ABX Exam

According to some, what is the "heart" of the Covenant of Grace?

"Cs have wonderful existential/personal relationship aspects and is characterized by: "I am to be your God, and you are to be my people." Some call this the "heart" of the C of G"

Define sensus plenior What are its assumptions? Give an example.

"Fuller meaning" (not hidden, but fuller) the nature of progressive revelation: the fuller meaning comes in light of later revelation different from typology in that it deals with WORDS, not things or events Similar to typology in that it is another way of looking at the way later revelation relates to earlier revelation. Earlier revelation takes on expanded meaning, evident to us but not to the original audience Assumptions: i) there are two authors in Scripture: God and the human author (this is based on our view of inspiration) and their intents are complementary not contradictory. a sense intended by God the divine author, but not fully understood by the human author Raymond Brown def: "that additional deeper meaning, intended by God, but not clearly intended by the human author, Examples i) Psalm 2:1-2 in Acts 4:25-26: who are the enemies? (Bock) the meaning did not change but became deeper because it was expanded and clarified (changed) even as it remained the same; the resultant meaning complements the earlier meaning. ii) Isa 6:1-3: who does Isaiah see? -stability of meaning: adonai/Yahweh means the same thing in Isaiah as they mean in John's gospel -fuller meaning in John's gospel is that Yahweh has taken on a human nature iii) the idea of the taberbacle/Temple -the garden of Eden is depicted as a temple it is a place of God's presence and fellowship with God priestly terms are used to refer to the work given to Adam (Gen 2:15) cherubim occur in Genesis 3 -the tabernacle in the Mosaic covenant it is a place of God's presence and fellowship with God, with a focus on worship it is portable so that it can travel with God's people cherubim are in the Most Holy Place glory of the Lord filled the temple -the Solomonic temple it is a place of God's presence and fellowship with God, with a focus on worship it is stationary because God's people are planted in the land with a mission to the nations who come to Israel the glory of the Lord filled the temple -Jesus Christ as the temple destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (the temple of his body) - John 2:13 the word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we beheld his glory (John 1:14) Jesus is the fulfillment of what the OT temple represented: the presence of God with his people -the church as the temple the church is the place of worship when God comes to dwell with his people (1 Corinthians 3) individual believers are temples because each is filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6) -the New Heavens and the New Earth: no temple needed because we are directly in the presence of God

Explain one of Cara's proverbs using an example that Cara did not use in class.

"Meaning is a circle, not a dot." -- This is to say that a single text may have many meanings, even as one or fewer of them is more "central" within the circle. So, for example, Jesus's capstone command in the sermon on the mount to "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48) may be variously interpreted by those seeking to win their emphasis on a particular use of the law in Scripture. They may insist that the only meaning of this text can possibly be that Jesus is giving us an impossibly high standard that we might fall on his mercy, or that he is simply and strongly exhorting us to pursue true holiness. In reality, all of these interpretations are within the text's range of meaning, but some are perhaps more central than others. Other Proverbs: "Grammar gives the options, theology/context gives the answer." "There are levels of exegetical certainty."

Can we use the methods of interpretation that the apostle's used? Why or why not?

"We are able to follow the methods of the apostles and judge our hermeneutical methods by their hermeneutical methods." This makes the New Testament our STANDARD for hermeneutics AND our standard for interpretation. Silva: "if we refuse to pattern our exegesis after that of the apostles, we are in practice denying the authoritative character of their scriptural interpretation - and to do so is to strike at the heart of the Christian faith." (Silva, "The NT Use of the OT")

Explain Cara's point that a Reformed hermeneutic is both: (1) antithetical to views that do not acknowledge X for ultimate issues and (2) potentially accommodating to all views for proximate issues.

(1) Ultimately, our authority is in the Bible The Bible tells us about Christ and God's plan for redemption If your view diminishes or does not recognize Christ, you have an ultimate problem The Reformed hermeneutic is clearest when it comes to ultimate issues (2) In areas in which sinful people are inconsistent with their own sinful nature and recognize aspects of GR, we can agree with them As opposed to interpretation of SR, even Christians should be much more circumspect about their interpretations of GR as the subject matter gets further and further removed from SR The Reformed hermeneutic is LESS CLEAR in proximate issues

According to Cara, which of the following are "1 to 1" type adjustments? (1) OT Israel civil law adjusted to American civil law (2) "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov 16:9), (3) "Preach the word ... in season and out" (2 Tim 4:2-3) adjusted to those witnessing while working at the office, (4) "God has highly exalted him [X] and given him the name which is above every name" (Phil 2:9).

(2) "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Prov 16:9)

Explain how the authority aspect of the "authority-dialogue model" produces a hermeneutical spiral, not simply a hermeneutical circle.

* Dialogue aspect: Our interaction with the Bible (God) does include us asking questions, getting some answers, being told things we never thought about, adjusting our understanding to ancient culture, asking how to apply to modern culture, etc. * Authority Aspect: Our dialogue is with God! Hence, when we learn something, we are obligated to accept it. Also, we want to dialogue according to the authority's rules. * Authority aspect produces the "hermeneutical spiral" (as opposed to a circle). (Dialoging w/ a non-authority never produces CERTAINTY, hence, the circle.) EXTRA: Pratt (Stories, 37-38), "We begin our communications with a host of assumptions, but we also adjust our methods during the conversation. . . . As we continue in the dialogue, we refine our approach to match the presentation of the one with whom we speak. . . . This model recognizes the dialogical relationship between Scripture and its readers, but it also indicates that there is a FORWARD MOVEMENT of the dialogue toward the goal of fuller understanding."

