Congratulations! You did not let yesterday’ highly
philosophical discussion deter you from continuing to learn these life lessons.
In light of all that backdrop, I’d like to give you some practical principles
of Bible interpretation that I have gleaned over the years from wonderful
teachers such as Dr. Kaiser, Kay Arthur, Rick Warren and many others as well as
from my own personal study. Hopefully, these will help you grasp that
“one meaning” to each text of the Bible so that you will be able to
become, “a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NLT)
1.
Approach
the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.
This means that you expect God to teach, guide, correct, advise,
warn, and equip you through His word (2 Timothy 3:16). Be prepared for
truths you have hidden even from yourself to be revealed. (Hebrews
4:12-13). Most of all anticipate the joy of knowing God and his Son,
Jesus (John 17).
2.
Acknowledge that priesthood of all believers means
you have the right and responsibility to study and interpret the Word of
God.
According to 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV), “…you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the
praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” As
priests, we have the privilege of going directly into the presence of
God. We also have the obligation to tell people about God. This
means we must know His word so we can accurately present Him to the world.
However, many believers today rely on their pastors or teachers they hear on TV
or radio to teach them all they need to know about God. However, the
Bible repeatedly warns us about false teachers. How can you know if you
are listening to a false teacher if you have no idea what the truth is?
Be like the folks in Berea who “examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11, NIV)
3.
Rely on the
Holy Spirit to make the Word of God clear to you.
I remember in high school I decided to read the whole Bible.
I figured I should with the first book, Genesis. I only made it nine
chapters through the story of Noah before I quit. It was boring and hard
to understand. But once I committed my life to Christ, the Holy Spirit
came to live inside me. I could not get enough of the Bible because as
Jesus said, “When…the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, He will
lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but He
will speak of what He hears and will tell you of things to come. He will give
me glory, because He will take what I say and tell it to you.” (John
16:13-14. GNT). When the Holy Spirit is your teacher, learning becomes
easy!
4.
Read and
reread the passage asking questions of it.
Use the who, what, when, where, why and how questions discussed
in Section 3.1.
5.
Identify the
type of literature you are studying.
Within the 66 books of the Bible, you will find histories,
genealogies, poetry, prophecy, biographies, letters and futuristic or
apocalyptic writing to name just a few of the different genres. Some
books contain more than one literary type, for example, the first half of
Daniel is mostly biography while the second half is mostly apocalyptic
prophecies. The gospels tell the life of Christ but they also contain his
teaching which was often done through parables—-stories that make a specific
point. I suggest you invest in a good Study Bible. I have used the NIV
Study Bible for more than 30 years. It has wonderful introductions to
each book which often explain the book’s literary features. Or if you are
a totally digital person, you can find many good (and often free) Bible study
helps online. I often consult the Blue Letter Bible (https://www.blueletterbible.org).
6.
Understand
the author’s background and historical setting.
Because the meaning of the text is what the author, inspired by the
Holy Spirit, meant when he, or perhaps she, wrote it. It is crucial to know
about his or her background, upbringing and life experiences. Start with
what is written about the author in the Bible. For example, you can find
almost everything you need to know about the Apostle Paul’s life by reading the
book of Acts. Paul lived and worked with Priscilla and Aquila over a year
and a half in Corinth. He took them to Ephesus and left them there where
they evidently both became teachers of the way of God (Acts 18:26).
Therefore, when Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to
teach or have authority over a man,” it seems likely that he was addressing a
specific situation rather than making a general pronouncement.6
7.
Take the
Bible literally while being aware of figures of speech
Martin Luther fought against the allegorical interpretation of the
Bible that was popular in the Middle Ages: “No violence is to be done to the
words of God, whether by man or angel. They are to be retained in their
simplest meaning as far as possible. Unless the context manifestly compels it,
they are not to be understood apart from their grammatical and proper sense, so
that we do not give our adversaries occasion to make a mockery of all the
Scriptures.”[1] But some people take literalism too far because they fail to take
into account figures of speech. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd
yet there is no evidence that He ever took care of sheep. He also called
Himself a door, a vine, and bread of life. These were all figures of
speech. When something doesn’t make sense to you, check it out to see if
the author used figurative language.2
8.
Remember
the purpose of Bible study is to change our lives.
If you are like me, it is easy to get caught up in learning about
God’s Word and neglect doing it. In the parable of the wise and foolish
builder, they both heard Jesus’ words. But that was all foolish builder
did, just listen. In order to build your life on solid ground that can
withstand a category five hurricane, you must put God’s words into practice
(Matthew 7:24-27). Recently, I realized that I had been deceiving myself
because I had been studying the Word but not doing what it says. The
church I had loved and participated in for 22 years had disbanded. This
was like a death to me. I was bitter and resentful because of several
people who I felt had contributed to the demise of the church. I was
studying Philippians where I read of Paul’s attitude toward those who
sought to do him harm. He was able to rejoice that the gospel was being
preached no matter what people’s motivations were. Encouraged by Paul’s
example, I began to pray for the people I resented—by name, over and over.
I cannot say at this point, that I am completely over this but whenever I feel
bitterness welling up, I forgive again and ask that God would bless these
folks.
Learning the Lesson:
In the
passage below (Psalm 119:9-16, NLT) underline everything the author does in
relationship to God’s Word:
How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.
I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
I praise you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
I have recited aloud
all the regulations you have given us.
I have rejoiced in your laws
as much as in riches.
I will study your commandments
and reflect on your ways.
I will delight in your decrees
and not forget your word.
Choose one
of these actions and write below how you plan to put that into practice THIS
WEEK!
[1]
Luther, M., Lull, T., & Russell, W. (2005). Martin Luther's basic theological writings (2nd ed.). Minneapolis,
Minn.: Fortress, p. 222.
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