 Word of god

WHY WE NEED PROPER

HERMENEUTICS?
HISTORY

WILLIAM TYNDALE
 John Wycliffe 13th century Bible translation from Latin to English
 1515, William Tyndale Greek and Hebrew scholar, his vision to translate the scripture
for the laymen

“If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who
drives a plough to know more of the scriptures than you do.”
― William Tyndale

 He made the major translations of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew to English
 In 1536, he was convicted of heresy and executed by strangulation, after which his
body was burnt at the stake.

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 11
Because it’s my duty to preserve the truth of God’s word

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you
will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:16

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Titus 2:1

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions
of what is falsely called “knowledge,”
1 Timothy 6:20

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
2 Timothy 1:14

Unmixed doctrine
Saved, Sanctified Christians are called to preserve the sound doctrine
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 11
Because it’s my duty to preserve the truth of God’s word

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that
are in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:13

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
Galatians 2:11

But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas
before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force
the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Galatians 2:14
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 11
Because it’s my duty to preserve the truth of God’s word

to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might
be preserved for you.
Galatians 2:5

It’s our responsibility to be diligent in the study of the scripture

WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 12
Clarity of the scripture brings inexplicable joy

So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what
you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to
come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not
his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his
life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself
or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told
him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
Acts 8: 30-36

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch
saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing
Acts 8: 39
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 12
Clarity of the scripture brings inexplicable joy

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And
beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29
but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far
spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and
blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us
while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Luke 24:25-32

I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Psalm 119: 7-8
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 12
Clarity of the scripture brings inexplicable joy

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Luke 24: 45

And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
Luke 24: 52
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 13
Proper hermeneutics enables us to grow and become mature and thus powerful Christians
Proper hermeneutics helps you to be rooted and established in the truth of God’s Word

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the
Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit,4 he spoke and taught
accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in
the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of
God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the
disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he
powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
Acts 18:24-28

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,
who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 14
Proper hermeneutics brings about a personal revival and revival around you

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
Ezra 7:10

So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand
what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water
Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could
understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:2-3

the Levites,1 helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read
from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,2 and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
Nehemiah 8:7-8
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 14
Proper hermeneutics brings about a personal revival and revival around you

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said
to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they
heard the words of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:9

And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they
had understood the words that were declared to them.
Nehemiah 8:12
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 15
Proper hermeneutics brings glory to God and honors Christ

Christology becomes clear Theology becomes proper Eschatology becomes clear

Incarnate Understand God with Understand future hope
Son of God all his attributes waiting for us
With the trinity

Soteriology becomes clear Pneumatology becomes clear

Salvation and Honor the Spirit of God
sovereignty of God Spirit of truth
becomes clear Spirit of Christ
3rd person of the Trinity
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 16
If our hermeneutics is improper or don’t have hermeneutics, it will result in greatest Cults
Example

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they
will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any
deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16: 17-18

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy,
and nothing shall hurt you.
Luke 10: 19

According to ABC News*, an estimated 125 churches

practice serpent handling in the United States, most of
which are concentrated in rural Appalachia, although
some are as far away as Canada.

*Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/snake-handling-pentecostal-pastor-dies-snake-bite/story?id=22551754
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 16
If our hermeneutics is improper or don’t have hermeneutics, it will result in greatest Cults
Example

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver
of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12:9

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere
and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Psalm 91:13
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

REASON NO. 16
If our hermeneutics is improper or don’t have hermeneutics, it will result in greatest Cults

Scripture is misinterpreted

Prosperity Gospel

Mormonism

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds

its General Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Among all Christian religious traditions in the U.S., Mormons are among the
most highly involved in their congregations (67%),
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE
The synthesis principle (grammatic principle) of the Bible
Scripture agrees with the Scripture
Name Jesus Christ denotes
Mystical statements
His Character
Hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not
His Divinity
meant to be taken literally)
His Personality
Illustration
His Incarnation
Eisegesis
His Deity
Misquote, Decontextualize: Sensus plenior*
Subjective and taking into cultural context
Allegorical interpretation
Mystical interpretation
Hyper literalism (Take figure of speech and
interpreting literally)

* Means deeper meaning we have to find out from the authors subconscious intent. Dangerous method but very popular in modern hermeneutics
PROPER HERMENEUTICS

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE
Different hermeneutical systems

1. Allegoric hermeneutics: putting symbolic meaning to verses when there is no symbols

2. Semi-allegory: partly literal and partly allegorical

3. Theological: spiritualize the text (gives supernatural meaning when there is no such meaning)

4. Literal: figure of speech is taken literally (hyper literalism)

5. Litero-historo-grammatical-synthetic hermeneutics (best approach)

6. Modern hermeneutics (liberal theology)

7. Post-modern hermeneutics (mystical/subjective/spiritual)

8. Medieval quadriga*

* Methodology used by Augustine and Catholic Church....a verse can be interpreted at 4 levels....literal, moral, analogical (mystical) & anagogical (futurist)....
PROPER HERMENEUTICS

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE
Grammar

1. Figure of speech (literal)

2. Parable
3. Poetry
4. Idiom
5. Euphemism
6. Simile
7. Metaphor
8. Hyperbole
9. Idiomatic hyperbole
WHY WE NEED PROPER HERMENEUTICS?

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE
The right way

Any passage you interpret for application:

Name Jesus Christ denotes
What attributes of God is revealed in this passage?
His Character
God, Christ, Sprit of God
His Divinity
Personalization should highlight God’s attributes
His Personality
His Incarnation
Sensus literalis: literal interpretation His Deity
of scripture as the author intended