Throughout history there have been various approaches to the study of Biblical hermeneutics. From I 50 to400 A.D., there flourished in Alexandria an approach known as allegorical interpretation.

The great scholar Origin (185-254 A.D.) is considered the major proponent of this method which taught that there was a literal, moral, and mystical sense in Scripture corresponding to the tripartite aspect of man. During the fourth century A.D,, a more literal interpretation of Scriptures was pioneered by Diodore of Tarsus and taught at the famous school at Antioch.

With the Protestant Reformation came a new era in the history of hermeneutics. The unprecedented availability of the Bible, made possible by the newly invented printing press, caused a new enthusiasm among theologians and the common people. For the first time in history the average person was able to read and interpret Scripture for the himself and, therefore, challenge the stereotype interpretations of the clergy.

Go over to www.sermonsfromthemount.com if you looking for good sermon material.

If you do not agree with some of the viewpoints, we understand. We can agree to disagree. Just remember that there is something in everyone of our newsletters that can help any speaker… and If you feel very strongly about something please email me I would love to here your thought.

Pastor Kirt Eure

Also Check out www.sermonsfromthemount.com Great resource for pastors

Biblical hermeneutics deals with the effective interpretation of understanding of God’s viewpoint as revealed in the scripture. Many Ministries and theologians search the Scriptures for “proof” of what they have previously taught or believed to be true.

It is vitally important that we realize that God inspired the scripture and it is not important what ” WE THINK, WE THOUGHT, HE SAID”
Textual Or Lower Criticism

The first step in correctly interpreting Bible text involves restoring the original text of documents which have been exposed to the hazards of successive copying and recopying. Obviously, we do not have any original manuscripts produced by Moses, David,the Prophets, Paul, Mark, Matthew, etc.

A number of scholars have devoted their entire lives to interpreting the various ancient manuscripts and writings of the church fathers in order to give us, except in a few cases still disputed, what is genuine and true to the original manuscripts.

Higher Criticism

The next step called “Higher criticism” involves asking a number of questions concerning any given text to establish the basics of when, where, why, and how the text was produced. This is precisely what we will be doing in the upcoming lectures titled “Old Testament Survey” and “New Testament Survey.”

Higher criticism involves the following considerations.

1.   Determining the authorship of a manuscript (by means of internal or external evidence) – For instance, it is significant to note that the book of James was probably written by the half brother of Jesus and pastor of the Jerusalem church.

The books of Luke and Acts were written by a well-educated physician named Luke, and this explains the detail with which he describes various illnesses in his writings.

2.   Establishing the date of its origin – It is interesting to note in Acts l9:6 when “…the Holy Ghost come on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ” that it was 25 years after the original day of Pentecost.

3.    Genuineness – Did events or details recorded in the text actually occur? Example: The temple described in chapters 40 – 48 of Ezekiel was never built, and this caused some serious doubt of the legitimacy of the book.

4.   Destination – What was the target audience or to whom was the book originally addressed? Example: The book of Acts is addressed to Theophilus, yet no one knows who this is.

It has been suggested that Theophilus refers to all Christians (Theophilus means “loves God”), or perhaps it refers to an undiscovered city of that day; and still others have suggested that Theophilus was Paul’s attorney and that the book of Luke and Acts were written to serve as his defense during the Trial in Rome.

5.   The purpose – Why was the document written? Example: The books of Job and Psalms, as well as others, were written as Hebrew poetry.

6.   The place of writing – Example: Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon while in prison.

7.   The nature of the document – Is it historical? Is it fictional? Is it prophetic? Example: The book of Revelation is considered apocalyptic literature meaning “hidden from view.”

By subjecting the text to these various steps, we begin to close the gaps separating the reader from the intent of the author.

If your having problems with finding the right material for your sermons go to www.sermonsfromthemount.com there are a lot of excellent sermons and resources there.

By Pastor Kirt Eure

“We’re supposed to be revolutionaries. And that’s odd that that sounds odd in this world but it’s because the church has embraced the status quo instead of embracing what Jesus Christ brought into this world which was revolution.”

Related * Church Leaders Abuzz About Virtual Conference That was the core message Pastor Brad Powell of Northridge Church tried to get across to fellow church leaders around the world within a short time frame of nine minutes. He addressed a purely online audience on Wednesday during “The Nines” conference that featured back-to-back nine-minute video messages from renowned and lesser known communicators and pastors.

The virtual conference, organized by Leadership Network and Catalyst, drew over 20,000 participants throughout the daylong event. Online attendees carried conversations on blogs and Twitter, making “The Nines” the most tweeted topic for about three hours that day. “We have shut Jesus out of the church and by shutting Jesus out of the church we have become everything contrary, antithetical to what Jesus wants the church to be,” Powell of Plymouth, Mich., said in his pre-recorded video.

“We need to let Jesus back in the church so that revolution can begin again; so our churches, instead of being turned inward will turn outward again; so that our churches, instead of being exclusive little clubs, parks and recreation for the middle class, will become inclusive again.” The Northridge pastor sees many churches today as “museums of what God once did” and many pastors as “curators of those antiquities.”

He urged church and ministry leaders to be on the offense and go after the world rather than on the defense and just trying to keep people from leaving church. “We have to create a mission that is revolutionary,” he stressed. Some 75 pastors, authors and communicators sent in their webcam videos to share their passionate and personal messages with other church leaders. Among The Nines’ virtual speakers were Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church, Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church, Eric Bryant of Mosaic, and authors Leonard Sweet and Brian McLaren. Bryant of Mosaic in Los Angeles used his nine minutes to talk about advocating for the rights of those who do not yet believe in Christ. “Are we investing in people who might believe differently than us?” he posed. Church is often seen as “a place to meet our needs as Christians” but Bryant encouraged church leaders to see it as a place that meets the needs of the world.

He challenged listeners to treat the world around them not as outsiders but as friends and to allow them into their lives and their community even if they might hold different beliefs. Then when the time was right, Christians would share with them how their lives have been changed by Jesus. Author Leonard Sweet offered his few minutes of wisdom, telling church leaders how to deal with a big head. “The more successful you get, the more [you're] used by God, the bigger head you got to deal with,” Sweet said in his video message. His answer to the big head syndrome is “humble confidence” or “confident humility.” Confidence is knowing that there are no limits to what God can do. But at the same time, it’s knowing that without Christ, “I can’t do anything,” he explained. “Humility is not putting yourselves down. It’s accepting the great gifts and talents God has given you … receiving them as gifts. These are not yours,” he said. The Nines was a free event and accessible to anyone interested in gaining some inspiration, motivation or just plain information. All 75 video presentations will be available for free viewing next week.

Christian Post