****The Randy White Guide to Hermeneutics

Session 10 | Three Fundamental Rules of Interpretation, Part 2

The Lesson, In a Nutshell

Theological error grows out of interpretive error, and interpretive error can largely be avoided using these three basic and fundamental principles of Biblical interpretation.

I believe so much in these three fundamental rules that I am willing to say that there is not a single exception in all the Bible. Thus, I call these rules fundamental.

Rule #1: Scripture Interprets Scripture

See session 9

Rule #2: Old Testament context is always present in New Testament usage

See session 10

Rule #3: Scripture Must Be Interpreted As Progressive Revelation

What is Progressive Revelation
Progressive revelation is simply understanding that you do not have the whole truth of Scripture without reading the whole thing! The major mistake of interpretation is reading future revelation prior to its revelation, as if what is true and explicit in the future has always been true and explicit. Thus, to fail to understand progressive revelation is to have an anachronistic “get the horse before the cart."
This failure is done more often than one might think. For example, it is often assumed that the salvation offered in Ephesians 2:8-9 was also offered through the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures. With this assumption“prove" the anachronism. By simply understanding that things which come later do not exist earlier, many theological problems would be avoided.
Errors of Progressive Revelation
Beyond rejecting the principle altogether (outright or in practice), there are two common errors in the exercise of interpretation with progressive revelation in mind.
First is the belief that progressive revelation means that the Old Testament is interpreted by the New. This denigrates the Old Testament (if the common nomenclature itself does not do so), making it to be lesser than rather than equal to“Scripture," the “oracles of God," and it was the sole basis for the teachings of Jesus Himself. It is not a collection of works that need outside assistance to have meaning.
Second, many adopt the principles of progressive revelation, but the stop too early. Those with a Christological perspective stop all revelation with Jesus Christ. The entire system sounds good (and thus sells well) but invariably misses the revelation of the mystery given through Paul (Eph. 3:2, et. al). This error accurately sees the Christ prophesied, these prophesies met in Jesus, and bases salvation on the completed work of Jesus the Christ. However, it does not recognize that God is not working today like He worked in the Gospels or in the early chapters of Acts. Progressive revelation sees all that the Christological hermeneutic sees, but so much more.
Another stop-too-early error is found in the so-called Full Gospel movement. This movement is Christological at its core, and thus makes the same mistake as the Christological hermeneutic: it stops too early. However, this one goes beyond standard Christological interpretation in that it includes divine healing (or, more broadly, all of the charismatic gifts of the Spirit) found in the book of Acts. However, it stops in the pre-Pauline section of the book of Acts and thus also fails to see the Pauline mystery and apply this new revelation to the Christian life.
The Progress of Revelation
Though there are specific revelations that fall outside the parameters described below, it is helpful to learn the eight broad segments of divine revelation in the Scripture.
****Primary Event
****Key Word
****Short Description
****Begins
****Ends
Creation
Innocence
God deals with mankind by giving him free-will and a single prohibition.
Genesis 1
Genesis 2:25
Fall
Conscience
God deals with mankind under the curse of sin, man living with the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3
Genesis 5:32
Flood
Government
God deals with mankind through an overarching command in which society must develop a justice system to remove murderers from harming others.
Genesis 6
Genesis 11:32
Promise
Covenant
God deals with mankind through a covenant with one man and his offspring.
Genesis 12
Exodus 19:25
Law
Theocracy
God deals with mankind through Israel as Author and Governor of Law in a Theocracy.
Exodus 20
1 Samuel 7:17
King
Kingdom
God deals with mankind through Israel's monarchy, promising an everlasting Kingdom.
1 Samuel 8*
Acts 8:40**
Mystery
Grace
God deals with mankind without regard to sin, based on the completed work of Christ, offering a gift of salvation.
Acts 9**
Philemon 23
Rapture
Fulfillment
God deals with Israel to fulfill all covenants with the chosen people.
Hebrews 1
Revelation 22
*The kingdom expression has three phases. The monarchy (Saul to Solomon), followed by the divided kingdoms (Rehoboam through exile and return), followed by the Messianic hope and offer (Gospels to Stephen's martyrdom).
**There is an overlap of Kingdom and Grace offers from Acts 9 until the destruction of the nation of Israel in A.D. 70. During this overlap Israel was diminishing and God's work of grace was increasing. After A.D. 70 there was no nation to receive the Covenant and Kingdom promises, thus such promises are put in abeyance until after the rapture.