I feel the weight and privilege of this calling immensely. Dungan, and Principles of Interpretation by Clinton Lockhart. Jesusspoke the words, and they were recorded by Matthew. I am learning so much from reading your teaching on here and from your book which I read some months ago. And that leads us to talk about how we interpret the Bible. Cynics, however, say that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. The charge would be true if it were not an offense to God the Holy Spirit to read into sacred Scripture what is not there. Therefore, all of the implications that suggest otherwise must be subsumed under the explicit teaching, rather than forcing the explicit teaching into conformity to implications that we draw from the text. Always check the immediate context of a verse or passage to determine the correct interpretation. Consider the Author – who wrote the book? Allegorization was often employed in this endeavour. But we must always remember that the goal of preaching is the honor and glory of God in accurately proclaiming the word of truth. general rules of biblical interpretation The interpreter must be saved and dependent on the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. Historical narrative is historical narrative, nouns are nouns, verbs are verbs, analogies are analogies). Immediate Context (a text out of context becomes a pretext. God wants mankind to know Him (the very purpose of creation, Gen. 1:26-27).b. Sproul We are not at all wise when we isolate ourselves. Biblical Context (the broadest context possible, the entire Bible; allowing us to ask if our interpretation is consistent with the whole of Scripture. 16 Bible Study Tools for Interpretation – The List (Details about each of these “tools” are discussed below this list.) 46:9-10). In construing Statutes the cardinal rule is to construe its provisions literally and grammatically giving the words their ordinary and natural meaning. In a narrower sense, it is bringing contemporary relevance to ancient texts, the Bible’s meaning for today. Document Context (For instance, in Romans, there is a certain argument Paul is pursuing, and when we recognize this, it helps us to determine what is meant in isolated verses when we know the purpose for what is being written. Understand the difference between prescriptive and descriptive statements in the Bible. The conclusion is unavoidable. The testimony of Jesus and of the Bible is that “All Scripture is God breathed” (2 Tim. _____, the entire field of Biblical interpretation. And yet we read in John 10:34-35 that we are called “gods.” Mormon theology picks up on this. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that Vatican II enumerated three criteria (CCC 111; cf. But it … The Bible is a treasure box. I can’t think of a more holy assignment that to be called to preach or teach the Word of God to the souls of men. David L. Cooper (1886-1965), founder of The Biblical Research Society Fix that problem! In the same way, there’s so much more that could and should be said about how to study the Bible. . The Ligonier Ministries site requires Javascript, but you’ve got Javascript disabled. That is, our moral ability to come to Christ is explicitly and specifically taught to be lacking apart from the sovereign grace of God. 22:31). The rule of USAGE: It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and … Though we do not need to become superstitious about the physical book called the Bible, so as to wash our hands before picking up or opening the book, the text of the Scripture is the very word of God Himself. (: Thanks again, and God Bless! A saved person is one who endures to the end – a principle made clear in other passages such as 1 John 2:19 – “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree … 2. It is therefore slanderous to the Holy Spirit to choose an interpretation of a particular passage that unnecessarily brings that passage into conflict with that which He has revealed elsewhere. But there is nothing inherently small or weak to be found in consistency. The Bible interprets itself (scripture interprets scripture). God gives no prizes to boring preachers who can’t connect with people! … Please let me know your policy on sharing articles. https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/16.html When it comes to making claims about what the Bible means, sometimes we hear comments from Christians or non-Christians like the following: “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” “The Bible can be made to say anything you want.” “You can’t really understand the Bible. That is a very high view of Scripture, to be sure. The best way to ensure faithfulness to the text is to read it together, not only with the churches of our own time and place, but with the wider ‘communion of saints’ down through the age.” – Michael Horton, “What Still Keeps Us Apart?”, “Tradition is the fruit of the Spirit’s teaching activity from the ages as God’s people have sought understanding of Scripture. 14. Assume the Bible is authoritative and inerrant To open the fullness of the treasure within, Christians must use a certain key—hermeneutics, or the rules of interpretation. Category: Articles. Though the Bible is not like any other book in that it carries with it the authority of divine inspiration, nevertheless, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a written text does not turn verbs into nouns or nouns into verbs. A particular biblical text has a particular meaning. A second principle that governs an objective interpretation of Scripture is called the sensus literalis. 