FIVE BASICS OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION by Dave Jenkins via Core Christianity
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)
The word “interpreted” in Luke 24:27 comes from the Greek word διερμηνεύω (transliterated as diermēneuō), which means either to unfold the meaning of what is said, explain, expound, or to translate into one’s native language. Dr. Howard Marshall is correct when he notes that the “root idea of explained is the word from which we derive the word hermeneutics, the science of biblical interpretation.”[1]
The Gospel of Luke finds its unity in the person of Jesus and in his mission to seek and save the lost. From the first announcement of his coming to his ascension into heaven, Jesus is at the center of everything: the songs are for his praise, the miracles are by his power, the teaching is from his wisdom, the conflict is over his claims, and the cross is that which only he could bear. Luke gives his account further literary unity by intertwining the stories of Jesus and John the Baptist; by beginning and ending His the story at the temple; by presenting the life of Jesus as a journey towards Jerusalem; and by following the progress of the disciples as they learn to count the cost of discipleship. The unity of the Gospel of Luke is expressed in Jesus’ pronouncement to Zacchaeus: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The immediate context of Luke 24:13–35 fits within the broader context of Luke 24, which is about the resurrection of Jesus. Luke’s Gospel begins in the Temple (Luke 1:5–23) and, after Jesus rose from the dead, concludes in the temple as well (Luke 24:52–53). Luke has Jesus appearing to his disciples and then gives the ascension of Jesus.
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With the phrase “beginning with Moses and the Prophets,” Jesus is highlighting the entire Old Testament, summarized as all Scripture. Jesus explained to the men on the road to Emmaus not only the explicit prophecies about the Messiah, but also the historical patterns of God’s activity throughout the Old Testament, and how they find fulfillment in himself.
