History of Biblical Interpretation

Question 1

What is the Septuagint?

Answer 1

The Greek translation of the Old Testament

Question 2

What are targums?

Answer 2

Aramaic translations of the OT that are more like paraphrases

Question 3

Who was Philo?

Answer 3

A Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria in the 1st century

Question 4

Who was Josephus?

Answer 4

A Jewish historian

Question 5

Talmud

Answer 5

A collection of rabbinic teachings and commentary on the Mishnah

Question 6

Mishnah

Answer 6

A collection of Jewish rabbinic teachings and interpretations of biblical passages that were compiled around AD 200.

Question 7

How did the Jews interpret their Scriptures?

Answer 7

Literal interpretation
Midrashic interpretation
Pesher
Allegory

Question 8

What is Midrashic interpretation?

Answer 8

Can be compared to example/inferences in the Restoration movement

Question 9

Two examples of midrashic interpretation include

Answer 9

Qal Wahomer

Gezerah Shawah

Question 10

What is Gezerah Shawah?

Answer 10

rule of verbal analogy; a word appearing in 2 verses has the same meaning

Question 11

What is Qal Wahomer?

Answer 11

what applies in a less important case applies in a more important case

Example = John 7:23

Question 12

Explain pesher interpretation

Answer 12

The Old Testament is interpreted as referring directly to a contemporary or future event: a “this (and only this) is that” straight line prophecy interpretation

Example = Matt. 2:4-6?

Question 13

What is allegory?

Answer 13

looks beyond the literal meaning to derive
hidden symbolic meanings

Example = Galatians 4

Question 14

Who was the father of authoritative exegesis? What did he argue for?

Answer 14

Irenaeus (late 2nd century)

He argued that Interpretation must fit the text into the tradition of the Apostles passed down through apostolic sees

Question 15

What influence did the school of Alexandria have upon interpretation?

Answer 15

Major contribution to interpretation was heavy use of allegory. (allegory used to Make the text fit the rule of faith)

This Became the dominant mode in the Middle Ages–especially due to Augustine (352-430)

Question 16

What did the school of Antioch emphasize?

Answer 16

Emphasized literal interpretation of Scripture and disapproved of allegorizing

Question 17

What two movements in the 1500’s created a major paradigm shift in interpretation? What shift occurred?

Answer 17

Renaissance humanism and the Reformation.

shift from tradition to scripture, allegory to literal

Question 18

What shift did modernism create?

Answer 18

fundamental shift from faith to reason; heavily influenced by deism

Question 19

What is Deism?

Answer 19

a philosophical position that God does not interfere directly in human affairs

Question 20

What did classical liberalism aim to accomplish?

Answer 20

Aim was to use the Historical-Critical Method to purge NT and return to the “Historical Jesus”

Question 21

What is the third major paradigm shift?

Answer 21

Postmodernism: questioning reason and, in its most radical form, objective reality itself

Question 22

According to Sprinkle, what are the major events that have shaped Christianity?

Answer 22

1. resurrection of Christ
2. conversion of Constantine
3. the printing press
4. the advent of the Internet and postmodern thought

Question 23

The Middle Ages were characterized by two guiding principles

Answer 23

1. Church tradition (the Rule of Faith)

2. Allegory (according to Augustine, to be used when the literal sense seems inappropriate)