ALLEGORICAL APPRAOCH IN BIBLE INTERPRETATION.

 ALLEGORICAL APPRAOCH IN BIBLE INTERPRETATION.

INTRODUCTION

Allegorical interpretation of the Bible is a method of interpreting Scripture that seeks to uncover hidden or symbolic meanings beyond the literal sense of the text. It involves understanding the biblical narratives, characters, events, and teachings as symbolic representations of deeper spiritual truths, moral lessons, or theological concepts.

In allegorical interpretation, various elements of the biblical text are seen as symbolic or metaphorical rather than literal. For example, a character in a biblical story may represent a larger concept or archetype, and events may be understood as symbolic of spiritual journeys or truths. This approach assumes that the Bible contains multiple layers of meaning and that the text is not limited to historical or factual accounts alone.

THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT AND HISTORY OF ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

There have been various schools of thought on allegorical interpretation of the Bible throughout history, each with its own propounders and advocates. Here are a few significant ones:

 

• ·        Alexandrian School Propounder: Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE - 50 CE)

The Alexandrian School, influenced by Hellenistic philosophy, sought to find deeper spiritual philosophical meanings in the biblical texts. Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher (20 BC-50 CE), is regarded by my scholars as the father of allegorical interpretation of the Bible. He is famous to have used allegorical interpretation to harmonize Greek philosophy with Jewish scriptures. As records put it: Almost everything Philo wrote about the Jewish Scripture, and almost everything in those Scriptures, he interpreted allegorically. Philo took the Bible seriously, but he did not accept the literal nature of the Bible. Philo’s philosophical approach to the Bible made him to introduce allegorical interpretation which has done more harm than the good he felt he was pursuing. According to records, In Philo’s view, the Hebrew Scriptures were composed by their author(s) in a state comparable to that of the philosophers when inspired to recall intelligible Ideas beyond the world of sense and matter, and the Septuagint translators, filled with a similar kind of inspiration, produced an infallibly accurate rendering of the Hebrew into Greek. The Jewish prophet, when writing what was to become Scripture, was a man to whom ‘nothing is unknown’, since he possessed ‘a spiritual sun and unclouded rays to give him a full and clear apprehension of things unseen by sense but apprehended by understanding…. They trained themselves with the laws of their fathers, which could not possibly have been conceived by the human soul without divine inspiration’… Such an elevated view of the character of the Scriptures placed upon the Jewish scholar a heavy responsibility to seek a correct interpretation of them.

The above excerpt is a testament of the beliefs and philosophies that informed Philo’s theory of allegorical interpretation of the Bible. Philo hardly see any importance or reality of the literal or historical interpretation of the Bible. Others scholars who came up in Alexandria, in Egypt, followed after Philo. Being a renowned philosopher and writer, Philo published many works which influenced many scholars down the centuries, majority of whom advocated and propagated the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. One of such scholars is Origen of Alexandria (184 CE-253 CE), a prominent early theologian, who expanded on Philo's ideas and applied allegorical interpretation extensively in his works. Origen popularized Philo’s allegorical interpretation in Alexandria in Egypt. Hence Alexandria is one of the places where this interpretation held sway in the history of allegorical interpretation. Those familiar with some of the works of Origen can see the reasons for some of his teachings that so many people find it hard to accept.

 

• ·        Antioch Allegorical School of Thought

The propounders and advocates of the Antioch allegorical interpretation school of thought are: Diodore of Tarsus (c. 330-394 CE), Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350-428 CE) John Chrysostom (c. 349-407 CE), Theodoret of Cyrus (c. 393-458 CE)

The School of Antioch emphasized a more literal and historical approach to biblical interpretation. They believed in the importance of understanding the plain sense of the text and focused on grammatical and historical analysis. While they recognized the presence of allegory, they were cautious about excessive allegorizing and sought to maintain a balance between the literal and spiritual senses of Scripture. However, they still held to some key elements of allegorical interpretation of the Bible.

 

• ·        Medieval allegorical school of thought

The propounders and advocates of the Medieval allegorical interpretation are Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 CE), Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 CE) Bonaventure (1221-1274 CE), Meister Eckhart (1260-1327 CE)

During the medieval period, allegorical interpretation was widely used in theological and mystical writings. Figures like Bernard of Clairvaux and Bonaventure employed allegory to explore spiritual and contemplative dimensions of Scripture. Thomas Aquinas, while more focused on the literal sense, recognized the value of allegory in conveying spiritual truths.

