I tend not to read many Biblical Commentaries. I often try, maybe once every two years, but then I just give up. Why?
Modern Commentaries tend to ask a very different question than what I want. Commentaries seem to look at the text and ask, "What is this?" What is this particular verb, what is the nuance of this.
That's nice, that's useful (I suppose), but that's not the question I want answered. I want answers to the question of "What Does This Mean?"
It's nice that you address what sort of verb shows up in that verse, and it's nice that you show that some other exegete gets it wrong... but the text, what does it mean? If I read this, how do I preach it, how do I proclaim it? What is the point... not what is the meaning of the pointing.
This is part of the reason I love reading Luther. I remember being confused at the Sem when the Exegetes didn't want me to cite Luther's lectures. I guess he doesn't operate like a scholarly, modern exegete. But... I'm a preacher. I am one who proclaims, "thus sayeth the Lord!"
Its in commentary and explanations that I get what I can use.
1 comment:
Amen, Rev.!
We don't pull the text off the page.
We pull the gospel out of the text.
Or…just the law if that's all that's there.
Post a Comment