Introduction to Hermeneutics

Introduction to Hermeneutics

by Smith Bibens

last updated 24 May 2020xx

The study of hermeneutics is a scriptural and essential 

endeavor … and if neglected, can produce dire results

The field of study involved in interpreting the Scriptures is called "biblical hermeneutics." The English word “hermeneutics" is descended from the Greek word hermeneuo, which is used in its verb and noun forms, including compound forms, nineteen times in the New Testament. Vine defines hermeneuo (Strong # 2059): "denotes to explain, interpret . . . and is used of explaining the meaning of words in a different language . . ." (424). This word is derived from Hermes, a god of the Greek pantheon (equivalent to the Roman god Mercury), who served as the messenger for the Gods, transmitting and interpreting their messages to man. The occurrences in New Testament follow. Italicized English words indicate those which translate the Greek term.

hermeneou (verb, Strong's # 2059)

John 1:38 “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, 'What seek ye?' They said unto him, 'Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master) where dwellest thou?' ”

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John 1:42 “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, 'Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas,' (which is by interpretation, A stone).”

John 9:7 “And said unto him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,’ (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

Hebrews 7:2 “To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation ‘King of righteousness,’ and after that also King of Salem, which is, ‘King of peace.’ ”

hermeneia (noun, Strong's # 2058)

1 Corinthians 12:10 “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

I Corinthians 14:26 “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”

diermeneou (verb, Strong's # 1329), a strengthened form of No. 1 (dia, through, used intensively), signifies to interpret fully, to explain" (Vine 424).

Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

Acts 9:36 “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.”

1 Corinthians 12:30 “Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”

1 Corinthians 14:5 “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may. receive edifying.”

1 Corinthians 14:13 “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.”

1 Corinthians 14:27 “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.”

methermeneou (verb, Strong's # 3177), "to change or translate from one language to another (meta, implying change, and No. 1), to interpret" (Vine 424). Occurrences: Mt. 1:23; Mk. 5:41; 15:22, 15:34; Jn. 1:41; Acts 4:36; 13:8.

Milton Terry says,

“Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. The word is usually applied to the explanation of written documents, and may therefore be specifically defined as the science of interpreting an author's language. This science assumes that there are divers modes of thought and ambiguities of expression among men, and, accordingly, it aims to remove the supposable differences between a writer and his readers, so that the meaning of the one may be truly and accurately apprehended by the others”(17).

In addition to applying the study of hermeneutics to the study of Scripture, there are other disciplines in which the study of hermeneutics is employed, such as in jurisprudence (legal issues), communication science, and information science.

Actually, everyone practices the science and art of hermeneutics every day, because we practice interpreting communication from others every day. We are constantly interpreting all kinds of communications: verbal, written, and visual. Whenever we read a newspaper, a billboard advertisement, or watch a TV program, we are interpreting communication. Most of the time it is automatic, and we are hardly conscious of the interpreting process going on in our minds, but it is going on. Most of the communication we receive on a daily basis is from people with whom we share a common culture, language, and history, so the interpretation process is an easy one.

What happens, however, when we encounter a person who is a foreigner and does not speak English well? Putting the shoe on the other foot, what happens when we are the foreigner, as when we visit overseas? We often have difficulty in communicating and understanding the messages we are bombarded with on such occasions. A traveler's dictionary, even an interpreter, might be brought into the picture to help us out.

What happens when we encounter a piece of writing that is written in a foreign language, or written a very long time ago, or written in a culture that was quite different from the one we live in today? We would certainly not understand such writings without a conscious effort at interpretation. For example, most people who read Shakespeare today have to read an annotated edition that explains all the unfamiliar words and figures of speech of the English of Shakespeare's day. As another example, once a brother in the church bought a multi-volume set of commentaries called The Biblical Expositor, thinking that he would receive a great deal of help on his chapter studies from this source. As he read the volumes, however, he found that the men whose works were included in this set were all dead and gone a century or two ago, and their writings reflected the forms and syntax of the English language of a century or two ago. He found it positively unreadable, and eventually gave the whole set away.

The foregoing examples illustrate that they may be encountered within our own language and culture, given the passage of just a few centuries. In the Bible we encounter a body of writing that was set down nearly two millennia ago, in a culture that was radically different from ours, and in languages that we, most of us anyway, do not understand.

