Hermeneutical Models in Relationship between the Old and New Testament - Report Example

HERMENEUTICAL MODELS IN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY RELIGION AND THEOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER STATE: DATE: Introduction Hermeneutics in the bible involves the study of the interpretational principles that concern the books of the bible. The broader hermeneutical applicants whose research involves text based principles in the inclusion of all forms of communication that are both verbal and non-verbal.1 The Jewish and Christian biblical hermeneutics have some conversation and overlap. However, they have distinctively different tradition upon which they are based.2 Originally, biblical hermeneutics were seen a valid procedure in which the state of the scripture was viewed to necessitate a form of interpretation and understanding. Hermeneutical concept has obtained two different though related meanings that are used nowadays. In the older sense, it is understood as religious principles of exposition that is synonymous with biblical interpretation principles or methodology. The following definition and more recently developed is the knowledge of the term biblical science of explication.3 The first approach has a rationale in that it provides the first analysis the text which Christians try to understand beyond the view of ordinary aspect. The second approach combines all linguistically and philosophical aspects that are considered to applicable to the biblical texts.4This approach has made a wide range in the development of Christian theologians. Typology Theological hermeneutics are used as biblical exegesis of traditional Christian. This is a mainstream form used by protestant tradition in considering Christian biblical hermeneutics in the traditional exegesis, to handle various principles that can be applied to scriptural study.5The basic theoretical principles that are used as interpretive formulae for the studies are Mutually-exclusive model, historical-grammatical principle based model, Ethnic division principle, Christo-centric principle, application principle and moral principle among others. In this study, we shall use the application principle.6 This principle is centered on the application of truth that is made only after making the correct interpretation in relation to old and New Testament texts. Both the testaments can be understood in the light of grammatical-historical meaning of each passage. Through this interpretation, there is the use of two New Testament surfaces in relation to an Old Testament surface. The first aspect, the New Testament writer, observed the grammatical-historical understanding of the Old Testament passage.7 Grammatical-historical meaning uses an Old Testament portion of scripture that the New Testament writers go beyond. This is the second aspect. The principles are based on the dictation of the Old Testament’s scripture portion that must have its own interpretation, despite how it is used by New Testament writers.8 Two types of treatments are used to understand the Old Testament prophesies. The first treatment is known as the Old Testament in the New Testament literal usage. This literal treatment is used in a number of Old Testament passages, and the New Testament records the actual events as a satisfaction to the principle.9 Biblical examples The use of the passages in Mathew 1:23 with that in Isaiah 7:14 give a clear example. God through Prophet Isaiah offers King Ahaz an indication in Isaiah chapter 7 verses 10 to 11. However, Ahaz in fictitious humility denies accepting the promise as indicated in Isaiah chapter 7 and vcerse12. Because King Ahaz declined to accept the first sign, God chooses another indication that is entailed in Isaiah chapter 7 and verses14. This portent entangles the parentage of a son to a virgin in an extraordinary way.10The interpretation of the catchword “virgin” in Hebrew is a woman who is not united in wedlock. This is proved in Proverbs 30:19; Genesis 24:43 and Songs of Solomon 6:8. Therefore, Isaiah’s son’s birth in Isaiah 8:3 could not have brought to the realization of this prophesies because he was born of a married woman. Furthermore, the birth of Isaiah’s son could not satisfy the promise of a “sign” and the Isaiah’s son was not named “Immanuel” as stated in Isaiah 7:14. However, in Mathew 1:23, the fulfilment of this prophesy is evident in the birth of Israel’s messiah being born of a virgin and Him being named “Immanuel” as indicated in Isaiah 7:14.11 This is an Old Testament’s literal fulfilment of the passage in Isaiah’s prophesy, just in the beginning of the New Testament. In John chapter 1verses 29 and Isaiah chapter 53verses 7, Isaiah refers to God’s servant as a slaughter-lamb led for sacrifice. John’s writer states the realization of God’s lamb that takes the sin of the world in John chapter 1verses 29 to be Christ. Peter talks of Jesus as a lamb that is blameless and spotlessness in the first book of Peter 1:19. This too is a literal fulfilment of Old testaments prophesy indicated in the New Testament passage by more than one writer.12 Prophetic and fulfilment model The prophetic fulfilments that are similar to the examples listed above have extensive apologetic value. They prove to the Jewish readers of the Old Testament and present that Jesus was the messiah promised. Prophesies of Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets of the coming of King took place in a detailed perfect manner.13Jesus’ way of meeting all the expected criteria by the Israel’s messiah was phenomenal. This made it possible for any person with an open mind to acknowledge that He was the one spoke about in the Old Testament. This fulfilment was exceptionally practical in all foretold ways.14 The second interpretation of both New and Old Testament was through the non-literal use of passages from the two testaments. In such uses, New Testament writers took Old Testament words from a passage and used them in a different situation from the original scriptural verse in the Old Testament context.15This kind left out the consideration of the original meaning of grammatical-historical of the Old Testament scripture. It used them in diverse ways to suit the various points and messages that they intended to put deliver. Biblical examples In Luke chapter, 20 from verse17 to18 and Isaiah chapter 8 verse14 to15, the historical details of Isaiah’s prophesy refers to the stumbling of those who reject the messages and the aftermath captivity in Babylon. Luke picks the same verses and uses them in reference to the stumbling of Israelite generation that denied Christ as the promised savior. Luke refers to this in connecting it to judgment by God.16Paul and Peter in Romans chapter 9 verses 32 to 33 and 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 8 also use the same style with Isaiah’s passage in Isaiah 8:14-15. However, they change the references to suite the context in the present passage from the original context. In the Old Testament, the passage referred to Isaiah’s personal enemies and the temporal judgment that was afflicted to them; in the New Testament, Israelite generation that rejected Jesus at his first coming are told of everlasting judgment that is prepared for them.17 In