James Holm Reply
The use of historical criticism in exegesis is by far the widely acknowledged method of biblical interpretation. Proponents argue that the historical context gives meaning to the scriptures as it helps one to understand the life and situation surrounding the text. “The surrounding context of any passage, verse, or word, helps shape the meaning of that passage, verse, or word.”(Cartwright et al, 2016) It is important to understand the preceding environment that motivated the passage, or the environment which the passage prophesized. However, there are diverse interpretations of biblical passages among Christians. Some Christians hold that there should be openness in the interpretation of the bible long as the Christian beliefs are not undermined. Antagonists of the historical and contextual criticism argue that there exists a chronological and situational difference between the environment surrounding the passage and the contemporary environment. Others may point out that the applicability of the Old Testament covenants to the Christian life was cancelled by the suffering and death of Christ (Klein et al. 2017). Regardless of the history and context, it is paramount that the interpretation remains within the doctrines of Christianity.
Joshua Sahatoo DB Forum 3 Reply
Hebrew and Greek were the first languages in which the bible was written. This fact gives immense importance to these two languages as they are regarded as the pioneers of the Biblical era. It is understandable that interpreters of the scripture may tend to make reference to Hebrew and Greek words used in passages. Proponents argue that this reference increases understanding of the contextual meaning of the words, enhancing better analysis and interpretation. It is a way of acknowledging the history of the scripture which undoubtedly is important in understanding the passage. “A commitment to understanding historical context is one of the best ways to honor the biblical past so that it remains relevant to our present" (Cartwright et al., p. 137). But do we always have to make reference to the Hebrew and Greek words? Klein et al. (2017) point out that besides historical context, translations form the baseline of biblical interpretation. Some people believe that meanings of the word may get distorted or lost during translations. However, it should be noted that making references to the ancient languages may also make understanding difficult. The people prefer straightforward and easy to understand languages, especially in seminars and church sessions. There is no better language to understand that the person’s native or local language without Greek or Hebrew word permutations.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
References
Cartwright, J., Gutierrez, B., & Hulshof, C. (2016). Everyday Bible study. Nashville, TN: Lifeway Church Resources. ISBN: 9781462740109.
Klein, W. W., Blomberg, C. L., & Hubbard Jr, R. L. (2017). Introduction to biblical interpretation . Zondervan.
Bottom of Form
