Rules of Interpretation

Rules of Interpretation
Charles Hodge

If every man has the right, and is bound to read the Scriptures, and to judge for himself what they teach, he must have certain rules to guide him in the exercise of this privilege and duty. These rules are not arbitrary. They are not imposed by human authority. They have no binding force which does not flow from their own intrinsic truth and propriety. They are few and simple.

1. The words of Scripture are to be taken in their plain historical sense. That is, they must be taken in the sense attached to them in the age and by the people to whom they were addressed. This only assumes that the sacred writers were honest, and meant to be understood.

2. If the Scriptures be what they claim to be, the word of God, they are the work of one mind, and that mind divine. From this it follows that Scripture cannot contradict Scripture. God cannot teach in one place anything which is inconsistent with what He teaches in another. Hence Scripture must explain Scripture. If a passage admits of different interpretations, that only can be the true one which agrees with what the Bible teaches elsewhere on the same subject. If the Scriptures teach that the Son is the same in substance and equal in power and glory with the Father, then when the Son says, "The Father is greater than I," the superiority must be understood in a manner consistent with this equality. It must refer either to subordination as to the mode of subsistence and operation, or it must be official. A king's son may say, "My father is greater than I," although personally his father's equal. This rule of interpretation is sometimes called the analogy of Scripture, and sometimes the analogy of faith. There is no material difference in the meaning of the two expressions.
SNIP


From: Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge

The above edited views are sound, thus the plain meaning of scripture is to be accepted. Everyone believing refers to individuals who have chosen to believe and God has chosen to credit that belief as righteous faith. When James 2:5 says God chooses those rich in faith, the rule of non-contradiction requires acceptance that God does not choose individuals and give them faith.

 

You left one off. Any particular reason?

...and I was fixin to give you a 'winner' until you corrupted the OP in the last paragraph with your ever present, obsessive anti-Calvinist/anti-Sovereign Grace Vanology. 'You people' wear it on your sleeves, always.

 

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Brother Glen:)

 

"Edited". By who, you? I haven't compared the OP to what the Calvinist theologian Charles Hodge originally wrote, I initially took it at face value.

So, Van, what modifications to what Hodge actually wrote have you made in the OP?

 

Van provided the exact quotes edited simply by bolding the text.



Charles Hodge provided three rules of interpretation. They are prefaced by the statement below.

§ 6. Rules of Interpretation​

If every man has the right, and is bound to read the Scriptures, and to judge for himself what they teach, he must have certain rules to guide him in the exercise of this privilege and duty. These rules are not arbitrary. They are not imposed by human authority. They have no binding force which does not flow from their own intrinsic truth and propriety. They are few and simple.
Hodge, ST. p. 187.​

The third rule follows:

3. The Scriptures are to be interpreted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which guidance is to be humbly and earnestly sought. The ground of this rule is twofold: First, the Spirit is promised as a guide and teacher. He was to come to lead the people of God into the knowledge of the truth. And secondly, the Scriptures teach, that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14.) The unrenewed mind is naturally blind to spiritual truth. His heart is in opposition to the things of God. Congeniality of mind is necessary to the proper apprehension of divine things. As only those who have a moral nature can discern moral truth, so those only who are spiritually minded can truly receive the things of the Spirit.

The fact that all the true people of God in every age and in every part of the Church, in the exercise of their private judgment, in accordance with the simple rules above stated, agree as to the meaning of Scripture in all things necessary either in faith or practice, is a decisive proof of the perspicuity of the Bible, and of the safety of allowing the people the enjoyment of the divine right of private judgment.
Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 187–188.​

Hodge provides these few simple rules. Don't be satisfied by thinking these rules make interpreting the Bible easy.
Despite what Hodge writes, they are not simple rules, they are general guidelines.
There are uncountable volumes on how to interpret Scripture, each seeks to define how these "rules" can be properly utilized.

Rob

 

Sadly your response was expected. I left the false rule off because it is twaddle.

