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    The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated
    The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated
    The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated
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    The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated

    By James D. Quiggle

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    Books on Hermeneutics are full of theory but short on practice. The Literal Hermeneutic gives both: an Explanation section and an Illustration section. In the Explanation section, ten chapters present and discuss the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic. Biblical texts are used throughout to demonstrate the use of the literal hermeneutic to discover meaning and significance. In the Illustration section, twenty-five essays demonstrate the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic in action by interpreting common and controversial Bible texts. Each essay highlights one or more of the six analysis methods of the literal hermeneutic. A closing appendix provides a convenient list of the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJames D. Quiggle
    Release dateNov 1, 2018
    ISBN9780463811221
    The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated
    Author

    James D. Quiggle

    James D. Quiggle was born in 1952 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He grew up in Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. In the early 1970s he joined the United States Air Force. At his first permanent assignment in Indian Springs, Nevada in a small Baptist church, the pastor introduced him to Jesus and soon after he was saved. Over the next ten years those he met in churches from the East Coast to the West Coast, mature Christian men, poured themselves into mentoring him. In the 1970s he was gifted with the Scofield Bible Course from Moody Bible Institute. As he completed his studies his spiritual gift of teaching became even more apparent. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethany Bible College during the 1980s while still in the Air Force. Between 2006–2008, after his career in the Air Force and with his children grown up, he decided to continue his education. He enrolled in Bethany Divinity College and Seminary and earned a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theological Studies.As an extension of his spiritual gift of teaching, he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to begin writing books. James Quiggle is now a Christian author with over fifty commentaries on Bible books and doctrines. He is an editor for the Evangelical Dispensational Quarterly Journal published by Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary.He continues to write and has a vibrant teaching ministry through social media.

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      The Literal Hermeneutic, Explained and Illustrated - James D. Quiggle

      Introduction

      The literal hermeneutic has been called historical-grammatical (or grammatical-historical) interpretation, and other descriptive terms. The literal hermeneutic is really the historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, theological, genre, and doctrinal analysis of the Bible hermeneutic [e.g., Virkler, Hermeneutics, 75]. That is as tedious to say as it is to write, so I will continue to identify that system of analysis as the literal hermeneutic. The aim of this book is to show in a practical way how one can apply the literal hermeneutic to every verse and every doctrine.

      I wrote this book for two reasons. One, most other works on hermeneutics—academic works written by PhDs—weigh the reader down with the history of interpretation, lengthy analysis of this or that method, and other issues not directly related to how do I interpret the Bible? I wrote to provide practical instruction on the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic, without extraneous information that may be obtained from other resources, if desired.

      Two, I wrote this book because many other works do not consistently apply the literal hermeneutic to every biblical doctrine. Ramm’s, Protestant Biblical Interpretation, a classic work in the field of biblical interpretation, gives an example. In Chapter 10, The Interpretation of Prophecy, Ramm wrote [Interpretation, 241],

      The word literal may mean to somebody like Luther or Calvin the general philological approach to the Old Testament in contrast to the allegorical interpretation of the Church Fathers. But to a Dispensationalist literal not only means a philological approach but that the things predicted will be literally fulfilled.

      And so it is that some interpreters use a non-literal approach—an allegorical or spiritual approach—to interpret eschatology and ecclesiology (where ecclesiology intersects with eschatology). This book teaches the consistent application of the literal hermeneutic to every verse and every doctrine.

      The book is divided into an Explanation section and an Illustration section. One author has asked, how do the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic play out when we approach a text? [Chou, Hermeneutics, 15.] In the Explanation section I will present and discuss the principles and precepts—the various ways and means—of the literal hermeneutic. In the Illustration section I show through exegesis of biblical texts and doctrines how the ways and means of the literal hermeneutic may be synthesized into an interpretive methodology. The essays in the Illustration section also presents the theology that is derived from the consistent use of the literal hermeneutic.

      The attentive reader will see there is more illustration than explanation. That is because understanding is often easier caught than taught, which is to say, I am a tactile learner, and I suspect most other people are also—we learn by doing. The intent of this book is to help the reader understand the literal hermeneutic and learn how to apply it in practical ways to every verse and every doctrine. The book also uses the educational principle of repetition to reinforce and implant the principles and precepts of the literal hermeneutic into the interpreter’s mind and methodology.

