-Caveat Lector-
>From http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mweb
Main Entry: her·me·neu·tics
Pronunciation: -tiks
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Date: 1737
: the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the
Bible)
Hawk offered for consideration:
: However, there is only ONE correct interpretation of any written
passage... and
: that is what the writer had in mind when he wrote it... The trick is to
determine
: what that was... and this is best done by following rules of hermaneutics
(a field
: of study of which you admit you have no experience).
I believe my statements about (A) taking things within the *context* of the
TIMES and (B) my apology for not having been (consciously) in any era other
than the one in which I currently (consciously) exist correspond to the
following (esp elements of #6a). (Not a bad guesser, eh?) Now, before
anyone does a strictly 'theological' take on the following, I would offer
for consideration that the whole approach to be effective in almost any
sphere of thought. If we watch the 'impeachment' trial, merely replacing
the 'theological' terms with 'legalisms' (as expounded by the elected and
their representatives), the application of 'hermeneutics' is an exhibition
of their efforts (Clinton meant this by what he said or gestured or
whateverhaveyou). Or, if we read articles (rarities on this forum), the
same approach may be taken as well. Note the initial point reads "esp.
biblical" meaning "not necessarily confined thereto."
This is one aspect of 'research': providing one's analysis, with
references and definitions, in relation to others', also known as
'comparative analysis'. Perhaps 'hermeneutics' is new as term, for me and
others, but from my own experience as a student of foreign languages and
other esoteric pursuits, the objective of the subject is fairly familiar
and straightforward and of invaluable use to assist with my researching of
my recollection for the specificity of information pertinent to the
issue(s) at hand. In fact, my point on 'slavery' dovetails well with #2c
in that not only the language is 'evolving' but the whole society has made
some remarkable strides in its evolution as well, rendering the atmosphere
of that and any other past time very much up to the active imaginations
(fancies, phantasies, whathaveyou) of its students. Any student must
remember the eral (of an era) lens through which he or she is viewing the
(past) subject at hand. I would say THIS is also an 'hermaneutical'
principle as well (2d, 2e, e.g.).
>From http://www.greatnorthern.net/~ken/herm.html
Hermeneutics - General Principals
1. What is Hermeneutics?
a. the science of Interpretation - esp. biblical
b. Establishes and classifies principles, methods and rules by which the
meaning of an author can be ascertained.
c. " the redundant explanations of common sense interspersed with choice
tidbits of gobbledygook making a concise statement of rules and methods for
understanding those things that might otherwise have remained perfectly
clear."
d. difference and similarities between Interpretation and translation
e. Make it clear and give the meaning: Neh 8:7,8 Luke 24:27
2. Why is Hermeneutics necessary? reasons:
a. We have a Heavenly message conveyed in human language.
b. the biblical languages differ widely from English in grammatical
structure and idiomatic usage.
c. the English language itself is constantly changing.
d. the eastern, biblical culture is vastly different from our western
culture.
e. the bible is an ancient book.
f. the mind of Man is worldly and the heart of man is deceitful and
wicked. Jer 17:9
g. false teachers are growing worse and worse; twisting, teaching, and
deceiving.
h. Satan is still misquoting the Scriptures!
3. What are the necessary requirements of the biblical interpreter?
a. Born again- for the natural man receives not the things of the spirit
of God..." 1 Cor 2:14
b. Love the Truth or God will send delusion..." 2 Thess 2:10-11
c. Chose God's will and you'll know the doctrine..." John 7:17
d. Desire the sincere milk of the Word..." 1 Pet 2:2
e. Receive it as it is indeed: the Word of God..." 1 Thess 2:13
4. What must we avoid?
a. Approaching God's word with preconceived doctrinal, social, or
personal biases
b. Approaching God's word with an Unteachable spirit
c. Approaching God's word with an Arrogant, Intellectual attitude
d. Approaching God's word with a desire to justify our sin
e. Approaching God's word with a blind eye to those parts that convict
us of sin
5. What tools and/or special knowledge is required ?
a. Bible
b. Principles of Hermeneutics
c. Hebrew/Greek word studies
d. Working knowledge of biblical cultures
e. Understanding of Idiomatic usage in the Bible
Idioms & Hebrewisms
"Step on the gas" and "Get the lead out!" - A formula for making unleaded
gasoline?
