| Historical Perspective of Biblical Interpretation | | | | The School of Antioch: |
| (Part One) | | | | In contrast to the Alexandrian school, the Antiochan |
| It has often been said that history informs people | | | | school laid special emphasis on the "Theoria' (to see) |
| about events of the past from which lessons can be | | | | as the basis for biblical interpretation. Scholars of |
| learnt and mistakes can be avoided. The crux of this | | | | Antioch, including the two greatest of all, Mopsuestia |
| article and a subsequent one(part two), is not only to | | | | and Chrysostom, recognized a thin line separating |
| examine the mass of chronicles on biblical | | | | literal, spiritual, historical and typological methods of |
| interpretation, but to also trace its practice in Africa. | | | | interpretation. Put aptly, 'an event in scripture had |
| In my attempt to unearth the history of biblical | | | | only one meaning - a meaning that to the trained eye |
| interpretation, I will examine the principles of Jewish | | | | of the 'theoretic' exegete was once both literal and |
| interpretation as a starting point. The period of the | | | | spiritual, historical and typological.' |
| Church Fathers, Middle Ages, Reformation, | | | | The Western School: |
| Confessionalism and modern era will also be | | | | The Western school championed by men like Hilary, |
| examined. | | | | Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine was more eclectic in |
| The principles of Jewish Interpretation | | | | its methods of biblical interpretation. These giants |
| The roots of the Christian faith can be traced to the | | | | sought to combine the allegorical method of |
| Jews whom God chose to reveal Himself to | | | | Alexandria and the literal method of Antioch to |
| humanity. From the earliest beginnings of the faith | | | | project a balanced blend of the two. They argue that |
| the Jews have played a significant role in compiling | | | | taking only one meaning of scripture betrays the |
| and interpreting the sacred sayings of Yaweh. I will | | | | historical background against which the message |
| examine the roots of interpretation in the following | | | | came. |
| categories: | | | | The Period of the middle Ages |
| The Palestinian Jews | | | | The period of the middle ages has been most noted |
| These set of Jews regarded the scriptures as the | | | | for the increase of ignorance that affected not only |
| infallible word of God. This perception brought with it | | | | the laity but also the clergy. It was a period that saw |
| the need to be very careful in copying every letter | | | | little or no contribution to the historical developments |
| of the Law, Prophets, or Writings. They even | | | | of biblical interpretation. In an attempt to curb this |
| counted every letter in order to prevent them from | | | | increased ignorance, the church instituted Augustine's |
| being lost in the process of transcription. | | | | fourfold method of biblical interpretation (Literal, |
| Louise Berkhof observed that the Palestinian Jews | | | | Typological, Allegorical and Analogical). In order for |
| paid special emphasis on the interpretation of the | | | | the biblical text to be interpreted, it had to adapt |
| Torah (Law) as against the Prophets and the | | | | itself to tradition and to the doctrines of the church. |
| Writings. This was because the latter were | | | | Perhaps the most widely remembered exponent of |
| interpretations of the former. From their emphasis | | | | the Middle Ages is the archbishop of Canterbury |
| emerged two types of interpretation: The first was | | | | Stephen Langhan (1150-1228). His impress in biblical |
| of a legal character dealing with matters of binding | | | | interpretation was his chapterization of the Bible into |
| law in a strict sense known as Halakha; the second | | | | its present form. Even though he preferred the |
| was an interpretation of a free and more edifying | | | | spiritual to the literal sense of scripture, yet his |
| tendency, covering all non-legal parts of the | | | | interpretations were in line with the doctrines of the |
| scriptures. This they called Haggadah. | | | | church. |
| The Alexandrian Jews | | | | Another contributor, Thomas Aquinas defended the |
| In contrast to the Palestinian Jews, the Alexandrian | | | | literal sense as the basis for all other senses of |
| Jews paid greater interest on the philosophy of Plato | | | | scripture. He however reasoned that the interpreter |
| in their interpretation of scripture. They argued that | | | | must realize that the Bible has symbolic meanings as |
| one should not believe anything unworthy of God, | | | | well, since heavenly things cannot be put in earthly |
| thereby disregarding the literal sense of scripture. | | | | terms without using some form of symbolism. |
| Philo, the leading giant of Alexandria propounded the | | | | The Period of the Reformation |
| view that all scripture must be understood | | | | The period of the Reformation could not have |
| allegorically. He maintained that the literal sense must | | | | received the work and meaning it did if it had not |
| be excluded when anything stated is unworthy of | | | | been for the work of two men who belonged to the |
