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The Gloss and the Text: William Perkins on Interpreting Scripture with Scripture
Scripture opens itself up by its own words and interpretation.
William Perkins is the father of Puritanism, often remembered for his preaching manual, The Art of Prophesying . Much attention has been given to the Puritan movement, especially in its later forms, but comparatively little has been given to Perkins.
In The Gloss and the Text , Andrew Ballitch provides a thorough examination of the hermeneutical principles that governed Perkins's approach to biblical interpretation. Perkins taught that the Bible was God's word as well as the interpretation of God's word. Interpretation is no private matter; it is a public gift of the Spirit of God for the people of God. Ballitch's study sheds light on Perkins as a preacher, theologian, and student of Scripture.
William Perkins is the father of Puritanism, often remembered for his preaching manual, The Art of Prophesying . Much attention has been given to the Puritan movement, especially in its later forms, but comparatively little has been given to Perkins.
In The Gloss and the Text , Andrew Ballitch provides a thorough examination of the hermeneutical principles that governed Perkins's approach to biblical interpretation. Perkins taught that the Bible was God's word as well as the interpretation of God's word. Interpretation is no private matter; it is a public gift of the Spirit of God for the people of God. Ballitch's study sheds light on Perkins as a preacher, theologian, and student of Scripture.
- GenresTheology
232 pages, Paperback
Published July 22, 2020
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October 25, 2020
Those familiar with the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8 remember him asking Philip, "How can I understand what I'm reading unless someone guides me?" It was Philip's response that was most compelling. Philip let the Word itself be the eunuch's guide to better understanding the difficult biblical passage before him (Acts 8:35).
Andrew Ballitch sees this natural impulse in the life of William Perkins. Perkins was a theologian and a teacher who understood that in order to interpret the Bible accurately, it must be interpreted on its own basis. Scripture interpreting itself is not an illogical circular reasoning: it is actually the method by which one most maintains the purity, the inerrancy, the clarity, and the authority of Scripture. Perkins's method uses the pillars of the analogy of faith, context, and collation to draw out a text's meaning.
Perkins's wisdom is needed for our own day. Ballitch, quoting Zwingli, says that "the canker at the heart of all human systems [is that] we want to find support in Scripture for our own view, and so we take that view to Scripture, and if we find a text which, however artificially, we can relate to it, we do so, and in that way we wrest Scripture in order to make it say what we want it to say" (37). How prevalent this shallow method of biblical reasoning is today!
Our churches need to recover a sense of interpreting Scripture faithfully, letting the Word itself be our guide to a better understanding of the Word before us. Through Perkins's ministry, we learn much. This book is clearly written and an excellent resource for pastors, teachers, and biblical students on a critical topic.
Andrew Ballitch sees this natural impulse in the life of William Perkins. Perkins was a theologian and a teacher who understood that in order to interpret the Bible accurately, it must be interpreted on its own basis. Scripture interpreting itself is not an illogical circular reasoning: it is actually the method by which one most maintains the purity, the inerrancy, the clarity, and the authority of Scripture. Perkins's method uses the pillars of the analogy of faith, context, and collation to draw out a text's meaning.
Perkins's wisdom is needed for our own day. Ballitch, quoting Zwingli, says that "the canker at the heart of all human systems [is that] we want to find support in Scripture for our own view, and so we take that view to Scripture, and if we find a text which, however artificially, we can relate to it, we do so, and in that way we wrest Scripture in order to make it say what we want it to say" (37). How prevalent this shallow method of biblical reasoning is today!
Our churches need to recover a sense of interpreting Scripture faithfully, letting the Word itself be our guide to a better understanding of the Word before us. Through Perkins's ministry, we learn much. This book is clearly written and an excellent resource for pastors, teachers, and biblical students on a critical topic.
Displaying 1 of 1 review