posts, check it out in the category of Scripture- the need to interpret. You may also find the posts in the 4 part series Scripture- Bible Reading Methods useful as well.

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart in a book called ‘How to read the Bible for all its worth’ gives the following 10 principles for interpreting narratives.  It may assist you to avoid obvious errors in interpretation whenever you seek to exegete (discover the original meaning) stories from Old and New Testaments using this genre. They are as follows:

1. ‘An Old Testament narrative does not directly teach a doctrine.

2. An Old Testament narrative usually illustrates a doctrine or doctrines taught elsewhere.

3. Narratives record what happened- not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time.  Therefore, not every narrative has an identifiable moral of the story.

4. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us.  Frequently it is just the opposite.

5. Most of the characters in Old Testament narratives are far from perfect and their actions are, too.

6. We are not always old at the end of the narrative whether what happened was good or bad.  We are expected to be able to judge that on the basis of what God has taught us directly and categorically elsewhere in the Scripture.

7. All narratives are selective and incomplete. Not all the relevant details are always given.  What does appear in the narrative is everything that the inspired author thought important for us to know.

8. Narratives are not written to answer all our theological questions. They have particular, specific limited purposes and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be dealt with elsewhere in other ways.

9. Narratives may teach either explicitly (by clearly stating something) or implicitly (by clearly imply something without actually stating it)

10. In the final analysis God is the hero of all biblical narratives.’   (pp.83-84)

Is God the ‘hero’ of the narrative of our lives also?                                                   

The need to interpret the Bible Part 3.

 SCRIPTURE SERIES: 

THE NEED TO INTERPRET

THE BIBLE

NARRATIVES. 

Welcome to my third post in a series of 5 on the need to Interpret the Bible.  If you missed the last two posts, check it out in the category of Scripture- the need to interpret. You may also find the posts in the 4 part series Scripture- Bible Reading Methods useful as well.

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?

The Old Testament is over 40% in narrative genre. Narratives are stories that tell us about things that have happened to demonstrate God’s power in creation and his people.  They also provide important lessons to us living today.  All narratives including the Old Testament have a plot and characters, but in the case of the Old Testament, God is the special character.

There are three levels of narratives, viz:

1. Top level: the story of redemption.

2. Middle level: mainly dealing with Israel, Abraham and his descendants.

3. Bottom level: individual stories which in turn form part of the other two levels.

The total revelation includes both Old and New Testament, which confirm His Godhead towards His creation.  In studying any individual narrative, all by itself, we must not overlook that it forms part of the whole revelation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVES

Other important aspects of narratives are:

1. The Old Testament stories are about what God did to and through his people. God is the ‘hero’ of the story.

2. Many aspects of narratives are not easily understood.  They are limited and do not disclose God’s mind or purpose for doing what He did or what happened. Reading into stories plots that are false can falsify the gist of the narrative.  God has NOT told us how or why he did a certain thing.  We have limited knowledge of God’s majesty and power.

3. Old Testament narratives do not always teach us directly, but they do provide us with knowledge of God’s work with His people and can have a beneficial effect on our lives and behaviour. For example: the adultery committed by David caused him harm in his personal life and his ability to rule.

4. Each individual narrative does not have a moral all of its own. To try and evaluate the story we must look not at the single bits therein, but overall to gain an insight into God’s revelation.

The need to Interpret the Bible Part 2

 SCRIPTURE SERIES: 

THE NEED TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE. Part 2.

The Bible: The need to interpret the Bible Series Icon.

Welcome to my second post in a series of 5 on the need to Interpret the Bible.  If you missed last week's post, check it out in the category of Scripture- the need to interpret. You may also find the posts in the 4-part series Scripture- Bible Reading Methods useful as well.

Exegesis’ is the careful systematic study of Scripture to discover the original meaning and to hear the Word as original hears were to have heard it.  It is a study to find out what was the original intent of the words of the Bible. It needs to be used as a first step in reading every biblical text to obviate selectivity and distorting the meaning of God’s Word.

