Introduction to Biblical Interpretation

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“Hermeneutics describes the task of explaining the meaning of the Scriptures. The word derives from the Greek verb hermeneuein that means ‘to explain, interpret or to translate,’ while the noun hermeneia means ‘interpretation’ or ‘translation.’” (Page 4)

“The Spirit convinces God’s people of the truth of the biblical message, and then convicts and enables them to live consistently with that truth. The Spirit does not inform us of Scripture’s meaning. That is, the Spirit’s help does not replace the need to interpret biblical passages according to the principles of language communication.” (Page 4)

“the author-encoded historical meaning of these texts remains the central objective of hermeneutics.” (Page 185)

“The corollary principle is: A text without a context may be a pretext.” (Page 218)

“The third principle (really a caution) is: The smaller the passage being studied, the greater the chance of error.” (Page 218)