God Has Spoken But What Has He Said?
A Coherent Guide to Interpreting the Bible for Yourself
by H. A. Habermehl
Why do Christians disagree so much about what the Bible says?
Is it possible to know whose views are right?
Can the Bible really be understood at all?
Answers to these important questions lie in the straightforward set of principles of interpretation developed in this book. The author uses many examples to show how to apply these principles.
If you are searching for solutions to Bible problems, here is a book that will clear up your confusion and reaffirm your belief in the veracity of Holy Scripture.
The author first lays out a set of principles of interpretation. These are: 1. The literal principle. 2. The context principle. 3. The progressive principle. 4. Understanding parables. 5. Biblical spiritualizing. 6. Types and symbols. 7. Prophecy. 8. The application principle.
The author then discusses some controversial subjects; the subject of election versus free will, the millennium, and divorce, showing how application of the interpretation principles above can lead to arriving at conclusions.
The emphasis is on the process by which conclusions are arrived at, not the conclusions themselves. As the author says, "It is my opinion that if we would reach agreement on these principles first, we would all come to the same conclusion."
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Published by Antiphon Books, Cortland, NY, USA
Contents
Acknowledgment
Preface
Introduction
SECTION I. APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES
1. Why Rules? . . . . . . . . 1
2. The Literal Principle . . . . . . 5
3. The Context Principle . . . . . 19
A. Near Context . . . . . . . 21
B. Far Context . . . . . . . 34
C. Total Context . . . . . . 37
4. The Progressive Principle . . . . 39
A. Law Teachings vs. Epistle Doctrines . 40
B. Kingdom Teachings vs. Church Doctrine 46
5. Understanding Parables . . . . . 53
A. Parables Interpreted Point by Point . 54
B. One-Point Parables: Central Truth Given 56
C. One-Point Parables: Central Truth not given Explicitly . . . . . . 59
D. Parables Related to the Kingdom of Heaven . . . . . . . . 62
6. Biblical Spiritualizing . . . . . . 77
A. Examples from Paul . . . . . 78
B. Examples of Other Writers . . 81
C. Examples of Prophetic Significance . 83
7. Types and Symbols . . . . . . 87
Types . . . . . . . . . 87
Symbols . . . . . . . . 97
8. Prophecy . . . . . . . . 101
A. Historical Setting . . . . . . 102
B. Prophecies with Double Fulfillment . 104
C. Old Testament Prophecies and This Present Church Age . . . . . 107
D. Symbolism and Prophecy . . . . 109
E. Flashback in Prophecy . . . . 112
F. Refer Back in Prophecy . . . . 115
9. The Application Principle . . . . 117
SECTION II. COMBINING THE PRINCIPLES
10. Free Will or Election: Which? . . . 141
11. The Millennium Enigma . . . . . 151
12. Divorce . . . . . . . . . 161
SECTION III. DEVELOPING THE PRINCIPLES: SPECIAL CASES
13. PRINCIPLE DEVELOPMENT:
Progressive Revelation . . . . . 169
A. God's Communication with Man . . 169
B. God's Purposes for Man . . . . 170
C. God's Covenants with Man . . . 172
Transition Books . . . . . . 175
14. PRINCIPLE DEVELOPMENT:
Spiritualizing . . . . . . . 181
15. PRINCIPLE DEVELOPMENT:
The Application Principle . . . . 189
I. Determine the Intent . . . . 191
II. Classify the Text . . . . . 191
A. Principle statements . . . 192
B. Subordinate Statements . . 194
Reflections . . . . . . . . . . 199
References . . . . . . . . . . 201
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1. Kingdom Parables Interpreted . . . 69
2. Examples of Spiritualizing . . . . 88
3. Fulfilled Feast Types . . . . . 89
4. Feast Types As Yet Unfulfilled . . . 90
5. Departure from Egypt Typified . . . 90
6. Joseph as a Type of Christ . . . . 91
7. Days of Creation Typified . . . . 92
8. A Wilderness Experience Typified . . 94
9. Events Leading Up to the Time Gap of Prophecy . . . . . . . . . 107
10. A Comparison of Prophetic Scriptures . 116
11. A List of the Ten Commandments . . 176
12. Spiritualizing by New Testament Standards 184
LIST OF FIGURES
Figures
1. Event-flow diagram of Revelation . . 113
2. Event-flow diagram of the seven-year period . . . . . . 114
3. Application flow chart . . . 137, 198
Published by Antiphon Books, an imprint of The Harp and Dragon, 25 Madison St, Cortland, NY 13045, USA.
Copyright 1995 by H. A. Habermehl, B.A.Sc. Edited by Anne Habermehl, B.Sc.
ISBN 0-9647260-0-9
Library of Congress Catalog Card number: 95-77490
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