Questions about Bible self interpretting

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Church_Militant

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Okay,
If one reads a book that someone else wrote and one has questions about what parts of that book mean, what would you do?

A) Go to the book and expect it to explain itself?

or…

B) Go to the guy who wrote it and ask him what it means?

Now…who wrote the New Testament?
Then who would know what it means?

Which came first, the NT or the Church?
 
I am gald you started this thread I am going to thoroughly enjoy where this goes:D I am waiting on a poster from the father thread to reply:whistle: God bless
 
The Scripture cannot interpret itself. Ancient Judaism had interpreters of the Scriptures, and they are called the Scribes. We see the evidence of this interpretation through the other texts that exist that are explanations of the Scripture. The Church has followed this tradition.

MaggieOH
 
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petra:
God wrote the New Testament. The Church discovered it.
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No. The Holy Spirit used human authors to write the manuscripts and the Holy Spirit helped the Church to discern what belonged in the Canon of the Scripture for both the Old and the New Testament. God did not write the New Testament in the most literal sense of “write”.

MaggieOH
 
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petra:
God wrote the New Testament. The Church discovered it.
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Actually God did not write the NT. God wrote the 10 commandments. He inspired others to write the NT and He inspired the Church to recognize those writings as coming from Him and to declare them as such. Point A is a matter of faith, Point B is a matter of fact.

Phil
 
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petra:
God wrote the New Testament. The Church discovered it.
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Peace be with you petra,

I would suggest that the Holy Spirit “inspired” the members of the Church to write the documents that make up the New Testament and then led the members of the Church to identify them from other uninspired texts that was in circulation.

That is just how I would say it. At the time of the writing of the New Testament, the Church was in effect and under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think it is honest to attempt to separate God from the Church when the Church is the Body of Believers lead by the Holy Spirit.

Just my 2 cents.

Peace, Love and Blessings,
 
I have seen more people loose their faith as a result of the pride and arrogance required to even begin to believe in their own self interprative abilities… i’m not speaking of those with advanced degrees and studies… i’m talking about those we meet every day, especially those in these forums… me included… 👍
 
Okay, obviously I am going out on a limb here, but honestly, if I am reading a book and I don’t understand a passage, this is exactly what I do: I look around in the book for a way to understand the passage. I have done this thousands of times. Only if this fails do I try some other method of resolving the issue.

For example, you come across the phrase “obedience of faith” in the start of Romans, and if you look around, Lo, there it is at the end of Romans too. Hmmm. Might mean something. To me, this is a natural process to understand a work.

Space Ghost is right, though.
 
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Pug:
Okay, obviously I am going out on a limb here, but honestly, if I am reading a book and I don’t understand a passage, this is exactly what I do: I look around in the book for a way to understand the passage. I have done this thousands of times. Only if this fails do I try some other method of resolving the issue.

For example, you come across the phrase “obedience of faith” in the start of Romans, and if you look around, Lo, there it is at the end of Romans too. Hmmm. Might mean something. To me, this is a natural process to understand a work.

Space Ghost is right, though.
Click to expand...
Peace be with you Pug,

I completely understand where you are coming from. My only concern with the method of exegesis is that one assumes “one” author or multiple authors with similar linguistic compounds in which to confer understandings. Does Matthew use the same methods to explain complex religious understands in the same manner as say Paul’s Epistles? Well, to a degree one can yes but there are areas where this “method” creates clouded understandings and forces creative minds to conjecture on their detailed meaning. This is where the denominations create distinction and sometimes error.

Just my 2 cents.

Peace, Love and Blessings,
 
BS’D
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MaggieOH:
The Scripture cannot interpret itself. Ancient Judaism had interpreters of the Scriptures, and they are called the Scribes. We see the evidence of this interpretation through the other texts that exist that are explanations of the Scripture. The Church has followed this tradition.

MaggieOH
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Shalom,

Judaism has always had a final authority on interpetation of the scriptures, more to do so with the Law itself rather then spiritual matters.

That being said, I am sure there are similiarties between Judaism’s Rabbincal Authority and Rome’s Authority (Papal infallbility is it called? )
 
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RebAvomai:
BS’D

Shalom,

Judaism has always had a final authority on interpetation of the scriptures, more to do so with the Law itself rather then spiritual matters.

That being said, I am sure there are similiarties between Judaism’s Rabbincal Authority and Rome’s Authority (Papal infallbility is it called? )
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Welcome Rabbi!
Shalom Elechim!

Thank you for your most welcome (name removed by moderator)ut and insight! One of my close friends is Orthodox (Hasidic) Jewish and we share all the time. We get along well because we discuss things and he knows I respect him too much to push him to convert. All conversion as to come from the influence of the Spirit of HaShem.

