HERMENEUTICS: THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THEINTERPRETER

1. SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATION:

The Interpreter must be spiritual because the Bible is the book of God which can not just be approached by the carnal mind. The book was written by holy men of God who were bom along by the Holy Spirit to write

HERMENEUTICS: THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE INTERPRETER

1. The Interpreter must Possess the basic experiences of Christianity:

(a) Must be bom again because the natural camal man cannot understand the things of the spirit whatever he has got from the Bible through literary education. Rm. 8:5-8.

The natural man is in enmity with God. He has no understanding of the things of God. Since those things have not passed through his experience, he has no interpretation of those scriptures (John 3:3:1 John 3:9).
The unregenerate, carnal, natural interpreter would not be able to do the work of interpretation whatever aD. D. of Th. D. holder because he is “blind” “having the eye of his understanding darkened” Ephesians 4:18. He is a stranger to the things of God.

(b) The Interpreter should be Sanctified: With sanctification experience he is able to go beyond the stage salvation could not carry him. Sanctification experience gives him a clearer view of God. It removes all internal conflicts arising from the internal depravity By sanctification he is stile to get better grasp of the word of God

The interpreter interprets only in the level of his understanding. This is why many men of old confused many experiences in the Bible. For instance, Martin Luther saw the message of holiness, sanctification and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit all as justification. And John Wesley saw the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as holiness Matthew Henry in his commentary spiritualized physical healing (Isa. 53.5, Matt. 8:16,17).

2. The experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit will help the Interpreter to understand the great truths in scriptures.

The Spirit of Truth would help him to know the truth as he yields to him. He is the Revealer and helper (the paracletus). There are truths too deep for one without the Holy Ghost Jn. 16: 12, 13. This is why many Theologians have explained away most of the miracles of scripture because it is too much, too high and too deep for them (Miracles in Egypt, Red Sea parted etc).

The Holy Ghost is a searcher. He searches all things and truths. He is also a Teacher John 14 17,26 He guides and leads into all truth. I Cor. 2.9 14

The Spirit of God is a

(a) Helper Rom 8:26

(b) Revealer-1 Cor. 2:10a

(d) Searches I Cor. 2. 10b

(e) Guides In. 16.12.

(f) Leads into all truths

(g) Teaches-1Cor. 2:13

(h) Gives knowledge-1Cor 2:12.

3. Supreme Love for God and for His Word

Because of this supreme love for God he has Deep Reverence for God. This will lead him to be afraid either to Add or take away from the word of God

He would not want to say what God has not said therefore he is careful. He studies and searches. diligently to get the exact meaning of scripture passages. Matt 22:37. Ps. 42: 1. (Ps. 73: 1). Col. 3:1-3:Ps.63:1,2

He is afraid not to destroy other souls who he holds precious and would not want to destroy himself too. Because he knows restitution he carefully chooses his words.

4. He must possess a heart free form fear, doubt, denominational or Sectarian Prejudice.

Fear: It will make him to have more respect for the visible crowd than for God. He would be afraid of losing popularity, name and respect with the people

Doubt: A doubter who is not stable in all his ways He is never too sure of his facts. He is never fully persuaded of the truth revealed to him. He believes one thing today and changes tomorrow. Such cannot be a good interpreter.

Free from Forwardness: Free from an evil heart. A forward heart is equally proud never ready to accept ignorance Prov.

Free from Denominational Bias: Don’t look at the word of God with the spectacle of your denomination bias. Such people would interpret scripture to suite whether his Catholic, Baptist etc bias

Sectarian: A leaning to Evangelical, Holiness or orthodox would make a bad and unhealthy interpreter. Stay free from all leanings and hold every passage as you find them in scripture, call them just what the Bible calls the word of passage A restless, suormy heart would not make for a good interpreter

He should know the importance of SOLITUDE so that he may be free with God so as to get true meanings if he lives in a nosy environment he wouldn’t do good as an interpreter. He should approach the word of God with a sense of Ignorance and utter dependence on the Holy Ghost for Guidance and direction.

He should be humble “For God resisteth the proud and gives more grace to the humble He has a childlike attitude and dependence on the Holy spirit He should be prayerful, giving time to fasting, and praying to get more from God and get meanings for seemingly hard passages

2. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION:

1. An appreciable basic education is quite necessary for the interpreter.

(Having not been properly formally educated is no excuse. William Carey the father of World Missions was only a shoe repairer at conversion. But before he died he had on his own interpreted the Bible in over 30 languages)

2. Have a fair knowledge of Hebrew and Greek languages.

3. A good knowledge of the use of Bible Dictionaries.

(a) Bible Atlas

(b) Bible Handbook

(d) Bible History

(e) Bible Background

(f) Bible Archaeology

(g) Customs and Manners of people and nations found in the Bible.

He must be able to tap other writers work get a little here and there. In fact, II T 2:15 implies appealing to all these to be able to give an authoritative information & the people of God.