Osborne used “Hermeneutics and intended meaning”
The introduction presents an opening to the ideas and main points discussed in the content sections of a literary work. The introduction points out the purposes and breadth of the book, with a detailed summary and explanations of the document. Through the introduction section, the reader can quickly learn what to expect from the rest of the document. Osborne uses bolded headings in the introduction to emphasize the main points and sections in the text. Bold headings guide readers through important aspects in the book as well as aiding in the understanding of the book content.
Osborne used “Hermeneutics and intended meaning” as a bolded heading in the introduction to emphasis on the intended meaning of the biblical text as opposed to how modern men interpret it[1]. The heading guides the readers through what they can expect in the book on the biblical text interpretation and meanings. Using the bold title in this section also enables me as a reader to need to compare and differentiate between what biblical authors intended to mean versus how modern understands the text. The heading also clearly indicates that the “intended meaning” is fur much lost. Using the title in the introduction informs the reader that the book attempts to extract the intentions of the biblical authors.
“The Inspiration and authority of the scripture” are also used as a bolded heading n the introduction to emphasize the divine authority the Bible possesses [2]. This heading provides a reader with an explanation of the correlation between reading the Biblical text and understanding it. Through the book, a reader expects to know how the contextualization of the biblical text can create inspiration in the reader. As well, with the differences in modern interpretations and the intended meaning, the Bible is losing authority. The bolded heading informs me how hermeneutics can hinder inspirational purposes of the Bible. As I read the book, I expect to learn more on influence of hermeneutics on biblical inspiration and authority.
In his introduction, Osborne outlines the diverse methods used by biblical authors to present a similar concept. He uses “The Unity and Diversity of the Scripture”[3] as a bolded heading to highlight a summary of how the diversity among the authors bring unity. Reading this section in the introduction prepares a reader on the various aspects on which biblical text is misinterpreted. The author bolds this section heading to express emphasis on how biblical diversity can unite the Bible readers.
Moreover, the ability of readers to understand biblical text is emphasized under “The place of the Reader in Interpretation.”[4] Assumptions that people are intrinsically able to interpret whatever they read cannot be applied to Biblical text. The book deal with Hermeneutics, and hence, Osborne uses this bold heading to discuss the significance of the reader in interpreting the Bible. Readers have personal beliefs while reading a text. These beliefs prejudice the understanding and interpretation of the Bible, hindering the knowledge of Biblical truth.
Though the Bible was written in human language, most people do not easily understand the original meaning of the biblical text. There are differences in the interpretation of the Bible among different groups for different reasons. Osborne, in his introduction, uses bolded headings to create emphasis on some of the causes of the differences in biblical interpretation. The attention generated by bold headings enables readers to have a preview of what to expect from the rest of the book.
[1] Osborne, Grant. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (IVP Academic, 2006). eBook Liberty 6166769185. 22
[2] Osborne, 25
[3] Osborne, 29
[4] Osborne 31