像耶穌那樣講道
作者: 華理克（Rick Warren）
譯者: 陳瑞齡
從來沒有人像耶穌那樣講道─生動與感人；何不學耶穌一樣講道？
耶穌的講道非常吸引群眾，聖經許多章節都記載了人們如何正面回應耶穌的講道與教導。
馬太福音七28，群眾對祂的道理感到驚訝！
馬太福音二十二33，群眾的印象非常深刻。
馬可福音十一18，人們對耶穌的教導心裡十分熱切。
馬可福音十二37，大家喜歡聽耶穌的道理。
群眾從來沒有聽過誰講話像耶穌那樣，他們對耶穌所講的道，非常震撼。
為了像耶穌一樣贏得未信者的心，我們傳揚真理的方式也必須像耶穌一樣。我相信耶穌是我們講道時的最好榜樣！不幸的是，有些神學院所開的講道學過於看重亞里斯多得與希臘的修辭學方法，而非耶穌的方式。
約翰福音十二49說：「我沒有憑自己講，惟有差我來的父，已經給我命令，叫我說什麼、講什麼。」請注意，無論是內容，或是講道的方式都是從父那裡來的。這一點極其重要，我們往往輕看了耶穌講道的方式。
耶穌的講道─不只是內容，有太多可以讓我們學習的地方了。下面我將提出耶穌講道的三個特點。
1. 耶穌從人的需要、傷害與興趣開始
通常耶穌的教導是以回應某一個人的問題開始。他抓到人的問題核心，他的講道可以直接應用在問題上，一針見血。
耶穌第一次講道是他唸出以賽亞書、談到他的使命時：「主的靈在我身上，因為他用膏膏我，叫我傳福音給貧窮的人，差遣我報告被擄的得釋放，瞎眼的得看見，叫那受壓制的得自由，報告神悅納人的禧年。」（路加四18－19）
值得注意的是，耶穌強調滿足人的需要，以及對人傷害的醫治。耶穌有信息與人分享，人們也樂意聽聞他的好消息。對於生命，祂有實際助益的信息；祂的真理叫人得以自由，並為人帶來各樣的福份。
對失喪的人而言，我們基本的信息必須是好消息。如果不是好消息，那就不是福音。在分享上，我們必須以好消息與信息同時並進。福音是有關上帝為我所做的，
以及我們在基督裡的改變。建立一個與基督的個人關係，將是人所有問題的最深解答。福音提供失喪的人所欲找尋的：赦免、自由、安全感、目的、愛、接納與力
量；它解決了我們的過去，保證我們的未來，並給今天一個新的意義─我們所擁有的是世界上最美妙的信息。
群眾總會擁抱好消息的。今天，尤其在911事件以後，世界充滿了一堆壞消息，人們尋找盼望、幫助與鼓勵。耶穌瞭解他們，這也是為什麼耶穌對他們的心意如此體貼─祂知道他們受到傷害與無助，如同羊沒有牧人一般。
如果以人們的需求開始，你的講道一定會馬上吸引人們的注意。事實上，大多數人似乎都瞭解這個引人注意的方法─除了牧師以外。
聰明的老師知道從學生的興趣出發，再按部就班地引他們到學業上。有效率的推銷員知道，必須從顧客身上出發，而非從產品開始。聰明的管理者知道，必須從部屬的抱怨開始，而非從自己的理念出發。你從人群開始，再帶領他們前往你希望他們去的地方。
人的腦幹上有一個篩選機制，它將人所看到的、聽到的，以及所聞到的訊息分級，然後過濾掉不重要的，僅把一小部份重要的訊息傳給大腦。如果不是這個篩選機制，人們將分分秒秒神經兮兮的，對所有的訊息做出無謂的反應，最後導致發瘋！這個篩選機制決定你該注意什麼。
好了，現在你又該如何引起人們的注意？有三種訊息會通過你的篩選機制來到你的大腦：一、對你有價值的事物；二、特別事物；三、威脅你的事物。這分析對牧師講道與教導有重大啟示。如果你想吸引人們注意，你的信息也必須跟以上三者息息相關。
當然你也可以在你的信息上，放進威脅的元素，但我相信，向人們顯示價值是最符合基督的教導。耶穌的教導讓人們瞭解祂所談論的價值，祂並沒有使用威脅、恐嚇的方式，脅迫不信的人來相信祂。事實上，祂只對那些「宗教人士」說重話─祂安慰那些受苦之人，讓放縱之人嚐到苦頭。
牧師被呼召來傳揚真理，因此我們誤以為未信者的內心都渴慕真理。錯了！今日未信者大多對真理興趣缺缺。事實上，調查顯示，大多數美國人都拒絕絕對的真理。
而這正是我們社會問題的根源：人們並不重視真理，他們所重視的是相對的容忍，而非絕對的真理。人們抱怨犯罪、吸毒、家庭破碎，以及我們文化上的諸多問題，但他們不知道，問題的真正癥結在於他們拒絕了真理！
道德相對論是我們社會病了的主因，但如果我們認為傳講真理會讓未信者湧入教會，那就大錯特錯了。
事實是，傳揚真理的人常得不到人們的注意，於是有些牧師乾脆直來直往，「專講」真理，但可知這並非解決之道─我們應該靈巧像蛇，溫馴像鴿子。
雖然多數未信者並不渴慕真理，但他們會尋求慰藉；我們可以從這裡來啟動他們對真理的興趣。我注意到，如果我所談的真理帶給人們安慰，或是解決了他們的問題，這些未信者都會非常感動與感恩！分享符合人們需求的聖經真理往往會引起人們對真理的興趣來。
耶穌明白這個道理，你看，來到耶穌面前的人很少是來追求真理的，他們來尋求慰藉！因此，耶穌滿足他們的需求─無論是長大痲瘋的、瞎眼或駝背的。當他們的需求得到解決之後，他們反過來想知道有關於耶穌這個人的真理，因為祂幫助他們解決了他們所不能解決的問題。
以弗所書四章29節說：「只要隨事說造就人的好話，叫聽見的人得益處。」請注意，我們的聽眾決定我們講道的內容（這並不是說，為了聽眾的需求而妥協我們
所傳講的）。聽眾的需求決定我們的信息，我們只說造就人的好話。如果這是上帝對我們彼此日常對話的旨意，我相信祂對我們的講道心意，也必然如此。
不幸的，許多牧師完全根據自己的意念來鋪陳他的講章，而不是根據聽眾的需求。
講道學之所以困難的一個原因是：牧師問錯了問題！與其問：這個星期我該講什麼樣的道？毋寧問：這個星期我在對誰講道？只要考慮聽眾的需求便可以決定你的講章了！
既然上帝預先知道誰會到教會來聽你講道，祂怎麼會把一篇不搭調的信息給你傳講呢？祂會預備一篇跟會眾毫無相干的講道嗎？我相信，人們的需要是講道的關鍵，上帝會透過需要把相關信息交代給你。
群眾不會決定你所說的是否為真理，真理不是附帶的，然而你的會眾卻決定了你說明真理的方式。對信徒而言，的確有些真理比其他的還要來得急迫與重要。
如果你出了車禍，躺在急診室裡，這時醫生進來，跟你講醫院的希臘字演變，或是大談Ｘ光診斷的原理，你做何感想？他對你所說的都是真理，但對你目前的情況毫無意義，因為這些知識並不能減輕你的痛苦，不能解決你的問題。你要醫生從你的痛處開始診治。
你的會眾也決定了你信息的開場白。如果你的會眾是非基督徒，而你卻花了九牛二虎之力在解釋經文的歷史背景，相信他們必定挨不到你談個人應用的法則。當你對非基督徒講道時，你必須把平常講章的最後部分作為你的開場白。
今天，當提到講道是以會眾的需要作為核心時，往往遭受某些人士譏為「降低福音標準」。我想藉此作出一個清楚的表達：信息要從人的需要開始，並非始於現代的市場學，它正是耶穌講道的方式！