 

• ·        Reformation and Post-Reformation School of Thought

The propounders and advocates of the Reformation and Post-Reformation of allegorical interpretation are Martin Luther (1483-1546 CE), John Calvin (1509-1564 CE), Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531 CE), John Owen (1616-1683 CE)

During the Reformation, there was a move toward a more literal and historical approach to biblical interpretation. Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin emphasized the plain sense of Scripture and cautioned against excessive allegory. They believed in the clarity of Scripture and the importance of understanding the intended meaning of the biblical authors. However, they still maintained key elements of allegorical interpretation of the Bible.

 

It's worth noting that these schools of thought represent general trends and there have been diverse views within each school. The approach to allegorical interpretation has evolved over time and continues to be debated among biblical scholars and theologians today.

 

THE CLAIMS OF ADVOCATES OF ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

Today, there are so many advocates of allegorical interpretation of the Bible.

The followings are some of the points to put forward to support their claims

1.They argue that allegorical interpretation helps to uncover the spiritual and moral teachings embedded within the biblical text.

2.The advocates of allegorical interpretation helps to bring out symbolic or metaphorical meaning beyond the literal sense of the Bible text.

3. They believe that the symbolic meanings gotten through allegorical interpretation can reveal profound truths and insights that are relevant to believers' lives today.

4. The advocates of allegorical interpretation claim that it helps to uncover deeper spiritual truths in the Bible.

5. They also claim that allegorical interpretation helps to understand a biblical narrative, characters, events, precepts etc., as symbolic not literal.

6. They advance that allegorical interpretation can also provide a way to harmonize seemingly contradictory passages and reconcile difficult or ambiguous texts.

7.The advocates of allegorical interpretation normally quote some Bible texts, “…For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life” (2Cor.3:6) “Which things are an allegory…” (Gal.4:24), to support their unbiblical practice.

The above claims and others that are not mentioned are what open the doors for numerous beliefs, doctrines and practices that are making many denominations, in Christendom, to thrive, as gullible people swallow hook, line and sinker of the beliefs, doctrines and practices that are formulated out of allegorical interpretation of the Bible. Some of the beliefs, doctrines, practices etc., that are speculated from allegorical interpretation may shock a sincere Bible student of the havoc this unbiblical practice has done to professed believers.

SOME BELIEFS, DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES THAT ARE FORMULATED FROM ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION.

The history and religion of Israel have been abused by the different allegorical schools of thought to speculate and formulate beliefs, doctrines and practices which so many professed believers have held unto as Christian teachings. 

 

 However, allegorical interpretation has its critics as well. Some argue that it can be subjective and prone to speculative or arbitrary interpretations. Critics also point out that focusing too heavily on allegory may neglect the historical and cultural context of the biblical texts, potentially leading to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

The advocates of allegorical interpretation used certain portions of the book of prophet Joel, either consciously or unconsciously, to demonstrate their allegorical interpretations.  

  That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and hat which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten (Joel 1:4).

 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm,.. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see  visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit  (Joel 2:25, 28-29)
   The  advocates of allegorical interpretation combined the above verses of Joel with Jewish religious feasts to show that they are symbolic of the history of the church from the Apostles’ time to the second coming of Christ. Detail explanation of their allegorical presentation cannot be given in this article, but the points stated should make one understand how this unbiblical practice of interpretation has made many people to put their faith and practice in unscriptural doctrines.

1.     The Feast of Passover.

·        Jesus was crucified during the feast of Passover

·        This shows that Christ is our Passover Lamb who shed His blood to save us from the Devil

·        It also shows that all believers have divine covering through the blood of Christ.

·        Jesus explained this to His disciples after His resurrection and they believed Him. Luke. 24:36-47
None of the above points, as stated by the advocates of allegorical interpretation, is wrong. As would be seen before the end of this article, it is how the advocates of allegorical interpretation combined the history of the church with the prophecy of Joel that is misleading. 

2.     The Feast of unleavened Bread.

·        This is observed immediately after the killing of the Passover lamb.

·        Bread without leaven are eaten during this feast. Leaven represents sin and wickedness; therefore, since Christ (our Passover Lamb) has been sacrificed for us, we are to live righteously, which represents  celebrating the feast of unleavened bread. (1Cor. 5:7-8).

There is also no falsehood in the above two points as set forth by the advocates of allegorical interpretation.  The falsehood is in how they symbolized the points to the history of the church that is the issue.

3.     The Feast of Pentecost.

·        The feast of Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after the Passover.

·        The feast of Pentecost memorializes the giving of the law to Israel as well as the covenant between God and Israel.