Give one advantage for interpretation that the present covenant community has that the heritage covenant community does not have.

* Only the present community has interacted w/ truly modern problems (e.g., ethics of some medical "advances"), modern "neutral" stuff (e.g., internet, people move often), and modern language/ideas (e.g., M/PM) * There are true advances in understanding the Bible better. * The present covenant community has interacted w/ the present covenant community and culture, and she has some wisdom to impart. * Living Xns can impart aspects of "think, feel, do" that the heritage can not.

Be generally familiar with the following approaches that stress the human author: Kaiser

*Historical-Grammatical approach: combination of theoria and a view of promise fulfillment to argue that the human author foresaw ALL the future fulfillments of what he prophesied -Psalm 16 and its use in Acts 2:29-31 is his model: David as a prophet spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ -Hos 11:1 quoted in Matt 2:15: Hosea had Matthew's use in mind when he wrote Evaluation of Kaiser: -Matthew's use does not seem to be what Hosea had in mind when one reads the text of Hosea -Kaiser's approach has the highest burden of proof because he claims all texts work according to his method it works well for Psalm 16 in Acts 2 but not for Hosea 11 -Kaiser paints an exaggerated picture of the prophet having a clear presentation of all that he is writing

Be able to discuss the different approaches as to whether the exegesis of the NT period is normative for Christians today?

-Kaiser: NT writers follow the historical-grammatical method and so we can follow them - Richard N. Longenecker: we CAN'T follow the hermeneutical methodology of the NT -Peter Enns: we CAN'T follow the exegetical methods of the NT but we can follow their exegetical goal -Beale: we can follow the hermeneutics of the apostles both in methodology and goal

Midrash

-Mekhilta Exodus (mekhilita means "norm," exegesis of the parts of Exodus from the 9th century) -Sifra Leviticus (sifra means "book," a verse-by-verse commentary on Leviticus around 200) -Sifré Numbers and Deuteronomy (sifré means "books," commentaries on portions of Numbers and Deuteronomy from around 200-300)

What are the differences between Rabbinic and nonrabbinic interpretation?

-Rabbinic has fewer allusions to the biblical text -Does not incorporate large portions of the biblical text into the works they wrote -Used the citation formula "it is written" to set forth the biblical text before they comment on it -Their works were a collection of interpretive comments on the biblical text -The rabbinic literature originated among the rabbis for rabbis, not the general population -They lack an apocalyptic perspective

Mishnah

-a compilation of the written records of oral discussions of various laws 2. Articulation of the Mishnah: -i) Tractate Avot, the Fathers (AD 250): explains the origin and authority of the Mishnah by showing the positions of the sages in the chain of tradition going back to Moses

What is the problem of setting up the historical critical or the historical grammatical method of interpretation as the standard method of interpretation?

-the OT ceases to make any real contribution to understanding the NT or Christianity -exegesis becomes solely the elucidation of the historical sense -distinction between what the text meant then and what it means for today

3. The Talmud

-the primary Rabbinic literature compiled from the 3rd to the 6th century -purpose: to connect the laws in the Mishnah with statements in Scripture to show that the oral Torah rests on the foundation of the written Torah -consists of the Mishnah and the Gemara (a commentary on the majority of the Mishnah)

Give two ways (there are more) that the RT heritage covenant-community should positively affect Reformed pastors.

1) RT has always had a respect for pre-Reformation church theology. Creeds! 2) Unity due to creeds --Gives caution about being overly dogmatic on points of disagreement within the RT community. 3) Emphasis on "whole counsel of God." RT gives you access to many theological and practice issues. 4) Pragmatic advantage to Heritage Covenant Community: Don't need to re-invent the wheel. Standard agreed-upon definitions for theological terms are advantageous.

Be able to compare and contrast the Antiochene and Alexandrian approaches to interpretation of the Bible.

1) Similarities: a) Both recognized the importance of the literal meaning. b) Both looked for a secondary sense beyond the literal sense. 2) Differences: a) The search for a secondary sense goes in different directions: i) Alexandrians use allegory to find a spiritual sense. · emphasis on the divine author · do not distinguish allegory from typology ii) Antiochenes use theoria and typology · emphasis on the human author and the historical context · distinguishes between typology and allegory

Be familiar with Clement's two-fold way

1) The literal meaning Relates to the body Excites interest in the 2) deeper spiritual meaning, which relates to the soul and is hidden behind the literal sense Gnosis: some truths taught openly but the profound truths are hidden from profane eyes, but open to allegory Abraham (the faithful man), Hagar (secular philosophy), and Sarah (true philosophy) Abraham can choose what is profitable in secular philosophy Christ in the OT: allegory is necessary to find Christ

What were some things that Theodore rejected that were commonly accepted in his day?

1) The trinity in Gen 1 2) The red cord of Rahab signifies redemption 3) Moses Ethiopian wife means we should evangelize the heathen 4) Allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs

Be able to distinguish the different types of Philo's works.