這是神學的原則，上帝選擇根據人的需求來啟示他自己；新舊約中這樣的例子不勝枚舉。
甚至上帝的名字也都反映上帝滿足人需求的啟示。每一次，當人們詢問上帝說：「主啊，你的名字是什麼？」上帝的回答總是圍繞著人們當時的需求：
●對那些需要神蹟者，上帝回答說祂是「耶和華以勒」（我是你的供應者）。
●對那些需要安慰者，上帝回答說祂是「耶和華沙龍」（我是你的平安）。
●對那些需要救恩者，上帝回答說祂是「耶和華旌旗」（我是你的正義）。
例子還很多，上帝總是滿足我們的需求。信息從人們需求講起，是最符合聖經的方式。
改變生命的講道勢必將上帝的話語與人們的需求結合，以作成講道應用部分。若沒有加上這一個生命應用部分，整篇道將失去它的意義。
2. 耶穌把真理與生命結合
我愛耶穌那實際與簡潔的講道，是如此淺顯、有意義與容易應用。祂的目標是應用，因為祂的目的乃是改變人，而非僅僅教訓人。
讓我們談談登山寶訓：
●一開始耶穌分享八種真正的快樂。
●然後祂談到要過一個典範的生活，控制憤怒、改善關係，並講論姦淫與離婚。
●其次祂談論守約與以善報惡的態度。
●再來，祂談著其他實際的生命課題，如動機純正的奉獻、如何禱告、如何積財寶在天，以及如何克服憂慮。
●這裡，祂告訴我們不要論斷別人、禱告要恆切，並警告我們假教師。
●最後，祂用一個簡單的故事作為總結：行出祂所講的道理。
這是我們今天教會裡所需要的講道；它可以改變生命。宣揚是不夠的，基督才是答案─我們必須告訴非基督徒，基督是一切的終極答案。單單講述生命必須改變，而沒有提供步驟的証道，只是徒增會眾的內疚與挫折。
許多今天的講道我認為十分糟糕，通篇講章中基本上只是在定這個社會的罪行，與論斷世界周遭的人，像一份診斷書，卻缺少藥單。它只有讓基督徒感到一份優越感，但什麼也不能改變。它們不願點一盞蠟燭，卻寧可詛咒黑暗。
當我看醫生時，我並不要他只是告訴我哪裡出了問題，我要他告訴我採取什麼步驟可以醫治我。今天會眾需要的証道不是「教條式」，而是「如何式」，只有講述而沒有應用的講章會令人沮喪。
有些牧者批評生命應用的講章是粗淺的、簡易的，與次等的。對他們而言，真正的講章是辯證式的、教義型的證道，因此這些人認為保羅比耶穌更深奧，羅馬書比登山寶訓，或其他耶穌的比喻更深。我說，那是異端！
讓人每天更新變化的教導是最深的。慕迪曾說：「聖經並不是來充實我們的知識，而是來改變我們的生命。它的目標是：像基督一般的生命！」
耶穌說，我來是為了叫你得著生命。祂並沒有說，來，你們會得到宗教。基督教是一個生命，而非宗教；耶穌是生命應用的講道者。當祂結束祂的講章時，祂總是要他們去「行」，像祂一樣地去「行」。
像耶穌一樣地講道是向人解釋生命。它會產生一個改變的生活方式。與生命有關的講道不只是教導（inform），它更是改變(transform)。它能夠改變是因為上帝的話語可以應用在人的生活上。教導人們如何過活的講道不愁沒有聽眾。
務必明白一件事：非基督徒並不要求我們更改我們的信息，或加油添醋，他們只要求我們指出信息是不是有意義。換言之，他們想要知道的是，聽了這些信息後會有任何改變嗎？我發現，在美國那些非基督徒對於聖經教導不是沒有興趣─如果教導與應用能夠連上線的話。
我愛向非基督徒傳講神學，但我不會使用神學名詞，或是告訴他們這是神學課題。我發現這是一個頗富挑戰、也十分有趣的工作。我曾經向他們做過一系列講道，
道成肉身、因信稱義等，但我並沒有使用這些字眼。我也作過上帝道德屬性的講道，題目叫：「讓我們認識上帝」。我也對慕道友講過管家、聖靈的工作與7個致命
的罪等講章。
一個普遍的迷思是：你必須將你的信息作一番妥協，以便吸引群眾。耶穌顯然沒有，你不必「轉化」你的信息，只是你必須作一點「翻譯」，用人能明白的語言傳講講章。
3.耶穌用有趣的方式講道
群
眾喜愛聽耶穌講道。馬可福音十二37提到，眾人都喜歡聽祂。眾人喜歡聽你講道嗎？耶穌從來不氣呼呼地要人悔改。有些牧者認為，如果會眾喜愛他的講章，就表
示他講道失敗。我聽過有一位牧師說過，我不是站在這裡取悅（entertain）你們的。幾年前，蓋勒普一項調查顯示，非基督徒認為教會是最無聊的地方。
如果你查一下entertain這個字，你會發現這個字的定義是：抓住別人的注意力，抓了一段長時間。恐怕沒有一個牧師不希望如此吧？為什麼我們怕「有趣」呢？講章並不一定非要很「冷」，才顯得很屬靈。
對非基督徒來說，無趣的講章是不可原宥的，傳講得很無趣的真理是會被人忽略的。反過來說，非基督徒願意聽無聊的演說─如果講得很精采的話。只要你打開電視，你就會知道我所言不虛。
我一直很不解的是，為什麼許多牧者把生動活潑的聖經傳講得如此無趣？我相信：用聖經使人感到厭煩是一樁罪。
問題是：當我把聖經講得很無趣時，人們並不只是認為我無趣，他們認為上帝一定也很乏味。如果我們把聖經講得了無生趣，我們是在「謀殺」上帝的屬性。上帝的信息重要到不容我們用「接受－或－不要」的方式來傳講。
耶穌為什麼抓得住群眾的心理？有些點我也試著使用：
祂的故事都有重點
耶穌是個講故事高手。祂會說：「喂，你聽過某某故事
嗎？」然後講一個比喻，教導別人真理。事實上，聖經告訴我們，講故事是耶穌最喜歡使用的方
式。耶穌用比喻講述重要的道理，祂從來沒有傳講道理而不用比喻的（馬太十三34）。不知不覺中，許多牧者忘了聖經是一本故事書，而故事正是上帝選來作為他
與人們溝通的方式。
使用故事來傳遞屬靈的事，有許多好處：故事引起我們注意。這也是何以電視如此受到歡迎的原
因─電視是一個說故事的機器，不
論是喜劇、連續劇、新聞、Call-in節目，甚至連廣告都是故事。故事激發我們的感情與熱情，故事衝擊我們的方式是條列式的教導方式所不能比擬的。如果
你想要改變別人的生命，你必須琢磨你的講章，使之帶來衝擊，而非只是知識。故事幫助我們記憶─多少人還記得牧師上個月第一個禮拜天那精簡可愛的講道重點
（outline）？但你大約不會忘記祂所說過的那一個感人故事。
故事吸引人─你注意到了嗎？當牧師開始在台上講故事時，台下的耳朵都開始張大起來，而一旦故事結束了，耳朵也跟著縮回去。
耶穌使用簡單的言語
祂並沒有用一堆專業術語或神學字眼，祂用的是一般人都懂得淺顯話語。我們必須認知，耶穌並沒有像一般學者那樣把希臘文掛在嘴邊。祂說亞蘭話，用街頭巷尾市井小民的言語；祂談花、鳥、遺失的金幣，以及日常生活跟每一個人都有關係的事物。
耶穌用簡單的方式教導深奧的事物。但今天我們卻恰巧相反，我們用深奧的方式教導簡單的事物。許多時候，當牧者們以為自己非常艱深的時候，事實上，他們只是顯得故作驚人狀。
