Tarmo Toom: “THEO 001: Ptolemy’s Introduction to Biblical Interpretation”

In his Epistula ad Floram, Ptolemy either proposed or used several hermeneutical principles which eventually became the accepted exegetical devices in Christian exegesis. The contention of this paper is not that that larger church necessarily learned certain interpretative principles through Ptolemy’s letter, but rather that this letter is among the first that we know of to highlight these interpretative principles.     The question asked is, “What does Ptolemy’s Epistula ad Floram contribute to the developing tradition of biblical interpretation?” The paper highlights the following principles:One’s doctrine of God determines one’s approach to the Word of God.Prosopological exegesis helps to handle texts which seem “unfitting” for God.Prosopological exegesis helps to discern whether a text has to be taken on a literal or figurative level.The criterion in the light of which one is supposed to read the Old Testament is God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ.One of the guarantees of adequate interpretation of Scripture is the apostolic succession.Figurative interpretation is a necessary device for taking the Hebrew Scriptures as Christian Scripture.