Patristic Exegesis (100-600 AD) Antiochian pg 53

• The Syrian School of Antioch

• Christ moved his mission outreach from the Church of Jerusalem to the Church of Antioch.

• His group of CHRISTIANS (Virkler calls them 'scholars') avoided both 'letterism' of the Jews and the 'allegorisms' of the Alexandrians.

• Vrikler credits Theodore of Mopsuestia (AD 350-428) Baptist credit Christ.

• Staunchly defended the principle of grammatical-historical interpretation (the text should be interpreted according to the rules of grammar and the facts of history) just as their Christ interpreted.

• They avoided dogmatic exegesis, asserting instead that an interpretation be justified by a study of its grammatical and historical context rather than by an appeal to authority.

• They criticized the allegorists casting of doubt on OT history.

• i.e. Abraham's departure from Haran was an act of faith and trust and obedience to God, NOT his rejection of knowing things by means of the senses, as speculated by allegory!

• Nestorius' heresy, tarnished the School of Antioch, but not the Christian, Christlike hermeneutic they practiced.