I.C.E. is an acronym made up of the three concepts;
"Isogogics"; Study of historical subjects pertaining to scripture.
"Categorical": Individual doctrines.
"Exegesis": Interpreting the scriptures, from the original, in the old languages.
Most Christians have never heard of these practices in relation to Bible teaching, and
the vast majority of the clergymen in America deign to either acquire the weighty
academic training, nor engage in such exhaustive scriptural analysis, to benefit their
congregations. They subscribe to the popular ethic of the day; programs, social
groups, counselling and entertainment. Most ministers read commentaries of other
theologians and pass them on to their churches, but have not had an original thought
for years.
It may surprise the reader to learn that I.C.E. was once common in America, not the acronym,
but the principles. Today very few seminaries even teach these subjects in context, and
prepare students to dig out the substance of God's Word on their own, without depending on
extraneous sources.
The purpose for this process should be crystal clear; to prevent the perpetuation of
erroneous translations and bogus concepts that have been handed down for generations.
Institutionalized religions all suffer from this malaise, which is the primary reason
that God ordained independent local churches that operate autonomously of any authority
higher than the Pastor.
When I allude to a "prepared Pastor" I refer to a man with an extensive education in the
Koine Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic languages, in addition to a minor in ancient history and
four years in a seminary to learn his theology. The men who are willing to undergo this
rigorous regimen are few and far between.
No professional field is so demanding as the ministry, with the few exceptions of perhaps
brain surgery or nuclear physicist. From the standpoint of importance, however, the teaching
of God's Word is by far the most critical pursuit in the human race, for by it we are drawn
near to God and trained in the spiritual skills that comprise the victorious spiritual life.
The Communication Gift
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:8, 11 & 12
The words "pastor and teacher" are mistranslated in this passage. The "and" is the Greek
hendiades, or hyphen, which links two words into a single concept. "Pastor" is the word
for authority, thus linking the principles of leadership and instruction in one function,
with one purpose... to "edify the body of Christ", which is one of the many terms used
to describe the believers in the Church Age. The "body" refers, more specifically, to us
as the future "Bride of Christ", the body being the betrothed before ritual cleansing,
and the bride being acceptable to the groom, bathed and dressed in spotless raiment.
The Pastor-Teacher's role is one of enlightenment, which demands his complete devotion. He is
given the gift by The Holy Spirit, Whom assigned to each of us a spiritual gift at salvation.
Please note, the Pastor-Teacher is not the manager of a lonely hearts club, a marriage counselor, psychologist or babysitter.
God the Holy Spirit delegated every gift that fills the needs of the independent local
church; Administration; given to men who are called to serve as deacons, or elders, with
skills in accounting (The Pastor never get's involved with money), organization, leadership,
and the other requirements of the church as they may be necessary.
There is a gift of refreshments, uplifting commentary which is designed to stimulate the
resident doctrine in the believer's soul, but not necessarily teach, the gift that
I have. This gift excites the emotion as an "appreciator" of God's Word.
There is the gift of helps that calls believers to care for others, visit them in the hospital,
or fulfill some other need. There is a gift of prayer, the vital skill of prolonged petition
for the Pastor, the congregation, the nation, etc.
But the Pastor-Teacher devotes his full energies to studying and teaching, digging out the
mysteries of God's Word and imparting them to his "flock" in an academic setting. Not
elaborate rituals, no social engineering, programs, entertainment committees. The
congregation meet to sit silently and hear the Word, themselves filled with The Holy Spirit,
and deposit the Mind of Christ in their souls.
Isogogics
The first law of Hermeneutics, the science of Biblical criticism, is that the Word must
be examined in the light of the historical setting in which it was written; the prevailing
social conditions, culture, idiom, and historical events. Much of the meaning of the
original canon is only gleaned by an extensive knowledge of history.
Take Paul's analogy the "full armor of God", for example. Paul was well versed in Roman
military tradition and equipment, as he was under house arrest for 3 years, all told. He
taught the Christian spiritual life in this analogy, comparing each article of the Roman
uniform and battle dress to an aspect of the Christian life. Any Pastor who teaches this
subject accurately must be conversant in Roman culture.
Categories
As the Pastor progresses through a passage he will encounter major doctrines which are
referred to in passing, such as Soteriology, the doctrine of the work of Christ. He must
pause, in such a case, and give the congregation the detailed doctrine, then proceed on.
In this way the flock under his ministry assimilate the Word gradually until they have
completed the Mind of Christ in their souls.
Exegesis
The Pastor spends thousands of hours poring over the original texts of the scripture, the
dead sea scrolls, Codex Aleph, and many other writings discovered over the centuries. His
knowledge of the languages in which the autograph was written is absolutely necessary to
"rightly divide the Word of Truth".
The English language is a very poor instrument of expression compared to the Koine Greek of
Alexander's time. The Greek language is an inflective, rather than a reflective language,
and can say more in one sentence that English can in a paragraph.
There were also many dialects of Greek used in various passages of the Bible; Doric,
Classical, Koine, and others. The Pastor must master them all.
Idiom also played a major role in scriptural composition. In this context, the meaning of
most early colloquialisms has been obscured, almost lost, but ardent study can still find
and apply them. Many subtle nuances of scripture are only revealed by a knowledge of idiom.
This then is the system that God ordained for the "edifying of the body of Christ", not
massive worldwide religions, impressive ceremonies that mean nothing, stained glass
cathedrals and golden chalices. These are the accoutrements of human splendor, but they are
meaningless to God.