Posts Tagged ‘hermeneutics’
Values and Roles
by Steve Higginbotham Unfortunately, churches have always struggled against being influenced by the values of the cultures that surround them. For instance, the city of Corinth was known for its immorality, and it’s no surprise that immorality had also crept into the church there (I Corinthians 5). Today, our culture highly values the equality of…
Read MoreWomen, the Bible, and Necessary Inference
by Perry Hall When it comes to religion, people throw out common sense. That is one of my observations regarding hermeneutics, the way we interpret Scripture. For example, women use necessary inference as one of their main methods of communication. And yet, when interpreting the Bible – and someone mentions necessary inference – a common…
Read MoreKnowledge Without Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton In Colossians 1, we find Paul writing to a group that heard “the word of the truth of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5), and it produced faith, hope, and love (Colossians 1:4-5) in them. Paul was thankful, but he went on to pray that they would be “filled with the knowledge of…
Read MoreAids versus Additions
by Perry Hall Years ago, it was common to hear arguments concerning the difference between aids and additions in worshiping God. This involved hermeneutics. Let’s presume we all agree that adding to the word is unscriptural. How do we know when we are simply using an aid? Where does the Bible authorize aids? If additions…
Read MoreDoes God Give Us a Pattern to Follow?
by Terry Wane Benton The total evidence of scripture is that God is a God of order and expects us to follow the pattern of sound words in everything we do (II Timothy 1:13; Colossians 3:17; ICorinthians 14:33ff). God’s Patterns Noah had a pattern to follow in building the ark (Genesis 6:22). He had to…
Read MoreWhere does the Bible say the people of Babel defied God?
Question: Good day, I’m slightly confused about Scripture and interpretation here. The story of Babel is always propped up as a story of man’s defiance of God’s will, but nowhere do I see the Bible actually state that they defied God. Yes, they did go against God’s command. God wanted people to disperse around the…
Read MorePossible Inference Versus Necessary Inference
by Terry Wane Benton It is “of necessity” (necessary) “a change of the Law” for Jesus to be a priest since He was not a Levite (Hebrews 7:11f). In other words, the evidence of Psalms 110 and Jesus being that priest after the order of Melchizedek forces the necessary implication that the Law of Moses…
Read MoreDoes the type of water matter in baptism?
Question: Dear Minister, Thank you for your website. It has a lot of good stuff. It is really awesome. Thanks. And thanks for being willing to answer questions by email. Is any water type (fresh, chlorinated, salt, a bit muddy, etc) acceptable before God for baptism? As far as I know, no one but me…
Read MoreWhat If I Want to Eat the Cake I Have?
by Perry Hall “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Well, you can’t eat your cake unless you have it in the first place, so duh! Then again, to “have” can mean to “eat” as a synonym. Why would one have a cake if they didn’t want to eat it? This would all…
Read MoreJesus Believed in Necessary Inferences
by Terry Wane Benton He said, “Moses wrote about Me” (John 5:46). Still, since Moses never used the name “Jesus,” it would have to be a necessary implication of Moses and a necessary inference on our end to conclude that Moses wrote about Jesus. The evidence of reason is strong; in fact, it is as…
Read MoreThe Silence of the Scriptures
by Heath Rogers Bible authority is established through direct statements, commands, approved examples, and necessary inferences. We understand what to do with the stated commands and prohibitions of Scripture, but what are we to do with the things God does not say? We know what to do with God’s voice, but what are we to do…
Read MoreBiblical Authority
by Heath Rogers By What Authority Are You Doing These Things? The Proper Source of Authority Improper Sources of Authority How to Establish Biblical Authority General and Specific Authority Expediency The Silence of the Scriptures Submission to Authority
Read MoreGeneral and Specific Authority
by Heath Rogers Previous articles in this series have set forth the need for authority in religious matters, the proper source of authority, and how to establish what God has authorized. This article will consider an important distinction that must be made in understanding what has been authorized by God. We will study the difference…
Read MoreIsn’t renting facilities for worship a necessary inference?
