Dispensationalism and the Doctrine of Election
Refutation of Calvinism, Arminianism, and Covenant Theology
Chapter One Principles of Biblical Interpretation
Where do we start a study on the doctrine of election? Should we jump right into the Scriptures and begin with suppositions we might already have in our minds? Do we begin understanding what God has to say about election by reading the commentaries of men or the Systematic Theologies of men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli or any of the hundreds of our contemporary theologians that have written on this doctrine? Undoubtedly, the best place to begin is to clear our minds and thoughts of any pre-suppositions we might hold and turn solely to the Scriptures (Sola Scriptura). When we do so, we must come with some basic rules of Biblical interpretation (Hermeneutics).
This chapter is not intended to be an exhaustive presentation of Hermeneutics. There are many excellent books that present these principles in an exhaustive way. The best I can hope to do here is to state some general governing principles of Biblical interpretation. Of course, these principles are intended as guidelines for the purpose of avoiding the common errors that we see so often. However, Biblical interpretation is not an exact science. Instead, we might say it is an exacting science. There is no room for superficial research if we want our hermeneutics to be exacting.
The problem of interpreting the Bible is that we naturally do so from the parts to the whole. This is known as an inductive methodology. Obviously, no one can begin with a full and complete knowledge of what God has said unless he is God in the first place. We all begin in ignorance and work towards knowledge. That knowledge can and never will be complete. The more details we know of the parts, the more sure we can be of our understanding of the whole. Therefore, the exacting science of Biblical hermeneutics must be about details.
The danger in this is that we tend to fractionalize the Word of God and this opens the door for the misinterpretation of any portion of Scripture to be carried into other portions of Scripture. Therefore, each portion of Scripture must be carefully exegeted from the context of the book it is written in. Solid and dogmatic theological conclusions must be based upon the total weight of evidence from solid exegesis of each text and what each text has to say about a subject.
The Bible must be interpreted to be understood in order to be proclaimed. The simplest Hermeneutical statement is that theology must result from a Grammatico/Historical/Cultural interpretation. The application of the rules of Biblical interpretation is known as exegesis.
Exegesis; the application of the laws of interpretation to arrive at the exact concept or idea God intends to convey. (Exegesis makes an analysis. Theology correlates these analyses. Exegesis reveals the meanings of text. Theology interrelates those meanings.)
The Basic Principles of Biblical Interpretation
I do not want to put numbers on these principles of Scripture interpretation less, through that means, we emphasize one of these principles above the other. They are each equally important and each must be used to guide the other. Together they formulate a system of checks and balances to insure that we arrive at God’s intended meaning of what He says in His Word.
Ø The Principle of Contradiction
Since God is immutable, He must be consistent in the revelation of Himself and in the revelation of truth. Any conclusive concept or idea that is contradictory to another concept or idea must be rejected as in error or a misinterpretation because God is consistent in Truth (I John 2:21, II Timothy 2:13 and Titus 1:2). Since all Truth interrelates, all systematizing of Truth must be congruous (in harmony). Every book of the Bible is part of a choir of Truth singing in perfect harmony. True exegesis does not involve itself in a lot of mental gymnastics and contortionism trying to make the Truths of God’s Word harmonious. This is merely wresting the Scriptures (II Peter 3:16).
ØScripture Interprets Scripture
Sola Scriptura means the Bible alone. We should be very careful to avoid philosophical methods. Therefore, we must reject the concept of reason, human logic, higher reason or higher criticism such as relativism or existentialism, as means of understanding what God has said (I Corinthians 2:9).
“9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Corinthians 2:9-13).
Instead of human logic or rationalism, we must rely solely upon the Spirit of God to enlighten (illuminate) our understanding of the Scriptures both in its parts and as a whole. This does not mean that our conclusions or the process should be illogical, alogical, or irrational. God does intend for us to use the minds He gave us. We should be extremely careful that all of our ideas and understanding come solely from Scripture and that we do not add to or take from what God’s Word says (Deuteronomy 4:2). We must be very careful to avoid philosophical integrationism in our process.
“19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:19-21).
God has not intended that the Scriptures be understood only by a group of educated elitists. God said what He said in simple language intending that language to be understood by anyone through the illumination of His Spirit. This means we must read the Scriptures literally. Literal: normal, plain, or literal: since it is God Who seeks to communicate with man, and not confuse man, it is assumed and presupposed that He would do so in the normal, plain, and simplest way of communication, not with hidden, mystical meanings (allegories). Therefore:
ØSeek the Plain, Literal Meaning of a Text
A simple rule has been, “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” This refers to the primary, ordinary and literal meaning of words. In other words, we should not make words say more than what they say (primary). We should see words in the way everyday people of the time (historical context) would have understood them (ordinary). We should not give allegorical, metaphorical or parabolic meaning to words unless we are directed by the text to do so (literal).
We must be careful to avoid reading our own preconceived ideas or the ideas of others into a Bible text. This is a common problem. Because we begin in ignorance, we gather the writings of those we deem to be authorities or experts; i.e. those with degrees or recognition by others in their field. Very often this results in authoritarian beliefs that may not be based upon correct Biblical exegesis. This certainly is descriptive of the vast majority of professing Christianity. Most professing Christians are trusting in their experts to have studied the Bible and are trusting their experts’ interpretation of the Bible. They are, in fact, trusting their souls to what these experts tell them.
