I have noticed among some Adventists that the method of establishing a doctrinal viewpoint is to look at the first instance of something in the Bible and use that to interpret the rest of what the Bible has to say about the issue. Is that common?
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Biblical interpretation
- Thread starter Eila
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I'd rather not give a specific example, but focus on whether that method of Biblical interpretation is common or okay.
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Here is a good set of rules by Palehorse:
Rules Of Hermeneutics
1. Every Bible passage has only one meaning (except some Prophecies that contain information about contemporary people as well as about Christ).
2. The most obvious meaning of any passage is usually correct.
3. The author's own explanation of a passage is obviously correct.
4. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with the context.
5. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with the environment of the author.
6. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with other passages.
7. Obscure passages must be interpreted in harmony with clearer ones.
8. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with idiomatic usage.
9. All passages on every subject should be studied.
10. Observe a proper balance ‑‑ do not over‑emphasize one part of a passage to the detriment of another part.
11. Rightly divide Covenants, Books, Dispensations, etc.
12. Rightly divide language: e.g.. Symbolic, Prophetic, and Literal language.
13. Know the meaning of words and sentences.
14. Know the limits of revelation. The Bible was not meant to be a scientific handbook or a complete history book.
Bible interpretation is for the purpose of letting God speak to man. God speaks through His word.
A. God's word must be approached with an open mind, in humility, with the idea to learn.
1. The student must keep himself busy with EXEGESIS, i.e. Getting out of God's word what God has put in there in the first place.
2. The student must guard most against EISEGESIS, i.e. Reading into God's word what you have already decided to believe.
Rules Of Hermeneutics
1. Every Bible passage has only one meaning (except some Prophecies that contain information about contemporary people as well as about Christ).
2. The most obvious meaning of any passage is usually correct.
3. The author's own explanation of a passage is obviously correct.
4. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with the context.
5. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with the environment of the author.
6. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with other passages.
7. Obscure passages must be interpreted in harmony with clearer ones.
8. Scripture must be interpreted in harmony with idiomatic usage.
9. All passages on every subject should be studied.
10. Observe a proper balance ‑‑ do not over‑emphasize one part of a passage to the detriment of another part.
11. Rightly divide Covenants, Books, Dispensations, etc.
12. Rightly divide language: e.g.. Symbolic, Prophetic, and Literal language.
13. Know the meaning of words and sentences.
14. Know the limits of revelation. The Bible was not meant to be a scientific handbook or a complete history book.
Bible interpretation is for the purpose of letting God speak to man. God speaks through His word.
A. God's word must be approached with an open mind, in humility, with the idea to learn.
1. The student must keep himself busy with EXEGESIS, i.e. Getting out of God's word what God has put in there in the first place.
2. The student must guard most against EISEGESIS, i.e. Reading into God's word what you have already decided to believe.
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I'm sorry Eila and I don't want you to take this the wrong way but unless you have an example this discussion is sort of a moot thing. You just as well ask if SDA's all wear weldiing shields when they read the Bible to keep from seeing any new light. That would just about make as much sense. ]
What I was thinking of is maybe basing a doctrine on the first text in the Bible that it is found in and then go from that one to find others. Isn't that what you are saying? If so then the answer is a definite no.
God Bless
Jim Larmore
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There has to be some background, it might as well be "do you beat your children daily?" the way the question is posed....with no foundation or example....
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O
OntheDL
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This is used when the explicit interpretation is not within context of said instance. In this case, the practice is to go its first occurrence in the bible, for example:
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Here the word wormwood is not explicitly interpretated within its context. Use the practice of referring to its first occurrence, we find:
Duet 29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
Here the word wormwood represents God's judgment: a poison.
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Yes, that is basically what I am asking. Where someone would look at the first instance of something in the Bible and judge the rest of the texts through that one text.
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Ok, that is what I thought you meant. The answer is NO we don't do that. It was the Bible and how close they kept to it that brought me to this faith. To my knowledge I have never seen examples of this being played out in the SDA church at all.
God Bless
Jim Larmore
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I discovered a name for what I am talking about - Law of First Mention. It is where you look at the first mention of something in the Bible and judge the rest of the Bible based on the interpretation of the initial mention. You can google "Law of First Mention" to find out more information about it. I started this topic because I did have an SDA pastor use this Law of First Mention to deal with a doctrinal issue and I have seen it used elsewhere by Adventists so I was wondering if this is common.
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RC_NewProtestants
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There are some Adventist who do resort to the so called law of first mention. Usually it is used of words that are the same word used in the same language. So the example of wormwood is not quite the way they would use it. The way I have seen it used is they use the meaning and often the context of the first word usage when they are trying to determine the meaning of a more difficult verse. For example the first use of the word "branches" would be used and compared with say the word "branches or branch" in Isaiah.
Of course it is not a "law" as such, that is used to imply the truth of the theory. If it was a law you would have to find something that very plainly says this is how to interpret the writings. In general I think the practice is used to insert a particular meaning into a text. Technically that is called eisegesis, reading what you want into the text rather then exegesis which is letting the text meaning speak for itself.
But I have found some people who really believe in the law of first mention and it can often work because the first mention of leaves is often just like the subsequent meaning of leaves. But just like English, Hebrew and Greek words often do have multiple meaning so sometimes leaves may not be green agents of photosynthesis but someone walking out of the room.
Of course it is not a "law" as such, that is used to imply the truth of the theory. If it was a law you would have to find something that very plainly says this is how to interpret the writings. In general I think the practice is used to insert a particular meaning into a text. Technically that is called eisegesis, reading what you want into the text rather then exegesis which is letting the text meaning speak for itself.
But I have found some people who really believe in the law of first mention and it can often work because the first mention of leaves is often just like the subsequent meaning of leaves. But just like English, Hebrew and Greek words often do have multiple meaning so sometimes leaves may not be green agents of photosynthesis but someone walking out of the room.
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C
.chrys.
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I don't know if it is common among Adventists, but I have witnessed it being done by a Sabbath School teacher within the past month.
~Witness
~Witness
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