·        It was on this day, in the time of the apostles, that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Christ in fulfillment of the promise. (Luke. 24:49; Acts. 1:4-5; 2:1-4)

·        The coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost shows the God has fulfilled His promise of a new covenant in which His laws are written in the hearts of a chosen people as a sign of a new beginning of God’s people.  (Jer.31:33; Ezek. 36:26-27)

·        The disciples, through the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the new covenant with signs and wonders and multitudes believed.
The above points are also in agreement with scriptures, but the symbolic representation of the feast of Pentecost to the history of the church with the allegorical interpretation of certain verses in the book of Joel that is misleading.

 The advocates of allegorical interpretation combined the above three feasts with prophecy of Joel and the history of the church to reason that Jesus died for mankind during Passover feast, the gift of the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost, the church was with the gift of the Holy Spirit was faithfully celebrating the feast of unleavened bread. By this allegorical interpretation, the advocates hold that all the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. They added that the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit were functioning perfectly in the church with full salvation by faith in Christ and the evidence of righteousness of God in the church until about 4^th century AD.  According to this allegorical interpretation, the church from around 4^th century AD lost the spiritual power and grace that was so evident in the New Testament church. Consequently, a great spiritual famine settled upon the church for about 1000 years called “The Dark ages” of the church era. That is to say, the church lost the significance of the feasts of Passover, unleavened bread and Pentecost. The prophecies of Joel are then allegorically interpreted on how the feasts were lost and restored.

 

    According to the allegorical interpretation of Joel 1:4, there are several stages in which the church lost the (allegorical) significance of the feasts.

• 1.     What the PALMERWORM has eaten: the loss of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• 2.     What the LOCUST has eaten: the loss of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
• 3.     What the CANKERWORM destroyed: the loss of holiness and righteousness in the church.
• 4.      What the CATERPILLAR has eaten: the loss of justification by faith; the lost of the truth of salvation in the blood of Jesus.
      According to the advocates of allegorical interpretation, the combination of the works of spiritual locust, palmerworm, cankerworm and caterpillar as symbolize in Joel 1:4 led to the spiritual darkness that covered the church for about 1,000 years, which is called, “The Dark Ages” of the church.
        They (advocates of allegorical interpretation) added that God, in the book of Joel, promised to restore the feasts, symbolically, back to the church. And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm… (Joel. 2:25).

    According to the advocates of allegorical interpretation, the combination of the works of spiritual locust, palmerworm, cankerworm and caterpillar as symbolize in Joel 1:4 led to the spiritual darkness that covered the church for about 1,000 years, which is called, “The Dark Ages” of the church.
      They (advocates of allegorical interpretation) added that God, in the book of Joel, promised to restore the feasts, symbolically, back to the church. And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm… (Joel. 2:25).

 

 

ALLEGORICAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE RESTORATION OF THE FEASTS.

The following are the four stages of restoration of the feasts as allegorically demonstrated.

1. Justification (the forgiveness of sins and salvation through the blood of Jesus) by faith restored.
    This restoration (of salvation through the blood of Christ rather than works of penance, giving of alms etc., as witnessed in “The Dark Ages” of the church) is claimed to be the fulfillment of Joel 2:25.  And I will restore to you the years that the caterpillar hath eaten
   The activities of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Knox Fletcher etc., which is popularly called the reformation in the church during the medieval time is allegorically interpreted as the fulfillment of Joel 2:25 in restoring the fast of Passover (symbolic of the  years of the forgiveness of sins and salvation through the blood of Jesus) which was lost in “The Dark Ages.”
Apart from the fact that such interpretation of the feast of Passover and Joel 2:25 is heretical, there are some damages this allegorical interpretation has done to the majority in Christendom.

·        The doctrine of salvation by faith alone without considering the entirety of scriptures.

 

 

·        Unreasonable attachment to the doctrinal views of religious leaders such as Martin Luther, John, Calvin, Knox Fletcher etc., as a result of the exalted position the allegorical interpretation has accorded them.

·        It is one of the reasons Lutheranism, Calvinism etc., are been promoted and gaining wide recognition in Christendom.

2. The restoration of the feast of unleavened bread, symbolically, righteousness and holiness back to the church.

    Accordingly, Joel 2:25 is being quoted as a fulfillment of God’s promise to restore the years that the “…cankerworm has eaten.” John Wesley, Charles Finney, William Booth which were popularly called holiness movement in the 18^th centuries are allegorically interpreted as fulfillment of Joel 2:25 in restoring the feast of unleavened bread (symbolically years of righteousness and holiness in the church) which was lost in “The Dark Ages.” 
   Some of the damages this allegorical interpretation has done to Christendom are:

·        The extension of the various “Holiness movements” that are propagating numerous absurd interpretations and teachings in the guise of restoration of holiness to the church.

