Interpreting Scripture

Taken from Quora post by Steve Sorrell. 










The Holy Spirit guides us as we interpret the Scriptures. He does not necessarily interpret Scripture for us, for disciplined study is required. I do not mean everyone has to know Greek and Hebrew, only that you read the Bible everyday beyond just a devotional study. Devotional reading is personal and wonderful it is where the promises come to life, but this can not be all you do.

The Bible deserves endless reading and must be reread over and over again to understand its depth. A person who only sees the literal meaning of Scripture just needs to learn the principles of Biblical interpretation.

The Early Church Fathers taught “when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” So we should take everything at its ordinary and literal meaning unless the facts of the context indicate to us something different.

The Bible also speaks in different genres mostly figuratively, hyperbolic, metaphoric, in similes, in symbols, apostrophe, personification, in types, in parables, paradox, pun, irony, allusion and allegorically.

beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep‘s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from vessels? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. (Matt. 7:15–17)

The true teachers only want to edify the body and strengthen the brothers and sisters.

Some examples in the Bible:

Metaphors are words or phrases literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.

You are the salt of the earth. ( Matt. 5:13)

I am the light of the world. (John 8:12)

I am the door. (John 10:9)

I am the bread of life. (John 6:35)

We know Jesus is the spiritual door to new life, and not a literal door. He is spiritual food (bread) not literal bread.

SIMILE- brings two objects together to show their similarities: “cold as ice” white as snow” smooth as silk” The Apostle Paul used a simile to discribe the serious believe when in Ephesians 6, he called them “soldiers.” It is the image of spiritual warfare that is conveyed.

We are to “share in the suffering of a good soldier of Jesus Christ” and we are reminded that “ no one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs, for the soldiers goal is to please the enlisted officer” (2 Timothy 2:3–4) Paul called his fellow workers Epaphroditus and Archippus “fellow soldiers.” (Phil. 2:25, Philemon 2, 1 Cor. 9:7)

Hyperbole is an exaggeration for effect and is used symbolically to prove a point. Why beholdest the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matt 7:3)

Symbolism is any detail in literature which in addition to its own meaning stands for something else. The book of Revelation has many symbolic phrases. He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; …and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God. (Rev. 3:12)

Types are found in the Old Testament with there fulfillment in the New Testament. It is described in Scripture, “A shadow of things to come” (Hebrews 10:1); (Colossians 2:17) (the type and the anti-type do not agree in all things, but are similar.)

Parables are comparisons that convey truth. They are short fictitious narratives from which a moral or spiritual truth is drawn, such as the parables of Jesus.

Apostrophe is where the writer addresses someone absent or something nonhuman as if it were present or human and could respond to the address.

I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction, repentance shall be had from mine eyes. (Hosea 13:14)KJV

Allegory is a work in literature which some or all of the details have a corresponding other meaning and refer to either a concept or historical particular. (Galatians 4:21–31)

now these things are being treated allegorically, for these are the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, giving birth to slavery -this is a Hagar. (Galatians 4:24)TLV

Allusion as a reference to past history or literature.

for as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. (Matt. 12:40)

Personification is a figure of speech in which human attributes are given to something nonhuman, such as animals, objects, or abstract qualities.

but when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “you brood of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Matt. 3:7)


Scripture must be compared with scripture.

A good understanding of the human condition and human experience is useful when reading the Bible.

The Apostle Paul stated that salvation is by faith (Romans 4:5), while James says, “By works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24)both are right. Faith is by faith alone, and James warns against an alone faith. One condemns works without faith and the other faith without works. We learn by studying parallels of verses and their word order. I personally lean toward faith alone, but seek the balanced life of faith and works. Works do not aid salvation in my humble understanding of Scriptures.


Bible interpretation is not mechanical the Holy Spirit is involved and must be considered the great interpreter who leads us into all truth. There are many things to consider before you give your opinion to what the Bible actually says. Our opinion does not really matter at all. We must check our own motives and let the biblical text speak for itself.

Many people claim to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Why do two different people, both claiming to be lead by the Holy Spirit come up with two different interpretations of the same Scripture? Personal bias, religious background conditioning, secret agendas, lack of in-depth study, could be some of the reasons, but without a deep love and reverence for Scripture, the Holy Spirit is not that active. The Bible has its own Spirit, this is the best way to read it.


The more study one is prepared to give to the Bible the more one will get from it.

