Interpreting Scripture:Interpreting Scripture:The Ethical Teachings of The Ethical Teachings of

JesusJesus

Interpreting Scripture:Interpreting Scripture:

The 4 evangelists wrote about Jesus 4 different audiences and to paint different portraits of Jesus and his ethical teachings

In light of this, people are still open to interpretation to get different messages as well

Literalist vs ContextualistLiteralist vs Contextualist

Remember Grade 9?There are 2 ways to read biblical text

– Literally– Contextually

Literal ScriptureLiteral Scripture

To read scripture literally means to take it word for word.

Believe it is written in a pure sense, not to be interpreted

No hidden meanings No reading between the

lines

Literal ScriptureLiteral Scripture

LiteralistsLiteralists

To read scripture literally means to take it word for word.

Believe it is written in a pure sense, not to be interpreted

No hidden meaningsNo reading between the lines

Literal ScriptureLiteral Scripture

The Strength of LanguageThe Strength of Language

In interpreting scripture a person cannot fail to recognize that different time periods have slang uses for different words.

The Strength of LanguageThe Strength of Language

For example… 100 years from now, will people think that there was a major illness on the earth because everything was

* Check out some of these great examples of different uses of words within a language

What the What the ““big menbig men”” say! say! “The primary object of faith is not the

proposition, but the reality (it designates).”

– Thomas Aquinas, “Nature and Grace” “The Bible is thus the story of God’s struggle

with human beings to make himself understandable to them over the course of time; but it is also the story of their struggle to seize hold of God over the course of time.”-Cardinal Ratzinger – Now Pope Benedict XVI

ContextualistsContextualists Aiming to interpret or

understand the deeper message Using words around a

particular phrase to determine it’s meaning

Understanding the history, culture, and real-life setting of the human author

What type of literary genre is it? (Poetry, History, Wisdom, Fact)

The ChurchThe Church’’s Stances StanceAll scripture can be

interpreted in 4 ways– Literal– Allegorical: How it

points to Christ– Moral: How it points to

us living a good life– Anagogical: How it

points us to heavenly reality

Interpreting ChristInterpreting Christ’’s s TeachingsTeachings

Many scholars agree that taking the Gospels literally is not the best approach

Words of Jesus are different in our world today, but in many ways still deeply connected to the person he was!

“Love they neighbour” and “Turn the other cheek” have the same meaning in today’s language as they did in the original context…

Interpreting ChristInterpreting Christ’’s s TeachingsTeachings

Catholics interpret Jesus’ teachings on ethics and morality in 2 main ways:– In their original context (Exegesis)– How they impact us today (Hermeneutics)

ExegesisExegesis

Studies biblical text in it’s original context Considers:

– Language used– Historical context– Religious Traditions– Literary Genres– Other religions of the time

HermeneuticsHermeneutics

Exegesis on step further Object is to gain an understanding of the text,

but relate it to the impact it has on the world today

This is most important because it is where we interpret the text CONTEXTUALLY

HermeneuticsHermeneutics

Which is better?Which is better?

Scripture cannot be understood without a good balance of both Exegesis and Hermeneutics!