      Abbreviations

      AD Anno Domini (In the year of the Lord [since Christ was born])

      ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers

      Ant. Antiquities of the Jews

      BC Bello Christo (Before Christ [was born])

      ca. about (an approximate date) (Latin: circa)

      CE Current Era (year since Christ was born).

      cf. compare (Latin: confer)

      e.g. for example (Latin: exempli gratia)

      etc. and so forth, and so on (Latin: et cetera)

      GWT Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11–15)

      HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible

      Ibid in the same place (referring to the source cited in the previous entry) (Latin: ibidem)

      i.e. that is (Latin: id est)

      ISBE International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

      JDQT Translation by James D. Quiggle

      KJV King James Version

      NASB95 New American Standard Bible 1995 edition.

      NEB New English Bible

      NICNT New International Commentary New Testament

      NIV New International Version

      NKJV New King James Version

      NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers

      LXX Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament completed ca. 130 BC)

      n. note (referring to a footnote or endnote in the work cited)

      m. Mishnah (followed by tractate name, e.g., m. Baba Metzia)

      Song Song of Solomon

      s. v. under the word (Latin: sub verbo)

      TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

      TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentary

      TWOT Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament

      v. verse

      vv. verses

      WSDNT Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament

      EXPLANATION

      Chapter One: Hermeneutics

      The principle on which the literal hermeneutic is based is simple: God intended to communicate with humankind in a manner understandable by humankind.

      God gave humans language: Adam knew language, he didn’t learn language. God uses language to communicate concepts to humankind. Concepts cannot be communicated without words. The human authors of Scripture heard the words God gave them and thereby assimilated the concepts God gave them in the words given to them by God. The human authors wrote those same words to communicate those same concepts to others, God thereby communicating to all through those he chose to write his words. The interpreter’s task is to understand the concepts God gave though the words God gave. The interpreter’s task is known as hermeneutics.

      What is Hermeneutics?

      Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Interpretation is the search for the meaning in communication. Biblical hermeneutics is the science of interpreting the Bible. The allegorical and spiritual hermeneutic use the interpreter’s imagination to seek a figurative or symbolic meaning in the biblical text beyond the plain and normal sense of the words. The literal hermeneutic understands the biblical text in the plain and normal sense of words and their meanings as used in the language of the human author.

      Thou shalt therefore understand that the Scripture hath but one sense which is the literal sense. And that literal sense is the root and ground of all, and the anchor that never faileth whereunto if thou cleave thou canst never err or go out of the way. And if thou leave the literal sense thou canst not but go out of the way.

      [William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, AD 1528. Accessed 10/2018

      https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/tyndale-on-biblical-interpretation/]

      Let the plain text be thy guide, and the spirit of God (which is the author thereof) shall lead thee in all truth. [Miles Coverdale, Coverdale Bible, 1535 AD, Translator to the Reader.]

      This book explains and illustrates the literal hermeneutic.

      Four reasons for Biblical Hermeneutics [Items 2–4 from Pink, Interpretation, 10–15. Examples are mine.]

      To understand the sense and apply the significance of the Bible

      The sense of a passage is its meaning (interpretation). The significance of a passage is its relevance (application).

      To resolve seeming contradictions.

      Example: Paul says faith without works justifies. James says faith without works is dead. Paul speaks forensically of the kind of faith that remits the judicial guilt of sin. James speaks of faith post-salvation that demonstrates it is genuine through the natural production of God’s works.

      To prevent being misled by the mere sound of words

      Example. Sometimes all means everything without exclusion but most times all is limited by context to a certain group or class. Example. Romans 5:18, "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men [every human being with the sole exception of Jesus Christ], so one act of righteousness [by Christ] leads to justification and life for all men [for all who believe on Christ as Savior]. (ESV)

      To insert an explanatory word in some passages to bring out the meaning.

      Example. Habakkuk 1:13, YHWH is of purer eyes than to behold evil, yet, God is omniscient and omnipresent, so he must know and see all. An explanatory word explains what Habakkuk meant. "YHWH is of purer eyes than to approvingly behold evil."

      Five qualifications for understanding and interpreting the Scriptures [Pink, Interpretation, 15–19]

      A mind illumined by the Holy Spirit

      An impartial spirit that sets aside prejudices and assumptions

      A humble mind that trusts in God not self

      A praying heart that looks to the divine author for understanding

      A holy design (an honest motivation) to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

      Authorial Intent

      In the literal hermeneutic meaning is established by authorial intent. Authorial intent was defined in 1976 by E. D. Hirsch, an English professor at the University of Virginia, in Validity in Interpretation [Kaiser and Silva, Hermeneutics, 30–31].

      Verbal meaning is whatever someone (usually the author) has willed to convey by a particular sequence of words and which can be shared by linguistic signs.