God gives us light (divine revelation) without which we can not fully understand His Word.

“ Light first shines into the spirit,(human spirit) but God does not purpose to have the light remain there. He wishes this light to reach the understanding. After light has reached the understanding, it no longer passes away but can be fixed. Revelation is not permanent in nature, it is like lightning which flashes and passes away. But when light shines a man’s understanding takes it in and knows its meaning, then the light is fixed and we know it’s content. When the light is only in the spirit it comes and goes freely, but once it enters our thought and understanding it becomes anchored. From then on we are able to use the light.“- Watchman Née (from The Ministry of God’s Word pg.146.)

We must be ministers of the Word to strengthen the Body of Christ.

Oh how I Love Your Word it is my meditation all day long. (Psalms 119:97)e/pr5

Unlocking Scripture

"Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law" (Psalm 119:18, NKJV).

"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32, NKJV).

"'For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life..." (Deut. 32:47, NKJV).

"Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart..." (Jeremiah 15:16, NKJV).  

Readers of the Bible that fail to glean anything substantial, inspiring, or convicting have missed the point of not knowing the Author first; the Bible is meant to be a closed book to anyone nonspiritual, for it is spiritually discerned (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14).  There are foundational principles for decoding the Word just like for any book, only more so.  If one is unaware of the main message of salvation and the main diagnosis of sin and the main enemy of Satan, one will not comprehend anything intelligible or meaningful and inspiring.  We don't just read it to get inspired like one would read Shakespeare, but to be transformed and changed--it wasn't written to increase our knowledge (so don't read it for merely academic pursuits!), but to change our lives, for the Word is powerful, and living, and has the Spirit giving it convicting influence.  Sometimes readers get out of focus and experience "Bible fatigue" whereby it's lost some pizzazz or original flavor due to overly familiarization with the text; a new translation or version may be in order to refresh yourself and get back on track in the Word.

Many people claim to read the Word but have only given it passing attention and perusal.  What they ought to try is to let the Bible read them and go through them as they go through it and read it (to use figures of speech).  The Bible has a way of feeding you and making you hungry for more--it quenches your thirst and makes you thirsty--nothing else will satisfy once experienced!  Our goal is not so much to know the Word as the Author (it's a means to an end), and in our efforts to be people of the Book, to obey it and know God through it, as Jesus said in John 17:17, NKJV, "Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your Word is truth."  Our goal in learning the Word is not to just become familiar with it, but with the Author, and subsequently in a living relationship in which He speaks to us through it.

Many Christians have difficulty understanding the Word for lack of reading skills and of basic hermeneutics.  One must always put them into context (social, historical, paragraph, book, and the whole analogy of Scripture itself).  Another key is to see it all as a revelation of Christ and who He is, as revealed developmentally and gradually throughout the Bible; each book shows Christ in a new light and we can know Him in this way.  The Bible is written in many genres: historical narrative; poetry; didactive or teaching letters; prophecy; sermons; wisdom, literature or proverbs; songs and psalms;  and parables or figures of speech, beating around the bush or plainspoken.  One reason students don't read adequately is the biblical terminology or vocabulary and they don't avail themselves of dictionaries and Bible study aids.  A simple solution may be another version or study Bible!  The primary reason not to get anything out of the Word is not reading with a purpose or not depending on the Spirit's illumination and guidance.  If we don't put anything into it or any effort, we can expect little reward (as Psalm 119:162, NKJV, says, "I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure").

Furthermore, ask questions when studying about: lessons to learn; principles to know; promises to claim; errors to avoid; duties to perform; commands to obey; prayers to echo; warnings to heed; truth to realize; and examples to follow.  We so often neglect the main message and don't see the forest for the trees; keep the main thing the main thing! Whether you understand it or get anything out of it is not God's fault, but a mirror on the condition of your soul and openness to His will and Spirit. A guideline to follow is to bring an open mind, needy and thirsty heart, and obedient spirit to the Word!  In other words, expect God to speak to your heart.  Once you've had an "Aha!" moment in the Owner's Manual of life or an existential encounter with the Word, you'll be hooked and always eager to find the Bread of Life in the Word, which is the only message that can satisfy.