1. EXEGETICAL Commentaries: what we think of as a commentary - Example: Concerning the migration of Abraham gives Scripture and then comments on it. 2. The EXPOSITION of the LAWS of Moses (also called Rewriting the Pentateuch) -Ex:Concerning Abraham - not as directly tied to Scripture - Written on biblical matters - Perhaps written to the "uninstructed:" Jews in danger of apostasy, Gentile sympathizers, believing Jews - More exoteric

Which of the following are encouragements that the Bible does have meaning for the modern audience? 1) meaning is ultimately in the human author's intention, 2) modern Xns are in the same R-H category as the original NT readers, 3) ancient people had different world-views than we, 4) the God of Moses' time is the same God today.

2) Modern Xns are in the same R-H category as the original NT readers 4) The God of Moses' time is the same God today.

Why do Clement and Origen use allegory to interpret the Bible?

Allegorical interpretation was used by the NT writers- "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading" (1 Cor 9:9-10), 1 Cor 10:3,11 (The rock was Christ), Heb 8:5 (the tabernacle was a shadow of the heavenly things), prophecies related to Israel

Origen's Threefold way of understanding scripture (Prov 22:20-21)

BODY: literal interpretation for the simple SOUL: interpretation that relates to human experience (the moral) for those who can see something beyond the literal SPIRIT: spiritual meaning for the mature

Compare interpretation of the Bible before and after the Enlightenment. What is the combination approach?

Before Enlightenment: unity of the Bible; divine authorship; God's activity in history, scholarship was for the church After E: diversity of theologies, God is taken out of the Scriptures; no ultimate truth, no concern for people in the church and only focused on the academy Combo approach: where legitimacy of the historical-crit meth is acknowledged and used while also recognizing the need to speak a message to the church

Discuss Paul's use of Hagar and Sarah in Gal 4:21-31.

Belcher argues while the word for "allegory" appears in the text, it works more like TYPOLOGY or ANALOGY. Paul takes a principle rooted in the historical context and extrapolates it for the situation he faces today. 2 Sons of Abraham were 2 covenants -- one born according to the FLESH and the other according to the PROMISE. Hagar was a human-made response to the situation - a work of the flesh. Sarah: the promise was obtained apart from human effort.

Philo's use of biblical characters

Biblical characters become TYPES of human beings who display universal characteristics of mankind

Be able to discuss both Luther and Calvin's approach to interpreting Scripture. Evaluate their approaches.

Calvin's approach a) Stresses the HISTORICAL situation. i) look for fulfillments in the historical situation of the prophets ii) a constant search for the intention of the HUMAN AUTHOR · stresses the PLAIN meaning of the Bible · slower to find direct references to Christ in the OT Evaluation: a) Calvin gives the historical context its proper place in interpretation without denying the divine author THEOCENTRIC i) broader than Luther's Christocentric interpretation ii) emphasizes the message of God b) tends to spiritualize the OT prophesies that have a physical aspect to them Luther 1) Sola Scriptura: a) the text stands alone as the foundation for truth and is its own interpreter 2) Sola Fide: Scripture can only be apprehended by someone who is spiritual (regeneration and illumination) 3) Christ alone a) follows the traditional four-fold interpretation, but contends that all senses speak of Christ b) the whole Bible is about Christ i) Christ is the true spiritual sense of Scripture ii) this sense is communicated by the historical sense a) Luther moved to more of an emphasis on the historical sense but in practice he bypasses emphasis on the literal historical meaning to go directly to Christ (the literal prophetic meaning) ii) consequences of this approach no emphasis on the OT as a foreshadowing of the NT no emphasis in typology (not interested in RH) b) allows allegory in the back door as adornment if based on literal sense and limited by other Scriptures

How did the early church fathers interpret Scripture?

Christologically-- through the prism of Christ's incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Looked for (obscure) details in OT to make ref. to XP (e.g. red cord)

Which of the following are not RT schools or creeds? Dutch school, Scotch Confession, Council of Trent, Old Princeton, New Penn State, Thirty-Nine Articles.

Council of Trent and New Penn State

Define typology. What are its assumptions? Show how it works, with examples.

Defined: the interpretation of earlier events, persons, or institutions in biblical history which ANTICIPATE later events, persons, or institutions. Assumptions: History is under God's SOVEREIGN control and proceeds according to a divine plan. God acts consistently throughout history, which becomes a pattern for how God will act in the future. The OT is INCOMPLETE in itself and forward looking. Revelation is progressive. Heb 8:5; 10:1; Col 2:17 — "shadow." A true correspondence but not the real substance. Think of profile... what you can see (general idea of young/old, hair length, gender, features) but what you cannot see (hair and eye color, complexion, etc.) Must be inner connection and not just an outward appearance. 3 Principles: 1) The type must have meaning to the original audience — it must be significant. The meaning to the original audience must show an organic relationship to what comes later. 2) The nature of the type must lie in the main message of the material and not in some incidental detail. 3) The fulfillment (antitype) must be greater than the type Examples i) The institution of the sacrificial system (Leviticus 1-7) teaches Substitutionary atonement. Xp's death is called a sacrifice (Eph 5:2) and he dies in our place (substitutionary) the sacrifice of Christ is greater than the sacrifices of the OT (Heb 9:12) -this typology is recognized by the NT ii) Substitution of the ram for Isaac's life in Genesis 22 also teaches the same. All principles are present.

How does Historical-critical approach stress human author?

