Archives for January 8, 2009

The quotation cited in a previous post is interesting because

1. It addresses a objection that the Romanists launched against Protestantism: the diversity of opinion that results from the lack of an infallible interpreter.
2. Calvin doesn’t try to resolve the problem of subjectivity on hermeneutical grounds as the critics who followed did (i.e., follow this interpretive method, turn the crank, and out comes an objective interpretation). He, instead, located a great part of the problem in the moral realm.

Were Jewish commentators embarrassed by the prayers for punishment? Certainly modern Christian commentators are thus embarrassed . . . . There is some irony in the fact that the point where the NT concentrates most of its use of the psalm is where commentators see it as unworthy of the NT.

John Goldingay, Pslams 42-89, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, ed. Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 355f.

But we ever find, that even those who have not been deficient in their zeal for piety, nor in reverence and sobriety in handling the mysteries of God, have by no means agreed among themselves on every point; for God hath never favoured his servants with so great a benefit, that they were all endued with a full and perfect knowledge in every thing; and no doubt, for this end—that he might first keep them humble; and secondly, render them disposed to cultivate brotherly intercourse. Since then what would otherwise be very desirable cannot be expected in this life, that is, universal consent among us in the in the interpretation of all parts of Scripture, we must endeavour, that, when we depart from the sentiments of our predecessors, we may not be stimulated by any humour for novelty, nor impelled by any lust for defaming others, not instigated by hatred, nor tickled by any ambition, but constrained by necessity alone, and by the motive of seeking to do good: and then, when this is done in interpreting Scripture, less liberty will be taken in the principles of religion, in which God would have the minds of his people to be especially unanimous.

From the Epistle Dedicatory to Calvin’s commentary on Romans