The only infallible interpreter is…

by | Nov 20, 2010 | Hermeneutics, Historical Theology

The only infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture is the Holy Spirit in the Holy Scripture. This is a fundamental principle of Reformed hermeneutics. Since the Bible is inspired by God (and, therefore, infallible in all its assertions), any and every use of the Bible by itself is infallible. Granted, not all such uses are interpretive; however, many are. We ought to assume, then, that when the Bible interprets itself (inner-biblical exegesis), its interpretation is infallible. All Evangelicals, as far as I know, agree that the Bible’s interpretation of itself is infallible. But should we also assume that the Bible’s interpretation of itself is paradigmatic for all subsequent interpreters? Should the Bible’s interpretation of itself become the soil from which we garner at least some of our principles of interpretation? Before the Enlightenment the answer was yes, though with a few detractors. The hermeneutical method of the apostles, for example, is both divinely inspired and authoritatively paradigmatic for all subsequent interpreters. This position argues that Jesus taught his disciples how to interpret and apply the Old Testament while he was on earth (Luke 24:25-27; 44-49). The apostles’ subsequent interpretations and applications, therefore, were simply extensions of the principles taught to them by our Lord. This view has Patristic, Medieval, Reformation, Post-Reformation, and current adherents.

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Do We Still Believe in Sola Scriptura?—Three Years Later … | Sam Waldron

Do We Still Believe in Sola Scriptura?—Three Years Later … | Sam Waldron

Almost three and a half years ago I waded into an issue in a blog for which in some circles I was scorched with disagreement and (by some people) with ridicule. I warned that respect for what is called widely “the Great Tradition” was beginning seriously to cause the boat of sola scriptura to list. Events since then have shown that my concerns should not have been dismissed as foolish and ridiculous.

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