WHAT IS A 'CHRISTOTELIC' HERMENEUTIC?

The word Christotelic results from the combination of two Greek words: Christos (Christ) and telos (end or goal). A Christotelic hermeneutic views the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate goal or end of God's Word and seeks to consistently interpret all Scripture in view of this great truth. A Christotelic hermeneutic, as understood by Providence Theological Institute, assumes outright that the Old and New Testaments together comprise the wholly inspired, wholly infallible, and wholly inerrant Word of God, which is the sole authority of faith and practice in the life of a believer. This hermeneutical approach is also called Christological or Christocentric. Furthermore, this particular method of interpretation emphasizes five principles: (1) the Lord Jesus Christ is the nexus of God's plan in redemptive history; (2) all Scripture either refers to Christ directly (e.g. the Gospel narratives, messianic prophecies), refers to Christ typologically, or prepares the way for Christ by unfolding redemptive history which ultimately points to His person and work (e.g. the Flood, the calling of Abram); (3) the New Testament Scriptures must have interpretive priority over the Old Testament Scriptures due to the former being the final revelation of God; (4) an accurate analysis of a passage's context is key: local, literary, historical, and canonical; and (5) the principle of historical-grammatical interpretation (guided by the first four principles).

RELATED MESSAGES

A DESCRIPTION OF NCT

1. What is New Covenant Theology?

2. What is a Christotelic Hermeneutic?

3. NCT on the Plan of God

4. NCT on the Biblical Covenants

5. NCT on the Old Covenant

6. NCT on the New Covenant

7. NCT on the People of God

9. NCT on the Nation of Israel

10. NCT on the Law of God

11. NCT on the Law of Moses

12. NCT on the Law of Christ

13. NCT on the Kingdom of God

14. How does NCT Compare to Other         Theological Systems?

15. NCT on Practical Matters