Denies divine author so human author all that's left! argues that none of the psalms should be Messianic i) The so-called messianic psalms in their historical context deal only with the historical king of Israel. ii) a separate issue from the question of the Messiah -a purely future, eschatological figure. -the kingly ideal transferred to the future -should NOT be identified with a specific historical king

Label the following as either Modernism or Post-Modernism: emotion good, form follows function, computer links bad, all things are relative, man is the center of all things.

Emotion good - PM Form follows function - M Computer links bad - M All things relative - PM Man is the center of all things - M

What is Antiochene exegesis' view of the interpretation of the psalms and their view of typology?

Emphasis on the meaning of the psalm in its historical circumstance, with future events all taking place within the OT period itself! Fewer number of Messianic psalms (2, 8, 45, 110) View of Typology: dependent on the NT to identify a type limited to historical correspondences which are noticed later in RH due to patterns in God's plans Example: Psalm 22 -primarily refers to David's situation with Absalom -cannot refer directly to Christ because of reference to sin -secondarily applies to Christ as it would to any sufferer laid a foundation for RH -concerned for salvation history -did not allegorize creation, fall, incarnation, restoration

Explain the now and not yet aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant at its institution.

Gal 3:29 "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." At its institution, this just meant physical offspring, but now it means offspring of Christ by faith in him

Be able to discuss historia and theoria.

Historia- The present historical situation (particularly in the prophets) Theoria- Insight based on Historia (One meaning in the prophets- Literal and Spiritual, Historical and Messianic)

What are some of the different ways that the NT uses the OT?

Historical Grammatical — emphasis especially in quotations. Used almost exclusively in the chief letters of Paul. NT represents God acting in history to redeem his people. Romans 4 use of Abraham's faith. Jesus use of Ex 3:6 in Mark 12:18-27. Allusions; echoes

What benefit does the literal meaning have in Origen?

Historical passages have APOLOGETIC value

What two approaches developed out of the Enlightenment?

Historical-Critical and Historical-Grammatical. These both place an emphasis on the historical context, but the former treats the biblical documents like any other historical documents, while the latter recognizes the divine authority of the text itself, focusing on grammar rather than criticism.

Paradigm Approach

Human author is determiner of meaning but there may be submeanings (implications) which legitimately fall within the paradigm or principle of the author, even if he was not aware of them Examples: -"do not get drunk with wine" but beer is included in the paradigm -Hos 11:1: it seems clear that Hosea had in mind the exodus under Moses (Exod 4:22 specifically) Matthew understood Hosea's statement as involving a paradigm that would not only be true for Israel as God's son, but for the Only Son.

Give an example (do not use one of Cara's) of how one's personal sanctification might influence interpretation.

If someone has genuinely been reborn but is a very immature Christian, they may 'believe in the Bible' in a very broad and general sense but may not realize they do not accept it as authoritative and the inerrant word of God. Therefore, when they approach a difficult passage that offends more modern and/or scientific sensibilities, they may bring the authority of the Bible under some other authority (their own presumably 'autonomous' reason or empiricism) in order to make sense of it.

Relate the following terms a) SR, b) GR, c) common grace insight with 1) Calvin's "seed of religion," 2) non-Xns know surface truth, 3) Bible.

If this is a 1-point question, it will probably be matching. If it is a 3-point question, you will need to know more of the stuff below SR = Bible GR = Calvin's "seed of religion" Common Grace Insight = non-Xns know surface truth Special Revelation (SR) - Scripture is the only source from which we learn about redemption and salvation This revelation is only given by God to some men Can make ultimate arguments General Revelation (GR) continuously given to all men, including everything in the universe except the Scriptures SR trumps it Can make secondary arguments Only believers can interpret GR clearly Common Grace Insight - God has common grace which benefits all men which enables unbelievers to interpret GR correctly This only happens when unbelievers are inconsistent with their own sinful, fallen nature Calvin's "seed of religion" - This is in all men because all are in the image of God GR makes up a large part of this "seed" Non-Christians knowing surface truth - A result of Common Grace insights Christians can know deep truth because through SR God reveals some of his knowledge, which is completely full Bible - The Christians ultimate source of authority Can be brought to bear on an unbeliever's life most strongly in the "inconsistent" areas

Evaluate Farrar's approach. What would a more positive approach emphasize?

In sum, Farrar thinks the church has zig-zagged its way through history in an overall progression upwards from NT exegesis to "enlightened" Historical-Critical exegesis. Classic self-important modernists for ya! The biggest flaw with the "progress" narrative in interpretive historiography is that it puts the NEW T AUTHORS themselves in the "primitive" early stage, leaving them to be surpassed by nearly everyone since. Rather, we must affirm the apostolic witness and their inspired writings as the ultimate standard, evaluating interpreters by the bible, not the reverse.

