OceanSide church of Christ
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THE NEW HERMENEUTIC (5)
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
II Timothy
2:15
Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
1.
Numerous lessons about Bible
study can be derived from this verse.
2.
We want to look at the words
“rightly dividing” for our purposes.
a.
ASV translates this as “handling aright the word of
truth.”
b.
The Greek word is a compound term which literally means “cutting
straight.”
c.
Many metaphors have been set forth in an attempt to explain this
word.
1)
Plowing a straight furrow.
2)
A stone mason cutting the stones straight for
building.
3)
Paul, as a tent-maker, knew the need of cutting the rough camel-hair
cloth with a straight cut.
d.
In our study of God’s word, we must dissect the divine message
correctly.
e.
NOTE: To do this, one must
properly, accurately interpret the Word of God.
B.
Some within the church
believe that we have not done a very good job of interpreting the Scriptures in
the past. Thus, they are contending
for a New Hermeneutic, a new way of looking into the message of God’s
Word.
C.
We have been looking at some
of the components of this New Hermeneutic in several previous lessons. We want to look at a few more elements
tonight. This will be our final
lesson in his series.
I.
RELATIVISM/INDIVIDUALISM
A.
The definition of
relativism.
1.
Truth is not
absolute.
2.
Truth is whatever an
individual determines it to be.
B.
Quotes
1.
Faith lives only by decision
and not by objective and historical support (Rudolf
Bultmann).
2.
The CEI method no longer
makes sense because we no longer believe its aim is central to the Christian
faith. It no longer answers our
pressing questions concerning meaning, love, relationships, personal knowledge
of God, inspiration for daily living.
Orthodoxy (right opinion) is giving place to Orthocardia (a good heart)
to coin a word. The need for
intellectual certainty based upon logical argumentations has been replaced by a
desire for firm commitment based on religious and moral experience (CSC, 1990,
Ron Highfield).
C.
In essence, these men do not
believe that we can understand the Bible alike.
1.
Paul certainly did not
believe this.
a.
I Corinthians 1:10
Now I beseech
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same
thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
b.
Philippians 3:16
Nevertheless,
whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the
same thing.
2.
Not even these men believe
their own foolishness.
a.
Where do we learn that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God? From the Bible. Does everyone have to believe this
alike?
b.
Where do we learn that Jesus died on
c.
Where do we learn that Jesus rose from the grave? From the Bible. Do we have to understand this
alike?
d.
If they answer, “Yes,” to these questions, then it is possible for us to
understand the Bible and to understand it alike.
II. CHANGE THE
DEFINITION OF WORDS
A.
There have been times when
those advocating a New Hermeneutic want to change the definition of Biblical
terms.
1.
Definitions are the
meanings, the essence, of words.
2.
If we can change
definitions, we make texts mean anything we want them to
mean.
B.
Examples.
1.
Brother Rubel Shelly taught
that unity is to be obtained solely upon the basis of the “seven ones” of
Ephesians 4 (I Just Want to Be A Christian, Shelly, pp. 48-49). On page 82, he gives his definition of
the one faith of Ephesians 4:5.
“The ‘one faith’ has nothing to do with our methods and procedures of
doing God’s work; it has to do with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
and our response to that once-for-all act of atonement.” This is a change from the one faith
meaning the “system of faith”, the New Testament (Acts 6:7; Col. 1:23; Jude
3).\
2.
Many brethren have tried to
change the definition of the phrase “doctrine of Christ” in II John
9-11).
Whosoever
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
a.
Most believe that the “doctrine of Christ” refers to the complete body of
teaching, the New Testament, as given by Christ.
b.
Those of the New Hermeneutic want to limit the meaning to “the teaching
about Christ.” They say that the doctrine of Christ
refers solely to the belief that He is deity, the Son of
God.
c.
Consider another statement of the same apostle (John
14:21).
Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him.
III. SOME THINGS ARE
CULTURAL AND SITUATIONAL
A.
This idea plays into the
concept that many hold about God’s Word.
1.
The Bible was written
hundreds, even thousands, of years ago.
2.
Things have changed since
then. The culture is different and
situations are different.
B.
Two
applications.
1.
The woman’s role in the
church (I Cor. 14:34-35; I Tim. 2:11-12).
2.
Homosexuality (Gen. 19;
C.
Let’s look at the woman’s
role in the church.
1.
Paul forbids a woman from
teaching and usurping authority over a man (I Tim. 2:12).
But I suffer not
a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence.
2.
Paul did not stop
there. He lists two reasons why the
woman has a subjugated role.
NOTE: Both of these reasons
predate the various cultures of man (I Tim. 2:13-14).
For Adam was
first formed, then Eve. And Adam
was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the
transgression.
IV. GRACE COVERS OUR
DOCTRINAL IMPERFECTIONS
A.
Grace involves the
forgiveness of God.
1.
The grace advocated by the
New Hermeneutics involves unconditional forgiveness.
2.
They reason: If we cannot be perfect morally and God
forgives us, it must be that He also forgives us in our doctrinal
imperfections.
B.
Two
questions:
1.
Are there any false
doctrines the Lord will not unconditionally forgive?
2.
How long can a man hold to a
false doctrine before God refuses to forgive him of it?
C.
Some apostolic admonitions
about false doctrine.
1.
Paul told Timothy to charge
some that they teach no other doctrine (I Tim. 1:3).
2.
Any one who caused division
and offences contrary to the doctrine of Christ was to be marked and avoided
(Rom. 16:17).
3.
Why didn’t the grace of God
forgive the doctrinal error of Hymenaeus and Philetus? (II Tim.
2:17-18)
And their word
will eat as doth a canker: of whom
is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the
resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of
some.
D.
In order to be able to
determine which false positions can be forgiven and which cannot be forgiven,
one would have to be God. Hasn’t
God already spoken? (See I Timothy 6:3a, 5b).
If any man teach
otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ…from such withdraw thyself.
CONCLUSION
A.
The things that the New
Hermeneutic provides appeals to the carnal side of man.
B.
We must never yield to it
enticements. Instead, let us do as
Solomon exhorted in Proverbs 3:5.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.