Question: Regarding “Necessary Inference,” I am amused at the simplicity of learning that necessary inference promotes. Necessary inference doesn’t add anything to the equation but simply brings together all of the elements whether in the stated equation or the equation as a whole. For example Lydia. If it had stated some of the people within…
Read MoreImplications in the Sermon on the Mount
by Doy Moyer One way to see the sermon on the mount is through the lens of Matthew 5:20, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” Along these lines, I believe an important hermeneutical point can be seen right…
Read MoreThe Apostles and Hermeneutics
by Frank Jamerson Some of the articles that I have read lately have confused ridicule with reasoning. They seem to think that if they ridicule commands, examples, and necessary inferences as the basis of authority, they have given a scholarly refutation of pattern authority. One such article concluded: “It seems to me that we ought…
Read MoreNecessary Inference Is Absolutely Necessary
by Terry Wane Benton It is truly amazing that we have brethren who actually deny that proper reasoning on the scriptures always involves the use of necessary inference. It is the most basic plank of common sense reasoning, and yet, some brethren draw an inference that they don’t use inference and reason from implications. Anytime…
Read MoreKnowing the Will of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Knowing-the-Will-of-God.mp3 by Doy Moyer Seeking God
Read MoreFoundational Terms
by Doy Moyer “The process of conceptual clarification always begins with ordinary usage of the concept to be clarified, so our conception of the truth ought to sound a lot like what you already believe the truth to be.” (Dolores G. Morris, Believing Philosophy, p. 50). That quote captures one of the main reasons why…
Read MoreHow can you add to the Word?
Question: There is a teaching that says “adding or subtracting” from God’s word is a sin. My question is how can you add to the word? My congregation teaches that if you add musical instruments to worship, you are adding to the word because the word states “to sing and make music in your hearts”. The word…
Read MoreNecessary Inference
by Mike Johnson Three forms of Bible authority govern us today. These are direct command or statement, approved examples, and necessary inference or conclusion. Most are willing to accept direct commands or statements as forms of Bible authority. Some may question the concept of approved examples, and a growing number challenge the use of necessary…
Read MoreApproved Examples
by Mike Johnson What should be our attitude toward the concept of “example” as an acceptable form of Bible authority? There are three possible attitudes one might have. First, a person might say that all examples are binding. However, this attitude is unlikely, and, as we will see later, this would be a ridiculous position.…
Read MoreConsidering the Context
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ConsideringTheContext.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Timothy 2:14-18 I. My wife and I have done it numerous times and I’m sure it has happened to you as well. We’ll be talking about someone we know and then a comment is made that leaves you totally puzzled. So-and-so doesn’t have a relative by that name; at…
Read More“It Is Written”: Reflections on Authority, CENI and Grace
by Doy Moyer Those claiming to be Christians will make the claim on the basis of what they believe the Scriptures teach. This is so, regardless of how far right or left on the spectrum of thought they find themselves. This is not to say that all interpretations are correct or that as long as…
Read MoreWhat Would God Have Us Do?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WhatWouldGodHaveUsDo2.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 2:1-12 I. I was talking with a young man the other day. He wasn’t certain what God wanted him to do in regards to school and career. A. I finally realized that he wanted someone else (God) to make his decisions for him. 1. The idea that God left…
Read MoreContext
by Terry Wane Benton The apostles of Jesus were the eyewitnesses and we are the jurors. Promises made to the apostles in John 13-17 are not made to all of us. The context is about a long discussion Jesus had with His twelve witnesses. Jesus said to them “And you also will bear witness, because…
Read MoreDon’t you think we need new methods to interpret the Bible?
Question: I think the reason that churches don’t grow is that they are stuck in the past using outdated methods to interpret the Bible. What we need are some new methods. What do you think? Answer: Well, I don’t have anything new – just some very old observations. In fact, it would be hard to…
Read MoreHow do you know you’ve understood the Bible correctly?
