Hermeneutics Mid-term

What do Ultra-liberal's emphasize about the nature of scripture?

Human part of scripture. Humans wrote it so it should look like a human text (errors). May undercut divine part of scripture.

What does the term inspired mean?

Wind, or Spirit, or breath. Breath of God.

Josephus

Jewish historian and apologist, though considered a traitor by contemporaries. His histories are valuable for reconstructing the history of the Jews in the first centuries BCE and CE, despite being gilled with gossip and legend. Sided with Rome in the revolt. Three passages are of interest to Christians, concerning Jesus, John the Baptist, and James brother of Jesus. The first is widely thought to be an interpolation, while the other two are thought to be authentic.

Transliteration

The act or process by which words letters or characters of one language are written in the letters or characters of another, or the result thereof. Differs from translation since meaning is not always carried over.

Second Temple Period

The years between 520BC and 515BC and the 3rd or Herod's temple, started during King Herod's reign (37-4BC). Terms are increasingly substituted for "intertestamental period" due to importance of Jewish history, and growing conviction that the Hebrew Bible is in important respects the product of the period of the 2nd temple rather than the 1st, making intertestamental misleading.

Synopsis

a book that presents Matthew, Mark, and Luke in parallel columns, arranged to show where the Gospels agree and disagree.

Synecdoche

a figure of speech by which a part stands in place of the whole, or, the whole for a part, or the species for the genus, or the genus for the species.

Bibliolatry

a pejorative term connoting the idolization of the Bible in such a way as to make it, instead of God, the object of reverence.

Paronomasia

a play on words, a pun, the recurrence of the same word or word stem in close proximity. Ex. Adam is a pun on Adamah, a word for ground.

Rhetorical Analysis

specific form of inquiry that is concerned with the rhetorical structure of a text, that is with rhetoric as the art of composition

Typology

the interpretation of persons, events, institutions, in light of their resemblance of correspondence to other persons, events, and institutions within a common framework of sacred history.

Give three examples about which Christians disagree on the plain meaning of scripture.

1. Whether women should keep silent in the church. 2. Eternal security and losing one's salvation. 3. Believer's baptism and infant baptism

What do Translation committees look for in their translation?

1. accuracy 2. understandability 3. X-factor (reverence, or relatability)

Death of the author

A literary criticism that rebuts the traditional literary criticism notion that the biography of an author provides a context for interpretation of text; instead, the writing and the creator are unrelated.

Biblical Criticism

Broadly, the use of rational judgment in understanding the Bible. It's a part of interpretation. Narrowly, it is an approach to the study of scripture that is centrally concerned with searching for and applying neutral canons of judgment in its investigation of the biblical text. Ancient roots are the Bible itself, and theological connection with it. Modern views use a variety of methods to understand the world behind behind the text. Protestants primarily did this, but other groups included themselves also. A shift then went to the text as self-contained (world of the text), and now is focused on the world in front of the text. Today we draw from all sorts of places including Modern Biblical Criticism.

What do Ultra-conservative's emphasize about the nature of Scripture?

Divine part of scripture. If bible says it I believe, that settles it. Ignores human part.

What is the first task of the interpreter? Define it. What is the key to doing it well?

Exegesis--careful, systematic study of scripture to discover original intended meaning. The key is to learn to read the text carefully and ask the right questions of the text.

Annotated (Study) Bible

A Bible supplied with clarifying historical, literary, and theological notes in introductory sections or paragraphs and/or footnotes, with maps, charts, concordance, cross reference, etc.

Paraphrase

A free rendering of the sense of a difficult passage or text into another form in the same language. With Bible translation, means clarity is given precedence over fidelity to original phrasing and vocabulary where target audience is a bigger concern than source language. The use of the word is debated. Some think all translation is a paraphrase, while others say it is only an interpretative translation while metaphrase is an overly literal translation--god translation being in the middle.

Bibliography

A list of writings on a particular subject, often with annotations.

Reader response criticism

An approach to literature that focuses on the reader rather than the work itself, by attempting to describe what goes on in the reader's mind during the reading of a text. Suspicious of how we have been taught to read the text. Don't read it as your oppressor does. What would it be like to be in the story?

