INTRO: WE ARE BACK!
We are starting a new series on Missional Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics deals with interpretation. How should we read and interpret the divine revelation God has given to us? Biblical interpretation is not an easy task. However, I propose at least three primary lenses are required—the Grammatical-Historical, the Christotelic, and the Missional lenses. (Click here to read the last post, which introduces the three lenses.)
In this post we begin to examine the first of the three hermeneutical lenses—the grammatical-historical lens.
Lens 1: Grammatical-Historical
The first lens the interpreter must deal with is the grammatical-historical lens. This lens asks the question:
How does the historical and cultural background along with the grammar and syntax affect the interpretation of the passage?
The most important word in this GH lens is context.
Context is everything when discussing the GH (Grammatical-historical) hermeneutic. There are numerous contexts the interpreter must take into account, of which I will deal with three:
Grammatical context
Historical context
Genre context
This article delves into the first context—the Grammatical context. We will provide three levels of grammatical context and show how they impact interpretations of famous bible passages people often misunderstand.
(1) Grammatical Context
The old aphorism states, ”A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text.” People throughout history have used the Bible for their own agendas and purposes. They take snippets of a biblical passage and then use it to prove their own movement, existence, or way of being. This is because they have ignored the context of the biblical passage.
Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard write,
“The basic principle of biblical hermeneutics is that the intended meaning of any passage is the meaning that is consistent with the sense of the literary context in which it occurs.”
Therefore, the interpreter must know what was said before and after the verse/passage they are interpreting. When the context is ignored, the passage can basically be made to say anything one wants it to say.
Context provides boundaries to authentic communication. Ignoring context possesses detrimental ramifications. Everyday life validates this reality. Have you ever jumped into a conversation and think you know what is going on only to say something completely ridiculous? Yes, we all have. Well, I hate to say it, but we become that annoying person when we fail to account for the context of the biblical passage we are reading. We cannot just jump into a passage of Scripture without knowing the contexts.
Yes, contexts plural because there are multiple contexts that must be accounted for.
John Sailhamer provides three layers of grammatical context that must be accounted for: In-textuality, inner-textuality, and inter-textuality.
In-textuality: Concerned with ‘the inner coherence of the smallest units of text.’ This is the micro context. It takes into account the immediate verses surrounding the text that one is interpreting.
Inner-textuality: ‘Concerned with ‘binding narratives into a larger whole.’ This is middle component or the medio-component. It broadens out the contextual lens to a bigger picture. It takes into account how chapters and literary units relate to other chapters and literary units.
Inter-textuality: Concerned with ‘the study of links between and among texts.’ Each of the Biblical authors did not write in a vacuum. They were fully aware of the extant writings and had other writings in mind when they composed their own. This is the macro layer. And it concerns how other biblical authors and their writings influence the writing one is interpreting.
The three contexts move from the smallest units to the largest. Therefore, the biblical interpreter must account for both the micro and macro contexts in order to arrive at a true interpretation. Below are three examples of how taking into the three levels of context determine its meaning.
In-Textuality Example: Philippians 4.13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
This passage is regularly misunderstood and misapplied because the immediate, in-textual context is ignored. We see this verse splattered across football players eye black, tattoos, and on coffee cups. And on one level with Jesus I am able to do all things. However, in the context of Philippians 4 Paul is not speaking of being able to leap off tall buildings, nor to defeat the giants in one’s life, nor to be able finish a marathon. What is the immediate context around the idea that we can do all things through Christ?
The previous verse Paul states, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
The preceding verse speaks to Paul’s contentment in whatever circumstances he finds himself in. The context then for 4.13 is contentment in all of life situations. I am not sure about you, but true contentment seems elusive. It seems it should be an easy thing to acquire, especially since we belong to Christ. Yet, as difficult as it might be to find true contentment, the very thing that Paul says he can do because he is in Christ is to be content. You and I are able to find true contentment with what God has given us in each season of life because we are able to do all things through him. This passage is not first and foremost about being able to finish a marathon, or go through a difficult experience, or even compete in a football game. It is about the ability to rest in Christ for true peace and contentment.
Inner-Textual Example: 1 Samuel 16-18
One of the most popular Old Testament stories is the narrative of David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17 records the story of a Jewish, little ruddy boy who takes a sling shot and kills the mighty Philistine giant Goliath. Many sermons and books have been written instructing the church how to defeat the giants that exist in our lives. At one level, if one gets to Jesus in this passage, it does tell how to defeat the one true giant in our life. However, what does this narrative do in the book of 1 Samuel? In other words, why does this story matter in the story that the author is crafting?
