Understanding Textual Meaning: Author's Intent and Stability

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The meaning of a text is what the author intended to communicate by his words. This definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning never changes ever from age to age, from reader to reader. The reason is that a text's meaning is a historical event in the past. [00:02:42]

When Jesus says not an iota, not a dot will pass away, he's not merely concerned with strokes on a page. He's concerned with what they signify because that's what will come to pass, that's what will be accomplished. Meaning is accomplished, and so he's saying the meaning carried by these details will not pass away. [00:04:10]

The very fact that he changes his mind shows that his mind captured in that first statement, that is, his intention in the first document, is what it is. He can change his mind, but he can't go back and say, "I didn't mean it back then," because he did or he didn't, and if he did, then it's fixed. [00:06:09]

Can the reader see more of an author's meaning than he saw? The answer is yes, if the author wrote in such a way as to provide for that. A lawmaker may write a city statute that says all vehicles that use the roads, including kinds of vehicles not yet invented, will come to a full stop at stop signs. [00:07:33]

Paul uses the similar term "such things" like we use etc. Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom, and he's just listed 15 examples of works of the flesh. He intends that we may think of behaviors and attitudes that are not explicitly in his mind but which are included in the category "such things." [00:09:40]

The meaning of a text is what the author intended to communicate by his words because the Bible assumes it, because of the golden rule, we want to be read that way, because reading a text in order to discover an author's intention is the humble path to greater knowledge and true wisdom. [00:10:42]

This definition of meaning assumes the biblical worldview that a God-inspired author's intention has real objective existence outside ourselves. It's really there to be found. Reality is not just an echo of our own subjective preferences. There's a meaning out there, and we can fight our way through to it. [00:11:28]

Finally, in this session, this definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning can never change, never change from age to age, from reader to reader, which again provides meaning with a tremendous stability. It's not wobbling all over the place, changing from reader to reader and age to age. [00:11:28]

The author's meaning is what he intends to communicate by his words. This definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning never changes ever from age to age, from reader to reader. The reason is that a text's meaning is a historical event in the past. [00:02:42]

The meaning of a text is what the author intended to communicate by his words. This definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning never changes ever from age to age, from reader to reader. The reason is that a text's meaning is a historical event in the past. [00:02:42]

The meaning of a text is what the author intended to communicate by his words. This definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning never changes ever from age to age, from reader to reader. The reason is that a text's meaning is a historical event in the past. [00:02:42]

The meaning of a text is what the author intended to communicate by his words. This definition of meaning implies that a text's meaning never changes ever from age to age, from reader to reader. The reason is that a text's meaning is a historical event in the past. [00:02:42]

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