Context, Context, Context

2001-1 Proclamation!, Dale Ratzlaff, Feature, Proclamation! Magazine Archive

DALE RATZLAFF

The first and most important rule of hermeneutics is to consider the context. Few are aware of the massive and appalling misuse of this fundamental principle of interpretation by the founders of Adventism. William Miller’s Bible study methods and conclusions received the glowing and comprehensive endorsement of Ellen G. White.1 Of his chart which listed his fifteen “proofs” of the second coming she said,  “I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as He wanted them.”2, 3

Any of Miller’s fifteen proofs could be used as illustrations of the violation of this first principle of hermeneutics. It appears he completely ignored the context.

Any of Miller’s fifteen proofs could be used as illustrations of the violation of this first principle of hermeneutics. It appears he completely ignored the context. Here is his proof number ten.4

TEN: It [second coming of Christ in 1843] can also be proved by the words of Christ, Lk. 13:32: “And he said unto them, Go ye and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” These two days, in which Christ casts out devils and does cures, are the same as Hosea’s two days, at the end of which, the devil will be chained, and cast out of the earth into the pit, and shut up. This will take 2000 years of Roman power. Rev. 12:9: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out with him.” And then the people of God will be perfected. Rev. 20:9: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: of such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

This time began with the “great dragon,” Rev. 12:3: “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”

This government will draw after him one third part of the time, which wicked men have power in the earth, viz. 6000 years; and the 7000th, the year of Christ will take possession and reign with his saints, in perfect bliss.

This dragon power began its power over the saints when the league was made with him, B.C. 158,æand will end in 1842. Then the third day will begin 1843.5

If your head is spinning trying to follow Miller logic, it should be! Note that nearly every text is lifted from its context. This is the hermeneutic upon which Adventism was founded.

Ellen White herself often abused the biblical context. After the 1843 disappointment and “the mistake was explained” she said that the prophetic periods that pointed to 1843 now pointed to 1844—still endorsing Millers fifteen “proofs”. 6 Then she said, “Light from the Word of God shone upon their position, and they discovered a tarrying time—‘though it [the vision] tarry, wait for it.’” 7 Here, Ellen White quotes Habakkuk 2:3 and applies Habakkuk’s vision to the vision of Daniel, specifically Daniel 8:14 and the time between the first disappointment of 1843 and 1844. The problem is, however, that the context of Habakkuk’s vision deals with the coming invasion of the Assyrians and has nothing to do with Daniel 8:14, 1843, 1844 or to the disappointment Adventists faced at the failure of their prophecies.

Before interpreting a given text, one should consider all the dimensions of context. “The first dimension of context of any verse is the entire Bible. This is what is meant by ‘Scripture interprets Scripture.’” 8 This dimension alone, however, without the other aspects of context can lead to prooftexting. The careful Bible student will consider all the dimensions of context.

The second dimension of context is to consider the Testament the verse is in. Here is an important and often violated rule: the New Testament interprets the Old and not the other way around. While the Old Testament points forward to the new, the new must always take precedence over the old. 

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, [indicating that the revelation in the O. T. was incomplete and fragmentary] in these last days [time of Christ to present] has spoken [indicating the finality of this revelation] to us in His Son, [Christ is the apex of God’s revelation] whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, [indicating a clear, complete, unclouded revelation] and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:1-3

These verses show that the revelation of God in Christ recorded in the New Testament far surpasses that given in the Old Testament. While the OT has many shadows and types, one does not go to the shadow and type to define reality. Rather, from the perspective of the New Testament center, Jesus Christ, one is able to look back at the shadows and types and see pattern and purpose in what before often appeared random and unclear. It is here that many have erred. They have not made a distinction between the Testaments. Often thy have no lucid reason for accepting and enforcing certain OT regulations and ignoring others. Adventists, for example, appeal to Old Testament laws for their seventh-day Sabbath keeping. Yet in their Sabbath keeping, few—probably none—follow all the Old Testament Sabbath laws even though Ellen White said they should.9 What about the command “let no man go out of his pace on the seventh day”10, the command not to bake or boil on the Sabbath,11 or “You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day?12 Some who left the Worldwide Church of God and some independent Adventist groups not only observe the weekly Sabbath, but also the yearly sabbath feasts. Upon what basis does one accept certain OT laws and reject others? One must have some foundational reason, some hermeneutical principle to guide. I believe that principle is Christ-centered New Testament interpretation and application. The NT must interpret the OT.

I have suggested to a number of people that they will find the answer themselves if they read Galatians in its entirety once a day for thirty days.

The third dimension of context is to know the particular book in which the passage occurs. One should read through the book to discover the theme of the book, purpose of the author and try to discover the historical situation to which the author was writing. For example, there are certain writers today who seek to muddy the clear message of Galatians. I have had many people ask me about Paul’s so called “difficult statements” in Galatians. I have suggested to a number of people that they will find the answer themselves if they read Galatians in its entirety once a day for thirty days. Everyone I know who has done this has found his or her answer. Studying this book, as a whole, sheds life-changing light on the difficult texts. If you have questions on a few verses, try reading the book as a whole and see what happens!

The fourth dimension of context is to consider the immediate context. Carefully read the paragraph before and the paragraph after the text in question. If Miller and the early Adventists had followed only this one rule of interpretation, the SDA church would not be in the dilemma it now faces. Hundreds of SDA pastors and scholars have concluded after diligent study that Daniel 8:14 when studied in its context does not support Adventist sanctuary theology. As Adventist scholar, Dr. Raymond Cottrell, who has given years of study to this subject, has said, SDAs must choose the Adventist interpretation or the context of Daniel 8:14, they can’t have both.13 One sees, then, that theology turns on hermeneutics.

There are other dimensions of context to consider such as style or genre. Is the passage poetry, history, didactic teaching, prophecy or apocalyptic imagery? Of these, good hermeneutics has a priority. For example, one does (should) not go to apocalyptic writings filled with uncertain symbols and images, to find the fundamentals of faith and doctrine. Rather, all important truths should find their foundation in didactic, contextual teaching, such as found in the epistles. Contrary to this, Adventism’s foundation was built upon uncertain apocalyptic passages, often taken out of context—thus, the current dilemma.

So what is the bottom line? Two things: First, when seeking truth, study the Bible contextually the way it was written and the way it should be interpreted. Study book by book, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph and text by text. Note its style or genre. Remember, all important truths are founded on contextual study.

Second, when someone seeks to indoctrinate you into his or her “special truths” and in doing so has to skip all over the Bible, reading a text here and quoting a text there, stop them. Force them to read the context and find out if the context of a given text clearly supports what they are trying to prove from the text. Chances are that if they cannot show clearly their “truths” in contextual study, their “truths” are not truth, or at most, are of minor significance. We should be as careful in our interpretation of the Scriptures as the Hebrew scribes were in copying it. †

Endnotes

  1. See Ellen G., White, Early Writings, pp. 229–231; Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1. pp. 128–132.
  2. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 74.
  3. Miller’s charts can be seen in Kai Arasola, The End Of Historicism, [Datem Publishing, Sigtuna, Sweden, 1990] p. 220, 221.
  4. I list this proof because of its brevity.
  5. Ibid, p. 224.
  6. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 236
  7. Ibid.
  8. Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation [Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1970,] p. 138.
  9. Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 296.
  10. Ex. 16:29
  11. Ex. 16:23
  12. Ex. 35:1,3
  13. Dr. Cottrell has made several presentations on this subject, cassette tapes of which are available from the San Diego Adventist Forum at PO Box 3148, La Mesa, CA 91944-3148.
Dale Ratzlaff
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