The Bible is a divine book in that it is inspired and authored by God through the Holy Spirit. But God has caused His Word to be clothed in human words. So the Bible is a book of human communication, and must be interpreted by the same methods, rules, and means that we would bring to the interpretation of any other written document. God has seen fit to put His self-revelation in written form, therefore, to understand what is written we must appeal to the same canons of interpretation that we would apply to any document.

How important is this written communication to our knowledge of God? Just think for a minute: what could we know about God or His will if we did not have this written communication we know as the Bible? Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Paul, before Gentile audiences, argues from creation (Acts 14:17), to show that God is and that He is good. But that is about all that we can know about God apart from the Bible.

Revelation was necessary, for man was incapable of  "reaching up" to God. "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21, NIV). Therefore, God had to reveal Himself to man through a medium that man could understand --- the medium of human language.

From the foregoing, we see that the study of hermeneutics is a scriptural and essential endeavor. It is one aspect of Bible study that, if neglected, can produce dire results. It is with this in mind that we enter upon a study of this subject. As we launch out into the study, it must become immediately clear that there is not time enough in this whole week of study sessions to do justice to the subject. However, after looking over the schedule for this day, which includes other studies relating to hermeneutics, I thought it best to spend some time in laying a foundation for hermeneutic studies.

Foundation Facts of Hermeneutics: Axiomatic Truths About
the Bible that Make Hermeneutics Possible

1. The Bible is inspired by God.

If the Bible is not inspired by God, then ultimately its message is not very important and understanding it aright need not be a high priority. On the other hand, if the Bible is the revelation of the Omnipotent God who is Creator and Moral Governor of the Universe, then the message of the Bible is of the highest importance, and understanding it becomes the highest priority.

The Scriptures affirm that they are from God. The human penmen of both the Old and New Testaments taught that their words were not their own, but the words of God. To some minds it is circular logic to claim that the Scriptures are inspired because they claim to be. However, we could not know that the Bible was a divine revelation unless it made that assertion for itself. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 presents the testimony of Scripture to Scripture.

“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 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Old Testament. Over 3800 times we read "The word of the Lord came unto...", or "The Lord spoke.. .", or "Thus saith the Lord. . ." or words of like import. Jesus affirmed the inspiration of the Old Testament by repeatedly quoting from it as the Word of God. (See my recent 

article "Jesus' Attitude Toward Scripture," Christian's Expositor, March 1997.) Of the twenty-four books in the Hebrew arrangement of the Old Testament, Jesus quoted from twenty-two of them.1 Jesus quoted passages as historical truth that are most scorned by Bible critics: Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 13:40), Lot's wife (Luke 17:32), Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37-38), the creation of man and of the institution of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). Jesus often acknowledged that the Old Testament Scriptures were the Word of God (Luke 16:17; Matthew 4:1-11; 5:17-18; 22:29-32; Mark 7:6-9; Isaiah 29:13). The apostles followed the Lord's example. In the apostolic writings there are, by one writer's count, 1600 quotations, allusions, and references to the Old Testament. Peter asserts, "For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21, NIV).

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1. The Hebrews did not have less in their OT than we do. They simply had it arranged differently. Instead of 1 and 2 Kings, they had a book called Kings. Other books were combined. For example, Ruth was a part of Judges. The order was different. For example, Chronicles was the last book of the Hebrew arrangement. The arrangement of the English Bible is borrowed from the arrangement adopted by the Septuagint. A book on Bible introduction will supply more information on this and other matters that are good to know in doing Bible exegesis. I would particularly recommend Geisler and Nix's General Introduction to the Bible, Moody, 1968.

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New Testament. Jesus made the same claims for His words that He made for the canonical Old Testament Scriptures. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He stated that His words were from the Father (John 12:49; 14:22-23). Jesus promised His apostles that they would receive divine help in preaching the gospel (John 14:26; 16:13). He promised,

“And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:18-20).

This promise was fulfilled. Paul said, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:23; 14:37; see also Galatians 1:11-12). Peter affirms, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed” (2 Peter 1:16-20).

