“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Heb 11:3, KJV)
The concept “hermeneutic” in Greek means: to interpret, to explain, for meaning to unfold (Webster). When we read the Bible there are various ways how this happens.
Firstly: the face value of the Word. We must first and foremost read the Bible as a record of a variety of types of information – history, poetry, proverbs, prophesy, laws, and so on. Although the Bible contains many different types of styles, for example metaphors, comparisons, irony, parables, allegories, symbols, etc, it is important to note that the Word itself is presented as reality. Adam and Eve and Jonah and the whale and Christ who rose from the dead were all real. The massive attempt by, for example the New Reformation, to only use the Bible as a symbolic book is not in line with how the Word presents itself. We must thus primarily read the Book as a representation of actual events. (That the secular world wants to brand you as a fundamentalist when you do this, is something you’ll just have to live with. J)
Secondly: Flowing from the course of events in the Bible there are generally-applicable values and a communal morality that can be extracted. When the Schaeffer’s ask in their well-known book: How shall we then live? it is clear that the Word of God presents universal guidelines for the world view and perspectives of reality for believers. Studying the Bible in this way is naturally also legitimate and provides us with the broad direction in which the children of the Way need to walk.
The above-mentioned two methods of exegesis one would call the logos approach to studying Scripture, and are, of course, of great importance. Based on this, every believer, like Timothy, who knew the Holy Scriptures from childhood, are made “wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). In the two verses after this the great importance of the logos word is clearly spelt out: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The following two exegetical approaches we can classify as rhema (we will deal with this term in detail in the next manna).
Thus, thirdly: the old and the new covenant’s books relate in a specific way to each other. We have addressed this in detail previously (see Day 129 and 130). This must continually be reckoned into our reading of Scripture. Everything in the Old Testament is presented “in terms of this world” (Heb 9:1 & 23, AMP). But everything in the Old Testament points to the fulfilment thereof in Christ and thus becomes a sign of the New Testament believer’s walk of faith. We call this hermeneutical principle one of shadows (Heb 8:5) or copies (Heb 9:24; 1 Pet 3:21). The foundation of this principle is: the natural precedes the spiritual (1 Cor 15:46) and it must thus be read in this manner.
- Sela: Reflect on the Scripture in Hebrews mentioned above in the light of this teaching. (Consult Strongs regarding the word “framed”.)
- Lees: 1 Sam 18; Ps 140; Luke 15
- Memorise: Luke 15:18
- Going deeper: Read pp 265-266 in Charles Colson’s A dance with deception.