時下有許多牧者喜歡炫耀自己的學識，常常在講台上用一點希臘字、神學術語。他們不是靈恩派，但也說著人們不懂得話語。牧者們必須明白，人們根本不像你一
樣，在乎那些個希臘字。史查克（Chuck
Swindoll）有一回告訴我說，他相信，在聖經用字的使用上過分地對希臘字根「追根究底」的話，會讓人對現今英文譯本失去信心。
事實上，史查克、我與海福德－有一次在神學院輪流教授講道學。期末，學生們提到我們幾位授課重點如出一轍─儘量簡化！這是我們事前根本沒有「排演」好的。
將福音複雜化是比較簡單的，撒旦正喜歡我們如此行。使徒保羅即曾擔憂我們的心志「或偏於邪，失去那向基督所存純一清潔的心」（哥林多後書十一3）。
用簡單的方式陳述深奧的道理是需要一番功夫的。愛因斯坦說過：「你真正明白某一件事情嗎？除非你能言簡意賅地解釋給別人聽。」你可能非常了不起，但若你不能用簡單的方式與人分享你的意念，則你的意念價值並不大。
馬鞍峰（Saddleback Valley）在全美國而言，算得上是高學歷的地區，但我發現，我的信息愈單純，上帝愈祝福。
簡單並不一定意味著淺陋，簡單並不一定是容易，簡單意味著明白與易懂。例如，「這是耶和華所定的日子！」是簡單的祝福，而「祝你有個愉快的一天」是簡易的招呼！
今天，大多數人平均用2,000個字就能與人溝通，而日常生活字彙只有900個字。如果你想與大多數人溝通，你非讓你的信息簡單不可。別被那些自命不凡的知識分子唬住了，也許那些盡使用深奧字眼的人正是最沒有安全感的人。
我相信，最簡單的講章大綱是最有力量的，我把人家說我是信息簡單的牧師當作是一個讚美，我的興趣在於看到別人生命的轉變，而不是讓人對我印象深刻。
寧簡勿繁─這就是我！
耶穌─而不是任何人，必須是我們的榜樣。當我們像祂那樣講道，我們便可看見跟祂所看到一樣的結果。
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
葉福成牧師，活在恩典中，創 6:1-9:18
活在恩典中
創世記六章一至九章十八節
葉福成牧師
香港恩福堂
2013.1.13 國語堂
引言
內容：
1. 以生命影響生命（創6:8-9）
8 惟有挪亞在耶和華眼前蒙恩。
9 挪亞的後代記在下面。挪亞是個義人，在當時的世代是個完全人。挪亞與 神同行。
2. 要賣力對外見證（彼後2:5）
5 神也沒有寬容上古的世代，曾叫洪水臨到那不敬虔的世代，卻保護了傳義道的挪亞一家八口。
3. 憑信心往高處行（創8:20-21）
20 挪亞為耶和華築了一座壇，拿各類潔淨的牲畜、飛鳥獻在壇上為燔祭。
21 耶和華聞那馨香之氣，就心裏說：「我不再因人的緣故咒詛地（人從小時心裏懷著惡念），也不再按著我才行的滅各種的活物了。
總結
創世記六章一至九章十八節
葉福成牧師
香港恩福堂
2013.1.13 國語堂
引言
內容：
1. 以生命影響生命（創6:8-9）
8 惟有挪亞在耶和華眼前蒙恩。
9 挪亞的後代記在下面。挪亞是個義人，在當時的世代是個完全人。挪亞與 神同行。
2. 要賣力對外見證（彼後2:5）
5 神也沒有寬容上古的世代，曾叫洪水臨到那不敬虔的世代，卻保護了傳義道的挪亞一家八口。
3. 憑信心往高處行（創8:20-21）
20 挪亞為耶和華築了一座壇，拿各類潔淨的牲畜、飛鳥獻在壇上為燔祭。
21 耶和華聞那馨香之氣，就心裏說：「我不再因人的緣故咒詛地（人從小時心裏懷著惡念），也不再按著我才行的滅各種的活物了。
總結
Authorial Intent by William E. Arp
Authorial Intent
William E. Arp
Professor Of New Testament And Greek
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Introduction
In the second letter to Timothy Paul exhorts him to be an approved, unashamed worker (2:15). Timothy will become this kind of worker by “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word translated “rightly dividing” means literally “cut straight” or “cut right”. The sense of the word in this passage seems to be on the idea of correctness. Paul wants Timothy to correctly handle the word. He wants him to provide a responsible interpretation of the word of truth because of the presence of false teaching.
Later in this same letter to Timothy, Paul charges Timothy to preach the word (4:1–2). Not only does Paul command him to correctly interpret the Word, but he also commands Timothy to preach the word continually. The sequence is important: interpret, and then preach. Correct interpretation is not enough; he must also communicate the truth of the Word. However, interpretation comes before proclamation.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 37
We have that same responsibility today. We must preach and teach the Word of God to our contemporaries in our cultural context. However, we need to interpret correctly before we preach or teach so that what we communicate to our hearers is accurate. Consequently, we also must correctly handle or interpret the Word of God.