"sunrise" or "sunset" .... "four corners of the Earth" etc.
Hebrewisms-
Comparison by negation
Preference= love or hate
name of parents to denote decedents
Son = Equality with
Son = decedents of
definite numbers used to describe undefined numbers & round numbers
sometimes used for exact number...
6. Preparations for Interpretation
a. Twelve questions to answer
1) Who is speaking?
2) Who is being spoken to?
3) What is the occasion (situation)?
4) What is the intent of the speaker?
5) What is the response of the one(s) spoken to?
6) When is this occurring?
7) Where is this occurring?
8) Where does this appear in Scripture (what book)?
9) Are there any parallel passages ( p.p. )?
10) Are there any significant numbers?
11) Are there any repeated phrases, words, or themes?
12) How is the speaker speaking; plainly or with figures of speech (
f.o.s. )?
b. Understanding figures of speech - (this is only a partial listing...)
1) Simile - Expressed comparison between two objects Jer 23:29
2) Metaphor - implied comparison between two objects Matt 5:13-16
3) Metonymy - "other name" something that stands for something else
cause stands for effect & vice versa Gen 45:21 Prov 12:19
subject stands for associated idea or circumstance Psalms 23:5
sign spoken of stands for thing signified Ezek 22:22
4) Synecdoche - part for whole and vice versa Jer 8:7
5) Personification - ascribing personal attributes to inanimate
objects Num 16:32
6) Apostrophe - turning away from hearers to speak to those absent 2
Sam 18:33
7) Interrogation - affirmation expressed in the form of a question (
sometimes called a Rhetorical question ) Job 11:7
8) Hyperbole - exaggeration Judges 7:12
9) Irony - words convey there exact opposite meaning 1 Kings 18:27
Job 12:2
c. Understanding Hebraisms and Greek Idioms
d. Identify multiple names for the same person, place, or thing -
saul>paul ; golgatha>calvary
e. Identify multiple persons, places, or things with the same name -
Mary ; James ; John
7. What is THE fundamental Principle in Biblical Interpretation?
a. Scripture is its own best interpreter/commentator
b. "comparing spiritual things with spiritual things" 1 Cor 2:13
c. Context of the plenary Revelation of God - how does this fit into the
big picture?
d. do not ignore, but explore any apparent contradictions!-failure to do
this results in confusion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hermaneutics- Rules for Correct Biblical interpretation
1. TAKE THE WORDS IN THEIR USUAL AND ORDINARY SENSE.
A. as the people to whom they were written would have understood
B. NOT necessarily literal
C. CAREFULLY note the response of the hearers ( do they understand or
not )
[ only go as far as you need to in the rules ]
2. TAKE THE WORDS IN THE SENSE THAT THE PHRASE INDICATES (short context)
ex.-- faith, salvation, grace, flesh, blood, etc.
How is the phrase using this word? [in the Original language] ( verb,
noun, etc.) - "faith" could mean 'the act of believing' or 'the elements of
believe'(as in statement of faith) or 'the whole religion itself' (as in
the Christian faith). ex.- an (anarthrous noun); nn (noun); repro (relative
pronoun)
3. TAKE THE WORDS IN CONTEXT ( long context ) ex.- Eph 3:3 ( the book of
solved mysteries!)
this is sometimes referred to as ' reading around the text' ( several
verses before and after the target text )
4. CONSIDER THE OBJECT OR DESIGN OF THE PASSAGE
A. General purpose of the writer ( stated or un-stated )
B. Specific purpose of the writer ( stated or un-stated )
5. CONSULT PARALLEL PASSAGES (P.P.) - direct quotes (of this or others)
A. is it a parallel?
B. is it an inexact parallel?
6. RECOGNIZE PARALLEL EXCLUSIONS
A. note any absence of your target text in any other biblical passages
B. note any absence of your target text in any parallel passages
YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND BIBLICAL DOCTRINE THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A<>E<>R
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
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----------
: From: Hawk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
: Subject: Re: [CTRL] Slave Documentation - H.H.