Mathew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1, the New testament uses a non-prophetic passage from the Old testament and uses it to predict a certain happening in the new testament. The historical movement of Israelites was scripted by Hosea. However, Mathew adopts the passage in Hosea to refer to the movement of Jesus, Mary and Joseph from Egypt after their journey to abscond Herod’s plan of killing the little ones. This is another masterly furnished aspect of Inspired Sensus Plenior Application model.18 Strength and weaknesses Inspired Sensus Plenior Application (ISPA) from the examples above clearly shows that the application of Old Testament passages in the New Testament sometimes uses a way that gives additional dimensions. The additional dimensions go beyond the grammatical-historical significance. This style of usage does not revoke the grammatical-historical signification of the Old Testament.19It is utilization of the Old Testament scripture that simply goes further than the original meaning of the context. However, there are questions that arise with this citation model. There are concerns of assigning additional and different meanings to the Old Testament passage by present-day interpreters with the view to imitate the applications made by the New Testament writers. This becomes exceedingly difficult because of the single meaning principle. The attempt to assign additional meanings would result to violation of the inviolable, grammatical-historical interpretation rules.20Current world preachers and interpreters may make use of the suitable Old Testament scriptures to various positions, but there is no inspiration of their application the way it was with the New Testament writers. This technicality arises due to the differences in qualifications. The New Testament writers had the gift of apostleship of prophecy allowing them to entertain and remit to other direct divulgations that are God sent. Other reason is because the New Testament writers were inspired by God; different from the contemporary interpreters.21 The assigning of New Testament aptitude on the basis of a secondary significance to the Old Testament scripture itself in relation to a single meaning does not violate the principle. It is obvious that the scripture has a dual meaning, but a single of the significances is obtained from the grammatical-historical explanation of the passage itself.22 The other meaning comes from the grammatical-historical analysis of the New Testament passage that is cited. The two meanings of an Old Testament passage were purposed from the beginning. Moreover, the second meaning did not exist until the citation of that passage in the New Testament.23 Conclusion The relationship between the New and the Old Testament application is based upon some basic principles. In Hebrews 1:1-2, the way God spoke to men in the old and in the New Testament times were different hence had various ways of communicating.24 Therefore, it is vital to outline the theological approaches. It is essential to know the diversity and unity in the interpretational history of the bible. In the metaphysics and religion, the relationship of the individual to the perfect reality plays a key role. The postmodern age of religious pluralism makes it possible to encounter few rejections in any connection between the testaments. However, the duty of writing the Old Testament theologies is mostly undertaken by New Testament allegiance writers.25The literal and historical magnitude of the scriptures, which comprises the dialect style, and content depict both continuity and discontinuity of the testaments. Thematic approaches are proposed to emphasize the scenery of the puzzle in creating meaning to the progress and irregularity in relation to the testaments.26 Bibliography Alston, W. M., and Michael. Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity: Biblical Interpretation in the Reformed Tradition. United Kingdom: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Co., 2007. Barton, . The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation. United Kingdom: cambridge University Press, 1998. Bauer, D. R., and Robert A. T. Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Hermeneutics. United States: Baker Academic, 2011. Blomberg, C. L., Richard B. G., Scott F. S., Robert W. W., and Merold W. Biblical Hermeneutics; Five views. United States: Inter Vasity Press, 2012. Botta, A. F., and Pablo R. A. The Bible and the Hermeneutics of Liberation. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009. Brown, J. K. Introducing Biblical hermeneutics; Scripture as Communication. United States: Baker Academic, 2007. Cohen, M. Z. Opening the Gates of Interpretation; Biblical Hermeneutics in Light of Maimonides Geonic-Andalusian Heritage and Muslim Milieu. Netherlands: Brill, 2011. Corley, B., Steve W. L., and Grand I. L. Biblical Hermeneutics; A comprehensive Introduction to Interpreting Scripture . United States, 2002. Ferguson, D. S. Biblical Hermeneutics; An introduction. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1986. Fiorenza, E. S. Democratizing Biblical Studies: Towards an Emancipatory Educational Space. Kentucky: Westminister John Knox Press, 2009. Hartill, E. J. Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960. Helmer, C., and Taylor G. P. Biblical Interpretation: History, Context and Reality. Atlanta: Society of Bible Literature, 2005. Kang, M. Interpretative Identity and Hermeneutical Community; A Biblical Hermeneutics. Berlin: Lit Verlag, 2010. Montague, G. T. Understanding the Bible: A basic Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2007. Muller, R. A. The Study of Theology: From Biblical Interpretation to Contemporary Formulation. United States: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1991. Negrov, A. I. Biblical Interpretation in the Russian Orthodox Church. Germany: Mohr Steinbeck, 2008. Oeming, M. Contemporary Biblical Hermeneutics; An Introduction. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2006. Osborne, G. R. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. United States: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Prickett, S. Words and the Word: Language Poetics and Biblical Interpretation. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Ramm, B. Protestant Biblical Interpretation. Washington DC: Baker Academic, 2012. Reventlow, H. G. History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 4: From the Enlightenment to the Twentieth Century. United States: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010. Segovia, F. F., and Mary A. T. Reading from this Place: Social location and Biblical Interpretation in the United States. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1995. Terry, M. S. Biblical Hermeneutics, First Edition; A Treatise on the Interpretation the Old and the New Testament. Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1999. Thomas, R. L. Evangelical Hermeneutics; The New versus the Old. United States: Kregel Publications, 2002. Virkler, H. A., and Karelynne G. A. Hermeneutics; Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretations. United States: Baker Academic, 2007. Zuck, R. B. Rightly Divided; Readings in Biblical Hermeneutics. United States: Kregel Publications, 1996. Read More