The Lord be with you
Have you ever wondered why two people, equally committed to
the inspiration of Scripture, can read the same text and have two completely
different understandings? Sometimes those differences can even be as stark as
night and day.
What most often causes those differences is summed up with
the word “hermeneutics.” Hermeneutics is a fancy word that means the principles
use to understand something, in this case, the Bible. Lutheran hermeneutics is
always centered on Christ. That might be a bit of an understatement. One
Lutheran theologian said, “All theology is Christology.” Some might kick
against that, but there is a lot of truth in it, at lease in Lutheran circles.
We don’t know the Father except through Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of
Christ. The Word of God is the Word of Christ. Sanctification is our life in
Christ. We worship in the name of Christ, we pray in his name, we are baptized
into Christ, we receive Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and on and on.
David P. Scaer, in his article “God the Son and Hermeneutics: A Brief Study in the
Reformation,” that appeared in volume 59, No. 1-2, of the Concordia
Theological Quarterly back in 1995, gives a wonderfully readable look at
this Lutheran approach. It is only twelve pages long, not counting the
endnotes.
If you want to learn how to read the Bible like a Lutheran,
this is an excellent place to start your education.
The link below will take you to the article.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
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