II. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT THROUGH THE CENTURIES
THE OLD TESTAMENT INTERPRETS ITSELF:
Problem of long transmission period of authoritative traditions
a. How do old traditions fit new times? (1500 years!) b. How do old messages apply to new circumstances?
Adaptations of old "texts" - Canonical hermeneutics, inner biblical exegesis. Due to:
a. Times: Isa 40ff: New work, application of old, "type" b. Response of People: Amos 3 & Election, reversal c. "Failure" of tradition: Dan 9 & Jer 25, new meaning
How can OT adapt or change earlier traditions?
Analogy: traditions show how God works, example or pattern for later use (Greek: tupos, "type"). b. Implicit implications: traditions bear variety of applications (comfort or challenge) c. Eschatological Impulse - God's actions reveal his final will for creation d. Holy Spirit Inspired process, reuse and reapplication of traditions
II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT #
B. EARLY JEWISH INTERPRETERS OF THE OT
Why look at Jewish Exegesis?
a. Early church: Jewish, some Rabbis. b. Church inherited Jewish methods. c. Rabbis had same problems applying old to new. d. Rabbis offered some helpful solutions.
Types of Rabbinic ("official") exegesis
a. Hillel (early 1st C), founder of school 1) Rabbinic debate: Scripture, rules, tradition 2) Prosbul - adaptation acc. to Spirit, not Letter b. Others: death penalty eased c. Yohannan b. Zikkai (Late 1 C) - founder of Judaism 1) Sacrifice laws after destruction of Temple 2) Adapted Pharisaic table legislation d. Type and Allegory used to support traditions e. Summary of Results: --Scripture authoritative, but intent important --Rules of exegesis applied (from contemporaries)
*Authoritative tradition carries great weight Hellenistic Jewish - Philo of Alexandria (d. 40)
a. Philosopher, embarrassed by text, "apologetic" Greeks and Homer: muthos and logos - allegory b. Text: Literal & philosophical (Stoic) c. Allegory: two senses of text, physical and ethical d. Meanings: correspond to Stoic philosophy (by logos)
II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # e. Summary of Results: - Scripture necessary starting point - Greek rules of interpretation applied (allegory) - Authoritative control - Stoic philosophy C. JESUS' USE OF THE OT (BRIEF SURVEY) Interpreted according to Spirit, not letter Antithesis of Sermon on the Mount: Spirit, rabbinic! Compared Scripture to Scripture - Divorce Debate a. Rabbinic issue (Deut 24) b. Jesus: appeal to Gen 1-2, human receptivity Declared some practices no longer binding - kosher a. Eating laws already adapted by Pharisees b. Jesus went step further, noted violations of intent Scriptures bear witness to him a. Selects scriptural titles, descriptions b. Bears witness to him (John 5) Summary a. Scripture always starting point b. Diversity of Scripture calls for interpretive principle c. Human receptivity a factor - not enough to quote d. Provides a new authoritative interpretation ("school") e. Old Testament points to Christ II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # D. THE OT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH Preliminary Remarks for this and following sections a. Jewish exegesis borrowed b. Tension - continuity and discontinuity with Israel Paul as Primary example a. Some Observations and Cautions 1) Occasional writer, more rhetorical than systematic 2) Problems when some universalized teachings b. Non literal: Adam & Christ - typology, Hagar & Sarah - allegory. Scripture points to Christ c. Interpretation limited by principles of interpretation 1) Teaches Christ acc. to tradition (1 Cor 15) 2) Analogy of faith - Grace and faith precede law 3) Eschatological - Christ final revelation, sums up, fulfills, all that happened before (Rom 15:4, etc.) E. EARLY SECOND CENTURY CHURCH Extension of Paul, etc. Clement: Assumes teaching supported by OT Ignatius: OT teaches Christ, "charters" of (message of church about Christ) interpret meaning Barnabas (120): Christological by Jewish methods, "antisemitic" allegory, literal meaning often ignored Justin (110-65) Christ=logos=HS, message same a. Letter and spirit same, but only by typology b. Prophecies of Christ, not literal meanings (Trypho) II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # F. TURNING POINT - DUALISTIC SCHEMAS Gnostic belief system a. Neoplatonic dualism: spirit good, matter evil b. Interpreted OT and NT accordingly Marcion (ca. 140) a. Christian bishop with dualistic views b. OT: different god, Jesus saves from him c. Claimed that based on literal interpretation! Church's Response a. OT must not be read "literally", find deeper meaning b. Principle of control, emerging "Rule of Faith" c. Rise in popularity of Alexandrian allegorical method G. ALEXANDRIAN INTERPRETATION -Allegorical Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150-200) a. Five senses of Scripture b. Control: faith in Christ, the logos of OT; stoicism Origen (ca. 185-254) a. All scripture teaches Christ b. Hidden meanings more