BTheol Bachelor of Theology Biblical Hermeneutics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'typology' as used in New Testament interpretation of the Old Testament?
- The identification of Old Testament persons, events, or institutions that foreshadow New Testament realities (Correct answer)
- A system of classifying biblical manuscripts by age
- The study of symbolic numbers in apocalyptic texts
- A method of comparing Greek and Hebrew synonyms
Correct answer: The identification of Old Testament persons, events, or institutions that foreshadow New Testament realities
Typology sees figures like Adam, Moses, and the Passover lamb as 'types'—divinely intended prefigurations of Christ and the new covenant realities he inaugurates.
Question 2: What is the 'analogy of faith' principle in biblical hermeneutics?
- Scripture interprets Scripture—unclear passages are clarified by clearer ones on the same topic (Correct answer)
- Every passage must be interpreted in light of the creeds
- Faith experiences should guide biblical interpretation
- The New Testament always overrides the Old Testament
Correct answer: Scripture interprets Scripture—unclear passages are clarified by clearer ones on the same topic
The analogy of faith (analogia fidei) holds that the whole of Scripture is internally consistent, so obscure texts should be interpreted in harmony with clearer passages on the same subject.
Question 3: What does the term 'context' mean in biblical exegesis, and why is it important?
- The surrounding literary text and historical situation that shapes the meaning of a passage (Correct answer)
- The canon of books surrounding a particular biblical book
- The specific manuscript tradition a translation follows
- The church's historical interpretation of a verse
Correct answer: The surrounding literary text and historical situation that shapes the meaning of a passage
Context—both the immediate literary context and the broader historical-cultural setting—is essential because meaning is determined by context; ignoring it leads to misinterpretation.
Question 4: What is 'allegorical interpretation' of Scripture, and which early theologian used it extensively?
- Finding symbolic, spiritual meanings beneath the literal text; associated with Origen of Alexandria (Correct answer)
- Reading every verse as a historical fact; associated with John Chrysostom
- Interpreting Scripture only through Jewish rabbinic tradition; associated with Jerome
- Finding prophetic predictions in every Old Testament narrative; associated with Augustine
Correct answer: Finding symbolic, spiritual meanings beneath the literal text; associated with Origen of Alexandria
Allegorical interpretation looks for hidden spiritual meanings beyond the literal sense; Origen developed this extensively, though it was later critiqued for importing meaning into the text.
Question 5: What is the 'Sitz im Leben' concept in biblical form criticism?
- The original social or liturgical setting in which a biblical tradition was used and shaped (Correct answer)
- The date when a manuscript was first copied
- The place where a biblical event physically occurred
- The life situation of the modern reader
Correct answer: The original social or liturgical setting in which a biblical tradition was used and shaped
Sitz im Leben ('situation in life') refers to the social or worship context in which oral traditions were preserved and shaped before being written, used by form critics to identify tradition history.
Question 6: What is 'eisegesis' and why is it considered a hermeneutical error?
- Reading one's own ideas into the text rather than drawing meaning out of it (Correct answer)
- Using multiple translations to compare biblical meanings
- Applying Old Testament laws directly to Christians today
- Interpreting Revelation as a literal future timeline
Correct answer: Reading one's own ideas into the text rather than drawing meaning out of it
Eisegesis (reading into) is the opposite of exegesis (reading out)—it imports the interpreter's presuppositions or agenda into the text rather than discovering the author's intended meaning.
BTheol Bachelor of Theology Biblical Hermeneutics 2
What is 'typology' as used in New Testament interpretation of the Old Testament?