I have begun a series of articles dealing with the foundation of the Christian WorldView: Part One – The Christian WorldView – The Proper Presupposition and Part Two – The Christian WorldView – Interpreting Scripture. Our view of interpreting Scripture is on par in importance with Scripture itself. Wrong interpretation ultimately ends in a wrong view of life in general and a wrong view of Who God is. For extreme examples of interpreting Scripture incorrectly, check out the beliefs of the Mormons (LDS), Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), among others. Our view of Scripture is upmost of importance, and our interpretation thereof is equally important.
Within Part One, we discussed the Bible’s Nature, Inspiration, Unity, Infallibility, Authority, Necessity, Clarity, and Sufficiency. Part Two discussed interpreting Scripture with Scripture and that the only rule of interpreting Scripture is via CONTEXT or more specifically, the micro-context.
But we must understand that the micro-context is not the only context of which we must be aware. Much of the preaching produced today strictly limits itself to the micro-context without much regard to the macro-context. We must begin with the micro-context and connect it to the macro-context (i.e. the larger context of the particular book and of Scripture as a whole).
First, we must understand the Scriptures the apostles referred to were the complete Old Testament, but they did not limit it to the Old Testament at times because the New Testament was in the process of being written and would later become a part of the Scriptural Canon. This, in turn, does not limit us to the Old Testament because the New Testament is that which makes the Old Testament clear. Both are necessary.
Paul writes to Timothy, “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Some would argue that Paul is discussing the specific passages the New Testament explicitly states are speaking of Christ. But there are many commentaries which would disagree. The general consensus speak of the “sacred writings” as the complete Old Testament.
A quick sampling of such an interpretation of 2 Timothy 3:15:
Forerunner Commentary on Bible Tools says,
“At the time Paul wrote this, “all scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable” referred to the Old Testament.”
Searching God’s Word says,
“Scholars agree that this verse applies to the Old Testament, but the error comes when some of them also refer 2 Tim. 3:16 to the Old Testament, on the premise that the New Testament at the time of Paul’s writing had not been written. Nevertheless, a great deal of the New Testament had indeed already been written. In fact every book of the New Testament preceding 2 Timothy, of which there are no less than fifteen, had already been in circulation for a period of time covering up to three decades! Indeed some of the New Testament was to come subsequently to the publication of 2 Timothy, but as regards the central message of the New Testament, it had already been published for decades; besides that, Paul left room here for whatever writings in the future might qualify as Scripture. Also, the notion that Paul did not consider his own writings as Scripture is also false. Time and again in his epistles, he used the ancient formula of the prophets of God, “thus saith the Lord,” or “He saith,” as in Ephesians 4:8; 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:15, etc. Therefore, 2 Tim. 3:15 refers to the Old Testament, and 2 Tim. 3:16 refers to the New Testament, in addition to and inclusive of the Old Testament, thus, to both the Old Testament and the New Testament.”
Apologetics Press comments,
“Primarily when the term “Scripture(s)” is found in the New Testament it is used in reference to the Old Testament. In fact, 52 times one can read the word “Scripture(s)” in the King James translation of New Testament, and nearly every time it is referring only to the Old Testament. However, at least two times this term is used when referring to both the Old Testament and the writings that eventually would become the New Testament. For example, Paul quoted Luke 10:7 as “Scripture” in his first epistle to Timothy (5:18). And in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter placed Paul’s letters on a par with the Old Testament Scriptures when he compared them to ‘the rest of the Scriptures.’”
Evangel Baptist states,
“TIMOTHY was a young church leader whom the Apostle Paul had trained as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He had grown up in a Jewish home and had been well schooled in the Old Testament Scriptures since childhood (2 Timothy 3:15).”
The Linked Bible from BJU says,
“C the sacred writings (of the OT)”
Now notice that Paul mentions the whole of the Old Testament in conjunction with salvation: “which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
(Before we proceed any further, I strongly recommend you read an article posted on eucatastrophe regarding The Hypostatic Union and Gospel-Centered Preaching. Granted, it is long, but it is well worth the time and effort)
Rob Wilkerson compares Paul’s writings like this:
“Romans 1. He begins the letter by pointing to “Christ Jesus…which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures (OT), concerning His Son…who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead…Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace…” (1-5). Then he prays for them, thanking “God through Jesus Christ” for all of them.” The reason he thanks God through Jesus Christ is because, the God whom he served “in the preaching of the gospel of His Son,” was his witness as to how unceasingly he made mention of them in his prayers. IOW his incessant preaching of Christ and Him crucified was the witness he calls to verify his incessant thanksgiving to God for them. Or, the grammar argues that his prayer life is noted by and confirmed by His redemption-centered preaching.