Every translation is a(n) _______.

interpretation

Pseudepigrapha

(Greek for falsely titled). Designated a collection of ancient Jewish and Hellenistic Jewish writings not in the OT canon or in the Apocrypha where authorship is falsely ascribed and so deemed a fraud. Anachronistic since ancients didn't have concept of authorship or forgery.

describe the historical narratives

-Both history and story -power of story -cultural markers and associations -tied to history -stories reveal truth about God

describe the wisdom literature

-General Truths -Expresses true emotions -not always appropriate -larger theme of God

Mishnah

(Hebrew for repent or learn) An authoritative collection of mostly (legal and procedural) material developed within oral traditions of Pharisaic and rabbinic Judaism. Provides the foundation for the structure of the Talmud. Divided into 63 tractates. Significant departure from early and contemporary Jewish literature. As NT is fulfillment of OT for Rabbinic Jews, Mishnah is other half of the Tanakh.

What are some general guidelines to reading humbly?

-Mature thinking leads to mature living -Don't be combative -Love must come before knowledge -Hear things you disagree with -Christianity is about following not knowing -Understanding is different than knowledge -Expect to grow and feel pain and challenges in the process -People before ideas, Christ before small disagreement. -Scripture is intended to question us and break our categories

describe revelation

-There is a battle. God wins. You can choose a side. Don't be stupid. -Related to OT and jewish literature--apocalyptic -Not 1:1 ration; symbolic. Meant to bless and encourage

describe Acts

-a snapshot of church ideals -descriptive presentation of God's fulfillment -prescription for acting like people of God

describe the Epistles

-letters to young christians -each letter is occasional -paul is missional (applying deep truths to real situations) -major foundational truths are used for discernment for contemporary applications

describe the Gospels

-more than just biographies of jesus -each Gospel writer is a theologian -each writer points to same story in different ways -listen to each authors voice

Give two reasons why the Bible is inspired, trustworthy, and reliable.

1) We believe a lot of things told to us, if we didn't nothing would be accomplished. There are things told to us by our parents who raised us that may not be documented, or certain, but we believe anyway. Doubt may need to be shown as justified instead of belief being first established. The Bible is thus reliable. But, the level of the thing believe should also play a part. For instance, something one bases ones whole life on should be scrutinized further than common discussion. 2)Its honesty and shamefulness, and debate, and humanity paradoxically show the way it is an inspired text. For a human to argue a text is inspired the text would give design of its greatness and consistency--the Bible's key story is a defeat of who we want to follow. It makes it difficult to find its consistency. This is precisely where it asks you to push forward to find the truth in it. In other absurdities in life, do we find that they prove true based on their absurdities alone or on other matters? This is not another simple absurdity in life--if the truth about reality in some form is being enunciated in the scripture it is more likely to be explained through seemingly paradoxical or contradictory words or phrases since it is so broad it might look different at different angles and in different contexts. One's assumptions about what reality is like then play into whether or not one believes the text is an absurd sacred document or silly fairly tales.

What are three translation theories/tendencies?

1. Accuracy (literal word for word) 2. Dynamic Equivalence 3. Understanding (paraphrase)

What are three tendencies/theories of biblical interpretation?

1. Author (behind the text) 2. Text (within the text) 3. Reader (in front of the text)

What are the two Greek Schools of translation theory?

1. Majority (with variants choose the most often used) 2. Eclectic (earlier, shorter, difficult)

List resources that can help for historical-critical method

1. Study Bible 2. New Testament Synopsis 3. Old Testament Synopsis 4. Comparative Bible Translations 5. Lexicons (dictionary) 6. Dictionary (encyclopedias) 7. Concordances (words in scripture) 8. Atlas 9. Dead Sea Scrolls 10. Philo/Josephus 11. Mishnah 12. Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha 13. Apostolic Fathers 14. Archaeology & Backgrounds 15. Hermeneutics 16. Commentaries

Give two examples in chapter 1 of Fee of how our understanding may not line up with the author's intent.

1. The cross was likely not (+), but probably (T) shaped. 2. All translations are already an interpretation of the translator. The translator could misinterpret.

Name three incomplete or improper popular ways of reading/interpreting the Bible.

1. Tradition--appeal to it as a way to read scripture that is above all other readings is a fallacy (ignores change in circumstances and original reason for traditions), and tradition itself is full of people who challenged all tradition, so tradition is innovative. 2. The mirrors and inkblots--while God makes himself known to us in ways we need to see him, God still says what God has to say. Distinguishing between our own personal understanding and what God is saying is very tricky--we find very elaborate ways of doing it and then hide those ways from ourselves. 3. Puzzle piece--putting together God's mind from scripture is a low view of scripture since no one else in scripture was able to. We should let the biblical data speak for itself. But doesn't our attempt to make sense of the Bible ultimately attempt to puzzle piece at least in a very moderate way?

