On the plus side, the split between meaning and significance recognizes the historical reality of a text like the Bible. This is clearly seen in the split that is made between meaning (what the author intended when the book was written) and significance (what subsequent generations of readers have perceived in the text). On the minus side, to argue that the term meaning is restricted to the original act of communication misses the fact that every generation of readers perceives meaning when they read the text. It does not take very long when reading the