Be able to discuss the importance of the interpretive context, including Enns' view of 1 Corinthians 10:4 versus the approach based on the OT texts

Interpretive Context: there may be interpretations of Scripture in the Jewish context that we no longer have access to today which may or may not be significant for understanding a NT author's use of the OT. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Paul discusses the redemptive blessings experienced by the Israelites of the OT as a parallel to the blessings experienced by Christians (under the cloud in Ex 14:24; passed through sea Ex 14:22, 29, divine provision in wilderness: quail, manna, water from rock, etc.). Paul uses all this as a WARNING to the church (vv 5-10) because God's judgment fell on Israel even though they had all experienced God's redemptive blessings. Paul gives the Jewish tradition a Christological meaning by identifying the rock with Christ Enns ...says Paul accepted this Jewish exegetical tradition as representing what actually happened in the wilderness and argues Paul's understanding was determined by his HIST. SITUATION so that he could not distinguish between the theology of the tradition without adopting the historicity of the tradition Paul was referring to Jewish MYTH, which he only believed to be historical reality (and that he was inspired as a biblical writer to do so) ** this view is supposed to safeguard the HUMAN aspect of the inspiration of Scripture Problems with this view --Assumes Paul is unable to distinguish between Jewish tradition and what actually happened in history --Paul is historically and culturally BOUND by his own time, which does not allow for the divine aspect of inspiration to have its proper role --It is not certain that this Jewish exegetical tradition was widespread in Paul's day --The presence that goes with the Israelites may be the "Lord" --Paul refers to a rock and the Jewish exegetical tradition refers to a well so that the concepts are not necessarily close **Too much can be made of interpretive context so that the literature of second Temple Judaism becomes more important than the OT itself!

The importance of the LXX for understanding the Greek NT

It is important for understanding the Greek NT because the LXX is quoted directly in the NT about 300 times. It also provides vocabulary for the NT (some of the words were not in common use in the 1st c.). There are important theological links between the Greek OT and the NT.

Define inner-biblical exegesis and give an example.

It is the use of earlier Scripture texts or themes by later Scriptural writers. One example of this is: Ezek 20:41: I will accept you (the people) as a sweet aroma when I bring you into the land of Israel from the exile. Exod 29:18 and Leviticus 1: "an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord" implicit acceptance of the people in the offering is now made explicit

What are the contributions of Jerome?

Jerome i) influenced by BOTH Antioch and Alexandria Antioch: importance of the historical and LITERAL sense Emphasis on translation and the meaning of words Alexandria: influence of Origen and SPIRITUAL interpretation Contribution: METAPHOR belongs to the LITERAL sense

Which of Cara's six hermeneutical methodologies is the following? The Judges 17 story of Micah's idolatry shows that, without a king in Israel, "everyone did right in their own eyes" (Judg 21:25).

Literary

Which of the following are NAPARC churches? Reformed Church US, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, United Methodist Church, American Renewal Presbyterian.

OPC, RCUS

To which of the following would Cara agree? (1) meaning = God's intention, (2) meaning is found solely in the reader, (3) there is only one true and full sense of any Scripture.

Meaning= God's Intention

Discuss how Midrash works in terms of its goal and methodology (include halakhic and aggadic interpretation).

Midrash is a particular way of reading Scripture (not always literal); a distinctive form of rabbinic literature that is a compilation of interpretations of Scripture Main goal: to explain the relevance and meaning of the text Halakhic: focuses on legal texts Tries to define legal requirements more exactly Tries to settle contradictions b/w legal texts in Scripture and b/w literal meaning and the accepted interp of the text Aggadic: the interp of non-legal texts Tries to encourage moral, ethical, and religious values Tones down the sinfulness of the acts of an otherwise righteous person (ex. David wanted to commit adultery w/ Bath but he didn't) Tones down anthropomorphic statements about God Sees lit. interp as superfluous and mere historical description as worthless

List rabbinic things

Midrash, Talmud, Mishnah

Concerning the Fox nightly news, give two examples of Modernism and two examples of Post-Modernism in a typical broadcast.

Modernism The claim to be fair and impartial Presentation of facts and statistics Post-Modernism The attractiveness of the anchors as a ploy to get watchers to trust them Quick pivots from weather, to advertisements, to serious conflicts, back to ads, etc., rather than an ordered flow of argument and presentation

Give a brief overview of how the church has interpreted Scripture up to the Enlightenment as assessed by Farrar.

More indented, more better, sez Farrar: Rabbinic NT Allegorical Antioch Middle Ages Reformation 17th Century Enlightenment Historical-Grammatical Historical-Critical

LRQ 2.1. According to Cara, should one independently from the Bible develop a hermeneutic and then use that hermeneutic to interpret the Bible? (Answer, yes or no.)

No

The character of the translation of the LXX

OT books were translated by different people with different translation philosophies Some OT books were translated literally while some others were translated more periphrastically So it is false to conceive of the LXX as a homogeneous book in terms of translation

**Interact with an interpretation of a passage of Scripture by showing which angle an author is emphasizing (RH, BT, Exemplary, and ST).

Oblath limited Job's advocate to historical meaning. Sole focus on BT (Cara). Lack of ST or RH. Swindoll took David and Goliath mainly as exemplary. Lack of BT/Literary context.

**Explain the so-called R-H vs. ST debate in Reformed circles. In practice, where does your home church stand in this debate? Give some examples to justify your conclusion about your home church.

Pitting them against each other: one or the other, you can't have both. There are usually RH people and ST people.

What benefit does the literal meaning have in Philo?