What are some things to be aware of concerning grammar in translations?

1. Word order 2. Plural verses singular you

Summarize how to evaluate and use commentaries as described in Fee's Appendix.

Commentaries are to be used after exegesis. You use a commentary for 3 purposes. 1) helps on sources and information about the historical context, 2) answers to those manifold content questions and 3) thorough discussions of difficult texts as to the possibilities of meaning, along with supporting arguments. To evaluate a commentary pay attention to certain criteria. 1) Look for commentaries that focuses on exegesis and content questions, 2)look for ones based on the original languages, 3) look for an author that discusses all possible meanings, 4) look for an author that discusses text-critical problems, 5) look for an author that discusses the historical background of the idea of the text at important places; 6) look for one that has bibliographic information, 7) look for one with an introductory section that gives enough information about the historical context to enable understanding for the occasion of the book. The best way to solve all of these criteria is to look at how the commentary deals with difficult texts.

Strack-Billerbeck

Common call name for the "Kommentar Zum Never Testament aus Talmud und Midrash" which is an indispensable tool for the comparative suited of early Christianity and 1st-4th century Judaism.

What are the two basic kinds of questions one should ask of the text? Describe each.

Context questions--what is around the text? Content questions--what the text contains?

Version

Denotes an early translation of NT from Greek into another language (in textual criticism). Denotes an edition of the Bible that incorporates something of the language and style of a previous translation or version in the same language (in Bible translation).

What is the second task of the interpreter? Define it.

Hermeneutics--Taking exegesis and finding its contemporary relevance.

Formula

In form criticism, it is a short literary form, usually not more than a brief phrase or sentence, established principally through use and employed to designate an action or otherwise introduce a longer literary type. Ex. "truly I tell you", "Thus says the Lord", etc.

Prolepsis

In literary criticism, a term for the type of prophetic speech that treats as past that which in fact is still only a future possibility.

What analogy can be used to help us understand the nature of the Bible?

Jesus being fully-human and fully divine.

Idiom

May refer to a) the language peculiar to a people or more narrowly to b) an expression whose meaning cannot be derived from the customary meaning of the component words.

Dead Sea Scrolls

Name of the parchment and papyrus scrolls found in eleven caves along the NW coast of the Dead Sea in the 1950s from 200BC to 60CE. Likely from an Essene community. Provides modern scholars with inestimable value in understanding early christianity and judaism in the first century. Includes text from the Hebrew bible and apocrypha.

Historical Criticism

Narrowly, limited to the biblical interpretation, it seeks to understand the ancient text in light of its historical origins, time and place, sources, events, dates, persons, places, things, customs, etc. mentioned or implied by the text. Goal is to ascertain text's primitive or original meaning in its original historical context. Secondary goal is to reconstruct the historical situation of the author and audience and true nature of events the text describes. Deeply connected with protestantism. Just one part of Biblical--some think its impossible.

What is the antidote to bad interpretation?

Not no interpretation, but good interpretation based on guidelines

Sitz-im-Leben

Setting in life, or life situation (Ger.) technical term in form criticism refers to the sociological setting within life of Israel or the Early church in which particular rhetorical forms took shape. Recently refers to Sociological analysis and is expressed by terms like social location and social world. In redaction criticism, refers to literary setting where writers adapt traditions to meet the situation in life.

Summarize Fee, Chapter 2

The first step of translation involves getting the original language as close to the autographs as possible. Textual criticism does this by using internal and external evidence to determine where copy errors occurred historically and how so as to remove them. The next step of translation involves how to move the text from one language to another. This requires a theory of translation--this usually fluctuates between emphasizing the more literal sense or the clarity of meaning. Difficult areas of translation are as follows: weights, measuring money; Euphemisms; word plays; Grammar and Syntax; Gender.