Question: Hi there, I have a question about the different ways people read the Word of God. Overall each one has something right, but I would mainly like to know of a way of reading the Bible and taking it to heart. How is this specific method obtained through the Scripture? A fellow worker and…
Read MorePitch-Pipes and PowerPoint
by Bryan Hodge Members of the church of Christ have historically emphasized that the Bible teaches that we should have Biblical authority for what we do. God has required such. He did under the Old Covenant (e.g. Leviticus 10:1-2; I Samuel 13:9-14; II Chronicles 26:16-21). He does under the New Covenant (e.g. Acts 15:22-24; Colossians 3:17…
Read More“Where the Bible Speaks, We Speak – Where the Bible is Silent, We are Silent”
by Danny Brown The Preceptor – October 2006 This famous slogan, “Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent” was spoken by Thomas Campbell in August or September of 1809. It is implied by those who believe and accept the principles implied in the motto that they: Believe that…
Read MoreContext and Exposition
by Gary P. Eubanks The burden of these remarks consists of three points: The value of (immediate) context for Bible interpretation has been overrated. This exaggerated conception of the importance of context has, in turn, been used to justify an over-emphasis on expository preaching. The over-use of expository preaching holds the potential danger of covering…
Read MorePeter’s Vision and the Great Necessary Inferences
by Terry Wayne Benton Acts 10-11 Some brethren have erroneously concluded that direct command is the only way we can know the will of God for us. They attack or dismiss the idea of reasoning from statements, commands, examples, and drawing necessary inferences. But, I find it to be very obvious that God wants us…
Read MoreThe Basics of Communication: Tell, Show, Imply
by Doy Moyer We need to get past the constant criticism of CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference). The problem with CENI is not that it is a failed hermeneutic. The problem is that we have clouded the terminology so much that we have forgotten what basic communication is all about. CENI is fancy talk for…
Read MoreWho Started The Argument From Silence?
by Paul Earnhart The students of John L. Girardeau, professor at Columbia Seminary, South Carolina in the 1880s, asked him to explain to them why he opposed the use of instrumental music in the worship of the Presbyterian churches. In response, he wrote a book that was published in Richmond, Virginia in 1888. It was…
Read MoreFigures of Speech – Sudden Silence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/FiguresOfSpeechSuddenSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 32:15-35 I. The purpose of figurative speech is to add emphasis to what is being spoken or written. A. It might make something more memorial, such as a parable giving a story to hang a teaching upon. B. It might puzzle you or even startle you with an apparent breaking…
Read MoreFigures of Speech
Figures of Speech – Part 1Figures of Speech – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 13:10-17 I. A common confusion in reading the Bible is understanding text when figures of speech are used A. A bit odd because all languages of men contain figures of speech, so you think that people would be used to…
Read MoreImplicitly Forbidden
by Jeff S. Smith Why do preachers often condemn things that are not even found in the Bible? Where do you ever read about gambling or pornography in your Bible? And where is dancing ever expressly forbidden? Obviously, in explicit (fully revealed) terms, these are not forbidden: there is no “Thou shalt not …” regarding…
Read MoreNecessary Inference in the Old Testament
by Terry W. Benton It has been said that the Old Testament was always direct in communicating the will of God and that the idea of having to “infer” the will of God has never been necessary and therefore is not necessary now, but is that argument a necessary conclusion? Consider just a few things that show…
Read MoreOn Principle and Inference
by Doy Moyer If you believe in principle, then you accept implication and inference. A principle is a fundamental truth from which other laws or behaviors are derived. Upon understanding a principle, we recognize a variety of applications that derive from it. Yet the applications themselves might be unstated and we must figure out the…
Read MoreReasoning from Scripture
by Doy Moyer No reasoning takes place without drawing conclusions from implications. Just try it. Statements and examples often come with the expectation that we draw further conclusions. The point of reasoning and discerning is that we are capable of taking what is explicitly given, then reasoning to conclusions that are, in fact, necessary. For…
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