BELIEF SYSTEMS VS. BIBLE INTERPRETATION

In this and the following post we develop our methods of interpretation for researching our timeline.

 

Most contemporary theologians have a way of comparing "parallels" in the synoptic Gospels that supposedly reveal "contradictions." Conse- quently they tell us God never wrote Scripture; rather ancient Hebrew scholars wove together legends and myths from Egyptian, Canaanite and Mesopotamian cultures. Their ingenuity produced a harmony—though not perfect—in what we now call the Bible. So rather than a theology, we have ancient literature in which discrepancies negate any "correct" interpretation. Out pops an anything-goes approach with at least four authors for the Pentateuch, two different creation stories, and all proph- ecies written after the fact.

 

Interpretation is a function of its presuppositions. With faulty preconcep- tions anyone can find apparent discrepancies among verses and thus deny Divinity. But that's like proving New York doesn't exist because certain roads don't go there. The real challenge lies in finding presupposi- tions that lead to Biblical harmony. Therefore we must assume that correct interpretation, if it exists, contains no contradictions. ⁴...let God be true, but every man a liar…; (Romans 3). Moreover this no-con- tradictions-allowed approach is a principle of interpretation. We state this formally as,

Presupposition 1: If divinity is true then the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek in the original manuscripts contain no contradictions—a conclusion we set down as a principle of interpretation.

Corollary 1a: If divinity is true then we must attribute any dis- crepancy in renditions to faulty translation or private interpreta- tion.

 

We define private interpretation with 2 Peter 1: ²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  The word, private (idios), refers to one's own.

 

Since anyone's interpretation (of Scripture or anything else) is a private interpretation, we conclude that if a correct version exists then only the Bible can interpret itself; therefore only the Bible can contain its own principles of interpretation; i.e., whatever principles it uses (in its own interpretation). So 2 Peter 1:20 gives us the following:

Presupposition 2: A presupposition is a principle of interpretation if and only if it can be derived from Scripture.

Corollary 2a: the presupposition of divinity is a principle of inter- pretation.

Corollary 2a follows from the previous post—that Scripture professes Divinity. For a further discussion on this assumption and process, see June 12.

As a third principle of interpretation, 2 Peter 1:20 gives us,

Presupposition 3: Only Scripture can interpret Scripture—a conclusion we set down as a principle of interpretation.

Corollary 3a^⌂: For confirmation of all conclusions or principles we must compare Scripture with Scripture—a conclusion we set down as a principle of interpretation.

Corollary 3b: We can trust no one regarding interpretation—only Scripture itself.

Corollary 3c: Only Scripture can define its own vocabulary.

 

Scripture accomplishes Corollary 3c and Presupposition 3 through the application of Corollary 3a^⌂. And 1 Corinthian 2:13 gives us Corollary 3a^⌂ as a principle of interpretation: ¹³Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Also in John 5 we read, ³⁹Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Romans 10:17 and 2 Timothy 2:15 also support Cor- ollary 3a^⌂.

 

Languages change over time and Hebrew or Greek words that meant one thing two thousand or more years ago don't necessarily mean the same thing today. So if God wrote the Bible then He would have had to define His own vocabulary within Scripture itself. Therefore we have Corollary 3c.

 

That we can't trust anybody, according to Corollary 3b, includes me, you, this blog, any theologian, evangelist, priest, pastor, imam, rabbi, any church, mosque or anybody else we might have missed; we can't even trust our own reasoning; only Scripture can interpret itself.

 

We can further develop Corollary 3a^⌂ from Revelation 22: ¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: ¹⁹And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

Revelation 22:18, 19, does not mean we can't add or take away only from the book of Revelation. Adding or taking away from any other book vio- lates 2 Timothy 3: ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. And Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, ¹⁴…whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it… So Revelation 22:18, 19 means we can't add or take away from any part of the Bible; this implies that we must compare any conclusion with everything else the Bible says about the subject.

 

To exemplify further on Revelation 22:18, 19: If we have only the prem- ise, All dogs have fleas, we can't conclude that, My cat, Felix, has fleas, because that would be adding something, a cat named Felix, to our prem- ise. Also if the word All in our premise includes every dog in the world, then we can't conclude, It's not the case that my dog, Rex, has fleas, be-cause that would be taking away something, a dog named Rex, from our premise.

 

That we can't add or take away pieces from a jigsaw puzzle suggests a model to view interpretation. With the former we expect "perfection" such that we have no missing or extra parts and each piece must fit per- fectly into the picture. Similarly with divinity we expect no incidental phrases or words and each verse must harmonize and add to the compos-ite whole. Just as we have no control over the finished picture puzzle, we have none over what the Bible dictates. So as to not let any preconceived ideas distort our analysis, we must forget anything we thought we knew, or what anyone ever told us, and let only the Bible dictate what it says.

 

So with Revelation 22:18, 19 we can make Corollary 3a^⌂ more definitive:

Corollary 3a: For confirmation of any conclusion or principle we must compare Scripture with all of Scripture and only Scripture—a conclusion we set down as a principle of interpretation.

On June 14 we define our last two presuppositions.