Since the late Middle Ages, the interpretation of Scripture has been increasingly important. Various scientists and academics have come to the opinion that in order to get to the essence, or semantic core, of Scripture, four “levels” of text, or “semantic layers,” must be considered. The central premise that underpins this method is that Scripture can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In addition to the literal meaning, three more layers can be distinguished. Allegorical, which contains what should believe; tropological or moral, which contains what Christians should do; and analogous, which contains what Christians should hope for (Sri, 1996). Each of the four layers of text is linked and interwoven. They are interlinked and should be regarded as a coherent and complete picture.
The literal sense of the Scripture provides the most basic level of analysis, which is concentrated directly on what is written. It is the main starting point of the other three senses since they can be applied until delving into the literal meanings. The literal meaning of the scriptures is revealed by rigorous examination of the text utilizing all available interpretative tools, such as archaeological data, historical, and literary analysis (Martin, 2006). The reader is encouraged to learn more about the text’s historical and literary background in order to obtain a greater comprehension of the text’s literal meaning.
The allegorical way of interpretation describes the attitude toward the text as a code or encryption, and the interpretation of the text is the decryption of that code. There are at least two layers of text for an allegorist: literal, surface meaning, and hidden, underlying message; they consider each other as an item and its shadow. True comprehension of the substance of texts, rather than a mere acceptance of literal meaning, is required for an allegorical reading of Scripture (Sri, 1996). The allegorical sense is useful in avoiding the trivial, nonsensical, and redundant meanings that are pretty much inevitable when reading Scripture literally. However, this approach is not without flaws since it was not constrained by an established set of rules, making it easy for many people to find confirmation of any teaching in the Scripture.
The tropological sense significance is linked to the moral lessons that may be gained from the Scriptural content. Because events from Israel’s past were written “for instruction,” Christians can learn about moral and behavioral dilemmas by paying great attention to the history of Israel, the words of the prophets, and exhortations (Hahn, 2003). Thus, Scripture’s instructive teachings are veiled behind its literal meaning, which might contain moral admonitions or imperatives.
Scripture’s anagogical meaning relates to events, messages, and symbols in terms of their eternal, ultimate significance. It also alludes to a moment in the future, at the end of time, when moral challenges and actions will have the most influence. It considers the objectives and goals of our life’s path as it imminently flows into the afterlife (Martin, 2006). Anagogical meaning raises such issues as the Day of Judgement, Heaven and Hell, and other highly spiritual concepts.
An excellent example of the application of the senses was provided by Sri, where he referred to the simple example of a temple building (Sri, 1996). In a literal sense, it is just a building with a specified purpose, while when using other senses, it begins to gain a more profound insight. For instance, in the allegorical interpretation, it refers to Jesus as a temple, while in the moral sense, a temple can be equated to a human body, which is God’s temple (Sri, 1996). Lastly, anagogical interpretation can be focused on the concept of God’s house, an eternal sanctuary for believers. Thus, it can be seen how the four senses of the Scripture can expand one’s understanding on a different level of knowledge, thus gaining a deeper understanding of the Scripture itself and the world around.
References
Hahn, S. (2003). Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church. Emmaus Road Publishing
Martin, F. (2006(. The Spiritual Sense of Sacred Scripture: Its Essential Insight. Sacred Scripture: The Disclosure of the Word, 249-75.
Sri, E. (1996). Making “Sense” Out of Scripture: The Four Best Kept Secrets in Biblical Studies Today. Lay Witness