Introduction
The Bible is one of the most valuable books of the Christian religion. It contains many valuable information and lessons that people need to know to get closer to God. Therefore, to gain this opportunity, reading and interpreting the holy Scripture is necessary. For this aspect, hermeneutics was created, which is divided into general and special kinds. Therefore, Biblical hermeneutics is divided into several levels of reading and understanding of the Bible, providing a special value for the Christian faith.
Before considering biblical hermeneutics, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what this phenomenon is. It is defined as an “explanation of written documents and may, therefore, be more specifically defined as the science of interpreting an author’s language” (Terry & Andrews, 2021, p. 9). The main task of this approach is to find a central message from ambiguous expressions and different ways of thinking. Thus, hermeneutics allows readers to fully understand the author’s main idea and spread the information to a large audience.
General & Special Hermeneutics
General Hermeneutics
Further, there are two types of hermeneutics, general and special, each with certain characteristics. Hence, general hermeneutics is broad principles and methods used to interpret any type of text (Terry & Andrews, 2021). This aspect refers to any text, including literary works, legal documents, or scientific papers. Another important characteristic of this type of hermeneutics is the analysis of the text itself, the context of its writing, structure, and various factors of influence to gain a comprehensive understanding of it.
Special Hermeneutics
Special hermeneutics has a narrower specificity in contrast to general one. The main distinguishing feature of this aspect is the interpretation of specific types of texts (Terry & Andrews, 2021). In other words, special hermeneutics concentrates on a narrower field of work instead of a general analysis of texts. Thus, this type of examination includes the study of legal papers, which implies knowledge of a particular country’s legislative system and terminology.
Like general hermeneutics, special is based on analyzing various principles of hermeneutics in a particular text and understanding its features and characteristics. Therefore, these text analyses provide valuable insight into the main messages and key points. This is achieved using principles and methods used to interpret works.
Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics
The next step is to study a particular section of hermeneutics that concerns the Bible. Biblical hermeneutics is the method used to interpret and understand biblical teaching and its central message (Terry & Andrews, 2021). In other words, this branch of theology analyzes the language, historical context, and literary form of religious text. These steps are taken to gain a complete and accessible understanding of the critical aspects of the Bible and its postulates. Moreover, it is necessary to understand how people can interpret and apply biblical concepts in everyday life.
First Principle: Interpreting Texts as Original Scriptures in Modern Contexts
Biblical hermeneutics is based on three principles, each providing a unique perspective on the analyzed text. The first is to consider the work as an original scripture and then translate it into a modern setting. In other words, when reading biblical chapters, individuals should perceive the information as it is provided. For example, if John 7:24 says, “Do not judge according to appearances, judge with right judgment,” these words should be taken literally (English et al.). This aspect applies to all sections of the Bible, except for those where obvious symbolism is visible, which requires further interpretation and analysis. In addition, this aspect implies a refusal to read between the lines, which is often resorted to by researchers trying to find mystical religious overtones. Thus, reading the Biblical text in the context of its originality and authenticity provides an opportunity to understand better the intended meaning and how the original readers would have understood it.
Second Principle: Emphasizing Historical, Grammatical, and Contextual Aspects
Historical Aspect
The second principle that represents the basis of biblical hermeneutics is to pay attention to the historical, grammatical, and contextual aspects. The first feature implies considering religious Scripture within the framework of the culture and society that flourished at its writing. This will allow us to better understand the motivation of the characters of the Bible and the lessons that can be highlighted from the events described there.
Grammatical Aspect
The grammatical aspect implies focusing on the features of the language used to convey the true thought to the reader. Regarding Biblical teaching, knowing the features and unique characteristics of the Hebrew and Greek languages is essential.
Contextual Aspect
The contextual characteristic of this principle of biblical hermeneutics implies considering the context of a particular passage when analyzing the meaning or main points. This is because each part of the work under study can provide a unique insight or lesson. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to study more complex passages of the Bible more effectively, which are better understood in context.
Third Principle: Using Scriptural Cross-References for Enhanced Understanding
When analyzing the main religious text of Christianity, it is also important to consider the third principle of hermeneutics. It lies in the fact that another Script can provide a more detailed understanding of one Script. In other words, this approach is similar to contextual; that is, it implies comparing different parts of the Bible to interpret the meaning of a passage. This is because each of them is interconnected; the stories flow smoothly from each other, which also gives a remarkable narrative of the biblical text.
Research stated that “scripture’s meaning can be understood as the communicative act of the author that has been inscribed in the text and addressed to the intended audience for engagement” (Brown, 2021, p. 10). This aspect gives the Bible a complex and diverse nature that requires careful and critical examination and understanding.
Conclusion
The Bible is one of the most ancient sources of religious knowledge for followers of the Christian religion. This holy Scripture has been written and interpreted by multiple authors in various languages, which necessitates the creation of a tool for its analysis. For this purpose, biblical hermeneutics is engaged in the study and analysis of the text of the Bible to highlight its key points and the primary thoughts of each passage.
It is worth noting that the principles that are a mandatory part of this approach are of central importance in this process. Thus, they rely on the linguistic, historical, and contextual interpretation of the Bible, which brings the most remarkable effectiveness of this procedure.
References
Brown, J. K. (2021). Scripture as communication: Introducing biblical hermeneutics. Baker Academic.
English Standard Version Bible. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Web.
Terry, M. S., & Andrews, E. D. (2021). Biblical hermeneutics: a treatise on interpreting the Old and New Testaments. Christian Publishing House.