To interpret means “to explain the meaning of.” An interpretation, therefore, is the explanation of something. For us it is the explanation of the meaning of the Scriptures. It involves understanding what they mean so that we can convey their meaning to others. In other words, we need to discover the meaning of the Word, whether of the entire book or of a single passage. But what is the meaning of a book or passage of Scripture, and how do we find it? The purpose of this article is to suggest that the meaning of the book or passage of Scripture is the author’s intended meaning and that we discover that meaning by studying the text in which he expressed that meaning.
Presuppositions
This article presupposes the ispiration of Scripture. The Bible itself indicates both the procedure for and product of inspiration. The human authors wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). As a result of this procedure all Scripture is inspired (2 Tim 3:16). God guided and guarded the writers so that their product is a Bible which is inspired by God. Both God and men were involved in the writing of the Bible.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 38
God, the ultimate source of Scripture, spoke through human authors. God is the ultimate author of Scripture, and it is his intention alone that exhaustively determines its meaning.7
This article also presupposes the authority of Scripture. Since the Bible is inspired by God, it comes with His authority. The authority of Scripture is the divine authority of God Himself speaking. It is His revealed will. Revelation results in authority. Therefore, the Bible has the right to tell men what to believe and how to behave. Because of the Bible’s authority for our lives, we need to discover God’s will for us as he revealed it through the human authors.
This article assumes the sufficiency of Scripture. This means that the Bible contains everything we need God to tell us for receiving salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. The Scriptures make the man of God and others complete10 by equipping them for every good work (2 Tim 3:17).
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 39
The word “complete” literally means “well equipped” or “able to meet all demands.”13 The Bible provides all that is necessary for Christians to live godly and righteously. Scripture was written to enable believers to be equipped for every good work. We need not look to any other source for information and instructions concerning salvation or sanctification. Therefore, it is quite important that we discover the author’s intended meaning when we study the Bible.
