Typology, Tabernacle and Tradition: A History of Interpretation of Hebrews 9:11-14
Abstract
The texts of the Bible have been used and interpreted in various ways across different time periods and different cultures, and there is much to be gained by studying these changes. Changing attitudes about and uses of Scripture tell us something about other changes taking place in society. They reflect new ideas about religion, knowledge, and authority. Most of all, they demonstrate the techniques used by pastors, theologians, and other authors to make texts written long ago relevant to contemporary problems. The purpose of my study is to use Hebrews 9:11-14 to look at the ways in which the interpretation of Scripture and the uses of Scripture change across time and geographic locations. By analyzing the text itself in its first century context, as well as documents citing this passage from the Early Church, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the present day, I am able study both the ways that the interpretation of this particular passage has changed, and how methods of biblical interpretation themselves have changed.