LEARNING THE METHOD OF EXEGESIS

So how do we learn this method?  We need to:

1.Read the texts carefully.

2. Ask the right questions of the text in relation to context and content.

3. Analyse the texts in relation to historical and literary settings by using a good biblical dictionary, a good translation of the bible and a good commentary. These are two examples.

4. In relation to historical context we need to (a) review the time, place and culture of the author and his readers and (b) review the occasion/situation regarding the purpose of the writing and keep in mind the genre used.

 5. In relation to literary context we need to ask 4 questions for every text as follows:

(a)    What is the point of this sentence or paragraph?

(b)   Why is written at this point?

(c)    What is the author saying?

(d)   What is being said next in context and why?

 However, this is not the end of our study- there is another aspect which needs consideration.  

WHAT IS HERMENEUTICS?

‘Hermeneutics’ is the study of Scripture by asking the questions about the Bible’s meaning in the present day or its contemporary relevance.  To apply this procedure the following aspects need consideration.

1.Always begin with the ‘exegesis procedure to find out the original meaning.

2.Find out what God intended it to mean when first spoken.

3. Apply modern day thinking to the written text to guide us in what it means for us now.

It may sound complicated, but let us enable the Holy Spirit to guide us and be our teacher.  

Interpreting the Bible The need to Interpret Part 1

THE NEED TO INTERPRET. Part 1.

THE BIBLE: The need to Interpret Series Icon.

I commenced my Scripture Series on the topic of BibleReading Methods. Feel free to check out this 4-part series. During the next 5 weeks, I will write a weekly post providing an Overview on the Need to Interpret the Bible and how this might be possible.  

Scripture like Christ is both Divine and human.  It is divine because it has eternal relevance to every age and culture and God chose to speak human words through the language, time and culture of the authors in a particular era of history.  There are those who believe the Bible is human only.  Their interpretation is restricted to historical questioning such as exploring the meanings of the words to the people living in that time and what they thought of God and themselves.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ONLY DIVINE INTERPRETATION.

There are problems relating to only divine interpretation. These include:

1. These people believe that the Bible is only a collection of propositions and imperatives and they can pick and choose between these propositions and imperatives to be obeyed.

2. They deny that God speaks in the context of human history both past and present depriving them of hope that God will speak to them in their own time and place.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ONLY HUMAN INTERPRETATION.

Aspects related to human interpretation include:

1. We are far removed from the culture, vocabulary and meanings in which the books were written, but the need is to interpret the words and understand them in the former context as well as the present.

2. God chose almost every mode of communication such as narrative, history, poetry, proverbs, letters and parables. Our duty is to know the rules that apply to each of these genres and understand the words so that we can interpret more appropriately the biblical texts.

3. Some old laws no longer exist or are relevant to present day whereas moral law, which applied in the old law, is still operative today.  We need to be able to distinguish which of the old laws are still relevant to the present time and how we might put them into practice.

WHY DO WE NEED TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE

It is necessary to know how to interpret because:

1. Our life experiences, culture and prior understanding of words and ideas affect our interpretation.

2. Translators have already made an interpretive choice of meanings.

3. We are actively involved in the process of interpretation as a reader.

4. Some people use Bible tests to augment their pet ideas rather than explore the meaning of the text.

5. We need to aware of the false pride in the interpreter in an incorrect interpretation.

6. We need to have a true understanding of spirituality and be able to pick a false one.

7. We need to able to pick a particular theological bias and discern between a good and not so good interpretation.

SUGGESTED REFERENCES

However, we are not alone because there are many highly skilled scripture scholars who can assist us.  Having a good Concordance to helps us interpret can enhance our learning and understanding of Holy Scripture enormously 

There are many from which to choose to suit all needs and budgets. Why not explore some of these Concordances further. 

•  The Concise Concordance to the New Revised Standard Version.
• The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the bible ( Red-Letter Edition).
• The Catholic Bible Concordance for the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition         ( RSV-CE)