The Priority Of Interpretation
The priority or goal of interpretation is simply to know the meaning of the Bible. But how do we know the meaning of the Bible? This paper suggests that, in order to know the meaning of the Bible, we must know the author’s meaning. More specifically, then, the goal of interpretation is to know the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text. To put it another way, the goal is to discover what the text meant in the mind of its original author for his intended audience.15
The goal is not to experience or reduplicate the author’s mental and emotional experiences when he wrote. It is to understand what he consciously sought to communicate to his readers. The role of the author is crucial. The biblical author is the determiner of the text’s meaning. The meaning of a text is what the author consciously intended to say by his text.17
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 40
The author was a thinking person who consciously willed to write a text for the purpose of conveying something to his readers. The author had an intended meaning. His intention led to reason and thought. His reason and thought caused him to choose words which controlled the meaning of the text. To interpret, we must in every case reproduce the sense the Scriptural writer intended for his own words. Correct understanding of the meaning of the text must begin with the meanings the writer gave to his own words.
The Term Intended
The first word in our statement of the goal of interpretation is “intended.” It is a key word. It indicates that the writers were conscious of what they were writing. They consciously intended to convey meaning to their readers through their texts. The authors put together the individual words, phrases, and sentences in such a way as to form meaning. They chose genres which their readers understood to form and communicate their intended meaning. To have meaning, there must be intention. The author’s intention is the norm of meaning. Intention affects meaning in three ways.20
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 41
First, words have the sense the writer intends them to have. His intention determines whether his words are to be understood literally or figuratively. Second, the writer’s intention determines the type of language he uses. His language determines the significance of his message. Third, a word has the referent the writer intends it to have. His grammar determines who is the subject or object of his statement or question. The writer’s intention caused him to create the literary context surrounding his text.
The literary context is the most basic factor in interpretation. The literary context gives meaning to the words in the text. The textual context in which a construction is used is a primary factor in determining its intended meaning.23 Intention makes a distinction between what is meant from what could possibly be meant based upon the text and context which the author created. It eliminates any other meanings which the reader may claim to discover in the text. What the author means must be understood from the words of the text in its context.
The Term Meaning
The next term in our goal of interpretation statement is “meaning.” The term refers to that which is intended to be understood. It is that which the author expressed and wished his readers to comprehend. It is the message that the author intends to convey through the text.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 42
Meaning is the product of reasoning and thought. It is expressed in words and relations between words. A word does not usually carry a single meaning by itself; it has a range of meanings. Words are arbitrary symbols that have meaning only as they are related to other words. Meaning is not a function of words, but of the complex of words and context.25
The meaning of a word depends on its relation to other words and to other sentences which form its context. Consequently, words alone are not the basic units of meaning, but rather the literary constructions in which they appear give them meaning.
There are various aspects of meaning. First is meaning as referent. The referent is the object or event to which a word or a whole expression is directed.28 Meaning is affected by whom or what the author is speaking about. Second is meaning as sense. The sense of a word depends on its referent. Third is meaning as intention. The author put together the individual words, phrases, clauses, and sentences in a literary piece so as to form his intended meaning. He consciously sought to communicate something to his readers, and he arranged his writing so as to convey it to them.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 43
The Phrase As Expressed In The Text
The final part of our goal statement is the phrase “as expressed in the text.” “Text” relates to the communication of an event. It is communicative action fixed by writing.31 It refers to the words, phrases, clauses, sentences which the author wrote in order to communicate. It consists of a collection of verbal symbols which his readers understand. Because of the shareability of verbal symbols, the author is able to communicate his meaning.
The text is the vehicle through which the author expresses his intended meaning. He had no other way to communicate his message.
The author consciously willed to write a text in order to communicate something meaningful to his readers. A text does not have a meaning of its own, nor can it produce meaning. Texts do not bring themselves into existence. The meaning of the text is the meaning of the author. It is what he consciously intended to write. What a text meant when the author wrote it, it will always mean. Conversely, a text cannot mean what it never meant. The author’s intended meaning is embedded in history.
Consequently, the author’s intended meaning must be understood from the words and constructions of the text.
Procedure
If the author determines the meaning, how does he determine the meaning? The obvious answer is that he does it through the text of the passage since that is where he expresses his message. This is true. However, the text does not occur alone, but is placed in a context by the author. He determines the meaning of the text by giving meaning to the context in which he places it. The author places the
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 44 passage in a context and connects it to the context. There are two contexts which the author uses to communicate his intended meaning: the historical context and the literary or logical context.
“Context” means that which is “woven together.” It is that which precedes and follows the passage being considered. The author connects it to the passage. However, it is more than just the material which surrounds a passage. The author gives meaning to it. Context is the author’s willed meaning of the passages surrounding the text of the of the passage.34 Consequently, it is the various factors one has to take into consideration together with the text in order to understand the author’s intention.
Historical Context
Historical context refers to the historical situation surrounding the author and his readers. It has to do with the time and culture of both, as well as the occasion which prompted the author to write. The author’s response to the occasion is rooted in his time and culture. He uses language and refers to cultural events which his readers share with him. He uses historical terms and cultural happenings37 to communicate his intended meaning.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 45
Because the author wrote out of a historical milieu, its meanings come out of a historical and cultural context. Consequently, to understand an author and to interpret his words correctly, he must be seen against his historical background.
Literary Context
The literary (logical) context deals with the thought development of a book. The author arranges his book in order to communicate his intended meaning. This influences what he says and when he says it. The author provides context which gives meaning to an individual passage.
He gives meaning to words by placing them in sentences, and he gives meaning to sentences by relating them to preceding and succeeding sentences. He composes sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. Each of these units influences the meaning of the text.