Some commonsensical principles of interpretation are to view the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, and vice versa; to interpret the implicit in light of the explicit, the obscure in light of the clear, (NB:  the New Testament trumps the Old Testament) and the narrative in light of the didactive or teaching passages; letting Scripture be its own Supreme Court and its own interpreter by letting cross-reference verses shed light on a passage; not to fabricate some far-out, far-fetched understanding comes from an isolated passage; and remembering that no Scripture is of any private interpretation (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20) and we have the responsibility to interpret it correctly and not become subjective; we have a right to our own applications and opinions, but not our own interpretations!  We have no right to fabricate our own truths or go off on a tangent all alone, avoiding taking some far-fetched idea from an obscure passage.  Taking the Bible literally doesn't mean we don't read certain passages as plays on words or figures of speech, but we do take it at face value when it's called for!  It should go without saying that all rules of inference and logic must be followed.

To be purpose-oriented, one must simply seek the purpose of the text as the author intended (what occasioned it?), before applying it to yourself--that entails reading with a purpose and not aimlessly.  Interpretation comes before application.  A mistake by the beginner is to read into the Word, rather than what's in it or reading out of it.  Finally, you can't just read any verse at random and expect it to be a divine message from the Almighty! The whole idea of reading with a purpose is to arrive at some take-away to meditate on as spiritual food for the day. The idea is to unlock the Word one verse at a time, but not to lose focus on the main message of salvation in Christ.  This is called bibliomancy and is not recommended.  (To get a clear view, one must see the big picture and know the gradual unfolding of the redemption story, or be able to walk through it.)   Soli Deo Gloria!

Unlocking Scripture

"Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law" (Psalm 119:18, NKJV).

"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32, NKJV).

"'For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life..." (Deut. 32:47, NKJV).

"Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart..." (Jeremiah 15:16, NKJV).  

Readers of the Bible that fail to glean anything substantial, inspiring, or convicting have missed the point of not knowing the Author first; the Bible is meant to be a closed book to anyone nonspiritual, for it is spiritually discerned (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14).  There are foundational principles for decoding the Word just like for any book, only more so.  If one is unaware of the main message of salvation and the main diagnosis of sin and the main enemy of Satan, one will not comprehend anything intelligible or meaningful and inspiring.  We don't just read it to get inspired like one would read Shakespeare, but to be transformed and changed--it wasn't written to increase our knowledge (so don't read it for merely academic pursuits!), but to change our lives, for the Word is powerful, and living, and has the Spirit giving it convicting influence.  Sometimes readers get out of focus and experience "Bible fatigue" whereby it's lost some pizzazz or original flavor due to overly familiarization with the text; a new translation or version may be in order to refresh yourself and get back on track in the Word.

Many people claim to read the Word but have only given it passing attention and perusal.  What they ought to try is to let the Bible read them and go through them as they go through it and read it (to use figures of speech).  The Bible has a way of feeding you and making you hungry for more--it quenches your thirst and makes you thirsty--nothing else will satisfy once experienced!  Our goal is not so much to know the Word as the Author (it's a means to an end), and in our efforts to be people of the Book, to obey it and know God through it, as Jesus said in John 17:17, NKJV, "Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your Word is truth."  Our goal in learning the Word is not to just become familiar with it, but with the Author, and subsequently in a living relationship in which He speaks to us through it.

Many Christians have difficulty understanding the Word for lack of reading skill and of basic hermeneutics.  One must always put them into context (social, historical, paragraph, book, and the whole analogy of Scripture itself).  Another key is to see it all as a revelation of Christ and who He is, as revealed developmentally and gradually throughout the Bible; each book shows Christ in a new light and we can know Him in this way.  The Bible is written in many genres: historical narrative; poetry; didactive or teaching letters; prophecy; sermons; wisdom or proverbs; songs and psalms;  and parables or figures of speech, beating around the bush or plainspoken.  One reason students don't read adequately is the biblical terminology or vocabulary and they don't avail themselves of dictionaries and Bible study aids.  A simple solution may be another version or study Bible!  The primary reason not to get anything out of the Word is not reading with a purpose or not depending on the Spirit's illumination and guidance.  If we don't put anything into it or any effort, we can expect little reward (as Psalm 119:162, NKJV, says, "I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure").