Textual Criticism

The function and purpose of textual criticism is of a dual nature: (1) to reconstruct the original wording of the biblical text and (2) to establish the history of the transmission of the text through the centuries. (1) is impossible since no autographs exist. For biblical reconstruction texts must be compared to give a list of variant readings. Textual criticism then not only provides an idea of how the original text may have read, it also provides knowledge of how in fact it did read, and in some respects how it was interpreted, at various centers of faith at various times in Christian history. For example, the woman caught in adultery was added in 300 ce--this provides info on the 4th century churches text. In antiquity and until the invention of the printing press, MSS were copied by hand; none, therefore, is free of error, each inevitably carrying within it the errors of the MS from which the new copy was made. Variations between MSS arose from a variety of causes: a) physical damage by accident and decay, leaving holes in the text; b)accidental omission by slip of the copyist's eye; c)aural (their vs. they're); d) exegetical misjudgment; e) deliberate alteration of the text for purposes of clarification, correction, and apologetic. OT sources are vastly fewer(just a handful) in number than NT (5000 MSS at least) Principles of textual criticism can be included in 2 groups (external-where, when texts were produced) (internal-the what/meaning of the text).The role of interpretive communities has deeply affected textual criticism--for they have often played a role in the transmission of texts, deliberately altering texts to fit contemporary needs and prejudices, in a manner comparable to the role of theology in translation. Some have questioned the point of textual criticism (reconstruction of the original text), but most do not. Both noted that 'variants are very old commentaries on the text.'

What is the most important contextual question?

What is the point?

Commentary

a book that discusses the biblical text chapter by chapter and verse by verse, lifting up noteworthy phrases and words for clarification or comment. Much or even most of the works by figures such as Origen or Luther, and Calvin took the form of commentaries. Modern critical commentaries deal with text in terms of its linguistic, literary, historical, and religiocultural setting.

Narrative criticism

a focus of inquiry employing and contributing to the methods and insights of structuralism, rhetorical criticism, reader-response criticism, et al. Interested in narrative as narrative, not first of all as a source for understanding the historical circumstances in which the narrative has procedures, the identity of its author, or the audience to which the text was originally addressed. Assumes this adds nothing to meaning or interpretation of a narrative. Implied author exists-perspective from which story is told other built into narrative itself. Concerned with effect the narrative is intended to have on reader instead of original audience reconstruction.

Chiasmus

a latinized word based not the Greek letter X(chi) to symbolize the inverted sequence or cross-over of parallel words or ideas in a bi-colon, sentence, or larger literary unit.

Revised Standard Version

a revision of the American Standard Version, which was a revision of the KJV. Sought to keep elevated style of KJV to use for public worship. Still closer to original than KJV since more MSS available. NRSV tried to keep good language while eliminating archaisms and makes use of inclusive language, paraphrasing only where deficiency exists in English.

Hebrew Bible

a term chiefly at home in academic settings to refer to the sacred scriptures of Judaism as established by rabbinic authorities around 100 CE. The TANAKH includes TORAH or LAW, Nephiim or prophets, and KETUBIM or writings.

Concordance

an alphabetical listing of all the principal words of a book, including a reference indicating the place where it occurs and usually some portion of the accompanying phrase.

Paradox

an apparent contradiction; that is a statement that, though false to common opinion, proves to be unexpectedly, but profoundly true. In the NT the crucified messiah is the central paradox. Resolution to prior paradoxes concerning God. Jesus' teachings are also paradoxical. Kierkegaard is especially strong on this point.

ANET, ANEP

common abbreviation for "Ancient Near Eastern Texts relating to the OT", and "Ancient Near East in Pictures relating to the OT." Tools for OT study.

Critical Text

conjectural reconstruction of a document of which only divergent recensions are extant; it is therefore a hypothetical text usually based on one or two best MSS available. Normally accompanied by a critical apparatus listing alternate readings.

What is the most important ingredient one brings to the task of interpretation?

enlightened common sense

Metaphor

figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object is used in place of another in order to suggest a comparison between them. A simile without 'like' or 'as'. No limit is set on how far proposed comparison can be extended.

What is the difference between historical context and literary context?

historical--variables relevant to author's setting literary--the words and sentences surrounding words and sentences.

Irony

in common parlance, the statement of one thing with the intention of suggesting something else. Derives original meaning in early Greek comedy who mocks and triumphs over boastful antagonist by feigning ignorance and impotence (Socratic irony). OT is ironic in that they are proud and willful but remain blind to doom. Jesus teachings and life show ironic incongruity. Scriptures filled with dramatic irony--reader knows what characters don't.

"Every reader is at the same time an ________."

interpreter

Canon

literally measuring stick. Often used to discuss the authoritative works included in sacred scripture, which are regarded as inspired. Varies between religious tradition. Jewish canon's law, prophets, writing. Christian canon is OT, NT, and sometimes apocrypha.