Parallels the body (As we pay heed to the body because it is the abode of the soul, so must we pay heed to the letter of the law) Gives clearer conception to the inner meaning The avoidance of censure from the Jews

Be able to analyze a passage of Scripture from the different angles discussed in class, as was done with Genesis 22 (RH, BT, Exemplary, and ST)

RH emphasis: Greidanus: the Lord provides a lamb for a burnt offering so that Isaac (Israel) may live Concentrates on meaning to the original reading audience: what it meant for Israel this helps to avoid the exemplary approach - you do not ask what it meant for Abraham Development through time: - maybe a hint in Gen 3:21 - the sacrificial system in the OT - emphasis on Christ who dies that we may live modern meaning: God provides a sacrifice for our salvation so that we may live Exemplary Level: God tests the faith of Abraham to see how he will respond. Genesis 26 uses Abraham as example of obedience Exegetical foundation for seeing Abraham as example. Abraham embodies the kind of response God seeks from Israel; Abraham represents Israel Genesis text focuses more on the self-offering of Abraham rather than Isaac: Abraham is a type of the Christian and Isaac is a type of Christ Heb 11:17-19 and Jas 2:18-24 use Genesis 22 as a paradigm for their understanding of the key Christian term for appropriate human responsiveness to God, namely faith. Modern meaning - God tests his saints...to prove the quality of their faith by their obedience in history. Abraham demonstrates the radical nature of true faith. Abraham is model for Christian faith. Literary and BT emphasis: Promises made to Abraham and his response is key Modern meaning - God has fulfilled his promises related to seed: Jesus Christ as the leader of God's people and we are the children of Abraham who have faith in Jesus ST emphasis: God's demand of total allegiance to him above everything Possible "Atonement" categories at play.

Be familiar with the categories related to RH laid out in the lecture.

RH extreme Generally associated with the Kerux journal Heavily indebted to Geerhardus Vos Vos brought a Copernican revolution in hermeneutics: never again can we isolate or abstract a part of God's word from its biblical-theological and organic context in the history of redemption. "Any other preaching is bankrupt." RH preaching is the most biblical, theological, and most exciting preaching of all and is the solution to the preaching woes today. Constantly uses RH terms, especially the term "eschatological" in terms of the now/not yet emphasis RH preaching is theocentric and Christocentric Topical and practical sermons are no different from the moral reductionism of liberalism Argues against the application of Scripture because we are in the same RH period as the apostles (instead draw people into the kingdom) Negative even toward the RH only approach, but also any others who do not follow their approach Examples: any preaching which proclaims Adam in the garden without also proclaiming the second Adam in the resurrection garden is unbiblical. RH Only preaching a text that takes into account the RH context so that appropriate connections can be made to Christ Some stress that ST categories are alien to the way the Bible presents its truths Exemplary exegesis (using a Biblical character's actions and traits as good and bad examples) is not a good approach because it leads to moralistic and legalistic preaching RH Primary - RH is the primary or most important consideration for understanding Scripture (Gaffin) RH Important RH themes are very important but it is not the only way to approach the Bible RH preaching is not the only method of preaching that is acceptable (Frame, Cara) RH Unimportant (does not make the article) only uses traditional ST categories tends to preach ST sermons

Be able to explain the roots of Philo's ideas

Roots come from Greek thought and the relationship of the body and the soul literal meaning of a text parallels the body and the inner means parallels the soul; we need to care about the body because it is the home of the soul; it is the starting point.

Sailhamer (the meaning of the Exodus)

Sailhamer (The Meaning of the Exodus): Refers to Hosea 11:1 and Matthew 2:15 -the Pentateuch has a forward looking perspective so that already the exodus event is a metaphor of future redemption -when Hosea referred back to the exodus, he had a future event in mind like that of Matthew 2 -when Matthew quoted Hos 11:1 as fulfilled in the life of Christ, he was drawing the literal sense from the book of Hosea and it, in turn, was drawn from Hosea's exegesis of the literal sense of the Pentateuch. Evaluation: -it is highly debatable whether Hosea's meaning in 11:1-7 or the Exodus event in the Pentateuch is eschatological, except in a negative sense of warning against judgment. -it is hard to find the connections in the OT without first having heard the story of Jesus

What are the assumptions of Qumran exegesis? Give an example of how it works.

Saw their ministry as "preparing the way of the Lord" Assumptions: --Biblical author referred in prophecy not just to his own day but also to the LATTER DAYS --Community at Qumran was community where OT prophecy was being fulfilled --God had revealed the mysteries of the prophets to the Teacher of righteousness, who was the founder or an early leader of the community -Hab 1:5 "Look among the nations and be astounded for I will work a work in your days that you will not believe" "The prophetic meaning of the passage concerns those who were traitors along with the Man of Lies, for they [did] not [believe the words of] the Teacher of Right (which came)from the mouth of God. It also concerns those who were trait[ors to the] New [Covenant], for they were not faithful to the covenant of God . . . and thus the prophetic meaning of the passage [concerns] also [the trai]tors of the LAST DAYS."

Explain Cara's explanation of Covenant theology, using his terms of "two overarching covenants" (also called "bi-covenantal" framework) and "unfolding covenants."

Separating into 2 parts: 1 Part-Explains the two overarching covenants Bi-covenantal (against mono-covenatal) C of Grace AND C of Works C of W does not end when Adam sins Implications continue C of G is the vehicle of the Gospel C made with man and the Trinity making a special C with Christ as the second Adam Any human is saved by this covenant Federal (overarching) 2 part- Unfolding covenants (expanding and modifying over time and specific covenants) Explains the unfolding of the second covenant Emphasizing specific covenants Covenant of Grace (Adam, Noah, Moses, David) New Covenant The previous covenants do not pass away but expand knowledge or modify ( ie no more animal sacrifices, etc.) All covenants point towards Christ's work and our benefits

Explain the significance of the divine author for the issue of application/modern meaning and how introducing the divine author does not add arbitrariness to the process, that is, there are still limits to the process.