There are three terms that are commonly used by conservative Bible scholars to describe the quality and quantity of God's inspiration of the Scriptures.

a. Verbal

b. Plenary.

c. Progressive

Verbal Inspiration. This term signifies that the very words of Scripture are inspired. God has taken up human words and framed them in sentences that would accurately convey the thoughts He intended. Paul writes definitively on this in 1 Cor-inthians 2:4, 10-13.

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power... But God bath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (see also 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Since the very words of Scripture are inspired, arguments are even made within Scripture that turn on the tense of a verb (Matthew 22:32) or the whether a noun is plural or singular in number (Galatians 3:16).

Because the very words of Scripture are inspired the importance of word definitions is crucial. This is clear when we see words like "baptize," "sing," "communion," "cup," in 

Scripture. All valid exegesis of Scripture begins with understanding the meanings of the words found in Scripture as they were used and understood in the time Scripture was penned. For instance, we do not define "baptize” by the modern English dictionary, but according to the common usage of the word in the Greek speaking world of the first century. Lexical and grammatical study is the foundation of Bible exegesis, and Bible hermeneutics has guidance to offer in these studies.

Plenary Inspiration. "Plenary" means "full, complete, entire, extending to every part." Plenary inspiration means the Bible is inspired in every part. The Bible does not just "contain" the Word of God, it is the Word of God. This means that the genealogies of Numbers and 1 Chronicles are just as inspired as Psalm 23, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), or 1 Corinthians 13. The latter passages may be of greater relevance to a spiritual need we have in our lives, but they are no more inspired, qualitatively speaking, than the former.

The practical significance of this is that we must take all the Scriptures teach into consideration when we study a subject. We cannot isolate a passage from other passages on that subject and expect to arrive at a valid in Also, we cannot be selective in what we accept as inspired. 

    Some people want to take Paul's words on love in 1 Corinthians 13 as inspired, and reject what he says in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 about women speaking in the assembly. They say that when he addresses the latter issue, his human prejudice shows through! Either the Apostle Paul was inspired or he was not. His writings are either altogether inspired or not at all.

    Furthermore, if we adopt the idea that only parts of the Bible are inspired, who is to say which parts? Subjective human opinion becomes the highest authority in religion if it is left to man to decide what is inspired.

Progressive Inspiration. This means that God did not just send an angel to earth with the completed volume of the Bible. God did not commit its inscripturation to one man at one time. The Bible was penned over a span of 1600 years by about forty penmen who produced a total of sixty-six books: thirty-nine Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament.

    Tracing the scheme of redemption through it's pages, we find that God's plan was unveiled gradually over three dispensations of time Patriarchal, Mosaical, and the Christian.: What began as personal revelation to selected persons (family heads or "patriarchs"), eventually became centered in the chosen nation of Israel. Moses was the first prophet to inscripturate God's revelation, and this ushered in a period of about 1600 years during which time further Scriptures were added to what Moses wrote. Hear the writer of Hebrews as that book opens;

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:12).

There have been two great written revelations given by God. The first was given to Israel by the prophets. Beginning with Moses, this period of inspired writing continued through the return from Babylonian exile down to Malachi. The result is the Old Testament. The second was given to all mankind through Jesus, the Son of God, by His apostles and prophets: the New Testament (cf. Hebrews 2:14). The first written revelation prepared for and made possible the second (Galatians 3:24-25; 4:1-5; Ephesians 3:1-5; Hebrews 8:7-10). However, God's revelation has not progressed indefinitely.

2. The Bible is a Finished Revelation.

The Bible is perfect and complete in its entire contents and only its contents are necessary to furnish us with the knowledge of truth and right. Everything pertaining to life and godliness has been revealed. (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus promised that His apostles would be guided by the Spirit into "all truth" (John 16:13). When those men finished their earthly work and left behind the books that make up the New Testament, that closed God's revelatory work.

    In view of the Lord's promise, and the teachings of the New Testament writers, that leaves no room for further revelations like the Koran, Book of Mormon, or modern Pentecostal “revelations." James describes the New Testament as the "perfect" law of liberty  (James 1:25). How can you fill a full cup or go north when you are standing on the North Pole? Likewise, you cannot improve upon that which is perfect and complete.

