Sermon Tone Analysis

Going Deeper in God’s Word - Interpretation

There are two ways to experience God’s word

1.

Through someone else

2. Or by personally learning to interpret the bible yourself

a. Number 2 will make your bible experience unforgettable

Interpreting the bible takes you along the pathways of History.

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If you came up with less than thirty, look again.

Stick with it until you can see them all.

This challenging exercise in observation points out that there is more to see than first meets the eye.

This is most true with the Bible.

Every time we encounter Scripture, there will be new discoveries.

Studying Scripture is like mining and refining a precious metal.

We are to continue working at the task until all is mined and then refined to its purest form.

That is why the psalmist wrote, ‘Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold’ (; cf. ; ).

God has given each one of us a lifetime to observe the vast riches of His Word.

We’ve discussed the steps of preparation, and observation so far.

Returning home from Palestine, he was on a desert road southwest of Jerusalem.

Another person was driving, which gave him opportunity to read.

As he was reading aloud, he looked up and saw a man who had come up beside him and had heard him reading.

The man asked the vacationer if he understood what was being read.

His question revealed his need for help in interpreting the passage.

Philip explained that the passage refers to Jesus.

As a result of the conversation the African accepted the Lord as his Saviour.

This desert dialogue points up two things.

First, seeing the words on a page of the Bible does not necessarily mean that the reader catches their meaning.

Observing what the Bible says is the first of several steps in Bible study.

It is important to know what the text actually states.

But this may sometimes lead to questions on the meaning of what is read.

Many people, on reading portions of the Bible, come away confused about their meaning or come away with a false understanding.

Second, the evangelist-eunuch incident reveals that proper guidance can help others interpret what they read in the Bible.

Philip’s question, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

implied that the reader probably did not understand but that it was possible to understand.

In fact the treasurer’s request for someone to explain the passage to him was an admission on his part that he could not properly understand the passage by himself and that he felt the need for help in interpretation.

Several months after Nehemiah completed the rebuilding of the Jerusalem walls and the Israelites had settled in their towns, Ezra the scribe read to them from “the Book of the Law of Moses” (the first five books of the Bible) as the people were assembled before the Water Gate at Jerusalem ().

Ezra read from the Law from daybreak till noon (v.

3).

The Levites also read aloud from the Law, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that people could understand what was being read” (vv.

7–8).

As a result the people were joyful “because they now understood the words” (v.

12).

Why Is Bible Interpretation Important?

It Is Essential for Understanding and Teaching the Bible Properly

We must know the meaning of the Bible before we can know its message for today.

We must understand its sense for then before we can see its significance for now.

Without hermeneutics (the science and art of interpreting the Bible) we are jumping over and missing out on an indispensable step in Bible study.

The first step, observation, asks, What does it say?

The second step, interpretation, asks the question, What does it mean?

The third step, application, raises the question, How does it apply to me?

Interpretation is perhaps the most difficult and time-consuming of these three steps.

And yet cutting Bible study short in this area can lead to serious errors and faulty results.

Some people knowingly “distort the Word of God” ().

Some even “distort” the Scriptures “to their own destruction” ().

Others unknowingly come away from the Bible with faulty interpretations.

Why?

Because of inadequate attention to the principles involved in understanding the Scriptures.

Did God intend for the Bible to be treated in this way?

If it can be made to mean anything we want, how can it be a reliable guide?

Conflicting interpretations of many passages abound.

For example, one person reads , “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand,” and understands that verse to be teaching eternal security.

Others read the same verse and explain that though no one can snatch a Christian out of God’s hand, the believer may remove himself from God’s hand by persistent sin.

Bible Interpretation Is Essential as a Step beyond Observation

When many people approach the Bible, they jump from observation to application, skipping the essential step of interpretation.

This is wrong because interpretation logically follows after observation.

In observing what the Bible says, you probe; in interpretation, you mull.

Observation is discovery; interpreting is digesting.

Bible Interpretation Is Essential for Applying the Bible Properly

Interpretation should build on observation and then lead into interpretation.

It is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Definitions

If we fail to apply the Scriptures, we cut short the entire process and have not finished what God wants us to do.

True, the Bible gives us many facts we need to know about God, ourselves, sin, salvation, and the future.

We go to the Bible for information and insight, and this is proper.

But the question is, What will we do with that information and insight?

Interpretation is the step that moves us from reading and observing the text on to applying and living it out.

One of the classic passages on the inspiration of the Scriptures is .

And yet most of that verse, along with the following verse, speaks of the usefulness of Scripture.

It is to be used for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Definitions

Hermoneutics - The art and science of interpreting and explaining written text

Exegesis - Determine the meaning that the author intended to communicate to the first readers in the historical context

Exposition - Explaining the authors original meaning in contemporary terms

Meaning - the authors original message

Interpretation - the act or result fo understanding in light of both past and present circumstances

The Importance of Interpretation

All written documents require interpretation (email, letters, text etc)

What happens is symbols are being used to write ideas the writer tries to communicate and the reader begins to decode

Some are more difficult than others

Gaps in linguistic historical and cultural gaps

Some materials are more important than others and require special attention

The Need for Biblical Hermeneutics

Certainly unfamiliar and strange materials to modern readers

From widely varied cultures drastically different than our times most ancient materials know to man.

Basic beginning truths from Gods word may be easily understood Ex: Salvation, Grace

But we mare mistaken if we think all Gods truth are easy to understand

Steps in the Task

Determine the authors intended meaning of the text (exegesis)

Restate original meaning in contemporary terms

Make application in terms of beliefs and/or behavior

This i why so many don’t get the most out of God’s word, must be in this order or you will remain shallow in your bible reading and understanding.

Observation

Let’s look at .

How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,