Theology: Hermeneutics

Question 1

Explain the documentary hypothesis.

Answer 1

1. The documentary hypothesis is a theory about the author of the Pentateuch.
2. It states that most certainly Moses did not write it.
3. The theory is that various authors or sources (J, E, D, P) authored various sections and a later redactor organized them all into one literary unit.

Question 2

Explain the so-called synoptic problem.

Answer 2

1. Synoptic means “seeing together.”
2. There is extraordinary similiarly between the synoptic gospels, but there is also puzzling differences.
3. The synoptic problem is an attempt to answer the question why these similiarities and differences.
4. There are various theories advocated as to what sources were used, which came first, etc…
5. The early church affirmed Matthew was written first.
6. There is strong evidence that Matthew and Luke relied on Mark and a secondary source, called Q, but no evidence to conclusively prove the theory.
7. In the end, the synoptic problem is often exaggareted and is not

Question 3

Is the long ending of Mark authentic?

Answer 3

1. It would be improbable for Mark to NOT include a resurrection appearance.
2. It would be improbable for Mark to end his narrative work with the women’s fear and silence. Especially to end it with the “final gar” would be highly improbable.
3. At least 95% of all Greek manuscripts and ancient versions contain the long ending.
4. It is included in a manuscript as earlier as the late second-century, Diatessaron.

Question 4

What are the arguments against the authenticity of the woman taken in adultery (John 7:53 - 8:11)?

Answer 4

1. The story contains several words that are not found in any of John’s writings.
2. The oldest and best manuscripts do not contain it.
3. No early church father comment on this passage.
4. No Eastern father cites the passage before the 10th century.

Question 5

What are the arguments in favor of the authenticity of the woman taken in adultery (John 7:53 - 8:11)?

Answer 5

1. The story fits very well into the context of the narrative.
2. The reason it is not found in the earliest manuscripts is because it was intentionally omitted due to fear of wives’ using it as an excuse for adultery.
3. According to Eusebius, the early church father, Papias seems to include it his work, the Gospel of the Hebrews.
4. Weaker argument: because it is in included in a particular text tradition (Textus Receptus, Majority Text), it should therefore be considered canonical.

Question 6

Is the Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7-8) canonical?

Answer 6

1. It is not found in any Greek manuscripts before the 14th century.
2. At first it was a Latin treatise, not a biblical manuscript (i.e. it was not in the original Latin Vulgate).
3. It doesn’t begin to appear in Latin manuscripts until the 9th century.
   4.

Question 7

Is there more than one Isaiah who wrote the book of Isaiah?

Answer 7

No.
1. Critical scholars have theorized that Isaiah was written by 3 authors.
2. Isaiah of Jerusalem (ch. 1-39)
3. Isaiah living during the time, “Deutero-Isaiah” (ch. 40-55)
4. Isaiah, post-exilic (ch. 56-66).
5. There are too much linguistic unity for there to be multiple authors (Zion, coming of God, the outworking of God’s sovereign plan).
6. One reason critical scholars reject this is an assumption that a prophet only addresses his contemporary audience.
7. However, there is no manuscript evidence that Isaiah was composed as two or more sections.

Question 8

Who wrote the book of Hebrews?

Answer 8

1. The early Eastern church accepted Pauline authorship.
2. The early Western church resisted Pauline authorship until the late 4th century.
3. It’s unlikely Paul wrote it because of Hebrews 2:3.
4. It could be Barnabas, who was a Hellenistic Jew and was for a time close to Paul.
5. I like the suggestion that Paul could have coined it in Hebrew, and Luke translated it into Greek.
6. “But who wrote the epistle, in truth God knows”