Global Interpretation of Christian Scriptures

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Global Interpretation of Christian Scriptures

• Classical Models of Interpretation of Scripture
  Pharisaic/Rabbinic interpretation of Scripture

2
COVENANT as Jewish Hermeneutical-Theological
Frame

• DPs Early Jewish Hermeneutics, 1975.
• Pharisees (Rabbinic Judaism in formation)
• Apocalyptic groups (Zealots, Qumran)
• Sadducees
• Shared Basic Conviction We are the Chosen
  People of God . . .
• Shared Basic questions/concerns How to remain
  the Chosen People? How to be the Chosen People?
  Why?

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Jewish Interpretations of Scriptures

• EARLY RABBINIC/PHARISEES VIEW OF SCRIPTURE
• Interpret Scripture Tanakh Torah
  Prophets/Nebiim Writings/Ketoubim
• Explicit views of Scripture Torah  defile the
  hands sacred text what is read the writings

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Explicit Views Of
Scripture

• Why is Scripture sacred? Torah is the complete,
  final, immutable revelation everything is
  revealed on Mount Sinai
• More than the written text.
• in the world to come God teaches Torah.
  Wisdom (Prov 822ff) with God at the creation
  blueprint of creation Gods Wisdom.
• before and beyond the written text.
• Given to Israel God giving himself to Israel

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Explicit Views Of
Scripture

• to recite or read Torah being in the Presence
  Shekinah GD where two or three are gathered
  and exchange words of Torah the Shekinah is with
  them.
• thus Torah surrogate of the Temple
• taking the yoke of Torah taking the yoke of
  Heaven GD
• Torah water (gratis, priceless, brings life)
  wine fire, wife

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees View Of Scripture (1)

• IN SYNAGOGUE and IN SCHOOL
• In Synagogue
• Cycle of readings Torah (seder) prophets
  (haftarah) (verbal tallying)
• Translation Targum
• Homilies stringing texts together (pearls) a
  text, interpreting another text, interpreting
  another text. Back to the first text.
  (eventually written down Midrash)
• Targum same thing as homilies explain the
  text, in terms of other texts.

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Synagogue (2)
Haggadic interpretations

• Some Hermeneutical principles
• 1) Everything is meaningful in Scripture
• 2) Scripture is to be explained by Scripture
• 3) Synthetic view of scripture and of sacred
  history/ telescoping There is no before and
  after in scripture (one of 32 middoth rules)
  ex nights of creation, of Abraham (covenant,
  Gen 15), of Aqedah (sacrifice of Isaac), of
  Passover, eschatological night of Messiah
• sacred history is closed God acted/revealed in
  the past, the sacred past of sacred history will
  act/reveal in the future in between there is no
  new revelation Everything is revealed on Mt Sinai

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Synagogue (2)
Haggadic interpretations

• Some Hermeneutical principles (continued)
• 4) Theological developments in Targum not
  systematic theology haggadah (sacred) stories
  a listening to scripture
• 5) Some actualization of scripture circle of
  scripture interpreting scripture is broken but
  primarily halakic (back to this later)

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Synagogue (4)
Liturgical Haggadah

• All liturgy scripture participating in
  liturgy (prayers, songs, readings,
  translations/targums, homilies) entering
  Scripture
• Entering Torah being constituted as the people
  of God
• example of Passover Seder we went out of
  Egypt
• We are the people of Israel described in
  Scripture

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Covenant

• Covenant
• a) Gods intervention, redemption from slavery
  election haggadah (past)
• b) Vocation people of priest for the nations
  haggadah sanctification of the Name
• C) Law how to walk halakah

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees School Halakah
Sanctification of the Name

• Oral Torah living tradition harmonize Torah
  and life
• Beyond the written Biblical Text (as Torah was
  with God, before the creation)
• Gezeroth teaching independent from Scripture
• Takkanoth teaching radically changing the
  teaching of Torah Prosbul of Hillel
• Sanctification of the Name

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Early Rabbinic/Pharisees School Halakah
Sanctification of the Name

• Making a fence around Torah
• Always changing and growing tradition Mishnah,
  Talmud reinterpreted in terms of the new
  situations in life
• Here Revelation, Scripture open on going
  discerning what is Gods will how to sanctify
  the name today
• Being faithful adapting, changing

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COVENANT (Exodus 19 20) as Hermeneutical/Theolog
ical Frame

• For Pharisees and Rabbis
• Election (as the Chosen People of God) Gods
  freeing the People from bondage saved from
  bondage done closed revelation
• Vocation (to be a people of priests
  Sanctification of the Name) closed revelation
• Law Way to walk How to fulfill this vocation
  (to sanctify the Name) open always new ways for
  new contexts (inculturation)

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Exodus 193-6

• 3 "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and
  tell the Israelites 4 You have seen what I did
  to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles'
  wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now
  therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my
  covenant, you shall be my treasured possession
  out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth
  is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly
  kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words
  that you shall speak to the Israelites."

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Exodus 201-4

• 1 Then God spoke all these words 2 I am the
  LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
  Egypt, out of the house of slavery 3 you shall
  have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not
  make for yourself an idol,

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Pharisees (DPs Early Jewish Hermeneutics, 1975)

• Pharisees One Covenant
• Election complete everything has been
  revealed on Mount Sinai (Oral and Written Torah)
• Haggadah Closed sacred history Liturgy
  interpreting Scripture by Scripture (Midrash)
• Halakah needs to be reinterpreted again and
  again (Mishnah, Talmud, constantly interpreted
  in terms of social, cultural situation)

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Apocalyptic people e.g. Qumran (DPs Early
Jewish Hermeneutics, 1975)

• Apocalyptic New Covenant (people still in
  bondage)
• Election God is electing, choosing a remnant/a
  new faithful people new interventions of God
• Typology Prophecy are fulfilled
• Haggadah Open sacred history, ongoing activity
  of God , establishing and reestablishing the
  covenant through choosing/calling a new people,
  through interventions of power
• Halakah Very strict AS BY PRIEST IN THE TEMPLE

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• Pharisees
• One Covenant

• Apocalyptic New Covenant

• People freed from bondage
• Election complete everything has been
  revealed on Mount Sinai (Oral and Written Torah)
• Haggadah Closed sacred history Liturgy
  interpreting Scripture by Scripture (Midrash)
• Halakah needs to be reinterpreted again and
  again (Mishnah, Talmud, constantly interpreted
  in terms of social, cultural situation)

• People still in bondage)
• Election God is electing, choosing a remnant/a
  new faithful people new interventions of God
• Typology Prophecy are fulfilled
• Haggadah Open sacred history, ongoing activity
  of God , establishing and reestablishing the
  covenant through choosing/calling a new people,
  through interventions of power
• Halakah Very strict AS BY PRIEST IN THE TEMPLE