Furthermore, ask questions when studying about: lessons to learn; principles to know; promises to claim; errors to avoid; duties to perform; commands to obey; prayers to echo; warnings to heed; truth to realize; and examples to follow.  We so often neglect the main message and don't see the forest for the trees; keep the main thing the main thing! Whether you understand it or get anything out of it is not God's fault, but a mirror on the condition of your soul and openness to His will and Spirit. A guideline to follow is to bring an open mind, needy and thirsty heart, and obedient spirit to the Word!  In other words, expect God to speak to your heart.  Once you've had an "Aha!" moment in the Owner's Manual of life or an existential encounter with the Word, you'll be hooked and always eager to find the Bread of Life in the Word, which is the only message that can satisfy.

Some commonsensical principles of interpretation are to view the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, and vice versa; to interpret the implicit in light of the explicit, the obscure in light of the clear, (NB:  the New Testament trumps the Old Testament in prioritizing interpreting) and the narrative in light of the didactive or teaching passages; letting Scripture be its own Supreme Court and its own interpreter by letting cross-reference verses shed light on a passage; not to fabricate some far-out, far-fetched understanding comes from an isolated passage; and remembering that no Scripture is of any private interpretation (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20) and we have the responsibility to interpret it correctly and not become subjective; we have a right to our own applications and opinions, but not our own interpretations!  We have no right to fabricate our own truths or go off on a tangent all alone, avoiding taking some far-fetched idea from an obscure passage.  Taking the Bible literally doesn't mean we don't read certain passages as plays on words or figures of speech, but we do take it at face value when it's called for!  It should go without saying that all rules of inference and logic must be followed.

To be purpose-oriented, one must simply seek the purpose of the text as the author intended (what occasioned it?), before applying it to yourself--that entails reading with a purpose and not aimlessly.  Interpretation comes before application.  A mistake by the beginner is to read into the Word, rather than what's in it or reading out of it.  Finally, you can't just read any verse at random and expect it to be a divine message from the Almighty! The whole idea of reading with a purpose is to arrive at some take-away to meditate on as spiritual food for the day. The idea is to unlock the Word one verse at a time, but not to lose focus on the main message of salvation in Christ.  This is called bibliomancy and is not recommended.  (To get a clear view, one must see the big picture and know the gradual unfolding of the redemption story, or be able to walk through it.)   Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Read Scripture?

"The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue"  (2 Sam. 23:2, 
NLT).

"Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'I have put my words in your mouth'"  (Jeremiah 1:9, NIV).

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.  I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please'" (Isaiah 46:10, NIV).

"For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21, NIV).  

 "The  LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word"  (1 Sam. 3:21, NIV).  

"[Till] what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true" (Psalm 105:19, NIV). 

"... Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses"  (1 Kings 8:56, NIV).


There are a few books that people refer to, and even quote, but have not even read cover to cover:  Das Kapital by Marx; The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels; On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life, by Darwin; The Muslim Qu'ran, the Book of Mormon, Mein Kampf  by Hitler, and surprisingly, even the Bible!  Most people who don't believe the Bible have never read it, and if they have read some of it, they don't even know its main message or theme, which they don't understand, nor can they articulate.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time and its authenticity is vouched for by more sources than any secular history of antiquity; in fact the resurrection is arguably, according to D. James Kennedy, the best-attested fact of the ancient world or antiquity, and more variously proved than any other of the time--Luke says there are "many infallible proofs" for it in Acts 1:3.  More than 150 million copies are printed each year and it has been attacked ever since the first century by foes who have even tried to wipe it out, but it has miraculously survived.

A point in fact: There is an abundant reason to check it out and see why so many are devoted to it.  It is the English language at its best, and the best of literature the world has ever known.  As a contrast to other so-called holy books, the Bible is the only one based on and in history and it's historicity has never been contravened.  The Bible has impeccable credentials, unlike any secular work, and there is abundant evidence for anyone willing to investigate--no one can disbelieve due to lack of evidence!   In fact, Gen. Lew Wallace intended to disprove it and ending up writing Ben Hur:  A Tale of the Christ, after coming to faith in Christ!  One famed Archaeologist, Sir William Ramsay, an atheist, and from Oxford University, set out to disprove the book of Acts and found himself declaring himself a believer instead!  Dr. Simon Greenleaf, a famed expert on law and evidence from Harvard, was a skeptic, who examined the evidence for the resurrection, and ended up writing The Testimony of the Evangelists in favor of Christianity instead!


