I wanted to write a quick explanation of how I interact with the exegetical tradition of the church. In general, I understand myself as approaching the text in a community of interpreters. This is why I rely on the thousands of scriptural commentaries of the past. Even if I do not make my reliance on tradition explicit all the time, there is a history of conversation with present day saints and saints of the past when I commit myself to a teaching of the church.
When I approach the tradition of scriptural exegesis, I view myself as having a conversation with Fathers in the faith. They are witnesses to the truth of Christ. They didn’t only confess Christ but they have died in him as conquerors. As faithful Christians, they submitted themselves to Christ’s word, just as I do. Their understanding of scripture should be respected. I include here all the Fathers of the faith from Athanasius to Calvin, from Augustine to Charles Hodge, from John Cassian to John Wesley, from Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure to J. Gresham Machen. I honor them but I allow for differences between myself and them. They already have many differences between one another.
I have this qualification. If I am the only one with a certain interpretation of a passage, I am very careful. If I do decide that what I have is a reasonable interpretation of scripture, I must first of all offer it to the communion of the saints both present and future. God will guide his saints in discerning what is good and what is evil.
The reformers, Luther and Calvin, seem to share this understanding of their Fathers in the Faith. They were reading elder statesmen in the church of Christ. I would add that we build on the work of these elder statesmen. Luther and Calvin built on the medieval scholastics and the fathers of the early church. We, in turn, build on Luther and Calvin and the other reformers. The church grows in its ability to exegete carefully by standing on the shoulders of giants.
The community of saints and her shepherds labor in both the growth of knowledge and in testing the witness of those both past and present.
Hannah hzekveld@timothyschool.orgZekveld
Thank you for sharing this!