According to Fee & Stuart, a text cannot _____ what it never ____. What is their reasoning for this statement?

mean; meant. The Holy Spirit cannot contradict what it originally meant when it first spoke in the text.

A text cannot mean what it never _____.

meant

Syntax

most commonly refers to the study of the rules by which sentences are constructed in a given language, or that subdivision of semiotics that deals with the arrangement and relationship of linguistic signs to each other.

New International Version

prepared by more than 100 scholars from more than a dozen conservative evangelical denominations in the US, and abroad "united in their commitment to the authority and infallibility of the Bible as God's Word in written form." Created to correct problems w/ RSV. Often conforms OT to NT reading.

King James Version

published in 1611; through heeding the Hebrew and Greek texts at hand, it owed much of its English phrasing to antecedent translations and versions. Most dependent on Tyndale's translation which in turn followed Luther's translation.

Biblicism

refers pejoratively to the uncritical, literal interpretation of scripture, particularly to a method that fails to distinguish between the scriptures and that to which the scriptures bear witness.

Variant Reading

refers to a variation in the wording of a passage of scripture as found in comparison of 2 or more MSS of the text in hand. Total in NT is over 500,000 (mostly minor variations in spelling and word order).

Fee and Stuart claim the nature of Scripture is eternally ______, but historically ______.

relevant; particular

Historical-Critical Method

strictly, refers to procedures used by historical criticism. Broadly, it encompasses the underlying conception of the nature and power of historical reasoning on which historical criticism rests. Embraces following tenets: 1) reality is uniform and universal 2) accessible to human reason and investigation 3) all events-historical or natural are interconnected and comparable 4) contemporary experience equips us with objective criteria to determine what could or could not happen in the past. These premises are philosophical and theological and can't be proven by historical investigation. Rules out God as an agent in history.

Target language

term in translation theory to denote the receptor language of a translation. In other words the language being translated into. Ex. the english text was translated into the target language, Korean.

Texts Receptus

the 'received text' is the name given in Britain to the 1550 edition of the Greek NT published by Stephanus in Paris, which essentially reproduced Erasmus' text of 1535. On the continent, the accepted text was the 1633 edition of Elzevir a Dutch Printing house. Until the 19th century the Texts Receipts was the authoritative text of the NT.

Hermeneutics

the art of interpretation. Seeks to describe rules for appropriate for interpretation and to provide a general theory of human understanding that can support continued claims for the meaningfulness and possible truth of biblical texts.

Exegesis

the careful methodologically self-aware study of a text undertaken in order to produce an accurate and useful interpretation thereof.

Liddel-Scott-Jones

the common name of "A Greek-English Lexicon" compiled by Henry George Liddel and Robert Scott. Standard Greek-English Lexicon, for classical and Hellenistic Greek.

Epigraphy

the field of study concerned with the classification and interpretation of inscriptions

Septuagint

the name of the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Torah, and would eventually include the whole HB and Apocrypha and other works. Became favorite translation of the early church and fell into disfavor among the Jews.

Critical Apparatus

the notes supplied primarily in Hebrew and Greek editions of the OT and NT that cite the MS sources and readings that either support or vary from the printed text.

Eisegesis

the practice of reading into the text that one wants to get out of it.

Masoretic Text

the received text of the Hebrew OT as annotated for punctuation and vocalization by Masoretes, the authoritative teacher of Scriptural tradition.

Linguistics

the study of language it seeks to describe and explain human speech in terms of its internal characteristics, its function, and its role in society. Both the empirical and theoretical in that it gathers data according to a general theory of linguistic structure. Study of signs (semiotics) com. theory, language structure, systems, social settings, geographical setting, language dev., etc., are included in this field. Subdivisions are phonetics, phonology, morphology, Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Analogy

to make a comparison between similar features or attributes of the two otherwise dissimilar things, so that the unknown, or less well known, is clarified by the known.

Old Testament, New Testament

traditional designations for two major parts of the Christian Bible. These names unite at denote difference between the two sections. Recent debate argues for changing the names for two reasons. One being that it is incompatible with historical context of writings. The other because they minimize the Old Testament as inspired text and imply supersessionism.

Lexicon

used most frequently to designate a dictionary of Hebrew, Greek, or Latin words found in scripture or the church fathers, or it may be used in a broader sense to denote any specialized vocabulary of a particular field of knowledge.

Analytical Lexica

volumes containing all the words and inflected forms of Hebrew/Aramaic OT and the Greek NT, arranged in alphabetical order, parsed and defined.