THE REFORMATION HERMENEUTIC
The Key to Understanding Theology
By
Gary Ray Branscome
When the Reformation began, Martin
Luther’s confidence was not in himself, or in shaky interpretations of
Scripture, but in the objective, plainly stated, doctrinal truths that were so
clear they needed no interpretation. Those clear statements of Scripture are
known in Reformation Theology as the seats
of doctrine, and they are the foundation of Reformation Theology.
Because the theology clearly stated in
such passages consists of what the words actually say (not interpretations),
what the Bible teaches on any topic can be learned simply by looking at the passages
that address that topic.
For example: What the Bible teaches
regarding divorce consists of what the following passages plainly say.
Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man
takes a wife, and marries her, if she then finds no favor in his eyes, because
he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of
divorcement, and place it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Malachi 2:15-16 …let no one deal treacherously against
the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel,
says that he hates divorce: and one who covers his wife with violence and
injustice.
Matthew 5:31-32
It has been said, Anyone who
divorces his wife, must give her a certificate of divorcement: But I am telling
you, That anyone who divorces his wife, for any reason other than immorality,
causes her to commit adultery: and anyone who marries a woman so divorced
commits adultery.
Matthew 19:7-9 Why then, they
asked, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce, and to put her
away? He said to them, Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you
to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. But I tell you, Whoever divorces his wife, except for marital
unfaithfulness, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her
who is put away commits adultery.
1Corinthians
Learning Bible doctrine is that simple. However, some
are certain to argue with me, saying “How can you say that the Bible is clear
when men disagree about divorce?” And,
my answer is that any disagreement is not over what the Bible says, but over
how it should be applied! And, those who disagree often simply do not want to
listen to what the Bible says, but want to get around it. What the Bible says
is clear. If men disagree it is because they have a heart that is, “deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Adding To and Taking From
God’s Word
What I have just said applies to every
doctrine plainly stated in Scripture. I chose the topic of divorce because
there are only a few passages. In contrast, the doctrine of salvation by faith
has many more passages than I have room to list. However, I am sure that you
have memorized some of them, such as John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life;” Romans 3:28,
“A man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law;” or Ephesians 9:8-9, “You are saved by grace through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. However,
the point that I want to make is that the true doctrine, the doctrine that God
wants us to believe and teach, is plainly stated in God’s Word, “Truth upon
truth; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”
(Isaiah 28:10).
When I tried to explain this to one
man, he objected saying, “If it was that simple we could all just stay home
from church and read our Bibles”. However, he was dead wrong! Because the heart
of man is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” relatively few
Christians understand – or limit their doctrine to what the Bible says
(Jeremiah 17:9). Instead most denominations, and most theologians in every
denomination, mix their own opinions up with the words of God, either by adding
fanciful explanations to what God has said, or by explaining away any
statements of Scripture that do not agree with their ideas.
Let me give just two examples. In
Revelation 4:1, John wrote, “The voice I had first heard speaking to me… said,
Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”. The context
and grammar both tell us that these words were spoken to John alone as part of
his vision. However, those who claim that God will raise
up believers before the last day (which is the opposite of what Christ said
John
The second example consists of the words, “I buffet my
body, and bring it under my control: lest there be any way that I, after having
preached to others, might be a castaway” (1Cor.
The point I want to emphasize is that most churches
mix man’s word with God’s Word, and that departure from what God has said is at
the root of all doctrinal controversy.
Conclusion
When I write theological essays, I do
not read confessions in order to determine what to say. Most
of the time they do not even address the point that I want to make. Instead
I look at what the Bible says, while understanding each statement of Scripture
in a way that agrees with all of the other doctrinal truths clearly stated in
Scripture (Isaiah 8:20). The sum total of all the Bible passages that clearly
state doctrinal truths is known in theology as the “analogy of faith” (the standard of faith). That standard is the
authority by which all interpretations, conclusions, and opinions of men must
be judged (Isaiah