inspired sub jectivity and hermen eutical objectivity - the.pdfVIP

TMSJ 13/1 (Spring 2002) 65-77 INSPIRED SUBJECTIVITY AND HERMEN EUTICAL OBJECTIVITY * John H. Walton Objectivity is the goal of hermeneutics so that the text of Scripture may speak for itself. Fo r an interpre ter to bring his subjective views to the text jeopardi zes the au thority of t he W ord. T wo forces at wo rk am ong evan gelica ls today tend to increase the subjective element in interpretat ion. The first is the princ iple of the analogy of faith or the harmonizing of differ ent texts with one another. Harm onizing is desirable, but if tak en too far, it can distort a text by inserting theological motifs into places where they do not belong. Doctrinal considerations should be introduced only to solve complexities of certain passages. The second force is the practices of NT authors. Sometimes the interpreter mus t choose between using objective methods and following the example of NT au thors in their use of the O T. He m ust maintain objec tivity rath er than pa ttern his exeg esis after the NT in matters of typology, symbolism, role models, and fulfillmen ts. The difference between contemp orary exegetes and NT writers is that the former must abide by principles of hermeneutical objectivity while the former were led to follow the pattern of inspir ed su bjectivity . Inspired subjectivity is not an option in this day and time. * * * * * Ever since the Reformation we have prided ourselves in our commitment to the historical-grammatical method. The science of hermeneutics has developed to give shape to that method and