3. The Bible is the All-sufficient Authority in Religion.

Since the Bible is a complete revelation, lacking nothing that is needful for man's spiritual well-being, then it alone is a sufficient authority and guide in the Christian faith. Denominational creeds, catechisms, manuals, and books of discipline; innovations in the work and worship of the church; theological modernism; all these are evidence that the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures is not respected.

    Many would sooner listen to fellow mortals than the counsels of God (Matthew 15:9). We are specifically warned against changing the message of the Bible. We cannot add to it (Revelation 22:18; 2 John 9). We cannot subtract from it (Revelation 22:19). We cannot change it in any way from what was delivered by the Lord's apostles and prophets (Galatians 1:6-9; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thess- alonians 2:15; 3:14). In the words of John D. MacDonald,

“God may have more light to break forth from His word; but he has no light to give apart from his Word. We can never grow beyond these everlasting words; we can only grow into them more deeply” (What the Bible Teaches About the Bible, Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1980).

Some people are not tolerant of such a view. A Unitarian preacher once protested, "Purity of heart and life is more important than correctness of doctrine." To this a more conservative preacher responded, "Healing is more important than the remedy; but without the remedy there would be no healing." Likewise, there can be no pure Christian living without pure Christian doctrine.

A final point to make about the Bible's authority over life: its words will be the standard by which humans are judged on the final day (John 12:47-48; Revelation 20:12).

4. The Bible is Understandable.

A great error, widely held, is that the Bible cannot be understood by most people; some would say, all people. Some lament, "Everyone sees the Bible differently." On the other hand one hears, "Only those well studied in a seminary are fit to understand and interpret the Bible." In particular, the Roman Catholic church has claimed for centuries the right to be the sole interpreter of the Bible. To discourage people from reading it for themselves, many ecclesiastics have discouraged people with, “You cannot understand the Bible on your own." This tune is also sung by groups as diverse as the Mormons, Watchtower Witnesses, and Christian Scientists.

Scripture teaching, however, is completely against such claims. Jesus said, "Hearken unto Me every one of you and understand" (Mark 7:14). Jesus indicated that those who had difficulty understanding Him were those who were ensnared by the Devil (John 8:43-44). Paul adds, "So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17, NASV). Were Jesus and Paul mistaken to utter such exhortations? I think not!

Admittedly, there are difficult passages in Scripture. These passages may be wrested by the unlearned and unstable to their own destruction (2 Peter 3;15-16). Note that it is the "unlearned" who fail to understand. Remember, just because something is hard to do does not mean it is impossible to do. If we make a commitment of time and effort we can understand God's Word (Proverbs 2:3-5). Learning leads to understanding. Greater learning results in greater understanding.

    When I entered Algebra I my freshman year in high school, the subject was a dark mystery to me. Once I learned the subject, I found that I understood its principles, symbols, significance, and usefulness. This understanding came only after arduous study. In coming to understand Scripture we have to follow the same strategy. And we must keep it up all life long. Timothy knew the Scriptures from his youth (2 Timothy 3:15), but he is still enjoined to study (1 Timothy 4:13-16; 2 Timothy 2:15).

The Bible has been compared to the Earth. The farmer can make a living by scratching the surface of the Earth. The miner delves deep into the bowels of the earth to bring forth precious minerals, gems, and the treasures of the Earth's resources. Likewise, an ordinary reader of Scripture can find all that pertains to life and godliness very easily in the Bible. At the same time, the Bible scholar will delve deep into the text and bring forth great treasures of truth.

The ability of everyone to understand the Scripture was a controversial topic during the Reformation. For centuries the Scriptures had been regarded as a dark and mysterious book requiring secret skills of interpretation to unlock; skills only possessed by the church. Martin Luther came to maintain the essential clarity and simplicity of Scripture. He said,

“This does not mean there are no difficult or obscure passages in Scripture. But such passages can be interpreted through clearer passages or through . . . grammatical studies. If such passages still remain unclear after such investigations, the reason lies not in the obscurity of the text, but in the mind of the reader.”