ØText Out of Context is Pretext
The Bible is a book of 66 individual books. Each book comes with its own purpose and context. However, each book lies within the unity of the larger context of the whole. The Bible is a book of unified Truth. Although we often see it in parts and divisions of Truth, as a whole it reveals a unified Godhead. Therefore, the historical context must be taken into consideration with the grammatical context. What is the overall message the writer is talking about? Word meanings certainly determine context, but we should carefully consider how the context affects the meaning of words. That context often determines the meaning of words. We should never interpret a word in a way that contradicts that context. A central principle of good exegesis is the trinity of context, context and, context.
Unfortunately, failure in maintaining the context of a book or the whole Bible is a common failure in the verse-by-verse exposition of a particular book of Scripture. There is a tendency to fractionalize the Word of God and take verses out of context in expositional preaching and Bible study. In order to avoid taking a verse out of context, the exegete must first read the whole book and determine the main theme of the book finding key verses. Then, the book can be broken down into subcategories of that main theme of the book. This is known as outlining. Each verse must carefully be viewed through the lens of the main theme (context) of the whole book and, ultimately, of the context of the whole Bible because the Bible is harmonious Truth. The harmony of the Bible simply means that each book is connected as a Choir to all other books, none of which can be out of harmony with the others if harmony is going to be achieved. To take any verse or book out of context will destroy the harmony of the Choir.
In Ephesians 4:13, God speaks of “the faith” as a “unity.” “The faith” is the all-encompassing teaching of the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) from cover to cover; every “jot and tittle” (Matthew 5:18). The believer keeps “the faith” (II Timothy 4:7) when he maintains the Bible’s unity in teaching and practice.
“3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. . . 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” ( Ephesians 4:3-6 & 11-13).
History, Culture and Dispensations
Word meanings change down through the years. Cultures change. Dispensations change. In various parts of the world and at different times, cultures were/are radically different from one another. If we are going to understand what God is saying in any given point of history, we must understand that history and the culture of the time of the writing of that book of the Bible. This often requires a great deal of research and effort. What God said in any given book was not difficult to understand by the people of the time and culture to which it was addressed.
The operations (dispensations) of God change, which in turn changes the way God’s people are governed. There are a number of instances where understanding these dispensational transitions are critical to understanding the meaning of a particular portion of Scripture. One example is Christ’s statement regarding John the Baptist.
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).
This portion of Scripture cannot be fully understood apart from understanding the transition from the Dispensation of Law to the Dispensation of Grace and the importance of the Day of Pentecost in that transition. Only the saved that were “born again” beginning with those alive on the Day of Pentecost and the baptism with and indwelling of the Holy Spirit would be resurrected/translated to rule and reign with Christ at His second coming. Since John the Baptist was killed prior to Pentecost, He will not rule and reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the “least” of the Church Age believers will be “greater than he” in the Dispensation of the Kingdom Age.
ØThe Principle of First Mention
Often people give meaning to words that are not consistent with God’s original use (especially readers that begin reading the Bible without Old Testament foundations of understanding). The Principle of First Mention understands that every doctrine of Scripture in its simplest form finds its origin in the book of Genesis. The Principle of First Mention requires the exegete to begin with the first mention of any doctrine in the Bible to discover the fundamental meaning inherent in that first occurrence. Although later occurrences may add clarity, meaning, definition or extension, the later occurrences will never change the original meaning to be different from the original intent. The original meaning is always present within the later occurrence. The fundamental truth of the original occurrence will always be the dominant meaning. The doctrine may expand in clarity and definition, but it will never change in that God’s does not change. This will be especially important as we look at God’s choosing/election in the Old Testament books.
We must caution here against monothetic definitions of words. Although there are certain things innate to a word in the definition of that word, there are also variations to that definition in varying contexts. Context can paint different word pictures. For instance the phrase, see the boy running paints a different picture than the phrase my egg is runny. Both are derivative of the same word run, but the use in different contexts radically change the word portrait before us.
A second caution is against the tendency to begin our understanding of Old Testament books from the context of our understanding the New Testament writings. We tend to interpret the Old Testament from the New Testament rather than interpreting the New Testament from the already established truths of the Old Testaments. There may be mysteries that are obscure in the Old Testament books that are revealed in the New Testament books, but generally we interpret the New Testament books from the Old Testament. Although the NT may clarify what the Old Testament teaches, it never contradicts what the Old Testament teaches.
The true etymological definition of a word can only truly be determined by “discovering the meaning of the word inductively.1" Why is this true? Because God has said, “For I am the LORD, I change not . . .” (Malachi 3:6).
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
ØThe Principle of Recurrence
The Principle of Recurrence is an inseparable partner to the Principle of First Mention. Often in the Bible, we find a new historical account of something previously revealed in Scripture. The repetition of such an account may give added details that the previous account did not provide. Each mention of such historical events, doctrines or word use must be carefully researched to discover the context and if added details are provided. This is also known as an inductive methodology (not to be confused with deductive/inductive logic). An accurate understanding will come when we gather all the Scriptural evidences to a particular subject or doctrine. This process is what defines a doctrine and what allows the exegete to become dogmatic about any given subject or doctrine.
An inductive methodology reasons from parts to the whole; from particulars to the general; a conclusion is drawn from the weight of all the evidence.
An inductive methodology is primary to avoiding eisegesis. Systematic Theologies are conclusive and dogmatic statements based upon the weight of Scriptural evidences arrived at through the inductive exegesis of every Bible text relating to that theological statement. This is categorically different than Proof Texting or a deductive methodology.
When all of these checks and balances are carefully applied to every text and our correct understanding of various texts are added together, we can be confident we have determined what God wants us to know. If we have contradictions between texts, we have an error in our exegesis somewhere. Harmony of truth must exist before we can claim to have a true Systematic Theology in that God is not the author of confusion.
[1]Exegetical Fallacies; D.A. Carson, Baker Bookhouse
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