Book Review: “Has the Church Misread the Bible?” (By Moises Silva)

Moises Silva. Has the Church Misread the Bible? The History of Interpretation in the Light of Current Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987). 

This book is the first in a series on the subject of general hermeneutics, each of which seeks to contribute to the field by considering it in light of various relevant disciplines, specifically, philosophy, literary criticism, linguistics, history, science, and theology. It is assumed throughout the series that while one must be in right relationship with God in order to interpret the Scriptures well, this relationship does not guarantee a right reading thereof, and thus the need arises for interaction with extra-biblical disciplines. 

This inaugural volume, rather than touching on a particular discipline, seeks to highlight several tensions within the Scripture itself that have greatly affected the history of hermeneutics: Is the Bible divine or human? Is it literal or figurative? Is it clear or obscure? Is it relative or absolute? Silva asserts that the aim of modern exegetes ought to be the healthy preservation of these tensions rather than the artificial, or premature, resolution of them. The shadow of Origen looms large throughout this volume because it looms large throughout the history of hermeneutics, but Silva offers a balanced critique and affirmation of his life and work at various points. 

Silva’s perspective on the history of hermeneutics is honest but fundamentally positive. He believes that God has, and will, guide and preserve his people by his Spirit and through his Word, no matter the difficulties inherent in the interpretation of ancient texts.