11. (Had no idea it was an ancient Jewish tradition!) The principle of literal interpretation gives us another rule, namely that the Bible in one sense is to be read like any other book. The rule of USAGE: It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and … Though we affirm the basic clarity of sacred Scripture, we do not at the same time say that all passages are equally clear. If upon reading a particular passage you have come up with an interpretation that has escaped the notice of every other Christian for two-thousand years, or has been championed by universally recognized heretics, chances are pretty good that you had better abandon your interpretation.” – R. C. Sproul, “It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.” – C. H. Spurgeon, Commenting and Commentaries, Thanks very much for this helpful list! Obviously this requires an understanding of basic interpretation and the use of key Bible references. Though all Scripture is God breathed, every passage is not equally clear (easy to understand). The preacher’s job is not to merely entertain the crowd or to tell a few stories that will connect with the audience. INTERPRETATION. Scripture in fact tells us “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1) It is actually a scary business, and its meant to be. Yet, with this qualifier, here are some simple rules of interpretation (hermeneutics) which should at least get us started. The Bible, although a book, is also unlike any other book. When we sit down and start reading the Bible for ourselves we need to remember that though there may be a thousand applications of Scripture, there is only ONE correct interpretation – the one the Holy Spirit meant when He inspired the sacred words of the Bible. Shirley Guthrie, Professor Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, U.S.A. 1. Certainly, human writers were involved, but the text of Scripture is inspired or breathed out by God Himself. Is the verse telling us to do something, or does it describe an action someone does? Think for yourself but not by yourself. The computer program Bibleworks 8 is especially recommended). 2:13-16). Behind the principle of the analogy of faith is the prior confidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Grammar – (how things are being expressed – imperative is a command, a subjunctive would be “would you like to do this?” – two quite different meanings result), 6. Question: Is this verse prescriptive or descriptive? It may be applied in various ways, but the meaning is specific to the intent of the author. Scripture is never contradictory to itself). Four Aspects of Biblical Interpretation. Oct 13, 2014 If it is the Word of God, it must therefore be consistent and coherent. There should be no additions or substitution of words in the construction of statutes an… Finally, it is always important to interpret obscure passages by those that are clear. Donate Now. Build all doctrine on necessary rather than possible inferences. -Brenda, Thank you so much for sharing this list! Always keep the author’s broad purpose in mind when looking in detail at the meaning of texts). I posted it to my blog http://www.with-all-our-hearts.com with credit to you at the beginning and two links back here to this post and to your blog. This rule is also known as the Plain meaning rule. We use rules, principles, methods, and tactics; we enter the worlds of the historian, sociologist, psychologists, and linguist—to name a few. I have relied heavily on How to Understand the Bible by W. Robert Palmer, Hermeneutics by D.R. T HE A LEXANDKIAN JEWS. Use their help. When we have two passages in Scripture that we can interpret in various ways, we want always to interpret the Bible in such a way as to not violate the basic principle of Scripture’s unity and integrity. in-tur-pre-ta'-shun: 1. 8. 9. 7. 2. The 10 Principles of Biblical Interpretation There are certain principles that will help us to accurately handle the Word of Truth. The word is “elohim” which is the word for God. pope based on their interpretation of Matthew 16:18. Textual Issues – (are there any questions about the earliest or most authoritative manuscripts in comparison with others of a later date – and how does this influence our understanding of what was originally written?). (1) Approach the Bible believing that it is God’s revealed Word. Interpretation of the Bible. Handling the word of God is a priceless duty and delight, not a trivial passion or pursuit. Ten Rules of Biblical Interpretation 3 he alone is God, there are no others (Isa. This is where the art of interpretation enters in. The Meaning of Words (this has become a lot easier in our day with all the information and technology at our disposal. 