      The author’s truth-intention provides the only genuinely discriminating norm for ascertaining valid or true interpretations from invalid and false ones.

      The first objective of hermeneutics is to make clear the text’s verbal meaning, not its significance.

      Meaning is that which is represented by the text and what an author meant to say by the linguistic signs represented.

      Significance, by contrast, names a relationship between that meaning and a person, concept, situation, or any other possible number of things.

      The meaning of a text cannot change, but significance can and does change. If meaning were not determinate, then there would be no fixed norm by which to judge whether a passage was being interpreted correctly.

      Other kinds of interpretation believe authorial intent is irrelevant to the meaning of the text. These views teach intent or meaning is created by each reader, not by the author. In the literal hermeneutic the reader seeks what the original author meant when he wrote, by applying a series of analyses to the text.

      Analysis of the Text

      The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to discover the intent of the biblical authors in order to understand the interpretation of the text. The literal hermeneutic is really the application of seven methods of analysis to the biblical text: historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, theological, literary (genre), and doctrinal aspects of Scripture, and comparison with other interpreters using the same methods. The interpreter synthesizes the facts discovered through judicious application of these analyses to arrive at an understanding of the biblical text [The first five are from Virkler, Hermeneutics, 76]. These analyses are described as follows:

      Historical-Cultural analysis: considers the historical-cultural milieu in which the author wrote. The facts of the historical-cultural background involve the task of reconstructing or comprehending the historical and cultural features of the specific passage. This requires an understanding of:

      The situation of the writer, especially anything that helps explain why he or she wrote the passage.

      The situation of the people involved in the text and/or the recipients of the book that can help explain why the writer penned this material to them.

      The relationship between the writer and audience or the people involved in the text.

      The cultural or historical features mentioned in the text.

      Contextual analysis: considers the relationship of a given passage to the whole body of an author’s writing.

      Lexical-Syntactical analysis: develops an understanding of the definitions of words (lexicology) and their relationships to one another (syntax).

      Theological analysis: studies the level of theological understanding at the time the revelation was given in order to ascertain the meaning of the text for its original readers. It takes into account related Scriptures, whether given before or after the passage being studied.

      Literary (Genre) analysis: identifies the literary form or method used in a given passage: historical narrative, letters, doctrinal exposition, poetry, wisdom, prophetic.

      Doctrinal analysis: the harmonization of doctrine in a specific passage with the full teaching of Scripture on that doctrine.

      After the analyses are performed, one should compare his or her tentative interpretation with the work of other interpreters who also use the literal hermeneutic. This step will substantiate a valid interpretation or alert the interpreter to a novel or aberrant interpretation, perhaps one already considered and discarded in the past history of interpretation. Certainly a novel or new interpretation should be re-examined and validated by careful exegesis if it is to be retained.

      The literal hermeneutic is in reality the grammatical-historical-contextual-lexical-syntactical-theological-genre-doctrinal hermeneutic, judiciously applied to the various literary genres in Scripture, the results of which are compared with other competent interpreters of past and present, and used to understand just what it is the Bible is teaching, whether in a particular verse or passage, or in relation to doctrine.

      What Does literal Mean

      The meaning of literal interpretation has been and still is subject to misinterpretation and caricature. Here is what literal interpretation means:

      The literal hermeneutic understands the words and language used by the human authors of the Bible in the normal and plain sense of words and language as used in everyday conversation and writing.

      Understanding words in their plain and normal sense means all words in all languages have a semantic content and range that reflects the historical-cultural background of the original writer and reader.

      Understanding words in their plain and normal sense means that languages also communicate meaning through well-defined rules of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.

      Understanding words in their plain and normal sense means recognizing all language includes idioms, slang, figures of speech, and symbols specific to that language and the historical-cultural circumstances of original writer and reader, and that these must be interpreted for the modern reader in terms of his or her language.

      Understanding idioms, slang, figures of speech, and symbols in the plain and normal sense of language means an idiom, slang, figure of speech, or symbol is based on something literal and is intended by the writer or speaker to communicate something literal. And the corollary: A symbol is not intended to communicate the literal thing on which it is based.

      Understanding the biblical use of words, figures of speech, idioms, slang, and symbols means recognizing the biblical authors sometimes used and invested these parts of language with specific theological or spiritual meanings, and that the Holy Spirit maintained the consistency of those meanings among the several human authors.

      If an interpretation invests an author’s words, figures of speech, idioms, slang, or symbols with a meaning other than the plain and normal meaning of their use in the language in which he is communicating, then it is not a literal interpretation, but is an allegorical or spiritual interpretation: an abstract distortion of the meaning of the text dependent on the interpreter’s imagination, not the biblical writer’s truth-intention.

