Got Questions? (3)

Week 3 - How Do We Make Sure We Properly Interpret Scripture?

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The Bible is unlike any other book. It is the best selling book in the history of the world, and it is the most printed book in the history of the world.

The Bible is God’s written revelation unto mankind. It is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, and it is the basis for all of our faith and practice.

Unfortunately, the Bible is also probably the most abused book in the history of mankind. Verses have been taken out of context to “support” a person’s point of view. People have used Scripture to justify all sorts of tremendous atrocities across human history and it all comes from the same problem: a lack of understanding in how to properly interpret Scripture.

Therefore, today’s question is an important one to answer. If everything we believe is based on the Bible, then we must be sure to properly interpret what the Bible says. So how do we do that?

I. Context is King

When it comes to rightly diving the Word of Truth, the first thing we must remember is that “Context is King”.

Context is defined as: the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

In simpler terms, Context is simply the words, situations, and setting that surrounds a verse or passage of scripture

Some Questions to ask yourself when studying a passage of Scripture in order to determine the proper context:

Who is the Author?

Who are they writing to (who is the audience)?

What was the Author’s purpose in writing the book/passage?

What are the passages around it talking about?

Is this verse quoting a verse from the Old Testament or mentioning something that has happened in a previous passage of Scripture?

Follow the Bible down the path that it leads. Use the footnotes that contain cross references.

A lot of this can be time consuming, but it truly is one of the best methods to ensure you are interpreting the Bible correctly.

II. Let the Bible Speak for Itself

The authors of Scripture wrote to communicate something specific, and our goal should be to discern what they intended to communicate.

It is not our job to make the Bible fit into our narrative. God doesnt need our help. It is simply our job to understand what God is trying to say.

Most of the Bible is written from a historical perspective and is written in plain speech, therefore those passages should be taken literally. Don’t give allegorical meaning to a passage meant to be literal. Dont give literal meaning to a passage meant to be allegorical.

The different portions of the Bible use different literary styles, each of which has its own rules of interpretation

For example: Joshua and Acts are written as Historical accounts, and therefore is interpreted by taking into account the facts that are detailed and why. There are no allegorical meanings in these books, everything is written as literal events.

The Poetic Books however (such as Psalms or Proverbs) are properly interpreted by paying close attention to the poetic structure and literary devices such as hyperbole and metaphor that are often found in poetry. This is important to remember especially when apocalyptic books such as Revelation because of its rich symbolism, which often convey deep truths in pictures not meant to be taken as literal descriptions of events.

Every passage of Scripture has an objective, discernable meaning. It cannot mean different contradictory things. But every passage has ONE Interpretation with MANY applications.

Example: Genesis 3.

Interpretation: The Serpent (Satan) came and tempted Eve and deceived her into taking the forbidden fruit and thus disobeying God

Application #1: Satan will often try to get your eyes off the good things God gives and make you focus on the things you dont have.

Application #2: The first step to falling into sin is questioning the Word of God “yea hath God said”

IMPORTANT NOTE: if a supposed “application” is in contradiction with another portion of God’s Word, then it is not a correct application of said passage.

III. Compare Scripture With Scripture

Another great way to determine if you are interpreting scripture correctly is to compare Scripture with Scripture.

When we encounter a difficult passage, other passages of the Bible should be used to provide clarity.

For example: Leviticus is a difficult book to understand and endure reading. But when we read it alongside the book of Hebrews, we gain a greater understanding of what all the sacrifices, feast days, and laws mean and what purpose they serve.

Use the cross references that your Bible provides you! They will help you!

The Old Testament is quoted and referenced thousands of times in the New Testament. Oftentimes we can totally miss the meaning of a passage because we fail to read the original OT passage that was quoted/referenced.

Commentaries are good. I recommend everyone to own a good commentary. But the BEST commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself.

Comparing Scripture with Scripture also prevents your interpretation of a passage from being contradictory. If you question whether your understanding of a particular passage is correct, ask yourself the question “does it go against something else God has said in His Word?”

If the answer is “yes” = then you are not interpreting the passage correctly. God does not contradict Himself.

If the answer is “no” = then more than likely, your interpretation is correct.

Conclusion:

If we are going to base our lives and our eternities on the things mentioned in the Bible, then we had better know how to properly interpret the Bible.

We must know and understand the context of the passage

We must let the Bible speak for itself

We must compare Scripture with Scripture

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”