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HERMENEUTICSHERMENEUTICS

Understanding N.T. EpistlesUnderstanding N.T. Epistles How to Read the Bible for All its Worth (3rd How to Read the Bible for All its Worth (3rd

ed.)ed.) by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, Chapter 3Chapter 3

How to Read the Bible as LiteratureHow to Read the Bible as Literature by by Leland Ryken, Chapter 9Leland Ryken, Chapter 9

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Epistles: Key QuestionsEpistles: Key Questions

What form do epistles generally follow? What form do epistles generally follow? How closely does this epistle (the one I am How closely does this epistle (the one I am studying or reading) follow that form?studying or reading) follow that form?

What is the occasion of the writing of the What is the occasion of the writing of the epistle?epistle?

What is the historical context of this What is the historical context of this epistle?epistle?

What is the literary context of this epistle?What is the literary context of this epistle?

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Epistolary formEpistolary form..PartPart FunctionFunction

Greeting / Greeting / SalutationSalutation

To identify the sender and greet To identify the sender and greet the recipientsthe recipients

Icebreaker / Icebreaker / ThanksgivingThanksgiving

To form and/or strengthen bonds To form and/or strengthen bonds and get the readers’ attentionand get the readers’ attention

BodyBody To state and develop the main To state and develop the main points of the epistlepoints of the epistle

Paraenesis / Paraenesis / ExhortationExhortation

To give final moral directions to To give final moral directions to the readersthe readers

Closing / Closing / FarewellFarewell

To wish well and say goodbyeTo wish well and say goodbye

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Let’s Try This Out: 1 CorinthiansLet’s Try This Out: 1 CorinthiansPartPart Beginning & Ending PointBeginning & Ending Point

Greeting / SalutationGreeting / Salutation

Icebreaker / Icebreaker / ThanksgivingThanksgiving

BodyBody

Paraenesis / Paraenesis / ExhortationExhortation

Closing / FarewellClosing / Farewell

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Let’s Try This Again: 2 CorinthiansLet’s Try This Again: 2 Corinthians

PartPart Beginning & Ending PointBeginning & Ending Point

Greeting / SalutationGreeting / Salutation

Icebreaker / Icebreaker / ThanksgivingThanksgiving

BodyBody

Paraenesis / Paraenesis / ExhortationExhortation

Closing / FarewellClosing / Farewell

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Sniff Out the OccasionSniff Out the Occasion

What specific situation brought about the What specific situation brought about the need to write?need to write?

We will not succeed in understanding the We will not succeed in understanding the epistle if weepistle if we Fail to realize the occasional nature of all Fail to realize the occasional nature of all

epistles in generalepistles in general Fail to look hard for the occasion of the epistle Fail to look hard for the occasion of the epistle

we are readingwe are reading Task theology is the product of each Task theology is the product of each

epistleepistle

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What was the occasion of …What was the occasion of …

Philemon?Philemon? Paul has come upon an escaped servant, Onesimus, Paul has come upon an escaped servant, Onesimus,

of a believer named Philemon (vs. 10)of a believer named Philemon (vs. 10) 2 John?2 John?

Many deceivers have gone out into the world (vs. 7)Many deceivers have gone out into the world (vs. 7) Jude?Jude?

Godless men have secretly slipped in among the Godless men have secretly slipped in among the believers (vs. 4) believers (vs. 4)

2 Thessalonians?2 Thessalonians? Someone had told them that the day of the Lord had Someone had told them that the day of the Lord had

already come (2:1-2)already come (2:1-2)

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Why is knowing the occasion of Why is knowing the occasion of an epistle so important?an epistle so important?

Clues to authorial intentClues to authorial intent Experiential immediacyExperiential immediacy Demonstrates the Demonstrates the

pragmatic value of pragmatic value of Christian faithChristian faith

Limits the interpretation Limits the interpretation optionsoptions

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Historical contextHistorical context

Reconstruct the settingReconstruct the setting External resources may be very helpful for thisExternal resources may be very helpful for this

Read the whole epistle through in one sitting Read the whole epistle through in one sitting Take notesTake notes

What do you notice about the recipients What do you notice about the recipients themselves?themselves?

What is the writer’s attitude toward them?What is the writer’s attitude toward them? What clues can you gather about the occasion What clues can you gather about the occasion

of the epistle?of the epistle? What are the epistle’s logical, natural What are the epistle’s logical, natural

divisions?divisions?

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Literary contextLiterary context

READ & THINK paragraphsREAD & THINK paragraphs Note where one paragraph Note where one paragraph

ends and the next begins ends and the next begins What (if anything) links the What (if anything) links the

two?two? Ask, “What’s the point of this Ask, “What’s the point of this

paragraph?”paragraph?” Ask, “Why did the writer use Ask, “Why did the writer use

this word (or phrase) and this word (or phrase) and not a similar word?”not a similar word?”

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Dealing with problem passagesDealing with problem passages

What do you know for certain?What do you know for certain? What meanings are possible but not certain?What meanings are possible but not certain? What difference does each of the possible What difference does each of the possible

meanings make to the main points of the epistle? meanings make to the main points of the epistle? Can I afford to suspend judgment about this Can I afford to suspend judgment about this

passage?passage? The things you can be certain about in an epistle The things you can be certain about in an epistle

will often lead to logical answers to the problem will often lead to logical answers to the problem passages.passages.

Remember the occasion of the epistle.Remember the occasion of the epistle.

