Hermeneutics - 06 & 07
An Odd Word that Simply Means There are Rules for Reading!
Here is the problem. The couple approached the Bible without respecting the rules of interpretation. They were not handling Scripture with respect. The text they were teaching from was an historical narrative. A narrative is an account of events. It is not prescriptive. There is nowhere in that story where Luke, Peter, John or Philip are teaching anyone that this is the universal formula for Christian experience. It is simply something odd that happened to the Samaritans.1
It truly happened just as Luke recorded. However, just because the Samaritans heard the gospel, then believed and then were baptized, but did not receive the Holy Spirit, that does not mean there will be others who share that experience. Further, because it is a narrative, we as Scripture interpreters and teachers are prohibited from making the experience normative for all. Just as we should not suggest that any man who refuses to cut his hair from birth will be strong like Samson.
This doesn’t mean that the Scripture student should not be curious about the sequence of events that occurred in Acts 8. However, it was not typical. There are well-reasoned explanations as to why the Samaritans may have had to wait for the Apostles to come and pray for them and lay hands on them, in order for the Holy Spirit to be given. (vv. 15;17)2
I give thanks to an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship staff member, Steve Guthormsen,3 for steering me straight. He sat with me and taught me how to respect the Bible, its grammar and its varied literary genres. It was not long after, that I began asking people to pray for me that God would grant me wisdom. I did not want to be fooled again.
1 There are a handful of conversion formulas that are described by Luke in Acts. In Acts 2 Peter expresses to his kinsmen that they were to, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (v38) This comes close to resembling a universal prescription, but it is still found in a narrative. And the response Peter got was, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (v41) They hardly followed the formula Peter prescribed. Or they did, but we don’t get to hear about it, for not all things are recorded in a story.
2 See John R.W. Stott’s, Baptism and Fullness.
3 Steve was a wonderful Christian man who taught me much. I considered him a friend. Steve served as a missionary and died young from cancer. He is survived by his wife Ann.