Our first topic this month focuses on the importance of rules. This is not legalism but biblicism. ITA began its new season this spring 2017 with classes in biblical interpretation. Two new locations are a part of our training this year; two local churches: Mantova (northern Italy) and Rome!
Hermeneutics consists of that set of vital and foundational principles derived from Scripture itself which direct the interpreter / exegete / expositor and believer in general to arrive at the accurate interpretation of the Word of God, a specific passage of God’s Word. These are… the rules of the game so to speak. The goal of understanding the rules and applying the rules is so that the original meaning of the author who wrote the text under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit may be discovered. Interpreting Scripture then becomes a strenuous labor at drawing out the divinely intended meaning of the precise biblical passage under study. Our quest before each passage of the Bible is to find the… authorial intent. We strive at arriving at a clear and comprehensible understanding of the original and single-meaning of the author in the biblical context the passage was written. The rules imply the study of grammar and history (cultural context) in which the author communicated the passage to the original audience. The meaning of a passage is thus God’s meaning (from His mind), that which He intended; communicated through a distinct individual (a human author); anchored in the text; immutable; objective and apprehensible; existing outside of the interpreter. The meaning of the passage is therefore the authoritative word of God for that passage. It is to be taught and preached with that same divine authority. It is to be obeyed moreover as the unquestionable obedience that is due to that divine authority. The somewhat technical definition of hermeneutics then should not confound the believer from underestimating the severe ramifications of the discipline for life and godliness. The application of sound hermeneutical principles to Bible study, teaching, preaching, and living the Word of God impact pastoral ministry and conduct in the life of the local church in the most significant of ways. Shepherding lives, souls, is ultimately what is at stake. The rules in other words directly influence real life. The church’s health; the church’s witness… at the human level (as far as our responsibility goes…) all depends upon the rules, the proper use of the rules.
It is not ITA’s intent in this past month’s update to provide our readers with a brief class on general hermeneutics. We do however wish to display a concise sample of the work that goes on in the basic training of Italian pastors. This… for the sheer purpose of communicating that in Italy, and among Italian church leaders, and church goers generally, the rules are not as basic as one would expect. The Church has been raised on many of the standard pitfalls of Bible interpretation. It is fed a steady diet of teaching and preaching that in general mishandles God’s Word. The context of a passage is often ignored. Ignoring the context tends to personalizing the passage in a type of… what does it mean to me???… instruction. Personalizing the text opens the door to numerous other errors of the sort i.e. spiritualizing and allegorizing biblical passages. Reading one’s own denominational traditions and convictions is but another common pitfall. The interaction with the men in training often conveys an overall Italian church culture whereby… the rules don’t necessarily matter.
We are so grateful for the faithful men that attended our first training weekends earlier this month in Mantova and Rome. Together, the two groups totalled approximately 35 godly men who have signed up for our certificate in expository preaching. We are also thankful for the churches that have stepped up to partner with ITA by hosting the training in their local places of worship. Please continue to pray with us for our strivings as we labor to equip men of God in Italy; pray specifically for the new group of men that have just begun; pray they may stay the course; and pray that they along with their local churches, and numerous other local churches in Italy, mature in their apprehension and appreciation for… the rules.
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