Hermenutics - 8

Ⅴ.  Interpreter

      

The interpreter's position in Bible interpretation is very important.

Biblical texts and principles of interpretation can maintain objectivity.

This is because only the interpreter is very difficult to maintain objectivity.

God wrote the Bible using human authors.

When God used human authors, they did not use them mechanically (accurate and regular), but organically (connected to each other).

1.  Subjectivity of Interpreter

 

Interpreters cannot stand in a neutral position, they are forced to lean toward historical circumstances, personal experiences, and personal thoughts.  

So, when interpreting, you need to recognize other elements around you.

When the interpreter interprets the Bible,

Because he interprets the text of the Bible through pre-understanding or pre-judgment, he himself becomes part of the interpretive study.

Therefore, the interpreter should be guided by God's guidance so that his subjectivity (subjectivity: personal experience and personal understanding) influences the interpretation of the Bible as little as possible.

 

2.  Interpretation of 1st Corinth 2: 6-16

 

2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

These words testify that the interpreter himself is a spiritual person.

This is the subjective interpretation of the interpreter.

 

3. Qualification of Interpreter

When discerning spiritual things, only spiritual people can distinguish it. Because natural man is hostile to God, he cannot discern spiritual things, and only regenerated people can immediately understand God's Word.

Only those who have the Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible can understand the inspired Bible.

1)    The interpreter should be a personally sound mind.

2)   The interpreter must be a balanced mind.

3)   The interpreter must be a spiritually regenerated believer.

4)   Interpreters must be intellectually professionally trained. 

5)   Interpreters must have a passion to know what the Bible says.

6)   The interpreter must follow the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.

 

4.  Interaction between the Holy Spirit and the text and interpreters

 In the relationship between the text and the interpreter, the text should be higher than the interpreter's interpretation.

The text is the unchanging word of God's revelation, but the interpreter's interpretation can change subjectively at any time.

1)    Text and the Holy Spirit

The Bible text was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)

     <Relationship between the text and the Holy Spirit>

a)   The New Testament describes the Holy Spirit as the author of the Bible (Acts 28:25; Hebrews 3:7; 9:8; 10:15)

  

b)   When referring to the Old Testament, the New Testament often refers to both the Holy Spirit and the human author.

(Mt 22:43; Acts 1:16; 4:25)

 

c)  The Holy Spirit guides the apostles into the truth and reminds us of Christ's words so that the Bible can be accurately recorded. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13)
 

2)  Text and interpreter

Even in the relationship between the text and the interpreter, the Holy Spirit shows sovereignty.

However, the Holy Spirit plays the same role as Jesus, who was resurrected and became the life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)

In Luke 24: 32,45, the resurrected Jesus interpreted the Bible and heated up the heart to open the heart to understand the Bible.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes the Bible understandable

 

The work of the Holy Spirit

1 It reminds me of everything Jesus taught (John 4:26).

2 Working to testify of Jesus (John 15:26).  

3 Reproaching the world for sin, righteousness, and judgment

(John 16:7-11).

 

3)   The Holy Spirit and interpreter

The Bible interpreter must be a spiritual person who is governed by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:12 says that only the spiritual can judge and discern what is spiritual.

 

The spiritual thing here 

       

       1 The deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10),

        2 God's circumstances (1 Corinthians 2:11)

        3 God gave us it by grace (1 Corinthians 2:12),

        4 Predetermined before ages (1 Corinthians 2:7),

       5 The crucifixion of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:8) can be said.

 Natural people cannot interpret.

 

5.  A loophole of modern theology

Enlightenment: Humans must be free from God.

Humans have the right to equality and freedom.

The board of directors moved away from Christianity.

Rationalism: We cannot admit what the human brain cannot understand.

It can't be understood that reason is not logically valid.

After the Enlightenment and the Rationalism in the 18th century, theologians and historians began to interpret the Bible autonomously.

So, theologians with human reason began to interpret the Bible according to personal thought.

Here, the Bible denies the word from God and claims that the Bible and the Bible are not connected to each other.