important than actual facts c. Three senses of scripture: tripartite anthropology d. Controls: pray, compare, teaching Summary a. Contemporary method b. Scripture not written to convey historical facts c. Controls limit interpretation - Church's message II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # H. THE ANTIOCHENE SCHOOL - Natural Iso'dad, <Theodore of Mopsuetia (350-428) a. Interpret texts by genre - not allegory b. Paul's use: compares Christ to something (1 Cor 10), OT original meaning still valid. Multiple meanings of scripture: theoria a. Diodore: two meanings of prophecy, original and later (Christ) b. Theodore: Later meaning a suitable reapplication, prophetic hyperbole more suited to Christ! Summary a. Scripture interpreted according to genre b. OT capable of multiple meanings, point to Christ c. Original meanings still valid I. AUTHORITATIVE EXEGESIS Roots in early church blossomed in 2nd Century a. Church wrote scriptures, only church can interpret b. "Rule of Faith" as measure of interpretation 1) Early Oral tradition, common beliefs (® creeds) 2) Scripture cannot contradict Tertullian (155-222) a. Orthodox teaching decide method of interpretation b. Allegory used to explain away difficulties
II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # Augustine (354-430) a. Allegory resolved problems with "unworthy" texts 1) Spiritual meanings of OT and NT must be sought 2) Literal also regarded if worthy of God b. Rule of interpretation: Law of love to God, neighbor Results and Summary of Authoritative Exegesis a. Teaching of Church has priority over scripture 1) Vincent (434): interpret by what believed everywhere, always, by everyone 2) Works are theological with prooftexts listed b. Method of exegesis standardized: four senses letter, allegory, moral, anagogy c. Problems 1) Focus on dogma: scripture loses witness 2) Dogma becoming more unbiblical J. REFORMATION EXEGESIS Luther sole scriptura a. Historical-grammatico reading: plain sense of text b. Christological: Scripture bears witness to Christ 1) Limited use of typology 2) Bible is manger in which Christ lay, also straw! c. Analogy of Faith: grace by faith a hermeneutic d. Scripture interprets scripture e. Spirit's illumination reveals Christ
II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # f. Problems: own struggles read into scripture 1) Law Gospel split - offset Paul's careful balance 2) Antisemitism - passed on to later Protestants Calvin a. More literal exegesis, less reliance on principles b. Interpretation must be affirmed by Church and Spirit c. Not a biblicist, God "accommodated" self to cultures K. RATIONALISTIC EXEGESIS Spirit of the times a. Renaissance - careful study of classical sources b. Enlightenment 1) Historical Critical method to reconstruct history 2) Principle of analogy - cause & effect universe 3) Reason exalted - even in religion Baruch Spinoza (c. 1670) a. Rationalistic interpretation, noted cultural expression b. Set standard for OT studies Philip Spener (1635-1705) a. Pietist: post Lutheran orthodoxy b. Critical method of study apart from dogma Johann Semler (1725-91) a. Scripture study freed from all church interference b. Christ taught freedom of religious thought c. Spirit is personal spirit of reason and morality, per deism (rationalistic God)
II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # L. EVOLUTIONARY AND IDEALISTIC Nineteenth Evolutionary idealistic philosophy a. Hegelian Idealism: World Spirit - Progress b. Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis Reactions a. History of Religions School: set Bible in own Culture b. Dispensationalism - evolutionary schema! M. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY MOVEMENT Theological Interpretation of Scripture a. Scripture bears witness to "Mighty acts of God" b. Archaeology helps reconstruct original events c. Biblical perspective described & exalted Contributions a. Biblical texts taken seriously b. New tools developed for Bible study Intrinsic Problems a. Act of God: Scripture's witness or reconstruction? b. Canon within canon: what about wisdom, psalms? c. Descriptive: locked Bible in past, no hermeneutic Does God want us to run around like first century semites, dressed in robes and sandals? (Stendahl) II. SURVEY - INTERPRETATION OF OT # N. PRESENT: POST-CRITICAL EXEGESIS Brevard Childs: Call for a new Method (1970) a. God of Scripture encountered in Scripture b. Final forms: canon, books; history of interpretation Earlier Seeds of New Method a. von Rad's trad. hist., "kerygmatic", typological b. Bultmann's "hermeneutical circle" c. Shortcomings of "descriptive" criticism voiced "Post critical" and holistic methods a. Rationalistic methods, questions, often don't fit b. All interpretation subjective, refine to fit text c. Final form of text is best starting place d. Pre- and Post- interpretations of text important 1) Layers in text may offer major witness Not a simplistic "precritical" rejection of scholarship 2) History of interpretation offers clues to meaning