Would God be just to require that men obey His Word in order to go to heaven        (Matthew 7:20-21; John 12:47-48), and then give that Word in such a form that no man can understand? Hear Milton:

“We count it no gentleness or fair dealing, in a man of power, to require strict and punctual obedience, and yet give out his commands ambiguously. We should think that he had a plot upon us. Certainly such commands were no commands, but snares. The very essence of truth is plainness and brightness; the darkness and ignorance are our own” (Milton, quoted in Terry 160).

Terry adds,

“We cannot believe that the sacred writers desired to be misunderstood. They did not write with a purpose to confuse and mislead their readers. Nor is it reasonable to suppose that the Scripture, given by divine inspiration, is of the nature of a puzzle designed to exercise the ingenuity of critics. It was given to make men wise unto salvation, and in great part it is so direct and simple in its teachings that a little child can understand its meaning” (Terry 161).

The German commentator Lange gives us a fair illustration of the real difficulty.

“As the sun in the earthly heavens has to break through many a cloudy media, so also does the divine word of the Holy Scriptures through the confusion of every kind which arises from the soil of earthly intuition and representation” (Lange, quoted in Terry on p. 162).

5. The Bible is a Harmonious Unity.

The Bible is a unique book. Sixty-six books really, written over sixteen centuries, by forty men, it is nonetheless, a harmonious whole. Many deny this fact, but the truth of this claim can be easily established by one's reading through the Bible attentively. What forty human writers over the past two millennia could take up a controversial subject and all make the same observations and come to the same conclusions? A study of the history of philosophy will satisfy anyone that, for humans, this is impossible. How does one explain the marvelous unity of Scripture except by divine revelation?

Jesus inferred the unity and harmony of Scripture in His teaching. "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me" (John 5:39, NIV; see also Luke 24:27, 44). Paul affirmed the unity of apostolic teaching (1 Corinthians 15:9-11; Galatians 2:1-9), as did Peter (2 Peter 3:15-16) and John 

(1 John 4:6).

Because the Scriptures are harmonious, one can expect to achieve a proper grasp of the will of God on a particular subject only by bringing together all that the Bible has to say on that subject. Clearer passages must govern the understanding of more difficult passages. For example, Revelation 20 must not be interpreted in such a way that it conflicts with the plain teaching of 1 Corinthians 15. Remember that in the final analysis, Scripture must interpret Scripture!

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Foundation Facts of Hermeneutics

1. The Bible is Inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 14:37)

a. Verbal (1 Corinthians 2:4, 13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

b. Plenary (2 Peter 1:20-21; Luke 24:44).

c. Progressive (Hebrews 1:1-2; Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).

2. The Bible is a Finished Revelation. (2 Peter 1:3; John 16:13; Jude 3; James 1:25).

3. The Bible is the Only Authority in Religion. (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 9; Revelation 22:18-19).

4. The Bible is Understandable (Ephesians 5:17; Mark 7:14; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Proverbs 2:3-5)

5. The Bible is a Harmonious Unity (Luke 24:27, 44; 1 Corinthians 15:9-11)

Bibliography and for Further Reading

Balchin, John F., Understanding Scripture. Downer's Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity press, 1981.

Dungan, D. R., Hermeneutics. Delight, Ark.: Gospel Light, n.d.

Ferguson, Douncan S., Biblical Hermeneutics: An Introduction. Atlanta: John Knox, 1986.

Kaiser, Walter C. Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching. Grand Rapids: Baker,          1981.

McQuilken, Robertson., Understanding and Applying the Bible. Chicago: Moody, 1983, 1992.

Mickelson, A. Berkeley., Interpreting the Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1963.

Mickelson, A. Berkeley and Alvera Mickelson. Better Bible Study: A Layman's Guide to Interpreting and Understanding God's Word. Glendale, Calif.: Regal, 1977.

Ramm, Bernard. Protestant Biblical Interpretation. Boston: W. A. Wilde, rev. ed. 1956.

Terry, Milton S. Biblical Hermeneutics. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974.

Vine, W. E. Vine's Amplified Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Stephen Renn, ed. World Bible Publishers,     n.d.

Virkier, Henry A. Hermeneutics: principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981.

Woods, Guy N. How to Study the New Testament Effectively. Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 1992.

Please Contact me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com or 253-396-0290 (cell) for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.