#ReimagineSCRIPTURE…Extract the meaning; don’t insert
From Ben Witherington
The New Testament is full of theologizing which needs to be interpreted, and it does not require a later ‘theological or canonical reading’ of the text to make it theologically important or significant. Later theological readings of the text are fine, if they comport with or are a reasonable exposition or amplification of the theology in the Scriptural text itself. The fact that the original texts of the NT are words on target for those first audiences does not mean they could not be words on target for other and later audiences as well. But the important point is that what the text meant in its original setting is still today what the text means— hence the need for good detailed contextual exegesis. It may have a different significance or application today, but what it doesn’t have is a different meaning. Meaning is in the configuration of the words in the Greek text, not in the eyes of the beholder, even though it is true we are all active and even creative readers of the text. What must be guarded against in such readings is reading something into the text which does not comport with the actual meaning of the text. In other words, the sin of anachronism needs to be avoided
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"We read our Bibles and we pray.
"There it is. That’s what I missed. I spent so much time trying to be sure that I didn’t miss out that I missed out on what really mattered. I missed diving deep into my faith. I missed learning how to pray. I missed knowing the Bible – not just being able to quote a lot of verses, but having the Spirit shape my life the way the Spirit shaped the words on the page."
Scot McKnight
"There are no perfect translations. All of them have been done by faithful, but not infallible translators.
And as I frequently have to tell folks, every translation is already an interpretation because words only have meanings in particular contexts, and often enough various words have various possible meanings in a particular context.
It is not true that ‘in the beginning was the dictionary’. The dictionary is an ex post facto creations from examining the use of words in particular contexts.
The dictionary doesn’t define words, it discerns there meanings in various contexts."
Ben Witherington
"There are no perfect translations. All of them have been done by faithful, but not infallible translators.
And as I frequently have to tell folks, every translation is already an interpretation because words only have meanings in particular contexts, and often enough various words have various possible meanings in a particular context.
It is not true that ‘in the beginning was the dictionary’. The dictionary is an ex post facto creations from examining the use of words in particular contexts.
The dictionary doesn’t define words, it discerns there meanings in various contexts."
Ben Witherington
Beware Confirmation Bias- -
"When it comes to understanding the scriptures, there is much in plain sight which we do not see. In part this is due to confirmation bias – we’ve been told how to interpret these verses and so never pause long enough to see them a different way, even when the meaning is obvious.."
Duncan Edward Pile
Beware Confirmation Bias- -
"When it comes to understanding the scriptures, there is much in plain sight which we do not see. In part this is due to confirmation bias – we’ve been told how to interpret these verses and so never pause long enough to see them a different way, even when the meaning is obvious.."
Duncan Edward Pile