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Commentary on "Interpreting the Prophetic Writings"

CHRIS LEE

 

Day 3: Monday, March 9, 2009

In the first paragraph of this lesson, the author defines homiletics as “the art of preaching” and goes on to say, “Sometimes a preacher may use just the wording of a text, without special regard for its original meaning, to make a point or an appeal during a sermon. This is called the homiletical use of Scripture.”

The author then goes on to compare and contrast what he believes to be exegetical and homiletical uses of Mark 1:15 and 17. Essentially, the author defines the exegetical use of a text to be what it meant to the original author and recipients and the homiletical use to be how that principle applies to us today (which according the author, may or may not be consistent with the original meaning of the text).

The author then goes on to make the point that Ellen White frequently used scripture in a “homiletical” way. He gives the example of Ecclesiastes 7:29 which states,

"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." - (NASB)

In Education, pg. 198, White applied language from this text to encourage her readers to maintain correct and “upright” physical posture which she believed would benefit them mentally and morally. The author points out that the exegetical idea of Ecclesiastes 7:29 deals with man being created as a moral creature, not good posture. The author states that White used the text in a “homiletical” way.

 

Problems

The central problem in this lesson is the author’s misunderstanding of the homiletical use of a text. Homiletics is indeed the art of preaching. However, it is never acceptable for any preacher, teacher, or writer to take the Word of God and assign it a meaning which is completely foreign to the intended meaning given by God.

The art of homiletics involves determining a unit of thought within scripture, determining the exegetical idea of the passage, determining the theological idea that flows from that exegesis, and then presenting a legitimate application of the text which is consistent with the exegetical and theological idea of the passage. It is always illegitimate to assign an application to a text which is inconsistent with the exegetical and theological idea of the passage. Doing so is a misuse of scripture.

When Ellen White uses Ecclesiastes 7:29 to teach about correct posture, she is misusing and abusing scripture by assign a meaning to it which is completely foreign and inconsistent with the God given meaning of the text. This is unacceptable by orthodox Christian standards of homiletics. White’s misuse, and/or misunderstanding, of scripture can’t be explained away by mislabeling it “homiletical”.

 

Summary

  1. The author erroneously implies that homiletics allow for assigning an application which is foreign to the actual meaning of a text.
  2. Using texts in ways which are inconsistent with the God given meaning of the text is a misuse and abuse of the scripture.
  3. The author’s quotation of Ellen White demonstrates that at times she either misunderstood scripture or engaged in the misuse and abuse of scripture.

 

 

Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 6, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

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