·        Struggle with Legalistic Perfectionism.

·        Rigid Legalism and Moralism.

·        Exclusivity and Judgmental Attitudes.

 

 

 

 

3.     The restoration of the Feast of Pentecost, baptism of the Holy Spirit.

This is also connected to Joel 2:25 as a fulfilment of God’s promise to restore the years that the locust has eaten. The allegorical interpretation of Joel 2:25 in connection to Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit is stressed further with Acts. 2:17 and Joel. 2:23:  . . . in last days it shall be God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh . . .    Be glad o Children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain . . .

    The religious experience of speaking in tongues which begun since early 20^th century into this 21th century is interpreted as the fulfilment of the promise of Joel 2:23,25; Act. 2:17 to restore the feast of Pentecost back to the church.

This allegorical interpretation of the feast of Pentecost and the book of Joel 2:23,25; Act 2:17 has some implications.

• ·        The unbiblical practice of teaching and learning of how to speak in tongues.
• ·        The practice of emotionalism without any or little spiritual maturity.
• ·        Isolationism. While the strong sense of community is often celebrated in the Pentecostal movement, it can sometimes lead to isolationism. Focusing exclusively on their own denominational beliefs and practices, some Pentecostal groups might become insular, viewing outsiders with suspicion or even rejecting engagement with the broader society.
• ·        Serious controversies which arise from different interpretations of scripture and spiritual experiences, that create rifts within Christendom.
• ·        The practice of strange utterances and human imaginations in the guise of being moved by the Holy Spirit.
• ·        Magicians, soothsayers, charlatans and others have taken the advantage of Pentecostalism to unleash serious unbiblical and ungodly practices on humanity in the name of latter- day rain.

 

 

4.     The restoration of the fruits and gift of the Holy Spirit.

The advocates of allegorical interpretation claim that Joel 2:25 also means God’s promise to restore the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit back to the church in latter days. And I will restore to you the years that … the palmerworm has eaten (Joel. 2:25).

 This allegorical interpretation also has it adverse effect In Christendom.

• ·        Emotional manipulation in the guise of spiritual manifestations in order to gain and maintain followers.
• ·        This emotional manipulation can hinder critical thinking and autonomous decision-making among followers, leading to a reliance on charismatic leaders for guidance instead of taking responsibility for personal Bible study.

• ·        The Prosperity Gospel, a belief within some Pentecostal circles that God rewards faithfulness with material wealth and success. Critics argue that this teaching can lead to financial exploitation of vulnerable individuals who are promised blessings in exchange for monetary donations to the church or its leaders. This approach can perpetuate a cycle of poverty for those who give away their limited resources in hopes of receiving prosperity in return. Moreover, the emphasis on material gain can shift the focus away from spiritual growth and ethical living.
• ·      Consultation and trafficking with demons by unregenerated people in order to acquire power which they claim to come from the Holy Spirit in fulfilment of God’s promise.

 ·      The practice of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and performing miracles can sometimes lead to divisions within religious communities. Differences in interpretation, authenticity, and emphasis on these practices can create schisms, resulting in fragmented congregations and denominations.

 

·         The proliferation of religious centers of worship in name of Christianity with the use of Bible as cover note but propagating and promoting strange teachings and practices.

·        The allure of divine intervention and spiritual experiences can be exploited for personal gain. Unscrupulous individuals may use speaking in tongues, prophesying, and performing miracles as tools for financial exploitation and manipulation. This exploitation undermines the authenticity of these practices, leaving believers vulnerable to misguided leaders who seek to capitalize on their faith.

·        Overemphasis on Spectacle.  Performing miracles with signs and wonders can sometimes prioritize the spectacular over substance. The pursuit of awe-inspiring events might detract from the underlying message of faith, compassion, and ethical living. When miracles become the main attraction, the deeper spiritual teachings might be overlooked, leading to a superficial understanding of one's faith.

 

CONCLUSION

The adverse effect of allegorical interpretation which has been discussed in this article with elaborate illustrations from the books of Joel and Acts of the apostles is that it makes some group in Christendom to have (false) confidence in their denominations as those who have the complete circle of God’s promises of forgiveness of sins (salvation) Holiness and righteousness in Christ, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the manifestations of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Such approach of interpretation is strange to the true teachings of the Bible. The next article (Typology of the Old Testament) is the true demonstration of how the Old Testament is applied to the church age which the advocates of allegorical interpretation have twisted to propound and propagate their human teachings in Christendom.