You’re quite right that we rely upon the scholarship and tradition of the church to interpret the Bible. Self interpretation is what has led to so much confusion and schism.

Again, Thank you for your post and I hope you will always feel welcome here with us.
Baruch HaShem.
 
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petra:
God wrote the New Testament. The Church discovered it.
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Petra, I am going to come to your defense! 🙂

I am going to stick my neck out here and concentrate on the word “discover” which would also include discernment, which is exactly what the Church did in the early 4th century in the synods of Carthage, Hoppo and Rome.

Some local/regional churches wanted to include such documents as the didache and the Gospel of Thomas as New Testament scripture. On the other and, I understand that other churches wanted to eschew Hebrews, James and even the Book of Revelations.

So, in many ways, your choice of the word “discovery” is right on! 🙂

I am not disputing the other replies I have seen so far (with a quick scan) only that your anwwer was closer on the mark that others seemed to have realized.

God bless,

PAX

Bill+†+

Pillar and Foundation of Truth, the Church. (1 Tim 3:15)
 
Peace be with you all,

You all seem like you are all really touching on some great stuff but it appears that you are all missing that methods of exegesis for the Old Testament didn’t materialize post-Church era but was taught by the Apostles to the converted as a means of understanding the Old Testament and it’s “pointing to Jesus Christ” as the Messiah. This suggests a “right” method of exegesis for the Old Testament that is not necessarily self evident but taught by the Apostles. This is largely why even today many Rabbinic Jews disagree with Christianity, because they reject our method of exegesis which point to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. By their method of exegesis, Old Testament Scripture fails to point to Jesus as the Messiah and thus they await another. What I am attempting to suggest is that the early Christian Church shared a method of exegesis for the Old Testament and thus it is reasonable to conclude that they shared a method of exegesis for the New Testament. In fact, it was this method of exegesis that allowed Church leaders to recognize “inspired” texts from “uninspired” texts. The fact was that the “uninspired” text failed to reflect the “taught” or “shared” Apostolic method of exegesis. This is what the Catholic Church argues as tradition and why it is often argued that tradition of the Church (i.e. method of exegesis) predates the New Testament writings.
Peace, Love and Blessings,
 
William Putnam:
Petra, I am going to come to your defense! 🙂

I am going to stick my neck out here and concentrate on the word “discover” which would also include discernment, which is exactly what the Church did in the early 4th century in the synods of Carthage, Hoppo and Rome.

Some local/regional churches wanted to include such documents as the didache and the Gospel of Thomas as New Testament scripture. On the other and, I understand that other churches wanted to eschew Hebrews, James and even the Book of Revelations.

So, in many ways, your choice of the word “discovery” is right on! 🙂

I am not disputing the other replies I have seen so far (with a quick scan) only that your anwwer was closer on the mark that others seemed to have realized.

God bless,

PAX

Bill+†+

Pillar and Foundation of Truth, the Church. (1 Tim 3:15)
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Good point Mr. P!
In that context, I would have to agree with Petra.
Check your email neighbor…
👍
Pax vobiscum
 
Church Militant:
Good point Mr. P!
In that context, I would have to agree with Petra.
Check your email neighbor…
👍
Pax vobiscum
Click to expand...
Got it! Answered it!

Pensacola FL, (including Gulf Breeze, when Hurricane Ivan’s junk is cleared away) has the world’s whitest beaches!

Home of the Naval Flight Demonstration Team - The Blue Angels - and one “blackshoe” retired Navy Commander! 🙂

ON EDIT: For the administrators - Why is it I cannot “edit” my first message in this forum, (Where I want to correct the spelling of “Hoppo” to “Hippo” but I can edit this one?

God bless,

PAX

Bill+†+

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. (Luke 1:46-48)
 
Chevrolet made Chevys. If you have trouble with your Chevy, take it to a Chevy Dealer or man.

Honda people made the Hondas. If your Honda has a problem, who do you take it to? The Honda people of course…they made it!

God made or allowed the Scriptures to be made. If you are having a problem with the Scriptures, who do you take it to? Take it to the originator of the Scriptures, and that is God or His earthly representatives.Starting with Peter and the keys that Jesus gave him, today we have the Magesterium to solve Biblical problems.

( If a man is in trouble, take him to his maker to find the cure.)

Protestants will say, no matter their spiritual state, that they can privately interpret the Scriptures. We Catholics look to the descendants of the Apostles, the Magesterium, to interpret Scriptures. If Priests, who may have eight years of Priestly Studies, and cannot officially interpret the Scriptures then who do we think we are? Private interpretation is an invalid rule.
 
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