As part of Biblefresh, Wycliffe Bible Translators have been running a series of classes, helping people to understand more of the Bible. This talk provides an introductory look at Biblical hermeneutics, and how we can understand what a Bible passage means. The talk is by Barrie Evans.

1. INTERPRETING THE BIBLE
BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS
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2. “Nowhere is the debate of the contemporary
hermeneutical problem so lively as in the area of
protestant theology”
“The problem of reading the Holy Book – if you
have faith that it is the Word of God – is the most
difficult problem in the whole field of reading.”
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3. “Hermeneutics concerns itself with…
• not just the „what‟ of a segment of text but also
the „why‟
• „how‟ does this part relate to what it is part of
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4. I Samuel 23:6
Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the
ephod down with him when he fled to David at
Keilah.
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5. I Samuel 23:1-6
1When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are
looting the threshing floors,” 2he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and
attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines
and save Keilah.”
3But David's men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more,
then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4Once again David
inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am
going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off
their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the
people of Keilah. 6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod
down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
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6. I Samuel 23:1-6
1When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are
looting the threshing floors,” 2he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and
attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines
and save Keilah.”
3But David's men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much
more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4Once again David
inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am
going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off
their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the
people of Keilah. 6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod
down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
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7. I Samuel 23:1-6
1When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are
looting the threshing floors,” 2he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and
attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines
and save Keilah.”
3But David's men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much
more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4Once again David
inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am
going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off
their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the
people of Keilah. 6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod
down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
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8. I Samuel 23:6-13
6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when
he fled to David at Keilah.)
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah… [8he] called up all his forces for
battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the
priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has
heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on
account of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul
come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your
servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.”
12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to
Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.” 13So David and his men, about six
hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul
was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
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9. I Samuel 23:6-13
6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when
he fled to David at Keilah.)
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah… [8he] called up all his forces for
battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the
priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has
heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on
account of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul
come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your
servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.”
12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to
Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.” 13So David and his men, about six
hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul
was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
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10. I Samuel 23:6-13
6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when
he fled to David at Keilah.)
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah… [8he] called up all his forces for
battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the
priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has
heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on
account of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul
come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your
servant.” And the Lord said, “He will.”
12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to
Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will.” 13So David and his men, about six
hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul
was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
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11. “Hermeneutics concerns itself with…
• not just the ‘what’ of a segment of text but also the ‘why’
• ‘how’ does this part relate to what it is part of
• we need to look at context
• we cannot miss any part out
• we can always look for a bigger context
• we may not be able to exhaust the meaning
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12. David Dockery, Biblical Interpretation: Then and Now
Robert Morgan with John Barton, Biblical Interpretation
Richard Longenecker, Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic
Period
Kevin Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning in This Text?
Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for
All Its Worth
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13. hermeneuo
John 1:42, 9:7, Hebrews 7:2
I Corinthians 12:10, 14:26
exegeomai
Luke 24:34, John 1:18
Acts 10:8, 15:12,14, 21:19
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14. ephods and praying
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15. • Parables
• Genesis 1 & 2
• the end of Revelation
• Isaiah
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16. James
In the three- or four-month interval between the
decease of the procurator of Judea, Porcius Festus
in A.D. 62 and the arrival of his successor… the high
priest Ananus… took the opportunity to rid the
province of a number of popular leaders who were
suspected of not supporting the patriotic front. One of
those leaders was James the brother of Jesus, who
was arraigned and put to death…
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17. James
The priests were in contention with the aristocratic high-
priesthood…
The high-priestly families who owed their tenure in office
to Herod were not Palestinian Jews but powerful
families imported from the Diaspora who looked to
Rome to maintain them in office and were ill-famed for
their exploitation of the poor generally and the lower
priests in particular.
The priests and Levites… were open to the cause of the
poor, with whom they often identified since they
themselves were sometimes employed as day
labourers.
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18. James
It is not possible to draw any closer lines between the
historical James and the political-religious movements
that swirled around him… But certain assumptions and
educated guesses may be offered…
The most we may want to affirm is that both early
Christian history and later ecclesiastical
developments… make James a person of commanding
stature and leadership. It is not difficult to conceive of
him as playing a significant role in opposing injustice
and defending the poor.
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19. • Origen - parables
• Antioch and Alexandria
• Control of allegory, control of heresy –
„rule‟ of faith
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20. Fourfold Method
• literal
• allegorical
• tropological or moral
• anagogical
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21. Fourfold Method - Jerusalem
• A Jewish city
• The Church of Christ
• The souls of men and women
• The heavenly city
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22. • Problems with authoritarianism
• Early scientific method, lay movement –
Erasmus
• Back to the text
• What is its meaning?
• Author - reader - text
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23. THE „BIG BACKGROUND/
PICTURE‟ THE ORIGINAL
CONTEXT
OUR CONTEXT/
MEANING FOR
US
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24. THE „BIG BACKGROUND/
PICTURE‟ THE ORIGINAL
CONTEXT
OUR CONTEXT/
MEANING FOR
US
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25. THE „BIG BACKGROUND/
PICTURE‟ THE ORIGINAL
CONTEXT
OUR CONTEXT/
MEANING FOR
US
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26. THE „BIG BACKGROUND/
PICTURE‟ THE ORIGINAL
CONTEXT
CONTRAST
NARRATIV
E GENR
E PROBABLY NO
„SPECIAL
OUR CONTEXT/ EFFECT
WORDS‟
MEANING FOR
US
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27. Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise…
All praise we would render; O help us to see,
„tis only the splendour of light hideth thee;
And so let they glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in the story, thy Christ in the
heart.
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28. wycliffe.org.uk