Hermeneutics
The Ethiopian Eunuch was reading in the prophecy of Isaiah. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. He replied, ‘How can I unless someone explains it’. He was recognising that the Bible is not always easy to understand for the person who first begins reading it. It requires hard work and effort. He recognises too it requires someone to explain it. Certainly this is true of much of the OT in particular. In fact, even those who were ‘experts’ in understanding the Bible in the time of Christ got it wrong. They failed to see in the OT the kind of Messiah that would come.
The Bible does emphasise the importance of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Bible. For those who genuinely seek the Spirit will lead them into an understanding of the Bible. For Christians he too is the ultimate teacher. This does not mean however, that the ordinary means of understanding should be dispensed with. The church has been given Bible teachers whose task it is to help explain the Bible and help Christians recognise the proper principles for interpreting it.
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About John
Hi there - I am a member of Greenview and have been for over 20 years. For a number of these years I functioned as an elder, however, indifferent health forced me to take more of a back seat. I see this as an opportunity to do a little writing, often focussing on issues that are a matter of evangelical debate today. Naturally the views expressed are my own and may not reflect the views of the elders or church at large, though differences are likely to be in the detail and not the substance.
These articles and sermons were written partly to clarify my own thoughts and partly with the intention of provoking thought in others who may read them. If you read one I hope you find it stimulating. Please feel free to give me feedback or discuss my articles in the forums.
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