Significance of God as the author i) God is omniscient, knowing past, present, future ii) God knows all future applications/meanings iii) basis for 1 Cor 10:11: written for our instruction The limit of the original message in the historical context Limit of the rest of Scripture (progressive revelation) Limit of the fulfillment of Christ

Why should a pastor be knowledgeable of his existential weaknesses?

So he does not avoid preaching the whole counsel of God. He should have a full-orbed interpretation of Scripture as his calling is to proclaim the whole counsel of God. E.g. RUF CMs generally think about audience dynamics more. The pastor of a church should consider this as well and the RUF minister musn't merely shape his message for his audience but be sure the original meaning of the text comes out in teaching. * A pastor needs to admit his existential weaknesses, and work on elevating them

Give one reason (of many) why Cara does not like a strong distinction between "meaning" and "application."

The Bible does not make the distinction and holds us responsible for both Is Christ the "meaning" or "application" of OT passages? "Meaning" is only understood when particular applications are understood. Implies that the Bible is all "meaning" and the theologian/pastor/Christian comes up with the "application"

General Character of the LXX

The LXX originated in Alexandria, Egypt when the Torah was needed for the Royal Library. Originally only the Torah was translated, but the rest of the OT was eventually translated (about the middle of the 2nd c.). A Greek translation of the OT was need because the Jews no longer understood Hebrew.

Christological approach of apostolic exegesis with examples.

The NT writers did not find texts and then fit Jesus into them, but saw Jesus first then saw how the OT fit with XP... --When they read the OT, they read it in light of the coming of Christ (ex.) Mark 1:1-4 and the use of the OT. Mk 1:2 - "As written in Isaiah the prophet", but a conflation of Ex 23:20 and Mal 3:1 compose 1:2, and 1:3 comes from Isa 40:3. The LXX text is MODIFIED to fit a reference to Jesus. From "prepare the way before me" (Mal 3:1, LXX) to "prepare your way" (Mk 1:2); "Make straight the way of our God" (LXX) to "Make straight his way" The meaning of these OT texts does not change! but the IMPLICIT is made EXPLICIT

approach of apostolic exegesis with examples. Ecclesiocentric:

The OT is fulfilled in the NT community. Since we are united with Christ, the OT applies to us. (ex.) the whole service of the sacrificial system (leitourgia) is transferred to the church In LXX: public service at the temple (2 Chron 35:16; 31:4) In NT: refers to the sacrifice and the service of faith Paul's ministry (Phil 2:17) Rom 12:1 - offer your bodies as a living sacrifice

approach of apostolic exegesis with examples. Eschatological

The end times have arrived: 1 Cor 10:11 "on whom the end of the ages has come"

Philo's method of allegorizing

The way Philo gets to the inner meaning is through Greek Philosophy (plundering the Egyptians) Uses Plato's ideas: world of ideas and world of sense/ opinion

Be familiar with Theodore and Chrysostom and how the latter's approach to preaching reflects their general approach.

Theodore- Famous interpreter Chyrsostom- Famous orator (bishop of Antioch and Constantinople) Approach to preaching: Preached regularly through books Emphasized the historical setting, including the author and addressees Focused on the flow and logic of a passage and key words Exhortation of the congregation - aka application His preaching called literal, sober, restrained, grammatical, historical exposition. Their general approach emphasized the historical situation and the human author.

How does the emphasis on the human author affect their view of prophecy? Be able to explain how Theodore and co. understood prophecy to work.

They believed prophecy to be predictive but normally fulfilled WITHIN the OT period itself. OT prophecy as prooftexts for Christ: bad-- 1) Blurs the distinction between the OT age and NT age 2) Denied progressive revelation 3) Lessened the newness of Christ. Prophet saw the future through their present situation, realized when they described present situation they were also describing a shadow of a future event, and they saw the literal side of what they were saying but also the ultimate fulfillment. There is ONE meaning, both literal and spiritual, historical and messianic. The messianic interpretation of the prophets is VERY limited (OT must be cited in NT to be messianic) In my opinion, this view of prophecy and of Scripture takes away some of the punch of Scripture. This results in multiple human authors who are not as connected in their writings because of the limit of the presence of a divine author.

Philo's discussion of spiritual journey

We are born with a mixture of body and soul The sensible world: the passions of the body The spiritual world: where the soul is free of evil Spiritual perfection: the soul arriving at a place where it is free from the influence of the body Reaching perfection: comes through the regulation of the senses, which is done by ordinary people through the faithful observance of the law (literal understanding/meaning of the text) Gen 12:1 "Depart out of thy land and out of thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, into the land that I will show thee." "Land": symbol of the body (substance from the earth) "Kindred": symbol of sense perception "Father's house": symbol of speech, which is connected to the world of sense in terms of the phrasing of the words "Depart": to overcome the body and sense perception Uses this (Greek Philosophy) as his sole method of interpretation with characters and situations in the OT

Be able to briefly explain Kaiser's distinction between meaning and significance.

What text meant (original meaning) What text means today (significance) d) the original meaning, rooted in the human author, is unchanging but the significance changes • Difference between meaning and application o 2 separate processes

Based on Pratt's views/terms, which of the following two items match to "behind the text"? picture, window, mirror, thematic, literary, historical.

