BT501 Bible & Interpretation

Dr. Miyon Chung

Hermeneutical principles Analysis

Chenbing
2009122252
1. Homily II on Matthew 1:1 by St. John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom was one of the hermeneuts in the schools of Antioch, he also
followed local Jewish traditions of interpretation, the emphasis was firmly on a
primarily literal reading of the Bible and on the historical reality of its revelation.
Here, his homilies on the gospel of Matthew treated the texts verse by verse. He
started to analysis the verse 1 of Matthew carefully. We can see his concern was
careful textual and grammatical reading. He spent long time discussing the meaning
of Son of David and Son of God. He didnt imply that there was hidden meanings of
it, but tried to explain the reason why Matthew called Jesus Christ Son of David, Son
of God. He wrote, you are told that the son of God is son of David and of
Abraham, doubt not any more that thou too, the son of Adam, shall be son of God.
He continued to explain why Matthew mentioned Jesus as Son of David first,
then Son of Abraham. As he wrote here, But wherefore did he not say, the son of
Abraham, and then the son of David? It is not , as some suppose, that he means to
proceed upward from the lower point, since then he would have done the same as
Luke, but now he doth the contrary. We could see that he was analyzing the
grammatical issues and the literal meaning and reason.
It is so clear that St John tried to read the Bible literally when we read he tried to
argue why Matthew didnt trace the genealogy of Mary, but Joseph. But, whence is it
manifest that he is of David? One may say. For if he was not sprung of a man, but
from a woman only, and the Virgin hath not her genealogy traced, how shall we know
that he was of Davids race?
However, it is not true that St. John Chrysostom was exclusively literalist, since
there were also plenty of allegorical uses among his homilies. For example, in the
beginning of his homily on the Gospel of Matthew, he wrote the historical issue
happened to the Jews when they were in the wilderness, that when they approach a
mountain that burned, and fire and blackness, and darkness and tempest, the Jews
were commanded for 3 days before to abstain from their wives and to wash their
garments, and were in trembling and fear. The St John Chrysostom used this
metaphorically to encourage the Christians to come to heaven with a right attitude.
Here is what he explained, much more we, when we are to hearken to such words,
and are not to stand far from a smoking mountain, but to enter into heaven itself,
ought to show forth a greater self-denial, not washing our garments, but wiping clean
the robe of our soul, and ridding ourselves of all mixture with worldly things.
Also, sometimes, St John Chrysostom engaged in a christological interpretation
of the Old Testament, which can be seen here when he wrote, and the patriarch Jacob
also fortold that He should arise out of the tribe of Judah, saying on this wise, there
shall not fail a ruler out of Judah

So it can be said that St John Chrysostom both interpreted Bible metaphorically

and literally.

2. The Salvation of All Men by John Calvin

Just as Jasper wrote, Calvins reading of the Bible is grounded in rational
reflection, self-understanding, and common sense, for he affirmed, without
knowledge of ourselves, knowledge of God does not take place. Calvin was
constantly searching of the original meaning of the writer of the Bible. Calvin writes,
Since it is almost the interpreters only task to unfold the mind of the writer whom he
has undertaken to expound, he misses the mark, or at least strays outside his limits, by
the extent to which he leads his students away from the meaning of author. In the
salvation of all men, Calvin first cited the verse from 1 Timothy 2:3-5, for this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior: who will have all men to be saved
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth
Then he started to argue whether here all men means every human being or just
means every nation, all kinds of people. He tried to interpret literally and find the
original meaning of the writer. In arguing this, he mentioned St Pauls other epistles,
such as He saith in another place, the heathens were without God, and void of all
promise, because they were not as yet brought to the fellowship of the Jews. Thus he
concluded that St Pauls meaning is not that God will save every man, but that the
promises which were given to but one people are now extended to all the world
Therefore Calvin thought a passage should be understood in its literal contexts. In
this article, he refers texts from others parts of the bible many times. For example, he
mentioned about the epistle of Ephesians to argue about the predestination. So maybe
it can be said that John Calvin interpreted texts by texts.
But it is clear that for Calvin faith is not given to all. It can be easily read in his
works. He also interpreted the text to substantiate his theology. He used what Jesus
said in the gospel of John, No man can come to me, except the father which hath
send me draw him. to argue that God has choose one and leave another.
And whats more, it is clear that John Calvin didnt interpret the verses
metaphorically. Even when he quoted the Amos 4:7, God caused it to rain upon one
city and caused it not to rain upon another city, to show that the Lord sendeth his
gospel wheresoever it pleaseth Him, He just interpreted the text literally.