Saturday, June 11, 2022

Jeffrey S. Krohn on Protestants Focusing on the Modern Horizon of the Interpreter to the Neglect of the Ancient Horizon of the Bible

In the introduction to his work Mormon Hermeneutics, Protestant Jeffrey S. Krohn wrote that

 

Despite implicit and explicit claims by the LDS to the contrary, their uses of the Bible focus on the modern horizon of the interpreter to the neglect of the ancient horizon of the text. . . . (Jeffrey S. Krohn, Mormon Hermeneutics: Five Approaches to the Bible by the LDS Church [Eugene, Oreg.: Pickwick Publications, 2022], xix)

 

Notwithstanding, Krohn is forced to admit that Protestants also are a victim of this approach to the Bible:

 

It is axiomatic that “that which is new is always exciting, and there is an inevitable tendency for its importance to be overestimated” (Neill and Wright, Interpretation, 161). This is frequently illustrated in Bible interpretation, with modern application overriding ancient meaning. It is seen in several traditions, e.g., the conservative evangelical tradition, as well as the Mormon church. At the outset, it is important to note that the Mormons are not the only tradition that seems to ignore the ancient horizon of the biblical text.

 

For instance, the conservative evangelical tradition (my own tradition), at times tends to neglect the ancient meaning. First Samuel 17 is taught to merely encourage us “to fight the giants in our lives” (lesson from David and Goliath). The only reason for the story of Peter and the waves Matt 14:30) seems to be a reminder to “keep our eyes on Jesus in the storms of life.” Do we look to Scripture only to extract analogies for memorable Sunday School lessons? Is this the extent of out Bible interpretation? Is this an appropriate response given the depth and richness of Scripture? Stuart Allen writes that there has emerged “a type of believer whose only interest in the Bible is what he gets out of it for himself and his own comfort . . . His aim is self and his own particular experience . . . In a subtle way it keeps this sort of person pre-occupied with himself, instead of being occupied with Christ and God’s great and glorious redemptive plan” (Allen in Thiselton, New Horizons, 193, emphasis added). While the biblical text must be seen as relevant to the modern church . . . this relevance cannot be at the expense of ancient meaning. (Ibid., xx-xxi)

 

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