THE NEW HERMENEUTIC

1.     Terms defined

a.     Exegesis – The discovery of what the original author actually intended to say to the readers of his day. Exegesis should be the first step in Bible study.

b.     Hermeneutics – Interpretation or explanation of the Scriptures. Hermeneutics seeks to determine the meaning and message of the passage. The second step in good Bible study is to apply the original Biblical message to our day.
 

2.     Restoration history

a.     Thomas Campbell – 1809 – “Declaration and Address” – “Nothing ought to be inculcated upon Christians as article of faith; nor required of them as terms of communion, but what is expressly taught and enjoined upon them in the Word of God. Nor ought anything to be admitted, as of Divine obligation, in their church constitution and managements, but what is expressly enjoined by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles upon the New Testament church; either in express terms or by approved precedent.”

b.     Three approaches to Biblical authority

                                                    i.     Direct command

                                                   ii.     Approved apostolic example

                                                 iii.     Necessary inference
 

3.     Jesus used all three approaches in His teachings

a.     Direct command

                                                    i.     Matthew 15:9

                                                   ii.     God’s command should be final.

                                                 iii.     Many seek to nullify the commands to obey their own ideas and desires.

b.     Approved example

                                                    i.     Matthew 12:4 David ate showbread

                                                   ii.     This is an approved example to show that Sabbath laws were never intended to harm people

                                                 iii.     We learn that an approved example is also a valid way to learn the will of God.

c.     Necessary inference

                                                    i.     Matthew 22:32 God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

                                                   ii.     It is necessary to infer that there is life after death, that God is not the God of the dead but of the living; that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still living and in God’s care.

                                                 iii.     The inference comes from the tense of the verb – God said, “I am” not “I was.”
 

4.     Warnings to be issued

a.     Commands – Make sure they apply to Christians today

b.     Examples – They must illustrate a thing commanded

c.     Inference – The inference must be a “necessary” one

d.     Common sense and logic – have been assumed as necessary and important in hermeneutics.
 

5.     Current movement

a.     New Hermeneutic – Some desire to throw out Jesus’ approach to understanding Scriptures

b.     The advocates of this new approach have begun to preach some principles which I believe are dangerous.
 

6.     Principles of the New Hermeneutic

a.     There is no divine standard – They are suggesting that there is no sure way to access the authority of the Bible and put it into use today.

b.     Question the idea of restoring the New Testament church – they are not sure it is possible or even desirable. They say, “Which church are you trying to restore – Corinth? Laodicea? Jerusalem?”

c.     God does not care if we follow the pattern of the New Testament. The purpose of baptism, when to observe communion, and the use of instruments of music are considered things which do not matter.

d.     The New Testament is full of first century culture and we cannot take its teachings at face value. The Bible should be cleansed of its cultural overtones. They argue that Paul was “anti-woman” and therefore the teachings about the role of women in the church should be discarded as cultural bias.

e.     The New Testament is not authoritative Word of God. Some say that the gospels are more important than the epistles.

                                                    i.     Some affirm that the words of Jesus are more important than Paul’s or Peter’s.

                                                   ii.     They teach that the epistles are only love letters and we should not go there to discover God’s will concerning marriage and divorce.

f.      We must be alert to the preaching and teaching we are hearing today. Many are rejecting the restoration plea and principles. Two problems exist which must be addressed.

                                                    i.     Some are set in concrete, defend the status quo, “We always did it this way” and are not open to change or revision of methods.

                                                   ii.     Some see the flaws and reject the plea. They throw out the baby with the bathwater.

7.     Objections to the Restoration Plead

a.     No-pattern

b.     Law or love letters? The epistles ought to be viewed as love letters rather than law, regulations and rules.

c.     Historical / Critical Approach – they claim the Bible was written for another era, time, and culture. Therefore, it is not relevant for today.

d.     The man, not the Plan – They believe that the major emphasis should be on Jesus rather than on the plan of salvation.
 

8.     Open Membership

a.     Some are advocating that we should learn to accept and fellowship with denominations. This means exchange pulpits with them, accept them into our fellowship without requiring them to be baptized, and reject all teaching that would restrict our fellowship with members of various denominations.

Conclusion:

1.     If the grace of God which brings salvation can be found in any or all denominations, then what is our excuse for existing?

2.     If salvation can be found outside the church which Jesus built, we own the world an apology.