The author’s immediate context is the final indicator for the meaning of a term or concept.42 His use of a word in a specific context constitutes the single most crucial criterion for the meaning of a word. The author creates literary constructions to communicate his intended meaning and creates the context in order to give meaning to his literary constructions.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 46
Entire Book
An important part of the literary context of a passage is the entire book in which a passage occurs. The author’s intended meaning is expressed in the meaning of the whole book. A book is a literary unit in which he joins all his thoughts together. This connection gives the entire book meaning. This meaning is sometimes called the essential summary of the book. This summary gives the interpreter the “big picture” of what the book is all about. It provides the framework for the meaning of the particulars.45 A meaning for a particular which does not fit the meaning of the whole is not correct. We can state it this way,
If we would understand the parts, our wisest course is to get to know the whole or at any rate, those parts of the whole which tell us in plain prose the writer’s central ideas. These give us the keys to all his work. Once we can see the main outlines of his thought and have grasped his general point of view, we are able to see the meaning of everything else…, and how the puzzling passages fit in.
Purpose
This essential summary comes from the author’s purpose and plan for the book. The purpose refers to what the author had in mind when he wrote a book. Something caused the author to write, and that occasion gives rise to his purpose for writing.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 47
The occasional nature means that a book arose out of and was intended for a specific occasion. The author’s intended response to that occasion causes his book to have a purpose. His purpose then determines what he wants to say and how he will say it. His purpose influences every passage in the book. It determines what he writes. The meaning which the author gives to every passage in the book conforms to his purpose for the book as a whole.48
Plan
The author’s purpose leads to his plan. The plan of a book is intimately related to its purpose. The plan of a book is the arrangement of its several parts; the order of thought which the writer pursues.50 The writer had a reason and the writing has arrangement. The author chooses various sequences or relationships to communicate his meaning. He does not communicate isolated thoughts; all thoughts are connected to adjoining thoughts. The author links words and sentences together into organized units related to each other which communicate his message to his readers.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 48
Genre
The author also determines the meaning which he is communicating by the genre he chooses and uses. “Genre” means a literary type. It is a species of literature. It also refers to the rules governing that form. The genre or literary form which the writer chooses governs the meaning of sentences.53
The biblical writers used different literary forms which would communicate that message adequately and accurately. They used literary and linguistic convention in order to communicate with their readers.
That meaning comes from the author’s intention is clearly seen in the literary context, in the purpose and plan of a whole book, and in the various genres found in the Bible. The author chose and designed each of these factors. He determined the meaning of each passage by surrounding it with a context which gave it meaning. He also connected his purpose to his plan in order to influence its meaning. Finally, the author chose certain genres which enable him to communicate his message effectively.
Problem
This paper has suggested that the meaning of any passage of Scripture is the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text. In addition, this paper also suggests that, since God inspired the human authors as they wrote the Bible, the human author’s meaning is God’s meaning also. This dual authorship of Scripture presents a problem related to “authorial intent.” It deals with the “single intent” of the human author’s intended meaning. It is related to God’s purpose in the writing of a book. Can God’s ultimate purpose be much broader than the immediate purpose of the human author?
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 49
This problem surfaces especially in the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. The NT writers seem to understand OT passages differently than the OT writers intended them to be understood.
This use by the NT writers has produced the following questions. Could God see or intend a sense in a particular passage separate and different from that conceived and intended by the human author? Did the human author always intend all the sense which emerges from the passage? Did he always understand all the referents in the passage? Is it possible that a prophecy may have a deeper meaning or “fuller” sense than the prophet envisioned?
The responses to these questions have been quite different. At one end of the spectrum is the view that the meaning which God has assigned to any passage of Scripture can only be ascertained by studying the verbal meanings of the human writer. There is only one verbal meaning to a passage of Scripture unless the author indicates that he has more than one aim in view.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 50
At the other end is the position that the New Testament writers were rarely concerned with what happened or what the Old Testament text originally meant. While it is not the purpose of this article to discuss the various views concerning the NT writers’ use of the OT,59 it is to inform the readers of the problem which comes out of authorial intent position.
Conclusion
Not only is God’s Word inspired, but it comes to us with authority. It has the right to tell us what to believe and how to behave. It has this authority in our own lives and in the lives of those to whom we minister. For this reason it is necessary for us to understand the Scriptures correctly and then teach them correctly. This requires interpretation. This means that we need to understand the meaning of the Scriptures as correctly as possible. In order to understand the meaning of Scripture as correctly as possible, we must attempt to discover the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text.
. Vol. 4: Journal of Ministry and Theology Volume 4. 2000 (1) (34–50). Clark Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College.
William E. Arp
Professor Of New Testament And Greek
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Introduction
In the second letter to Timothy Paul exhorts him to be an approved, unashamed worker (2:15). Timothy will become this kind of worker by “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word translated “rightly dividing” means literally “cut straight” or “cut right”. The sense of the word in this passage seems to be on the idea of correctness. Paul wants Timothy to correctly handle the word. He wants him to provide a responsible interpretation of the word of truth because of the presence of false teaching.
Later in this same letter to Timothy, Paul charges Timothy to preach the word (4:1–2). Not only does Paul command him to correctly interpret the Word, but he also commands Timothy to preach the word continually. The sequence is important: interpret, and then preach. Correct interpretation is not enough; he must also communicate the truth of the Word. However, interpretation comes before proclamation.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 37
We have that same responsibility today. We must preach and teach the Word of God to our contemporaries in our cultural context. However, we need to interpret correctly before we preach or teach so that what we communicate to our hearers is accurate. Consequently, we also must correctly handle or interpret the Word of God.
To interpret means “to explain the meaning of.” An interpretation, therefore, is the explanation of something. For us it is the explanation of the meaning of the Scriptures. It involves understanding what they mean so that we can convey their meaning to others. In other words, we need to discover the meaning of the Word, whether of the entire book or of a single passage. But what is the meaning of a book or passage of Scripture, and how do we find it? The purpose of this article is to suggest that the meaning of the book or passage of Scripture is the author’s intended meaning and that we discover that meaning by studying the text in which he expressed that meaning.
