Weekly Update |   April 25, 2024

One Aspect of Hermeneutics

Dmitriy Zherebnenkov

The hermeneutics class officially ended this past Sunday. Now, not everyone who so passionately began the course was able to get to the end, but those that did ended with a lesson about how to apply a particular passage. After the course was completed, I got some requests to further explain how to move from observation to interpretation. It is not an easy process to synthesize all the observations into one cohesive idea and get an adequate interpretation of a particular text.

We’ll begin in order. Throughout the class we talked about how there are three clear steps when studying Scripture: 1) Observation, 2) Interpretation, 3) Application. Most hermeneutics textbooks devote a lot of space to interpretation, especially for each genre of Scripture. And this is right, but the need of a modern person is a lacking ability to make observations. People have become less diligent and are unable to find the “golden nuggets” in Scripture. This is why we spent the greater part of our time in the observation stage before finally moving on to the question of “what does it mean?”

We talked a lot about how to get more out of the text. The method is to first write down what the text says, do lexical studies of important words, and then a syntactical analysis to observe the structure and interconnections of words and sentences in the development of the author’s thoughts.

Now what we’ll be talking about here is how to put all this together and interpret the text while paying attention to the most important elements.

But first, a few important reminders: 1) It’s true that after doing all the work of observation of a particular text we will ultimately not teach or apply all the information. For example, a preacher typically shares no more than 20% of all the information that he’s uncovered. It’s normal when we don’t use all the observations that we’ve “dug up” in interpretation and in application. 2) To be able to determine what information that is found in a text is of primary or secondary importance takes much time, practice, and skill. The ability to pick out the “golden nuggets” out of everything else comes with experience!

What does a student of Scripture need to consider when encountering a large amount of good information but who wishes to be more focused and effective with the information?

I. Determine the main thought or intent of the author, and stick to it.

The problem of many modern interpreters is that they become distracted by secondary themes that are parallel to the main idea. If we forget about the main thing, we will always increase the amount of information while at the same time decrease the quality of said information.

II. Don’t allow your presuppositions to dominate the text.

Having talked to many people, I’ve noticed how often in discussions about various topics they end up coming back to their favorite topics or questions. For example, no matter what a text will be about, some will always talk about election. This is a good and useful topic, but if it’s not in view in the current text then there’s no point in trying to stick it in there. This is a problem of many! Be honest with the text. Don’t find something that isn’t there. An honest and true student, interpreter, and teacher of God’s Word will talk about what the text says, no matter if it’s comfortable or whether he likes it or not.

III. Learn from commentaries.

Throughout the class we talked numerous times about how we turn to commentaries only at the end of the process, after doing a personal study of a text. Commentaries are someone else’s work on the text. We merely consult and verify and add to our notes when looking at others’. But there is one element worth paying attention to when it comes to commentaries—the many years of experience of the author. Commentaries are printed only of those people who have spent many years seriously studying Scripture. This is correct and it is the strength of commentaries. When we read them, we enter into the author’s experience. Allow their skill to teach you what to pay attention to and even moreso, what information to leave by the wayside.

IV. Pray.

At the beginning of the class we did an interesting exercise. All the students received a text on which they had to make the maximum amount of observations that they could. After everyone shared their findings, the instructor asked those students who prayed for God’s help prior to studying the text to raise their hands. It was revealing. It is a good reminder that working with Scripture at any stage requires serious, purposeful prayer. Pray that God would help you see the main things and not to be distracted by secondary matters.

Beloved, once more I remind you that it is imperative for a believer to study Scripture.

The Word of God is sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10) and is life-giving milk (1 Pet. 2:1-3) that is necessary to be truly tasted, which doesn’t happen without some serious work over a text! We sincerely wish that through studying Scripture you would form an ever closer relationship with the Creator!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Below are the services and meetings for this weekend:

• Thursday (6:30 PM) – Kid’s Bible School (open to all but required for parents), followed
• by Bible Study (Proverbs) for the whole church at 7:30 PM
• Saturday (8:00 – 9:30 AM) – Men’s prayer breakfast
• Sunday service:
• Combined Worship Service with baptism at 9:00 AM

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