1 Corinthians. Opening in verse 2, after referring to his calling by Christ Jesus, he writes to “the church of God…to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” The sanctification and calling both have reference to redemption, without which there would be neither sanctification nor calling. The rest of chapter one through chapter two bears this out as his central theme. Then he begins praying. “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus…” That would have to be saving grace, redeeming grace, the grace rooted in redemption.
(I couldn’t help here but point out Paul’s emphasis in preaching again. “But we preach Christ crucified…” (1 Cor. 1:23). “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).)
2 Corinthians. After greeting them in the first three verses, he begins blessing God, “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also through our comfort is abundant through Christ” (vv. 4-5). The sufferings of Christ (a reference to His work) is the grounds on which Paul comforts himself and others, as well as the ground on which they are to comfort themselves and others.
Galatians. Paul begins with blessing God again, the God of “the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (v. 4). Interesting here in this epistle is that the entire thing is devoted to showing how they had been seduced by another gospel, one on which their ‘identity’ was prescribed not by Christ and His work, but by their adherence to OT law again.
Ephesians. Paul begins by blessing God again, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…” (vv. 3,7, et. al). ANd with reference to just how big of a role Christ plays in the revelation of God, Paul refers to the mystery of God’s will concerning “the summing up of all things in Christ…” (v. 10).
Philippians. He begins by praying to God thanking Him for the Philippians participation in the gospel (v. 5). He was confident that God, having begun the work (of redemption) in them would complete it until the day Jesus returned (v. 6). Further, he testifies that, with God as his witness, he longed for them all with the affection of Christ Jesus (hearkening us back to the issue of ‘love’ discussed earlier in this thread – God’s love is consummated in Christ’s love). Finally, the object of his blessing and prayer is that they would be filled “with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ…” (v. 11). That has clear reference to the truth that every fruit they bear in life – and indeed everything in their life – has reference to the righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus, only a result of his redemption.
Colossians. Their faith in Christ Jesus (v. 4) begins his prayers – presumably their faith in Christ’s redemption, righteousness, etc. Verse 5 verifies this with reference again to the gospel. The power hit comes in the prayer in verses 9-14. There I have preached such a wonderful and dynamic prayer before without reference to redemption. Yet the entire prayer is summed up in God’s rescuing us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (v. 14). So all of the God-centered walk and talk of obedience to which he refers in the prayer are based grammatically (from the causal ‘gar’) on verses 13-14, on Christ’s redemption.
1 Thessalonians. The gospel is the center of his thanksgiving (v. 5).
2 Thessalonians. The gospel is the center of thanksgiving as well as comfort; the comfort that comes from knowing that those who persecuted them (‘those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus) will get their just desserts (v. 8).
1 Timothy. There is no prayer here, but the epistle begins with a warning regarding that which is “contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God…” (vv. 10-11).
Titus. Paul’s appeal to his apostolic authority comes direction from :”God our Savior…Christ Jesus our Savior” (vv. 3,4).
Philemon. The love and faith which Philemon had toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints has obvious reference to redeeming love which had filled his heart, filling him with a desire to love and serve others, just as Christ had served him and his household.
Now, what do all of these examples teach except that not only in Paul’s preaching but also in his praying, Jesus Christ as Savior, as redeemer, as forgiver of sins, as rescuer, and lover, etc. is the central and primary point? Does this mean that the rest of God’s revelation of Himself is not important? By no means. It just shows that Christ, and specifically Christ with reference to His saving work, is the primary and central revelation of God which God desires us to know.”
If Paul’s emphasis was Christ and Him crucified and the Scriptures available to him were the Old Testament, then we must learn from Paul that the Old Testament provided the revelation of God for salvation through faith in Christ.
If all of this is true, and I believe it is, the key hermeneutic which unlocks all of Scripture (both OT and NT) is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the Gospel as the key hermeneutic, the knowledge we obtain about God is not a saving faith because Jesus Christ is the sole Mediator between God and Man.
