The Historical Critical Method
The New Testament is now well over 1900 years old and for nearly the same period of time people have struggled for the right interpretation of that what was written in these 27 books and letters. How should one handle a book that is "God's Word"?
Before looking at the pro and contra of historical-critical exegesis it is necessary to define this method. One of the many textbooks teaching the historical-critical method "Methodenlehre zum Neuen Testament" by Wilhelm Egger method gives us this definition, "Diese Methoden lesen den Text vor allem unter diachronem Aspekt, also unter dem Aspekt der Entstehung des Textes, und sehen vor allem in der Rekonstruktion der Entstehungsgeschichte einen Weg zum Sinn des Textes."# The finding of meaning in Scripture is the goal of any interpreter and henceforth of any method of exegesis. This is very closely related to the understanding of how revelation works. Scripture revealed to the world could mean two things. On the one hand one could interpret the revelatory act as being a revelation of the letters and words of the text, on the other hand a revelation of concepts and events which were then put into texts through human authors. The text itself therefore would be completely human, and open to criticism. However the meaning of Scripture would then be unchangeable even if the meaning of the words used to express this change. If the text itself is revelation, then there is no scope for criticism, however the meaning of the text would change, because the meanings of the words change with time. Believing that God through Scripture revealed truth to us, and further accepting Aristotelian logical axioms, particularly the axiom that something cannot be and not be at the same time, one has to accept that the meaning of the text does not change. If that is the case the text has to be open to criticism as explained above, and in my opinion the historical-critical approach with its five-step system of textual criticism, philological
Before looking at the pro and contra of historical-critical exegesis it is necessary to define this method. One of the many textbooks teaching the historical-critical method "Methodenlehre zum Neuen Testament" by Wilhelm Egger method gives us this definition, "Diese Methoden lesen den Text vor allem unter diachronem Aspekt, also unter dem Aspekt der Entstehung des Textes, und sehen vor allem in der Rekonstruktion der Entstehungsgeschichte einen Weg zum Sinn des Textes."# The finding of meaning in Scripture is the goal of any interpreter and henceforth of any method of exegesis. This is very closely related to the understanding of how revelation works. Scripture revealed to the world could mean two things. On the one hand one could interpret the revelatory act as being a revelation of the letters and words of the text, on the other hand a revelation of concepts and events which were then put into texts through human authors. The text itself therefore would be completely human, and open to criticism. However the meaning of Scripture would then be unchangeable even if the meaning of the words used to express this change. If the text itself is revelation, then there is no scope for criticism, however the meaning of the text would change, because the meanings of the words change with time. Believing that God through Scripture revealed truth to us, and further accepting Aristotelian logical axioms, particularly the axiom that something cannot be and not be at the same time, one has to accept that the meaning of the text does not change. If that is the case the text has to be open to criticism as explained above, and in my opinion the historical-critical approach with its five-step system of textual criticism, philological