      Considering the above propositions, a literal hermeneutic determines the biblical author’s intended meaning (his truth-intention) through the normal and plain sense of the words and language he used. To discover the author’s truth-intention the literal method applies historical, cultural, contextual, grammatical, lexical, syntactical, theological, genre, and doctrinal analysis to the author’s text.

      General Considerations in Interpretation

      There are seven biblical principles to be consistently applied.

      One, God’s values never change. His moral values arise from his immutable holy character, and therefore like his character his values cannot change. He has established moral standards and requires everyone to conform.

      Two, God regulating sin is not God approving of sin. God has always regulated acts of sinning for the protection of the human race in general and his saved people in particular.

      Three, God does not have to say a sin is wrong every time a sin happens. Sometimes God does states his disapproval concurrent with the sin, but not always.

      Four, just because a believer commits an act of sinning does not mean God changes his moral values to approve that act of sinning.

      Five, just because Scripture only says it once does not mean God later changed his values. Bestiality is condemned one time in Scripture—mentioned only that one time—but God’s moral values never change.

      Six, just because the Bible reports somebody thought it, said it, did it, or believed it doesn’t mean God approved it. Just because the Bible reports the facts does not mean God accepted the wrong.

      Seven, Jesus said nothing is the worst hermeneutic ever! Jesus always agrees with God's moral values because he is the God-man, whether he said anything, or not. Inspiration from the Holy Spirit gives all Scripture the same accuracy, credibility, and authority as Jesus said.

      There are five general considerations to be remembered when interpreting Scripture.

      1. Two general principles of interpretation.

      Analogy of Scripture. This principle asks, "How does a passage fit into the total pattern of God’s revelation that was revealed prior to its writing? [Virkler, Hermeneutics, 121]

      Analogy of Faith. This principle asks, How does a passage fit into the total pattern of God’s revelation that has been revealed at any time? [Virkler, Hermeneutics, 122]

      The first general principle, the Analogy of Scripture, recognizes the historical-cultural circumstances of the human author. Example. Abraham’s faith was not in a coming redeemer (the Messiah/Christ) not yet revealed, but in God’s promises of an heir (Isaac) to the covenant (Genesis 12, 15, 17).

      The second general principle, the Analogy of Faith, recognizes that because the Holy Spirit is the divine author of Scripture, then nothing one human author wrote will conflict with something another wrote. Example: Abraham’s righteousness by faith fits with the principle saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8; cf. Romans 4:1–4; Galatians 3:6–9), and the demonstration of faith by works (James 2:21–23).

      2. Six basic guides which should be followed:

      Scripture does not contradict itself.

      The Scriptures explain themselves.

      Do not reinterpret a clear Scripture with a difficult Scripture.

      Understand the several contexts of the passage being interpreted.

      The natural meaning of words as understood by the original author and readers is the usual meaning.

      Watch out for personal presuppositions, biases, prejudices, traditions, and dogmatism.

      3. Discover the original circumstances and meaning of a text, i.e., what was the author’s intent. Then, develop the significance of the text, i.e., its application to current times.

      4. Scripture tends to define terms by use, therefore one must consider how words, figures, types, symbols, etc., are used throughout the Scripture.

      5. The consequences of using the literal method are:

      A text cannot mean what it never meant.

      The meaning of the text is usually the meaning the original author intended.

      The secondary meaning of a parable, type, allegory, symbol, figure of speech, myth, or fable, depends on the literal meaning.

      Non-literal meanings are derived from the original literal language.

      I will examine these general considerations in detail in a later chapter.

      Why Use the Literal Method of Interpretation?

      There are a four specific reasons.

      1. To discover what the text means.

      2. Because a text cannot mean what it never meant.

      An allegorical or spiritual interpretation states a text means other than what it says. An allegorical or spiritual interpretation depends on the imagination of the interpreter, not the plain and normal sense of the Scriptures.

      One of the principles of the literal hermeneutic is, the primary meaning of any Bible passage is found in that passage [Vlach, Dispensationalism, 31]. This may seem like a common-sense principle of interpretation, but the principle is ignored by many who reinterpret the Old Testament through the lens of the later revelation of the New Testament. Thus, a corollary to the principle: The New Testament does not reinterpret or transcend Old Testament passages in a way that overrides or cancels the original authorial intent of the Old Testament writers [Vlach, Dispensationalism, 31].

      3. To discover authorial intent.

      The meaning of any biblical text is usually the meaning the original author intended and the original hearer/reader understood. There are three well-defined exceptions to this rule.