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Literary genres within the NT Literary genres within the NT epistlesepistles

ProverbsProverbs 1 Cor. 15:331 Cor. 15:33

FormulasFormulas Jas. 1:13-15, 4:1Jas. 1:13-15, 4:1

Creeds & HymnsCreeds & Hymns Phil. 2:6-11, 1 Ti. 3:16, Phil. 2:6-11, 1 Ti. 3:16,

Col. 1:15-20Col. 1:15-20

Vice listsVice lists Gal. 5:19-21, Rom. Gal. 5:19-21, Rom.

1:29-311:29-31

Virtue listsVirtue lists Gal. 5:22-23, 2 Peter Gal. 5:22-23, 2 Peter

1:5-71:5-7

Imperative clustersImperative clusters 1 Thes. 5:16-22, Col. 1 Thes. 5:16-22, Col.

3:18-4:63:18-4:6

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Literary devices within the NT Literary devices within the NT epistlesepistles

MetaphorMetaphor 1 Corinthians 15:53 1 Corinthians 15:53

SimileSimile 1 Corinthians 9:261 Corinthians 9:26

Rhetorical questionsRhetorical questions Romans 10:15Romans 10:15

ParadoxParadox 1 Corinthians 15:42-441 Corinthians 15:42-44

Question-and-exclamationQuestion-and-exclamation 1 Corinthians 15:35-361 Corinthians 15:35-36

ApostropheApostrophe 1 Corinthians 15:54-551 Corinthians 15:54-55

RepetitionRepetition 1 Corinthians 15:43-441 Corinthians 15:43-44

BalanceBalance 1 Corinthians 15:9-111 Corinthians 15:9-11

AntithesisAntithesis1 Corinthians 15:21-221 Corinthians 15:21-22

ParallelismParallelism 1 Corinthians 15:531 Corinthians 15:53

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2 BASIC RULES OF 2 BASIC RULES OF HERMENEUTICSHERMENEUTICS

1.1. A TEXT CANNOT MEAN WHAT IT A TEXT CANNOT MEAN WHAT IT NEVER COULD HAVE MEANT TO ITS NEVER COULD HAVE MEANT TO ITS AUTHOR OR TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OR TO THE ORIGINAL AUDIENCEAUDIENCE

2.2. WHENEVER WE SHARE WHENEVER WE SHARE COMPARABLE SPECIFICS WITH THE COMPARABLE SPECIFICS WITH THE NT SETTING, GOD’S WORD TO US NT SETTING, GOD’S WORD TO US HAS THE SAME MEANING AS GOD’S HAS THE SAME MEANING AS GOD’S WORD TO THEMWORD TO THEM

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THE PROBLEM OF EXTENDED THE PROBLEM OF EXTENDED APPLICATIONAPPLICATION

A TEXT’S MEANING MAY NOT ALWAYS A TEXT’S MEANING MAY NOT ALWAYS BE APPLIED TO A CONTEXT WHICH IS BE APPLIED TO A CONTEXT WHICH IS NOT SPECIFIED BY THAT TEXTNOT SPECIFIED BY THAT TEXT

CORROBORATION IS NEEDEDCORROBORATION IS NEEDED

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THE PROBLEM WITH THE PROBLEM WITH PARTICULARS THAT ARE NOT PARTICULARS THAT ARE NOT

COMPARABLECOMPARABLEDETERMINE HOW THE ANSWERS TO DETERMINE HOW THE ANSWERS TO 11STST CENTURY ISSUES APPLY TO CENTURY ISSUES APPLY TO CONTEMPORARY ISSUESCONTEMPORARY ISSUES– FIND THE PRINCIPLEFIND THE PRINCIPLE– COMPARE MORALLY RELEVANT COMPARE MORALLY RELEVANT

PARTICULARSPARTICULARS– RESIST THE URGE TO OVER-APPLYRESIST THE URGE TO OVER-APPLY

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THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL RELATIVITYRELATIVITY

God’s God’s eternaleternal Word has been given to us Word has been given to us in in historical particularityhistorical particularity

1.1. Distinguish between core and peripheryDistinguish between core and periphery

2.2. Distinguish between what is inherently moral Distinguish between what is inherently moral and what is not inherently moraland what is not inherently moral

3.3. Distinguish between issues where the NT Distinguish between issues where the NT has a uniform, consistent position, and has a uniform, consistent position, and issues where the NT reflects differing issues where the NT reflects differing positions positions

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THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL RELATIVITY (continued)RELATIVITY (continued)

God’s God’s eternaleternal Word has been given to us Word has been given to us in in historical particularityhistorical particularity

4.4. Distinguish between principle and specific Distinguish between principle and specific applicationapplication

5.5. Consider the options available to the NT Consider the options available to the NT writer in his culturewriter in his culture

6.6. Be alerted to possible differences between Be alerted to possible differences between 11stst and 21 and 21stst century cultures century cultures

7.7. Practice Christian charity in resolving Practice Christian charity in resolving disputesdisputes

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THE PROBLEM OF TASK THE PROBLEM OF TASK THEOLOGYTHEOLOGY

Epistles give theology as a response to a Epistles give theology as a response to a task being worked ontask being worked on

1.1. Our understanding of the full occasion is Our understanding of the full occasion is limited, so don’t presume more than is probablelimited, so don’t presume more than is probable

2.2. Your question may not be the one being Your question may not be the one being answered by the epistleanswered by the epistle

3.3. Don’t proof-text! Don’t proof-text!