Biblical Interpretation Essay

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Clearly biblical interpretation has certain processes that it follows making it scientific, but one cannot deny that there is also something artistic about it. Biblical interpretation does have a scientific side to it with the endless amounts of research that goes into translating and better understanding the biblical text. As it says on page 5 of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, "We use rules principles, methods, and tactics to "decode" them.", but the book goes on to say that "communication cannot be reduced solely to quantifiable and precise rules." I would argue that the heart of interpretation is artistic. Science can show us what is correct, but the artistic side is what connects the person to the text. Their passion to know and …show more content…

The Bible commands that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength (Mark 12:30). If we are to love God with all our hearts they must be valuable. Also right after the Bible says that the heart is deceitful of all things it follows with Jeremiah 17:10 that says, “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” The Lord knows our hearts and though many argue a particular choice is logical a lot of our actions, motives, thoughts, and desires are led by our heart. As Christians we subject ourselves to the authority of the Bible restraining ourselves from what is not pleasing to God which keeps our hearts in check, but this does not mean that our hearts are not the guiding motivation of many choices. If there is no faith in the action of interpreting the biblical text than it is theoretically pointless for that person. If someone’s heart not in something than why pursue it. For these reasons I deep biblical interpretation as more artistic than

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