Presuppositions
This article presupposes the ispiration of Scripture. The Bible itself indicates both the procedure for and product of inspiration. The human authors wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). As a result of this procedure all Scripture is inspired (2 Tim 3:16). God guided and guarded the writers so that their product is a Bible which is inspired by God. Both God and men were involved in the writing of the Bible.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 38
God, the ultimate source of Scripture, spoke through human authors. God is the ultimate author of Scripture, and it is his intention alone that exhaustively determines its meaning.7
This article also presupposes the authority of Scripture. Since the Bible is inspired by God, it comes with His authority. The authority of Scripture is the divine authority of God Himself speaking. It is His revealed will. Revelation results in authority. Therefore, the Bible has the right to tell men what to believe and how to behave. Because of the Bible’s authority for our lives, we need to discover God’s will for us as he revealed it through the human authors.
This article assumes the sufficiency of Scripture. This means that the Bible contains everything we need God to tell us for receiving salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. The Scriptures make the man of God and others complete10 by equipping them for every good work (2 Tim 3:17).
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 39
The word “complete” literally means “well equipped” or “able to meet all demands.”13 The Bible provides all that is necessary for Christians to live godly and righteously. Scripture was written to enable believers to be equipped for every good work. We need not look to any other source for information and instructions concerning salvation or sanctification. Therefore, it is quite important that we discover the author’s intended meaning when we study the Bible.
The Priority Of Interpretation
The priority or goal of interpretation is simply to know the meaning of the Bible. But how do we know the meaning of the Bible? This paper suggests that, in order to know the meaning of the Bible, we must know the author’s meaning. More specifically, then, the goal of interpretation is to know the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text. To put it another way, the goal is to discover what the text meant in the mind of its original author for his intended audience.15
The goal is not to experience or reduplicate the author’s mental and emotional experiences when he wrote. It is to understand what he consciously sought to communicate to his readers. The role of the author is crucial. The biblical author is the determiner of the text’s meaning. The meaning of a text is what the author consciously intended to say by his text.17
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 40
The author was a thinking person who consciously willed to write a text for the purpose of conveying something to his readers. The author had an intended meaning. His intention led to reason and thought. His reason and thought caused him to choose words which controlled the meaning of the text. To interpret, we must in every case reproduce the sense the Scriptural writer intended for his own words. Correct understanding of the meaning of the text must begin with the meanings the writer gave to his own words.
The Term Intended
The first word in our statement of the goal of interpretation is “intended.” It is a key word. It indicates that the writers were conscious of what they were writing. They consciously intended to convey meaning to their readers through their texts. The authors put together the individual words, phrases, and sentences in such a way as to form meaning. They chose genres which their readers understood to form and communicate their intended meaning. To have meaning, there must be intention. The author’s intention is the norm of meaning. Intention affects meaning in three ways.20
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 41
First, words have the sense the writer intends them to have. His intention determines whether his words are to be understood literally or figuratively. Second, the writer’s intention determines the type of language he uses. His language determines the significance of his message. Third, a word has the referent the writer intends it to have. His grammar determines who is the subject or object of his statement or question. The writer’s intention caused him to create the literary context surrounding his text.
The literary context is the most basic factor in interpretation. The literary context gives meaning to the words in the text. The textual context in which a construction is used is a primary factor in determining its intended meaning.23 Intention makes a distinction between what is meant from what could possibly be meant based upon the text and context which the author created. It eliminates any other meanings which the reader may claim to discover in the text. What the author means must be understood from the words of the text in its context.
The Term Meaning
The next term in our goal of interpretation statement is “meaning.” The term refers to that which is intended to be understood. It is that which the author expressed and wished his readers to comprehend. It is the message that the author intends to convey through the text.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 42
Meaning is the product of reasoning and thought. It is expressed in words and relations between words. A word does not usually carry a single meaning by itself; it has a range of meanings. Words are arbitrary symbols that have meaning only as they are related to other words. Meaning is not a function of words, but of the complex of words and context.25
The meaning of a word depends on its relation to other words and to other sentences which form its context. Consequently, words alone are not the basic units of meaning, but rather the literary constructions in which they appear give them meaning.
There are various aspects of meaning. First is meaning as referent. The referent is the object or event to which a word or a whole expression is directed.28 Meaning is affected by whom or what the author is speaking about. Second is meaning as sense. The sense of a word depends on its referent. Third is meaning as intention. The author put together the individual words, phrases, clauses, and sentences in a literary piece so as to form his intended meaning. He consciously sought to communicate something to his readers, and he arranged his writing so as to convey it to them.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 43
The Phrase As Expressed In The Text
The final part of our goal statement is the phrase “as expressed in the text.” “Text” relates to the communication of an event. It is communicative action fixed by writing.31 It refers to the words, phrases, clauses, sentences which the author wrote in order to communicate. It consists of a collection of verbal symbols which his readers understand. Because of the shareability of verbal symbols, the author is able to communicate his meaning.
The text is the vehicle through which the author expresses his intended meaning. He had no other way to communicate his message.
The author consciously willed to write a text in order to communicate something meaningful to his readers. A text does not have a meaning of its own, nor can it produce meaning. Texts do not bring themselves into existence. The meaning of the text is the meaning of the author. It is what he consciously intended to write. What a text meant when the author wrote it, it will always mean. Conversely, a text cannot mean what it never meant. The author’s intended meaning is embedded in history.
Consequently, the author’s intended meaning must be understood from the words and constructions of the text.
Procedure
If the author determines the meaning, how does he determine the meaning? The obvious answer is that he does it through the text of the passage since that is where he expresses his message. This is true. However, the text does not occur alone, but is placed in a context by the author. He determines the meaning of the text by giving meaning to the context in which he places it. The author places the
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 44 passage in a context and connects it to the context. There are two contexts which the author uses to communicate his intended meaning: the historical context and the literary or logical context.
