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"Writer X said this or that to his or her readers in this or that situation" (206).

5 June 1990

Wiki MarkupThe exegete of the New Testament writings, like exegetes in any other discipline, is obligated exclusively to her or his text. She or he repeats what those writers at that time wanted to say to their readers. She or he attempts to understand their assertions. To this end, she or he makes use of all the fullness of helpful means that the various auxiliary disciplines make available: philology, text criticism, literary criticism, and so on, right up to the ever more comprehensive material of religious studies. The exegete is clear that, even with all this, her or his understanding can always be only limited. Her or his way of asking questions also always determines the exegesis and limits its results. This way of asking questions is by no means chosen arbitrarily or left to the free choice of the exegetf. It is determined, on the one side, by the history of exegesis, in the tradition in which the exegete consciously
or unconsciously stands. It is determined, on the other side, by the exegete's being a child of her or his time, who thinks in the categories of that time; and insofar forth the exegesis is always (again, consciously or unconsciously) determined philosophically. Only so is the exegete in a position really to translate, i.e., to bridge over the great temporal gulf between those assertions \ [_sc_. of the text\] and her or his own present. Thus exegesis is always a "modern" affair. If it isn't, if, on the contrary, the way of asking questions is an old way, then the exegete is unable to reach her or his own present. It also becomes clear, then, that exegesis is never at an end, and never can be at an end, because the new time with its new way of asking questions demands a new exegesis. But this all applies, as was said, not only to the New Testament scholar, but also to every exegete in any of the human sciences or disciplines, and beyond them (104 f.).

But even when one manages to focus attention on the individual NT writings, there are still difficulties. They lie in us ourselves. We (and with us also always our tradition) become much too quickly involved in the exegesis. We read the writings as Christians -- more exactly, Lutheran Christians, Reformed Christians, etc. And since we understand our own Christian existence to be biblically grounded, we view ourselves as in solidarity with the NT writers. But with this our preunderstanding comes into play and easily turns our exegesis into eisegesis -- without our knowing it or even wanting it. We must be clear that exegesis in its ideal form is not to be attained. Not only do we ourselves always stand in the way, but there is also the great temporal distance that separates us from the NT writers and readers. Still, the difficulty of the task cannot release us from it, even if it should make us sensitive to the fact that one has to do a lot of work in taking this first step (204 f.).

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