hermeneutics - a rebuttal

Yet another in a series of Pyromaniac slight of hand. Here Frank Turk states that these posters, "are a demonstration of God's love for the world by being funny." Phil Johnson even confesses that he was. "just feeling a little bit mischievous..." Mike, a commenter, concludes this about EC'ers, "On a theological level ... it's just extremely troubling. They're just like the world. They are the world."

Solameanie, vying for Frank Turk's spot in the circus, decides it's time to generally demean Emergents.

Phil,

You're going to be the death of me yet. Snorting coffee down one's windpipe is very painful, not to mention potentially suffocating.

If our EC friends respond with something typically petulant enough, I may well be on a respirator by nightfall.

You should seriously consider either having these published in coffee-table book form, or as T-Shirts.

and ...

As far as these posters having nothing to do with the love of God, I beg to differ. They do, in an abstract way. If they can convince at least one Emergent to recognize the bankruptcy of the methodology and theology, I think that is a manifestation of God showing His love and grace to the erring.

Now how's THAT for spin?

Then Garet Pahl demonstrates his extreme brain power with this bit of edification on the EC movement ...

Movement... sounds like something my mom used to make me say because we weren't allowed to use "potty words"(she's lightened up over the years).

So let's look at the poster and the referenced article.



So what does this poster say? I see that hermeneutics are viewed by EC'ers as a tool to imprison. Possibly that EC'ers view Fundamentalists as uppity know-it-alls intent on keeping others down. Did I miss something? Do you think that represents EC'ers and provides information for someone to draw nearer to Christ?

What does the article "Hermeneutic is still go on" by Benny Sinaga say? First, who is Sinaga and when did he become spokesperson for EC'ers? I don't know. His blog says he is a recent graduate of a seminary in Indonesia and he is part of the Lutheran World Federation Youth Desk (i.e., Lutheran youth workers). Oh oh, was this an innocent oversight by Phil Johnson the creator of the poster or yet another deliberate misrepresentation to continue his spiral into sin?

Anyway, what does Sinaga say? At first he simply tries to define hermeneutics in layman's terms. He begins by noting that the same thing can be interpreted several ways. He does not say that all interpretations are true nor that there should be multiple interpretations. It may have been more helpful if he would have made a positive statement to this effect.

He then states:

Every person has the right to make the interpretation according to his/her understanding. Interpretation starts from the bible itself. When we read and try to understand it, we have come to the situation of interpretation. People can make interpretation according to his/her background or his/her aim.

Absolutely true. True interpretation must start with the Bible (which TeamPyro accuses EC'ers of not believing even though Ec'ers clearly say this). And it is true that we all read through our own glasses. To presume otherwise is blindness. I can only guess that TeamPyro's objection here is that Sinaga said "every person has the right" as opposed to "only TeamPyro". I'm not sure because again, while TeamPyro and their fans love these posters, to me they only communicate the depravity of their creators.

I'm not sure how to understand this next point by Sinaga.

The main thing that we should remember to do in the interpretation is: to understand the text of the bible according to the context of the Bible when it was written (kind, background, author and purpose) and to understand text as the need of the context of to day. Hopefully that the interpretation bring the salvation to all creation.

He is right regarding understanding the context of the passage in which it is written but I'm not sure what he is saying about the "need of the context of today"? If he is saying we can re-interpret based on today's culture, etc., he would be wrong. If he is saying we need to seek application in today's culture, I would agree.

Sinaga then states:

Interpretation can be different from time to time, according to the progress of situation and the growing of the way of thinking.

Absolutely true on both a personal and corporate level. Again, he's not promoting that, he is stating it as a truism. He is right. And I don't think he is saying the Bible changes, he is referring to our understanding.

He then gives a good warning about misinterpretation both from wrong method and from wrong motive.

The danger by doing interpretation is if someone do it as an oppression for some people. Recently people recognize Bible words are Gender bias because the words are Patriarchal, so the Bible is used to oppress the women. Or some Feminist made the argument for the Bible interpretation only for the benefits of women and gives the oppression for men. It’s also dangerous to do the interpretation if we do it “so exclusive” (never receive the other opinion) or “so inclusive” (agree with all interpretation and opinion). Misinterpretation is dangerous.

His conclusion is sound - it's amazing that TeamPyro and their gang found a way to mock EC'ers based on this.

I believe that the words in the Bible were written by people who inspired by God(2Tim.3:16) but we need to use the wisdom of God to spread the Bible by doing on interpretation and help people to understand more about the mystery of God. By doing interpretation we can feel, see, and prove that God worked, is working and will work in the history of the people in the world from the beginning until forever.

We need interpretation because we need to know deeper understanding behind the term “the word of God”. It is like to play the puzzle, to see carefully the pieces of the picture and try to find what picture it is when we success to put all the pieces and finally feel so satisfy. Or like to dig the land and make a hole and dig again deeper and hopefully we find the treasure and dig again to the deepest place with the other tool and when we find it we really satisfy.

We are growing up in this world as the children of God in facing the reality by strengthen our faith and never stop to learn about God, to talk about God and to talk with God (pray).