The interpreter must take into account the stories before and after 1 Samuel 17. In fact, 1 Samuel 16-18 communicate three different stories that are meant to inform each other.
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel is told by Yahweh to go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint a new King over Israel. As the story progresses none of Jesse’s oldest seven sons are the right one, so Samuel is forced to bring the youngest who out in the field tending sheep to Samuel. 1 Samuel 16:12-13 then state, “And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him. So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on.”
In the beginning of 1 Samuel 18, as the victorious army is returning home from the battle to greet King Saul women from all over were out dancing, celebrating the victory, and singing a song. The lyrics of the song went as follows: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This is interesting on several levels, but notice the song was sung by women to greet King Saul for the victory yet the song was glorifying David! And not just glorifying David but contrasting King Saul’s minor achievements with David major achievements.
The story between these two chapters depicts David defeating Goliath. The author is expecting us to see the correlation between these three events. How does a young anointed shepherd-king who no one has ever heard become king over an entire nation? He defeats Goliath. By defeating the giant, David as the anointed King gets catapulted into national prominence. David probably could not have walked into town saying I am the next King so everyone obey me! No one would have listened. However, through defeating the giant everyone knows of the fame and name of David. The story of David and Goliath is the narrative that propels David from a nobody to someone everyone knows and reveres, and he did it by defeating the giant!
Interestingly, this narrative arc mirrors another King. How does a young Jewish boy from Bethlehem named Jesus claim his kingship? Through defeating the true giant and true enemy of God’s people Satan. And just as David was King but did not receive his throne for another several years, so also Jesus is King but will not receive until a later time.
Inter-Textual Example: Psalm 118.24
“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
This verse has been used by countless Christians to help them feel better about the bad day they are experiencing. They quote it to remind themselves that they are alive and should be happy about it. Christian businesses put this reference on their to-go beverage cups. I am sure that they mean to provide hope and inspiration to a culture of despair. However, I do not think the verse means what they think it means.
So what does this verse mean? There are several inter-textual links throughout the Bible that help illumine what this passage means. But before we examine how other biblical writers understand this passage, lets look at some in-textual and inner-textual links.
Starting with the immediate contexts, Psalm 118 is a song celebrating God’s defeat over Israel’s enemies. 118.10-15 speak directly of God delivering the Israelite king from the nations attacking him. It states, “My enemies did their best to kill me, but the LORD rescued me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!” It is a song of divine, military deliverance over Israel’s enemies.
This is also evidenced by the vocabulary the author uses in this verse. The pairing of יום, “day,” and עשׂה, “act” in v24 is used elsewhere of the divine activity of military victory (Cf. Exod 14:13; 1 Sam 11:13; 2 Sam 23:10.)
Second, Jesus quotes 118.22-23 in Matthew 21.42. It states, “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Without elaborating on the message of the entire parable, it is plainly a parable of judgment for the nation of Israel due in large part to their rejection of the true stone. The leaders, primarily, have rejected the Son. Now that they have rejected Jesus judgment is impending upon the nation, which is fulfilled with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
Third, Peter and Paul cite this Psalm. Paul picks up on this same Psalm and declares the rejected stone has now become the cornerstone of the new humanity (cf. Eph 2.19-22). Paul pictures the church as a spiritual house in which the Spirit of God dwells with Jesus being the chief cornerstone. Peter combines both judgment and salvation in his use of this psalm. He states that the stone was rejected by humans but as we come the cornerstone we are being built into a spiritual house as a royal priesthood. To those who come the stone is precious, but to those who were destined to reject the stone will stumble (cf. 1 Peter 2.4-8). This is an allusion to their future judgment for their rejection of the stone.
The inter-textual links between these passages demonstrate that the stone in the Psalms was a reference to the nation of Israel; however, as the True Israel Jesus himself becomes the true stone. Just as those who rejected the stone in Psalm 118 underwent judgment and defeat so also will those who reject the true stone. The day in which to rejoice and marvel in the Psalms was the day of salvation from their enemies; but now that day in and through Jesus is the eschatological day. It is a salvation historical reality in which Jesus has ushered in the day of salvation, the Kingdom of God. The day of God’s salvation and favor is now upon us. When Jesus returns for the second and final time to destroy his enemies and bring salvation to his people, this will be the day in which the people of God are ultimately called to rejoice and be glad.
This passage is not first and foremost about the individual days Christians experience. It is about the eschatological day Jesus ushered in through his death and resurrection that will be consummated when he comes back to destroy his enemies and bring salvation to his people.
When we ignore these three levels of context, the full, true meaning of the passage is missed. Further, we apply these passages to things that are not meant to be applied for, which causes distortions in our Christian discipleship.