Hermeneutics Flashcards
What is a translation?
transferring a message in one language into another language
What is the basic progression that leads to our English translations?
Original text -> Copies -> Critical text -> Translation -> Readers
What languages were the OT and NT written in primarily?
hebrew and greek
What did Jerome do?
Translated Bible from Greek to Latin (Vulgate AD 400)
what are the difficulties in translation?
No two words are exactly alike
Vocabulary will vary in size
Syntax varies
Different styles
Literal does not always mean accurate
What are the two main approaches to translation of the Bible?
Formal: tried to follow the wording and structure of the original language
Functional: tries to express meaning of original text in today’s language
What are examples of the “river of differences?”
culture, language, time, situation, and covenant from biblical times
Know the five steps of “crossing the river.”
1.Grasping the text in their town
What did the text mean to the biblical audience?
2.Measuring the width of the river
What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?
3.Crossing the principlizing bridge
What is the theological principle in this text?
4.Consult the biblical map
How does the theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible?
5.Grasping the text in our town
How should individual christians today apply the theological principle in their lives?
What are the two major forms of context?
Literary context
historical-cultural context (background)
Why do we need historical-cultural context?
God did not choose to speak directly to everybody at all times and all cultures
God chose to speak through the human writers of scripture to address the real-life needs of people at particular times in a particular culture
We must listen to God’s message (or interpret) in a way that honors how God chose to communicate
Know the guiding principle for historical-cultural context.
For our interpretation of any biblical text to be valid, it must be consistent with the historical context of that text
We must determine what a text meant in ‘their town’ before we can determine what it means and how we should apply it in ‘our town’
In regards to historical context, what kinds of questions should we ask about the
author?
Who was the author?
What was his background?
When did he write?
What was the nature of his ministry?
What kind of relationship did he have with his audience?
Why was he writing?
What are the dangers of studying historical context?
Not studying historical-cultural context at all
The opposite danger is to study exclusively
We may also get bad information
Know the difference between presuppositions and preunderstandings and examples of
these.
Preunderstanding is not inherently bad, but can lead us astray if we fail to recognize it
It will be impossible to deny that we have any preunderstanding
We need to submit our pre-understanding to God’s Word, placing it under the authority of Him
Total objectivity is impossible for any reader, but that is not our goal
Christians have faith commitments (what we call presuppositions) that do not change each time we study the Bible (in contrast to preunderstanding)
Ex: scriptures are infallible, scriptures are clear, scriptures are authoritative
Be familiar with Equidistant Letter Sequencing, what it is, is it legitimate, etc.
Uses computers to string together the text of the Bible without spaces and search the string for hidden messages
Consensus of biblical scholarship that ELS is a sham
Unaware of variations in the Hebrew text of the OT
