The Bible
Presuppositions
Jeremiah 36:23-24
23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four
columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into
the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in
the fire that was on the hearth. 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did they
tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these
words.
NKJV
So what are presuppositions?
These are the underlying rules or views which we hold about God's Word. They influence our view of the origin, authority, and purpose of the Bible. I believe a correct list of presuppositions would look like this:
- The Bible is a supernatural book, God's written revelation given to prepared and selected spokespersons by inspiration.
- It is authoritative and true.
- It manifests unparalleled spiritual worth and a capacity to change lives.
- Its divine authorship conveys to the Bible an inherent unity.
- It is understandable - there are no "hidden" codes or meanings which only scholars or those with special knowledge may discern.
- The 66 books of the Bible are the "canon" or proper books which God inspired. There are no others.
- The views of 1 Corinthians
2:12-16 are true, that only through the Holy Spirit may man truly understand
the meanings and purposes of the Bible.
1 Corinthians 2:12-16
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Understand, however, that this last presupposition does not mean that unsaved man will never understand any of the Bible. Man, being created in God's image, is intelligent. Many good studies of the language, cultural, and historical perspectives of ancient times come from the unsaved. These are all useful in arriving at a proper interpretation of some aspects of the Scriptures.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit will use the Word of God to draw men to Christ so that the salvation message may be heard and understood. In this sense three instruments exist which are used to bring the unbeliever to Christ. They are the Gospel message, the Holy Spirit, and the Testimony of believers.
The goal of hermeneutics is to find the meaning the biblical writers "meant" to communicate at the time of the communication, at least to the extent that those intentions are recoverable in the texts they produced.
Yet the Bible through the illumination of the Holy Spirit will still "speak" to the individual today, not with new revelation knowledge from or about God, but with a practical application of spiritual knowledge in the life of the individual.
