Hermeneutics. What Is That?

According to William L. Reese, a Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York in Albany, hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. However, for those who are not pastors, theologians, or have gone to seminary, we desire to know a simpler definition.

“Hermeneutics” is the study of an incredibly comprehensive subject, but the actual definition of hermeneutics is not as complicated as you might think. In laymen’s terms, biblical hermeneutics is the science of how to interpret the Bible and the methods that are used to reach that interpretation. One of these said methods is called the interpretive journey.

The interpretive journey is a method based on the idea that the Bible is God’s message about who He is and what His will is for our lives. As believers, we trust the Bible and believe it is true because it is the only true Word of God and He reveals himself to us through His Word. Now even though many texts in the Bible only relate to the issues or experiences of that particular audience, the spiritual principles behind the text have meaning that are applicable to both the ancient biblical audience and to Christians today.

Our goal as christians, is not to create a new meaning for the text, but rather we are to study the message and try to discover the meaning that God has already placed there in the passage. However, we must recognize that we cannot just simply take the original meaning that was intended for the ancient audience and apply it directly to our lives today because of the things that separate us referred to as “the river”. This river refers to cultural differences, historical changes, personal situations, etc.

There are five steps in this method that you can use to show how to take the original meaning of the passage that was intended for the ancient audience and take the steps to solidify a personal meaning that fits our situation now. Even though using and following these steps will take time and effort, they are essential for you to grow in your knowledge of God and what He has communicated.

The first step is to discover what the passage meant to its original audience, the context of the passage. We start by looking at the people in this particular section of Scripture and learn who they were, what was their situation, what was the Lord trying to communicate to them, and why was initially written. This step requires you to take a close look into the history behind the scripture and study some outside resources, such as history books, commentaries, bible studies, and articles.

Step number two is to observe and list the differences between the original readers and us. Differences such as their culture verses ours, the differences in our laws, and the different roles in God’s plan that we play. Write down of all the differences you can find between yourself and the original audience to get a good understanding of how big the separation between our times truly is.

Step number three is to interpret what the consistent and applicable theology within the passage is. This step is crucial to correctly interpreting Scripture, however it can also tend to be the most challenging. You are looking for a principle in the passage that is as applicable to us as it was to the original audience and can withstand time, culture, and different demographics. This overarching principle is also referred to as the theological principle.

In the book Grasping God’s Word, the authors Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays state that this theological principle needs to abide by certain standards in order for us to come to an accurate conclusions.

According to them, the standards we should follow are:

1. The principle should be reflected in the text.

2. The principle should be timeless and not tied to a specific situation.

3. The principle should not be culturally bound.

4. The principle should correspond to the teaching of the rest of Scripture.

5. The principle should be relevant to both the biblical and the contemporary audience.

Step number four is to compare the theology you’ve discovered in the passage and to compare it with the rest of scripture. Ask yourself if the theology you’ve discovered lines up with the rest of God’s Word and are there other verses that say the same thing. When you link up other passages with similar theology in them and study them deeply, it can help prevent you from interpreting the scriptures wrong and creating a faulty line of thinking.

Last but not least, step five is to try to understand what the passage means to us today and how we can apply it to our lives. Once you have made sure that the theology you have discovered in your passage are ageless, reliable, and applicable to any culture or people group, you can apply it to your personal life and whatever circumstance you are facing.

Now, as wonderful as this method can be there are some weaknesses that can cause someone to still come out with the wrong conclusion. One major weakness is that as humans we have a very limited thoughts and understanding.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

Even though there may be times when our thoughts align with God’s thoughts, we are still humans that are filled with a sin nature and can’t fully grasp the fullness of God’s knowledge. Nevertheless, we need to realize that God’s thoughts are infinitely higher than ours and we may never fully understand what He meant in the passage.

However, this particular weakness can lead to one of the strengths this method has that personally is what I find most useful. This method teaches you how to start deeply studying God’s word and how to start critically thinking about whether things you hear line up with the scriptures.

With all that being said, at this point in my studies and this point on the road to following God’s calling for my life, I’m not sure how I will use the principles of hermeneutics in my particular ministry calling. As of now, I don’t know exactly where God will call me, but what I do know is that until then, I will continue to practice what I have learned about hermeneutics and the interpretive journey to strengthen my scriptural knowledge and prepare myself for the incredible ministry journey God has prepared for my life.