5. Using Biblical hermeneutics, we can use certain principles to help us not become becoming smoking relativist in our interpretation! It is seen as a preconceived system, a Procrustean bed into which the Scriptures must be forced by hacking off limbs and appendages to make it fit. The Bible is a book written by God. 2 Peter 1: 20-21 ... Bible Interpretation includes rules, principles, and methods for interpreting the Bible. It is necessary. We can get as close as possible to the heart of the original text. That is, the supreme arbiter in interpreting the meaning of a particular verse in Scripture is the overall teaching of the Bible. The rule of USAGE: It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and … Scripture is to be interpreted with confidence in and openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It has often been charged that the Bible can’t be trusted because people can make it say anything they want it to say. It is God’s action (2 Tim.3:16) and God’s will that we have the written Bible. The syntax is clear that it is a result of first being justified that peace ensues. The passage quoted in the NT is Psalm 82:6. – what was his background, language, culture, vocation, concerns, education, circumstance, what stage of life? Keeping in mind four aspects of biblical interpretation will go a long way in helping the reader properly interpret Scripture. We would never consider someone qualified to practice as a medical physician after reading just one paper containing a dozen or so rules on being a good doctor. It is a serious and holy thing to be responsible to proclaim God’s truth and it should never be done lightly, whether we are heard by thousands, or simply by one precious human soul. However, the appropriate approach to systematic theology recognizes that the Bible itself contains a system of truth, and it is the task of the theologian not to impose a system upon the Bible, but to build a theology by understanding the system that the Bible teaches. We should be prepared to do some serious study to seek to understand what the Holy Spirit was and is communicating to us. I would recommend that the more serious student acquire and read them along with Hermeneutics by Bernard Ramm and Protestant Biblical Interpretation … Jesus, in the preamble to quoting a verse from the Old Testament said, “…have you not read what was spoken to you by God…” (Matt. Thanks so much, Brenda. May God use these brief words to encourage you as you search out the truths of God’s word, for His glory: 1. Their interpretation was de-termined more or less by the philosophy of Alexandria.They adopted the fundamental principle of Plato that one should tGot Once that which is clear is firmly grasped and understood, then proceed to study the passages which at first seem to be unclear, using the above rules. This particular rule of interpretation is violated constantly. In other words, we are to interpret Scripture according to Scripture. But what is true for the preacher is also true for every Christian. In Christian theology, hermeneutics focuses specifically on constructing and discovering the appropriate rules for interpreting the Bible.These methods and principles, however, are often drawn from outside of scripture in historical, literary or other fields. 7. I mention that book here because so many people have expressed to me how helpful it has been to guide them into a responsible practice of biblical interpretation. Our assumption is that God, because of His omniscience, would never be guilty of contradicting Himself. Jesus believed (and held people accountable for doing so) that when someone read a verse from the Old Testament, they were reading something spoken to them by God. Men spoke and wrote the Bible as they were led by the Holy Spirit. A necessary inference is something that is definitely taught by the text. With the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, here are some of these principles broken down for all you busy folk. Yet the same gospel writer has Jesus explaining to us three chapters later that no one can come to Jesus unless it is given to him of the Father (6:65). For example, we read in John 3:16 that “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” and many of us conclude that since the Bible teaches that anyone who believes shall be saved, it therefore implies that anyone can, without the prior regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, exercise belief. ps – have to laugh since I always wash my hands before opening my Bible so as not to sully pages with dirty fingers. When determining what the Bible teaches on a particular topic, find the passages which CLEARLY address the issue at hand and make this the starting point of your doctrine, rather than an obscure (or less than clear) passage. Consider the Audience (why was the book written? 6. The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God Not going beyond the simple meaning of words is extremely important for biblical interpretation. Corinthians 1:10. Interpret the unclear passages in Scripture in light of the clear. Many times people have said to me, incredulously, “You don’t interpret the Bible literally, do you?” I never answer the question by saying, “Yes,” nor do I ever answer the question by saying, “No.” I always answer the question by saying, “Of course, what other way is there to interpret the Bible?” What is meant by sensus literalis is not that every text in the Scriptures is given a “woodenly literal” interpretation, but rather that we must interpret the Bible in the sense in which it is written. No special, secret, arcane, esoteric meaning is poured into a text simply because it’s divinely inspired. Numerous heresies have developed when people have forced conformity to the obscure passages rather than to the clear passages, distorting the whole message of Scripture. God has gifted others with tremendous insights, not only in our own day, but throughout the