: Date: Friday, January 15, 1999 2:08 AM
:
: -Caveat Lector-
:
: Alamaine Ratliff wrote:
:
: > -Caveat Lector-
: >
: > My real point about the Abraham passages is: They seem to be
inconsistent
: > (in both cases "Abraham's descendants"). I understand what the
Nazarene
: > was getting at by way of explanation to the descendants of Abraham.
They
: > seemed a little unsure.
: >
: > The first passage (Matt) deals with public displays of churchiness ...
: > 'slavery' to what others' (peers') opinions of any one's abilities to
: > demonstrate 'holiness' for said 'peers'. This may be seen in the
current
: > context of being a 'slave' to fashion or keeping up with the Jones' --
in
: > any event worrying about those things for which the reward(s) are
derived
: > from mere mortals rather than from the divine. I, for one, am more
: > impressed (coincidient with the passage) with those who maintain an
inner
: > sense (innocence?) about their faith rather than those trying to hammer
: > THEIR interpretation of same into everyone else. One size does not fit
all.
:
: However, there is only ONE correct interpretation of any written
passage... and
: that is what the writer had in mind when he wrote it... The trick is to
determine
: what that was... and this is best done by following rules of hermaneutics
(a field
: of study of which you admit you have no experience).
:
: > I think the whole issue (slavery) can be summed up by pointing out that
: > what happened in the South or in the Middle East during their
respective
: > times must be taken in context of THE TIMES. Used to be littering (to
use
: > an example from a different extreme) was okay. Times changed. Used to
be
: > going out in the woods and cutting a winter's worth of firewood was
okay.
: > Times changed. However, when speaking with those for whom these kinds
of
: > things may have been okay, their impressions are based on the context
of
: > THEIR times. Fast forward back to today.
: >
: > When we look at the past with a 1999 lens, there are all sorts of
things
: > that look average. Or better. Or worse. "The good ol' days." Beyond
the
: > truths contained in ANY religious treatise/test/whathaveyou, the
benefits
: > of having lived in a more idyllic time, I view such things as products
of
: > their times and must therefore look at who was doing what with whom for
: > what reason and so forth. Because the Europeans may have had
compelling
: > reasons for adopting a Middle Eastern faith system, those reasons
should be
: > examined and thereby applied to what their perceptions were, rightness
or
: > wrongness of their actions -- what they, themselves did -- are
something I
: > can't do a thing about. A modern day person's acceptance of said faith
: > system should be much different than a person of antiquity's (tradition
vs
: > inquisition, e.g.). Similarly, what passed for human bondage in one
: > Southern state may have been different in another, or from locus of
: > commerce to locus of commerce. What ensued as far as resolution of the
: > problem itself would, in like fashion, be equally unacceptable in
today's
: > world. Can anyone conceive of being asked to go to war to solve a
social
: > issue in the U.S. -- today? Is Kathy Lee mustering troops to go free
the
: > sweat shop denizens? Does anyone recall the times the police and the
Guard
: > and others have been called out to put down if not prevent uprisings --
in
: > our time? I can and Neil Young made a mint off a song therefrom.
:
: I can see it happening in "our times," and I think I will see it
happening,
: perhaps within the next six months... In fact, I saw it happening after a
fashion
: in the aftermath of the great Rodney King incident (that great American
: philosopher and motorist) in Los Angeles. However, I will admit you were
"on a
: roll" above, and exhiting some evidence of actual thought processes. I
: congratulate you on rising above mere name-calling.
:
: Hawk
:
: DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
: ==========
: CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting
propagandic
: screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid
matters
: and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and
outright
: frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor
effects
: spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
: gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to
readers;
: be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
: nazi's need not apply.
:
: Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
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: Om
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
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Om