“Context” means that which is “woven together.” It is that which precedes and follows the passage being considered. The author connects it to the passage. However, it is more than just the material which surrounds a passage. The author gives meaning to it. Context is the author’s willed meaning of the passages surrounding the text of the of the passage.34 Consequently, it is the various factors one has to take into consideration together with the text in order to understand the author’s intention.
Historical Context
Historical context refers to the historical situation surrounding the author and his readers. It has to do with the time and culture of both, as well as the occasion which prompted the author to write. The author’s response to the occasion is rooted in his time and culture. He uses language and refers to cultural events which his readers share with him. He uses historical terms and cultural happenings37 to communicate his intended meaning.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 45
Because the author wrote out of a historical milieu, its meanings come out of a historical and cultural context. Consequently, to understand an author and to interpret his words correctly, he must be seen against his historical background.
Literary Context
The literary (logical) context deals with the thought development of a book. The author arranges his book in order to communicate his intended meaning. This influences what he says and when he says it. The author provides context which gives meaning to an individual passage.
He gives meaning to words by placing them in sentences, and he gives meaning to sentences by relating them to preceding and succeeding sentences. He composes sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. Each of these units influences the meaning of the text.
The author’s immediate context is the final indicator for the meaning of a term or concept.42 His use of a word in a specific context constitutes the single most crucial criterion for the meaning of a word. The author creates literary constructions to communicate his intended meaning and creates the context in order to give meaning to his literary constructions.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 46
Entire Book
An important part of the literary context of a passage is the entire book in which a passage occurs. The author’s intended meaning is expressed in the meaning of the whole book. A book is a literary unit in which he joins all his thoughts together. This connection gives the entire book meaning. This meaning is sometimes called the essential summary of the book. This summary gives the interpreter the “big picture” of what the book is all about. It provides the framework for the meaning of the particulars.45 A meaning for a particular which does not fit the meaning of the whole is not correct. We can state it this way,
If we would understand the parts, our wisest course is to get to know the whole or at any rate, those parts of the whole which tell us in plain prose the writer’s central ideas. These give us the keys to all his work. Once we can see the main outlines of his thought and have grasped his general point of view, we are able to see the meaning of everything else…, and how the puzzling passages fit in.
Purpose
This essential summary comes from the author’s purpose and plan for the book. The purpose refers to what the author had in mind when he wrote a book. Something caused the author to write, and that occasion gives rise to his purpose for writing.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 47
The occasional nature means that a book arose out of and was intended for a specific occasion. The author’s intended response to that occasion causes his book to have a purpose. His purpose then determines what he wants to say and how he will say it. His purpose influences every passage in the book. It determines what he writes. The meaning which the author gives to every passage in the book conforms to his purpose for the book as a whole.48
Plan
The author’s purpose leads to his plan. The plan of a book is intimately related to its purpose. The plan of a book is the arrangement of its several parts; the order of thought which the writer pursues.50 The writer had a reason and the writing has arrangement. The author chooses various sequences or relationships to communicate his meaning. He does not communicate isolated thoughts; all thoughts are connected to adjoining thoughts. The author links words and sentences together into organized units related to each other which communicate his message to his readers.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 48
Genre
The author also determines the meaning which he is communicating by the genre he chooses and uses. “Genre” means a literary type. It is a species of literature. It also refers to the rules governing that form. The genre or literary form which the writer chooses governs the meaning of sentences.53
The biblical writers used different literary forms which would communicate that message adequately and accurately. They used literary and linguistic convention in order to communicate with their readers.
That meaning comes from the author’s intention is clearly seen in the literary context, in the purpose and plan of a whole book, and in the various genres found in the Bible. The author chose and designed each of these factors. He determined the meaning of each passage by surrounding it with a context which gave it meaning. He also connected his purpose to his plan in order to influence its meaning. Finally, the author chose certain genres which enable him to communicate his message effectively.
Problem
This paper has suggested that the meaning of any passage of Scripture is the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text. In addition, this paper also suggests that, since God inspired the human authors as they wrote the Bible, the human author’s meaning is God’s meaning also. This dual authorship of Scripture presents a problem related to “authorial intent.” It deals with the “single intent” of the human author’s intended meaning. It is related to God’s purpose in the writing of a book. Can God’s ultimate purpose be much broader than the immediate purpose of the human author?
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 49
This problem surfaces especially in the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. The NT writers seem to understand OT passages differently than the OT writers intended them to be understood.
This use by the NT writers has produced the following questions. Could God see or intend a sense in a particular passage separate and different from that conceived and intended by the human author? Did the human author always intend all the sense which emerges from the passage? Did he always understand all the referents in the passage? Is it possible that a prophecy may have a deeper meaning or “fuller” sense than the prophet envisioned?
The responses to these questions have been quite different. At one end of the spectrum is the view that the meaning which God has assigned to any passage of Scripture can only be ascertained by studying the verbal meanings of the human writer. There is only one verbal meaning to a passage of Scripture unless the author indicates that he has more than one aim in view.
JMAT 4:1 (Spr 00) p. 50
At the other end is the position that the New Testament writers were rarely concerned with what happened or what the Old Testament text originally meant. While it is not the purpose of this article to discuss the various views concerning the NT writers’ use of the OT,59 it is to inform the readers of the problem which comes out of authorial intent position.
Conclusion
Not only is God’s Word inspired, but it comes to us with authority. It has the right to tell us what to believe and how to behave. It has this authority in our own lives and in the lives of those to whom we minister. For this reason it is necessary for us to understand the Scriptures correctly and then teach them correctly. This requires interpretation. This means that we need to understand the meaning of the Scriptures as correctly as possible. In order to understand the meaning of Scripture as correctly as possible, we must attempt to discover the author’s intended meaning as expressed in the text.
. Vol. 4: Journal of Ministry and Theology Volume 4. 2000 (1) (34–50). Clark Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College.
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