| God. On the other hand, the text is to be allegorized | | | | period of the renaissance, Reuchlin and Erasmus, |
| when expressions are doubled; when superfluous | | | | credited for their respective publication of Hebrew |
| words are used ... when there is anything abnormal in | | | | and Greek texts. These texts provided the basis for |
| the number or tense. | | | | which Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon and John |
| Apart from these two schools of Jewish interpreters, | | | | Calvin based their theories of interpretation. |
| there were also the Karaites who regarded the | | | | Martin Luther (1483-1546) the great reformer |
| scriptures as the sole authority in matters of faith; | | | | rendered tremendous service to the German public |
| the Cabbalists who combined both the literal and | | | | with the translation of the Bible into their vernacular. |
| allegorical methods of interpretation; and the Spanish | | | | Even though he started with the allegorical method, |
| Jews who employed the principles of language and | | | | Luther called for literary analysis of a text in biblical |
| exegesis in their interpretation. | | | | interpretation. Erasmus (1466-1519) rediscovered the |
| In spite of the seeming disparity in Jewish | | | | priority of the literal sense. |
| interpretation mentioned above, Jewish interpreters | | | | John Calvin (1509-1564) the greatest exegete of the |
| found agreement on several common points. First, | | | | Reformation, more than any one else developed the |
| they believed in the divine inspiration of scripture. | | | | trend toward using the grammatical- historical |
| Secondly, they affirmed that the Torah contained | | | | exegetical method as the foundation for developing |
| the entire truth of God for the guidance of humanity. | | | | the spiritual message from the text. Due to their |
| Thirdly, Jewish exegesis considered both the plain or | | | | emphasis on a fuller sense located in the Christological |
| literal meaning and the implied meaning in their | | | | meaning of scripture, the reformers were linked with |
| interpretation of a given scriptural passage. Finally, | | | | Jesus, the apostles and the early church. |
| they maintain that the purpose of all interpretation is | | | | The effect of the Reformation on Catholic exegesis |
| to translate the word of God into life, thus making | | | | is worthy of note. Catholicism made no exegetical |
| them relevant for people in their own particular | | | | advance during the period of the Reformation. |
| situations. | | | | Berkhof's comment is sufficient to describe Catholic |
| The Patristic Period | | | | opposition to protestant exegesis: |
| The patristic period beginning with the early church | | | | They did not admit the right to private judgment |
| spanning through the compilation of the creeds saw | | | | anddefended as over against the Protestants, the |
| significant contribution to the history of biblical | | | | positionthat the Bible must be interpreted in harmony |
| interpretation. Its history can be traced from three | | | | withtradition. |
| main schools examined below: | | | | To make this outright opposition against the right to |
| The School of Alexandria: | | | | private judgment in interpreting scripture a reality, the |
| The Egyptian city of Alexandria was by the beginning | | | | Council of Trent was convened and the following |
| of the third century AD an important seat of learning, | | | | resolutions were adopted: |
| where Jewish religion and Greek philosophy met and | | | | (a) that the authority of the ecclesiastical traditions |
| influenced each other. Still under the influence of | | | | must be maintained |
| Platonic philosophy, the catechetical school at | | | | (b) that the highest authority had to be ascribed to |
| Alexandria integrated into its curriculum philosophical | | | | the Vulgate, and |
| analysis in biblical interpretation. | | | | (c) that it is necessary to conform one's |
| The leading teacher at Alexandria, Titu Flavius | | | | interpretation to the authorityof the church and to |
| Clement adopted the allegorical method of Philo and | | | | the unanimous consent of the Fathers. |
| laid the motto of the Alexandrian school in the words | | | | Conclusion |
| 'unless you believe, you will not understand' Taking | | | | It must be underscored that a historical perspective |
| the cue from his teacher, Origin enlarged Philo's | | | | on interpretation is a non negotiable factor in biblical |
| allegorical method to include the threefold sense of | | | | interpretation. Christianity is a Judeo-Christian faith. |
| scripture: the Corporal, Physical and Spiritual. Beyond | | | | Since "one cannot understand the Christian faith |
| these, Origin maintained that all biblical texts have a | | | | unless one believes," the documents of the Christian |
| spiritual sense, but not all have a literal sense. | | | | faith must be initially studied, understood and |
| Therefore, if scripture is to be interpreted the soul | | | | considered authoritative before they can be |
| must ascend upward from the level of the flesh to | | | | interpreted for the faith community. |
| the realm of the spirit. | | | | |