Bible Interpretation

BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION - PART I

(How to read the Bible and understand what it's saying)

"We used to read the Bible like a newspaper, but now we are understanding it more clearly!"

-A pastor from Bugiri District, Uganda

Interpreting the Bible - First —>PRAY for the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you.

“The difference between reading (the Bible) and studying it is like the difference between drifting in a boat and rowing toward a destination.” -Oscar Feucht

  1. Observe the text - what does is say?
  2. Interpret the text - what does it mean?
  3. Apply the text - What shall I do?

Step 1- Observation - What does it say?

Asking the right questions:

  1. WHO is talking or being talked about? WHO is listening?
  2. WHAT is the subject of topic being discussed; what comes before and what follows after? Also, remember to observe what or who is NOT there!
  3. WHERE is the activity or discussion taking place? Where are they going/coming from?
  4. WHEN is the activity or discussion taking place?
  5. WHY is the activity or discussion taking place (purpose)? This is SO important; this is the underlying REASON WHY he or she is speaking/commanding/going/etc. The WHY defines the ACTION/VERB.
  6. HOW are the people involved in responding? HOW did the action take place? HOW is God going to accomplish what He said? HOW…

What to look for:

1. Word, sentences, verse, paragraphs, surrounding paragraphs, chapter, section, before or after crucifixion, OT or NT.

Step 2- Interpretation - What does it mean?

“If you miss God’s meaning, then you no longer have God’s Word.”

Until you know what the text says you are not prepared to determine what it means or how it applies.

Each passage of scripture his only ONE meaning, but may have SEVERAL applications.

GOAL: Deciding on the single meaning of the passage when originally written.

  1. Key questions to ask yourself:
    1. What does this mean?
    2. What is the significance of this?
    3. Why did God include this?
    4. What is the purpose of the passage?
  2. Consider the circumstances under which the passage was written:
    1. Historical
    2. Geographical
    3. Cultural (political, economic, social, religious, legal, ethical, etc.)
    4. Language
    5. Writing

Interpret in context (context is the single most important factor in the CORRECT interpretation. The content for each verse of the Bible is the Bible itself!

Special Rules.

  1. Parables - what is the central truth being taught? Most parables address a specific issue. Usually, not all of the details are of great significance.
  2. Proverbs - when are interpreted by those with no Bible training, understand proverbs to be promises, but they are teachings on how to live wisely or a main principle.
  3. Poetry - Usually the second line will say something about the second line. It does not rhyme, but has a pattern: 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. Try to determine how line 2 impacts line 1.
  4. Figures of speech - “a drop in a bucket.” The Truth stated by the figure of speech CAN be taken literally.
    1. “All men are like grass” 1 Pe 1:24
    2. “You are the salt of the earth” Mt. 5:13
  5. Symbols - This is a word or phrase that represents something else.
    1. Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God.” Jn 1:29
    2. Be careful, a symbol can refer to more than one person.
      1. Who is a lion in the Bible? 1 Pe 5:8 vs. Rev 5:5
  6. Types - The direct correspondence between the OT and NT.
    1. First Adam - Last Adam (Jesus)
    2. Passover - Passover Lamb
    3. Melchizedek - Christ
    4. Bronze Serpent - Cross
  7. Prophecy - By revealing God’s plan, it encourages believers to have hope and motivates them to live a godly life.
    1. Prophecy has near application and far fulfillment.
    2. Compare all related passages.
    3. Distinguish between already fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled
    4. Make sure your interpretation does not contradict other scripture
    5. Prophecy reveals God’s character
    6. 25% of the Bible was prophecy when written.
    7. Probably the most difficult to interpret
  8. Use of the Old Testament in the New - How is the passage you are studying connected to the Old or New Testament?
    1. The Old and the New Testament will NOT contradict each other.
    2. 10% of the NT are OT quotes (300 quotations)
    3. Understanding of the OT is extremely important for understanding the NT.
    4. Identify the differences in wording between the OT and NT, and study WHY?
    5. Determine how and why the OT passage is being use (direct quote, illustration, summary, fulfillment, etc.)

INTERPRETATIVE DANGERS-There are 3 dangers that MUST be avoided:

  1. An incomplete interpretation - occurs when we fail to observe and interpret ALL of the text.
  2. An exaggerated interpretation - occurs when we read something INTO the text which is not there.
  3. An inaccurate interpretation - occurs when we reach the wrong meaning and conclusion because of lack of diligent study, failure to observe properly, failure to rely on the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.

A wrong interpretation leads to a wrong application!


BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION - PART II

The study of hermeneutics, also known as Biblical Interpretation, is the study of what the Bible says. Usually, we ask ourselves questions like Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. We look deeper into the text to see what it’s really saying. But what about what it’s not saying. Have you ever thought about that? What does the Bible NOT say?

To really understand this, we will look at an illustration. A pastor wants to make a point about tithing to the church members, so he looks through the Bible and gathers all the information he can about this topic, prepares his message, and then delivers what the Bible says.

What if the Bible didn’t say anything about tithing? Or money, for that matter. What would the pastor then do? Usually we find that the pastor will look for scripture verses that at least support his message, and use those verses.

This is an incorrect method to use the Bible, and it’s a very dangerous thing to misuse God’s Holy Word. This method of making scripture verses fit the message the pastor wants to make is called an over-interpretation, and leads to false teaching and false doctrine. Both of these things our Lord Jesus warned us NOT to do! Byt he way on a side note, the word “Tithe” does not exist in the New Testament! However, this will be addressed in a different lesson.

The proper method of interpreting scripture is read and study God’s Word and determine what message HE wants for HIS people, and deliver that message. The pastor should ask himself: 1. What was this scripture verse saying to the people it was written to at the time it was written. 2. What did it mean to them? 3. What does it now mean to me and how we should apply what has been learned to our lives for today?

Do you see the difference? One method was the pastor trying to use the Bible to prove his point, and the other method is using the Bible to prove God’s point. Which one is best?

Another example would be from Genesis 2:17, where God says; “…you must not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil…”. Some have taken this scripture verse to mean that there are TWO trees, one good and one evil. This is an incorrect interpretation and it corrupts the Word of God. It also leads to heresy, in which some have perverted and twisted this even further, and taught that the forbidden fruit was sex, and some wicked people have even stated that it was homosexual sex. This is was we call a false doctrine taught by false teachers! Remember what bother Peter and Paul wrote to warn us about in 2 Peter 2:1 and 1 Timothy 1:3?


BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION - PART III

Other notes on Bible Interpretation III:

Some find contradictions when reading passages of scripture, but it’s not a contradiction, but a lack of understanding on behalf of the reader!

The reader of the Bible sometimes will find a passage of scripture and immediately believe that what they have read to be true, however, not all of the scripture verse was read, or understood, or the purpose of the entire book was written for a different purpose, yet the reader is applying it to their own needs and desires which it was not intended for!

For example, a young man who was a recent convert was offered to drink alcohol by his friend. He say “No” on the grounds of his new faith, but his friend told him that the Bible said to “Drink and be merry!” Because of this, the new convert took alcohol, only to read that passage of scripture in Luke 12:19-20 later and see all of it, which says “Drink and be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.’”

We cannot use ONE Bible verse as an absolute and make it part of Bible Doctrine. Verses must be supported by other verses and by other authors.

Don’t forget to look for what is NOT there!