Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 05/09/2005 18:27, Revdpickrel AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> ...
>
> Kevin, I think you error with your statement "Too much of the Bible 
> "theology"is based on interpretation."  Rule are simple: 1) only one interpretation  2) 
> many applications, and 3) all scriptures point to the Messiah.  Sometimes 
> folks confuse interpretation with application which appears to be what you're 
> doing.  There can only be one correct interpretation: my interpretation and your 
> interpretation could both be incorrect.  But we couldn't have two different 
> interpretation and both be correct.
>  

These sound like good principles. Of course not everyone would accept 
the last one. But I don't think the error here is Kevin's. Rather, he is 
making essentially the same point as you, that some ThD's (and no doubt 
some with other academic qualifications in theology, including my MA) 
"confuse interpretation with application", by bringing theological 
presuppositions, rather than just linguistic method, into 
interpretation. I have seen the same myself.

Now I accept (as an MA in theology myself!) that there is some impact of 
theology on interpretation of biblical passages. For example, if the 
interpretation of a passage is uncertain between two possibilities, one 
of which is in accord with the general theology of the writer and/or 
those around him and the other which is not, it is reasonable to 
conclude that the former interpretation is probably correct. The problem 
comes when interpreters try to use their own personal theological 
convictions as a guide to interpretation.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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