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Hermeneutics

David & Kelly

I know that hermeneutics is interpretation of God's Word, but what am I missing? Am I missing anything? The best interpretation of the Bible comes from the Holy Spirit revealing the hidden meanings. I am halfway through my Pastoral Counseling and Addiction Recovery master's class. It is a shortened version rather than taking the classes one does to be a Pastor.
Hermeneutics was not added to this program, and I really think it should be there. But as it was explained to me by my professor who teaches Hermeneutics in the shortened master's program some classes just do not have room to be there. In graduate classes the student is unable to add classes to that program. However, I can sign up for each of the 2 classes independent of the master's program. 3 credits I pay out of pocket, and I have enough Fafsa to do this. God has called me to work with this kind of what I call students (young adults). Knowing how they ask questions I want to be prepared to answer them but not to say I will get back to you when I look and seek your answer.

I have had God reveal things to me in Scripture that I have never seen before or understood. A total of 6 credits would be just over 4000.00 dollars; I am unable to put a price on studying God's Word. I have the funds and I have been praying and seeking an answer from God what it is He wants me to do, and He has been very quiet. God has taken a burning heart for Christ and turned it into a blaze. I want to teach God's Word so badly not as a pastor I have been married before, to teach students about the Word of God. I am like a huge sponge; I just never can never get enough of His Word inside of me.

I will be 61 at graduation, Abraham was much older when God called him. Age is just a number. What can I do to understand more about Hermeneutics? God called me to this ministry, and I do not want to prolong His timing for the plans He has for me.

How would taking this beginning hermeneutics class followed by a master's Hermeneutics class Glorify God and benefit me to help bring the Father glory as I strive to complete God's plans? I just feel like I am missing so much more if I do not take these classes. Help please, I need the wisdom of others discernment to guide me along. In Christ. David

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Dave Hooton

@David & Kelly I know that hermeneutics is interpretation of God's Word, but what am I missing?

If you believe that "The best interpretation of the Bible comes from the Holy Spirit revealing the hidden meanings" then you are not missing anything! But I think a "beginning hermeneutics class" would be beneficial, otherwise one gets into a study of hermeneutics which defeats the objective of biblical interpretation. But let me balance this personal view with a more scholarly view:

"Whereas exegesis and interpretation denote the actual processes of interpreting texts, hermeneutics also includes the second-order discipline of asking critically what exactly we are doing when we read, understand, or apply texts. Hermeneutics explores the conditions and criteria that operate to try to ensure responsible, valid, fruitful, or appropriate interpretation". Porter, S. E., & Stovell, B. M. (2012) Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views (pp. 9–10). IVP Academic.

The Five Views are presented in Part 1 with Responses to each of the other views in Part 2 i.e. each author commenting on the Views of the other four authors. So this is getting into a study of hermeneutics when I will be guided by the Holy Spirit as to an interpretation of its principles for my bible study i.e. I would broadly use the Historical-Critical/Grammatical View with a jaundiced view of its literal use by Dispensationalists, where Grammar is often used at the expense of context (and they will often throw in a 'doctrine' to substantiate an interpretation!).

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Dave Hooton

@David & Kelly I know that hermeneutics is interpretation of God's Word, but what am I missing?

David & Kelly

Wow, Dave that really helps a lot. I am always blessed by your answers and how you help me. God is definitely using you to help my understanding. You know, After my AVM rupture in the right rear of my brain a top 10 specialist in neuro did a craniotomy and removed what came with my conception and clamped off either end. How checked my brain out pretty well for anything else. I have a loss of 3 weeks in my life starting when the helicopter took me into the E/R and said "Where do you want him." my wife said I was completely awake and tried to get out of the bed to go to the bathroom. They even put big heavy mittens on me to keep me from being ornery pulling off my leads on my chest. This rupture was a stroke, I drew the short straw of 1 in 700 men that have these. I got the gloves off with my teeth.

Kelly told me I was becoming irritated by all my family in the room I was in and I wanted them to go wait outside as Kelly stayed in there with me. My being ornery ended as the nurse asked me if my head hurt and i said yes shaking my head. I have some residual things that remain. I am completely functional but like with assignments as I read them I interpret what I need to do differently.

Dave, are you in ministry? I really appreciate and feel very gracious that God is using you to answer my questions, they are not confusing at all for me.

David & Kelly

Dave, I have you heard of the SCORRE Method for writing a sermon? I learned to do this in "The Practical Teaching of Scripture." The Dr. that taught it had been in the Philippines for 6 years teaching men to be able to pastor or lead with God's Word using this method. He as well is a pastor also and mentioned that the SCORRE process is something that is newer being taught in seminary.

I had to write a sermon using that process and had to be 20 minutes no longer than 45. I said to myself how am I going to get 5 minutes? In Mark the parable of the soils was my sermon, this class set my fire to teach into a blaze confirming what God placed in my heart. Even though I cannot be a pastor, one of my professors mentioned about me being involved with a Para-Ministry.

The only thing I know for sure is that God has told me in 2012 during communion at church while praying that He wants to have me with student age ministry. I trust that between now and graduation God will let me in on the rest of His story for my life. In Christ. David

Theophan Dort

We're all different in how we learn best. I don't learn very well from hearing, and I really love books and I learn well from reading, so of course I want to suggest that you just read a book on hermeneutics, and maybe ask here what others might suggest as a good basic book on hermeneutics. That will be WAY cheaper than taking another course!

But I also know that many people learn better by hearing, and not so well from books, so maybe a course indeed would be better for you. You surely know how you learn best. But there are also courses and videos on hermeneutics available in Logos, and it's possible you already have some of them in your library! I'm quite sure I have some that were free/included in libraries or subscription. Open your library and search for hermeneutics and see what you find.

It might be worth looking at some of Logos's libraries/bundles to see if there are materials there you'd be interested in at a great price. A few examples I see:

https://www.logos.com/product/244699/logos-9-bronze-legacy-library Is only $20 or so, and has many resources relevant to heretics, notably including https://www.logos.com/product/3182/the-hermeneutical-spiral-a-comprehensive-introduction-to-biblical-interpretation?queryId=79a21277b6a2f6f8b4767b4a568578c8 which I've seen many people recommend.
Several of the "Learner" or "Starter" libraries have resources related to hermeneutics, including https://www.logos.com/product/28579/basic-bible-interpretation by Roy Zuck, which was a little too heavily Protesteant for this (Eastern) Orthodox Christian to completely enjoy, but I believe many people really love it. You can look to see which of them have more books you'd find valuable. Three of them are
https://www.logos.com/product/438400/biblical-interpretation-library-expansion-s has MANY resources on hermeneutics, and it's more than a buck or two, but it's way less than most courses would be.

See if others here recommend a good book, or even an online course, though they're going to be more expensive (you can put one on your wish list and wait for a while to see if it comes on sale at a discount).