history of the Church. Even the Apostle Peter struggled with Paul’s writings at times, as he found some of it “hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16). Historical Setting (avoid anachronism – trying to understand the past while viewing it wearing 21st century glasses – will not help toward understanding the original meaning of the author). It is not infallible, but neither is it negligible, and we impoverish ourselves if we disregard it.” – J.I. 16. When we recognize that we are handling the very truth of God, we should not be quick to come to conclusions about what it means. That principle of literal interpretation is the same principle we use to interpret any written source responsibly. what would these words have meant to its original recipients?). The Rule of Univocal Meaning Rule. We should approach the Word of God humbly, and with the utmost reverence and respect. 3. The basic sense of a passage is the single sense evident to any reader who allows the words their ordinary meanings and who expects the grammar and syntax to shape and combine these meanings in a normal fashion. Yet, human communication cannot be reduced solely to quantifiable and precise rules. He then went on to quote a verse from the book of Genesis. Syntax – this refers to words and their relationship with one another. These teachers are Christ’s gifts to His people (Ephesians 4:8-12). Please don’t misunderstand me. The correct interpretation of Scripture is almost as important as the doctrine of verbal inspiration itself. Keeping for future ref. Form of Literature (we should interpret the Bible literally, but that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize that parables are parables, and that to interpret them correctly, we interpret them as literal parables! This prevents us from making biblical texts mean whatever we want them to mean, which is an insult to the intent of God. 1. This, like the others, is a very helpful rule. To them it is nothing more important than the reading of any other book, at least in their methodology. No one else outside Catholicism accepts this interpretation. These are simply a few of the basic, practical principles of biblical interpretation that I set forth years ago in my book Knowing Scripture. At that point, they experienced “amnesia of their former animal life” so that they would no longer remember their animal past.How does this line up with the Word of God, which states that God made Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) and Eve from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:22)? This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine. Article ID: DB010 | By: Hank Hanegraaff. Interpret the Scriptures literally unless you have good reason to believe that they are figurative. “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” –Dr. The words in an enactment have their own natural effect and the construction of an act depends on its wording. That is, since the call to believe is given to everyone, it implies that everyone has the natural ability to fulfill the call. 12. Nor is there any such mystical ability we call “Holy Ghost Greek.” No, the Bible is to be interpreted according to the ordinary rules of language. Packer, “Upholding the Unity of Scripture Today.”, “Although tradition does not rule our interpretation, it does guide it. Learning the principles of interpretation is exceedingly helpful to guide us in our own study. The need to read Hebrew and Greek to interpret Scripture.The initial step is establishing the original text. Principle #1: The Literal Interpretation Principle We take the Bible at … If prescriptive, (if it is telling us something to do) then no one can be sure of their salvation, for the simple reason that no one presently reading or hearing the statement has, as yet, endured until the very end. For example, Romans 5:1 says “Having been justified (a past tense action) by faith, we have peace with God.” It would be incorrect to think that we have to gain peace with God before justification takes place. First, the Bible is an ancient text. Though knowing these rules would be helpful, I’m sure we would agree that there’s far more that is needed. 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Interpretation by Clinton Lockhart – this refers to words and their relationship with one another and with the (! Bibleworks 8 is especially recommended ) text out of context becomes a pretext, which is the Word God. From my site as well, if you don ’ t mind breathed by! Interpreted with confidence in and openness to the original text of their textual variants, before one can interpret! Into a text out of context becomes a pretext a verse or to! Peace ensues say that the smallest mind of God ’ s will we! We are to interpret any written source responsibly s so much more that is definitely taught the!, what stage of life sure we would have to laugh since I always wash hands! An insult to the heart of the author ’ s will that we have the Bible. In one part of Scripture, we do not at the same we... These rules would be helpful, I ’ m sure we would have to laugh I... I feel the weight and privilege of this calling immensely least get us started has written book which I some. 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For biblical interpretation same way, there ’ s Divinely inspired open up a page in our lives, are!
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