Window, historical

In Pratt's view, does "hermeneutics" include influences on the interpreter?

Yes - Pratt, while Reformed and VanTillian, is pro-Post Modern (PM). He would suggest that you cannot completely set aside all of your influences and that they will necessarily affect your interpretation. One's view of hermeneutics affects both exegesis/interpretation and content of preaching/teaching. In Pratt's "Stories" he presents a 3-fold outline: Preparation (influences on interpreter) Investigation (determining original meaning of OT narratives) Application (meaning to modern audience)

What purpose does allegory serve for Origen? What justification does he give for using allegory?

You must use allegory to get to Christ from the Old Testament

Use Ps 23:4 as an example of four-fold meaning. Ps 23:4 even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me

a) Meaning to David (literal): the shepherd (Yahweh) is with David through all the valleys of life, through all the hardships and struggles of life, even death - meaning to the historical audience b) The MORAL meaning: the person who knows the shepherd does not have to fear the trials of life or even death itself the message to God's people includes how one should respond: do not be afraid in facing the valleys of life because of the presence of your shepherd this corresponds to the original reading audience or any audience in the OT c) Relationship to Christ (SPIRITUAL): Christ is the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and has gone through the valley of the shadow of death modern meaning: as people hear Ps 23:4 they face different valleys (financial ruin, illness, death) but they are not to fear because of the presence of their shepherd d) The ANAGOGICAL meaning: Christ the shepherd who lays down his life king comes back waging war against all his enemies (Rev 19:11-16)

Know the contributions of Augustine, especially how Augustine handled the senses of Scripture and Christ in the Psalms.

a) more of a systematician than an exegete the LITERAL sense is the foundational to the SPIRITUAL sense The senses of Scripture: the LETTER and the SPIRIT i) Key text: the letter kills but the spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6) ii)the letter = literal surface meaning iii) the spirit = figurative meaning i) when the literal fails to make sense or offends go to the spiritual meaning ii) a movement from literal to the spiritual by way of ANALOGY -the same word or expression can mean different things e) Words as signs iii) example: the ox in 1 Cor 9:9 ii) justified by the divine author of Scripture o Totus Christus in Psalms • Whole purpose is to see Christ •the confession of sin in Psalm 22: Christ for the church

According to Cara, is the full meaning/sense/value of a biblical text exhausted by the human author's intention? Answer, yes or no.

no

Why would Calvin have problems with Luther's interpretation of the OT?

o Sometimes he doesn't spend enough time on historical meaning—seems like he jumps to Christ confusingly o No R-H § Very little interest in typology

According to Cara, is it ever proper to adjust a biblical passage's meaning about oxen to have it relate to humans? Answer, yes or no.

yes

What does Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer's commentary on Romans illustrate?

§ A purely exegetical process using grammatical and linguistic principles to get at the historical sense of Scripture § A truly scientific exposition of Scripture § What text means: descriptive task · Everyone should come to same conclusions § What text means: nothing § Presuppositions are unimportant; you should try to get rid of them · Jewish, Christian, and atheist interpreters will all come to same meaning of text o True on minimal level but not past that

Why would some Lutherans accuse Calvin of Judaizing interpretation?

· He focuses too much on historical interpretation o You need to make more connections to Christ

Explain how Calvin and Luther understand "the man" in Psalm 1 and how they both could be correct.

· Luther o It speaks literally concerning Christ § Literal prophetic sense · Calvin o Speaks of individual who is fruitful because he meditates on law continually § No mention of Christ! o Also referring to David the king § If you see this it is only a small step to Christ

What are the basic presuppositions behind interpretation during the Enlightenment period and what impact do those presuppositions have on interpretation?

· Superior role of human reason vs. authority of scripture o If something offensive comes up in Scripture, reject it on basis that it is not reasonable § Used to be that you would allegorize it (Origen) § They did not see bible as word of God · They read their presuppositions into the text o Jesus teaches golden rule, fatherhood of God, eternal value of individual § Sanitize Jesus into a moral teacher · Ultimately, NO UNIFIED system because they only emphasize human author and not divine author o Text NO MEANING beyond its historical situation · Lessing's ditch o Meaning can't be gleaned from historical truth · What text meant then and what it means now are completely separate

Be able to explain the four-fold sense of Scripture in Aquinas and how the literal meaning became foundational to the senses of Scripture.

• The LETTER shows us what God and our fathers did; o Almost rationalistic o Mediates between literal and spiritual o **Doctrine should only come from the literal • The ALLEGORY shows us where our faith is hid; o Church is allegorical Jerusalem • The MORAL meaning gives us rules of daily life; o Jerusalem refers to soul and what we should do • The ANAGOGY (or anagoge) shows us where we end our strife. o Jerusalem is heavenly city i) the literal sense comes to prominence: words signify things •needed for a rational theological method •the basis of the other three senses •includes figures of speech - the arm of God •not a rejection of the allegorical, but an independence from the allegorical •Aquinas says you should only use the literal meaning ii) spiritual sense: the things signified by words also have a signification iii) moral sense (topological sense): things done in Christ or things which signify Christ as types of what we ought to do iv) anagogical sense: as things signify what relates to eternal glory Literal Meaning becoming Foundational to the senses of Scripture: i) the literal sense comes into its own ii) motivation given to the study of Hebrew and the production of literal and historical commentaries