      There are some texts where the meaning, in whole or only in part, was not fully understood by the author, or by the original hearer/reader, or neither, 1 Peter 1:10–12.

      The words spoken by Jesus were sometimes meant to be understood only in the light of further revelation, John 14:26; 16:12; Mark 4:10–11.

      The sayings of Jesus are to be understood not only in that sense to which the views of his hearers at the time could understand, but also in the sense which he himself attached to them.

      4. To discover the secondary meaning of a word or passage.

      This fourth rule or reason addresses the parable, type, allegory, symbol, figure of speech, myth, or fable. Each of these types of speech contains words whose meaning is non-literal meaning (e.g., cut off your hand; cut off your foot; pluck out your eye), but which communicate a literal meaning when properly understood (remove from your life places and things that tempt to sin). In brief, a biblical symbol or figure is based on something literal and is intended to communicate something literal. And the corollary: A symbol is not intended to communicate the literal thing on which it is based.

      See Chapter Two: Figures, Idioms, Slang, Symbols, Types, Parables.

      The literal hermeneutic, when properly used, discovers what the Bible has to say to the sinner and the saved.

      Chapter Two: Figures, Idioms, Slang, Symbols, Types, Parables

      The descriptive name literal hermeneutic has occasionally led to misunderstanding texts using figures of speech, symbols, idioms, and slang terms. Some would say a literal interpretation requires a strictly literal understanding, meaning there are no figures of speech, symbols, etc., in the Bible. This is foolish, because normal every day speech uses figures of speech, symbols, etc. For example, if it is raining cats and dogs outside, who will go out to catch a poodle or Siamese? The Bible was written in the every-day language of the people, which includes figures of speech, symbols, etc.

      Jesus said if your eye offends you, pluck it out, Matthew 5:29. A woodenly literal interpretation requires the believer to physically remove the offending eye. Is Jesus recommending blindness to avoid moral defilement? Or is there a meaning which recognizes a figure of speech in the passage? The answer will be found by understanding pluck it out as a figure of speech and interpreting the figure by the normal and plain use of such things. That is the literal method: figures of speech are used in language to communicate something literal—not a literal application of the figure, but the literal meaning the figure is communicating.

      In the Matthew example, the figure means the believer should remove him or herself from those avenues by which improper sexual thoughts enter into the soul and grow into immoral lust. In the same passage, Jesus said to cut off your right hand if it offends you. Again, this is a figure of speech, not a command to cut off one’s hand. The figure communicated something literal to those listening. The right hand was viewed as the dominant hand, therefore symbolically it indicates the action of one’s will; more simply, one should not make the choices that lead to lust and sin.

      Other examples. One context may require a literal fire, Exodus 12:8, roasting the Passover lamb in the fire. Other contexts may use fire as a symbol of something literal, e.g., Jude 23, some save with fear, snatching them out of the fire. The use of fire in Jude 23 is a symbol meant by the author to communicate the literal punishment due the unsaved sinner. The word snatching in Jude 23 is also a figure of speech in this context, a metaphor for the passionate proclamation of the evangelizing gospel message that when believed saves the soul from endless punishment.

      Another example. At Revelation 1:16, a sharp two-edged sword comes out of Christ’s mouth. Are John and the Holy Spirit teaching Christology? No. Does that description mean Christ walks around with a sword coming out of his mouth? No. Does it mean Christ’s tongue is metaphorically razor sharp like a sword and metaphorically cuts the listener? No. The two edged sword is a figure of speech used as an illustration of the Word of God at work in the believer and the world, Hebrews 4:12, revealing and convicting. This figure of speech as used in Revelation represents the Word of God in the mouth of God accomplishing the will of God. The interpretation, when all aspects of Christ’s visual appearance are considered, is Christ the high priest come to judge his people, Revelation 2, 3, and God the righteous Judge coming to judge the world, Revelation 6–19, compare 19:15, From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations.

      Here is the rule concerning figures of speech, symbols, idioms, and slang terms: they are based in something real and literal and they communicate something real and literal. The corollary is a symbol is not intended to communicate the literal thing on which it is based. An example, marriage used as an Old Testament symbol, e.g., Israel the wife of YHWH, does not teach YHWH is married to Israel. The marriage symbol communicates the spiritual fidelity and loyalty expected in marriage teaches the spiritual fidelity and loyalty expected in the believers’ relationship with God—no idolatry. Another example, literal fire used as a symbol communicates literal destruction, judgment, literal cleansing. Fire used as a symbol

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