Hermeneutics: Context and Biblical Interpretation Principles

Introduction: Why Context Matters in Reading the Epistles

When reading the epistles of Holy Scripture, it is important to keep in mind their historical and literary context. Doing so gives the reader a better grasp of the reality of the faith: rather than mere words seeming to have floated down from Heaven, the epistles appear as true and actual letters of encouragement and doctrine designed to elevate and instruct very specific members of the early Church. One of the most remarkable things about learning the historical and literary context of the epistles is the incredible versatility with which they were composed for very diverse audiences — whether Jew, Roman, Gentile, or fellow Apostle. Understanding the epistles in context brings the Word of God to life in the same way that learning more about an author and the time and place in which he lived helps bring his subjects to life. This paper clarifies why historical and literary context are so important in understanding and properly interpreting the epistles, and it also summarizes the basic hermeneutical principles.

If the early Church had not wished for readers to keep in mind the context of the epistles, they would not have made it a point to include — within the gathering of Sacred Scripture — the openings of the letters in which certain places, churches, or persons are addressed. The sheer fact that they did so is an indication of the way in which the epistolary letters should be viewed, and in fact it is the way they have always been viewed.

Historical and Literary Context in the Epistles

Historical and literary context also tells us about the way in which apologetics is designed to work. As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law…" (1 Cor 9:19–20). St. Paul himself reveals how both historical and literary context should shape our understanding: the history behind St. Paul's letters illustrates the grandeur of the Church's mission, and the literary style shows the passion and zeal with which they were composed — not to win men through poetic style but through truth first. St. Paul's style flows from the humbling knowledge that he is in possession of that truth.

The basic hermeneutical principles may be summarized as follows:

1) Historico-grammatical interpretation: For centuries the Church based all interpretation on the Latin Vulgate translation of the original texts, produced by St. Jerome and commissioned by Pope Damasus in 382. Historical-grammatical interpretation relies upon the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic texts only when it was deemed necessary to obtain a clearer understanding of Jerome's Latin.

The Four Core Hermeneutical Principles

2) Official interpretation: Since the Church was given the keys to Heaven by God, it has observed as its function the role of official interpreter of Sacred Scripture, relying heavily upon the wisdom of the early Church Fathers.

3) Reverence: Because Sacred Scripture is the inspired Word of God, all study of it should be undertaken with a humble spirit of prayer, devotion, and reverence.

4) Inerrancy: Because it is the Word of God, any claims that Scripture contains internal contradictions or errors must be discounted.

Conclusion

Hermeneutics is the study of biblical interpretation, and without taking into consideration such things as historical and literary context, as well as the opinions of the early Church Fathers, no serious study of interpretation can be undertaken. History, language, and guidance are all available for our use, and should be considered whenever possible.