Denominations’ approaches to the Bible

Hermeneutic problem

• Textually, most denominations hold the same bible,

But they don’t hold the same interpretation.

• Scholars call it: “Hermeneutic problem” that is how to interpret a certain biblical passage, within its own context, as the original audiences understood it, and at the same time, perceive its significance, and doctrinal implication, in the life of modern Christians?

Hermeneutic problem

Historical / Doctrinal / Spiritual

aspects of the Scripture

Hermeneutic problem

Differences in the interpretation depend on the role of:

• Critical-Historical method
• Holy Spirit / Inspiration
• Holy Tradition
• Church (as institution)
• Ordinary believers

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The Spectrum

Is it Mythical?

• “With Abraham, the Bible begins to deal with people and places actually known to exist. with this new beginning, we leave the stage of myth and prologue and enter the historical world of the second millennium BC” (Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament)
• The "demythologization" program attempted to interpret biblical elements that Bultmann considered to be symbolic or mythological, such as miracles.

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Is it human experience?

“Legitimate doctrines are derived from

foundational experience. They are an expression

of that core experience e.g. doctrine of creation is an awareness of our absolute dependence on God, not propositions in how God created” (Schleiermacher, "Father of Modern Liberal Theology")

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Protestant individualism

• It insists upon the “spiritual illumination” of the individual in his personal reading of the Bible.
• Reacting against the policy of the Roman Church that denied lay people the right to read the Scriptures for themselves, the Reformers not only rejected the authority of the magisterium. They also eliminated the sacramental, ecclesial context that had been proper to biblical proclamation and interpretation throughout the apostolic and patristic periods

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Protestant individualism

• Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone, the divinely inspired Word of God, contains the fullness of revelation and thus suffices for the faith and salvation of the believer who receives interior illumination by the operation of the Holy Spirit.

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Catholicism

• The authority of the Church
• The church as institution, away from the preached Word and the living tradition, could not actualize the message of the scriptures in the life of contemporary Christians

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Orthodox perspective

• Church Fathers continued the activity of scriptural interpretation, under the continuing guidance of the Spirit within the ecclesial community

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• Scripture and Tradition: Scripture is an integral part of the Holy tradition received from the apostles

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Orthodox perspective

• Biblical exegesis should be within the liturgical, sacramental community of the Church.
• The Holy Spirit has a hermeneutic function, to guide church fathers to interpret and actualize the scriptures' proclamation for each generation (spiritually)

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Hermeneutics: Historical / Doctrinal / Spiritual