 

See post 6.

 

This is 'twaddle' to Vanology?

3. The Scriptures are to be interpreted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which guidance is to be humbly and earnestly sought.

 

LOL, Mr. Kyredneck edited the part of number 3 to remove the the Calvinist twaddle.

Looks like beneath it all, he agrees with truth.

 

Ohhhh, I see why you dropped Hodge's third rule, it goes against Vanology in a huge way.

" 3. The Scriptures are to be interpreted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which guidance is to be humbly and earnestly sought. The ground of this rule is twofold: First, the Spirit is promised as a guide and teacher. He was to come to lead the people of God into the knowledge of the truth. And secondly, the Scriptures teach, that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14.) The unrenewed mind is naturally blind to spiritual truth. His heart is in opposition to the things of God. Congeniality of mind is necessary to the proper apprehension of divine things. As only those who have a moral nature can discern moral truth, so those only who are spiritually minded can truly receive the things of the Spirit.

The fact that all the true people of God in every age and in every part of the Church, in the exercise of their private judgment, in accordance with the simple rules above stated, agree as to the meaning of Scripture in all things necessary either in faith or practice, is a decisive proof of the perspicuity of the Bible, and of the safety of allowing the people the enjoyment of the divine right of private judgment.
Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 187–188."

I was only hitting 'the high points'.

 

Many years ago, I was excited to obtain Pink's (I'm a big fan) 'Interpretation Of Scripture' which was 145 pages and panned out to be quite complex (I think he wrote it before he left Dispensationalism, Dispies tend to make the simple complex). Later I acquired Hodge's (Amil) three volume set of Systematic Theology and loved his K.I.S.S. approach to scripture, particularly 'Perspicuity of the Scriptures. The Right of Private Judgment'.

"The Bible is a plain book. It is intelligible by the people. And they have the right, and are bound to read and interpret it for themselves; so that their faith may rest on the testimony of the Scriptures, and not on that of the Church. Such is the doctrine of Protestants on this subject.........." Charles Hodge

 

I have refuted the bogus Calvinist twisting of 1 Corinthians 2:14 dozens of times and still the regurgitate the twaddle. The verse does not say "all things" or "some things" so the context, 1 Corinthians 3:1 must be used to determine the scope intended in this verse. Since Paul spoke to natural men (unregenerate "men of flesh") using spiritual milk as he did new Christians, obviously natural mean can receive the spiritual milk things of the Spirit of God.

 

^ Vanology "twaddle" ^

 

I have refuted the bogus Calvinist twisting of 1 Corinthians 2:14 dozens of times and still they regurgitate the twaddle. The verse does not say "all things" or "some things" so the context, 1 Corinthians 3:1 must be used to determine the scope intended in this verse. Since Paul spoke to natural men (unregenerate "men of flesh") using spiritual milk as he did new Christians, obviously natural men can receive the spiritual milk things of the Spirit of God.

 

Prediction:

No one here will offer anything that resembles a rational argument in refutation of a single point of your opening post.

 

When the plain sense makes sense, look for no other sense.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13 says individuals were chosen through "faith in the truth" a conditional election.
James 2:5 says individuals were chosen that were "rich in faith" and "heirs" to the kingdom promised to those who "love God."

No need to seek another sense, the plain sense makes sense. Whoever believes into Him shall not perish.

1 John 2:2 says Christ became the means of reconciliation for "the whole humanity."
1 Timothy 2:6 says Christ died as a ransom for all.

No need to seek another sense, the plain sense makes sense. Christ died for those to be saved and those never to be saved.

2 Chronicles 17:3-4 says people sought God and followed His commandments.
Acts 13:7 says someone sought to hear the word of God.

No need to seek another sense, the plain sense makes sense. The fallen sometimes seek God and to follow His commands.

 

When people read this:

They think it means this:

When my first impression makes sense, seek no other sense.​

Common sense is not so common.

If you want an example I could point you towards a few threads in this forum. :Wink

Rob