They may say they don't believe it but have no legitimate or rational justification for their faith.  You don't have to prove the Bible, it can prove and defend itself:  if they ask you to do it, just say, "No, you prove it--all you have to do is read it sincerely with an open mind!"  If the Bible depended upon outside attestation, it would be no greater than the source of proof--Scripture relies on internal evidence!  Because it's self-attesting and self-authenticated!  If someone were able to prove it, the Bible would be no greater than their mind.  It assumes you believe it's the Word of God and is the only scripture claiming any authority that gives ample evidence from history and fulfilled prophecy.  No other of the twenty-six scriptures or holy books have any prophecy, except the Bible (not just a few lucky guesses, but over 2,000 fulfilled predictive prophecies), because only God can foretell the future.  The point is that you don't have to believe the Bible to become saved, but you will after salvation if the salvation is genuine.  Believing the Bible is the Word of God doesn't save!

They may say that you shouldn't take it literally, but Christians aren't literalists, in that they believe everything literally, even obviously figurative parts and figures of speech--to be saved one must simply place unqualified faith in Christ as Lord with the ownership of your soul and life, trusting in Him categorically.  Much more, it was written during the time of the events by eyewitnesses:  "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty"  (2 Pet. 1:16, NIV).  In contrast, Buddhist literature was compiled 200 years after the fact!

The Bible feeds you, then makes you hungry, quenches your thirst, then makes you thirsty for more--you can never read it enough, because it's not the kind of book you read once and put aside back on your shelf, but devote your entire life to knowing and being familiar with, because God speaks to us in it.  As we read the Bible, it reads us, they say and this is true because it alone discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart and is able to penetrate the soul and spirit of man (cf. Heb. 4:12).  The Bible tells it like it is, both the revelation of God, the revelation of the nature of man, with no whitewashing or cover-ups, and even the revelation of our enemy and dilemma.  Paul tells Timothy to give himself wholly to the Scriptures in 1 Tim. 4:15 and this applies to all of us who name the name of Christ, not just the clergy.  The Bible is our lifeblood and food that satisfies.  The fool feeds on trash, according to Proverbs 15:14, while the wise feed on the Truth (Jesus called Scripture Truth in John 17:17).


The Bible has never been proven wrong historically, archaeologically, scientifically, morally, or even psychologically.  For example, over 25,000 digs have only verified the historicity of Scripture; though not a science textbook, it has no scientific absurdities nor inaccuracies (it referred to the laws of the universe that science is based on before science realized there were any--Job 38:33); the Bible mentions all 52 virtues (the Virtues Project lists these as traits respected in seven world traditions, but no other faith has them all), and though there are competing theories of psychology, Christianity is better psychology than psychology!  The Bible doesn't gloss over man's sin but is also the greatest source of wisdom known to man and doesn't need to be rewritten, but reread.

Unfortunately, when a secular historian makes a claim and the Bible doesn't agree, scholars agree with the secular historian first; however, legally, the burden of proof is on the skeptic to disprove the validity and historicity of the Bible, not vice versa.  Quoting D. James Kennedy:  Dr. William Albright says, "There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition";  and Nelson Glueck has stated, "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference."  Many archaeologists have tried to disprove the Bible and have failed, becoming believers instead--indeed Christ was right:  "the stones cry out" (cf. Luke 19:40)!  Lawyers have examined the evidence for the resurrection and have become believers.

Skeptics doubt the authenticity, reliability, integrity, fidelity, and veracity of Scripture, but the legal burden of proof is always on the one making the challenge to disprove the given claim. The skeptics mainly have blind faith, for they cannot prove their claims or don't even know why they don't believe, they just don't want to believe it and their doubts are irrational.  The point is that if the Bible has never been proven to be erroneous, why not trust it in spiritual matters too?

We don't just read the Bible to be wise, the power is in putting it into practice:  believe it to be saved; practice it to be holy, and apply it to be successful and fulfilled!  We don't just want to be experts or scholars in the Word without any real relationship with God coming from an application.  The Bible wasn't written to expand our knowledge about Scripture or about God, but to save us, increase our faith, and give us the knowledge of the Lord, as the byproduct as He speaks to us in His revealed Word.  It is one thing to know Scripture, and quite another to know the Author!

It has been said that it's an elixir for low spirits, balm for sore hearts, immunization for bad habits, a pick-me-up for dreary days, a stimulant for positive nerves, and a booster for high spirits.  There is no mood not duly represented in the Bible, even depression and discouragement and despair.  You can take every problem to the Bible and find solace and comfort. If you could only have one book to read, it would meet your every need--bring every question and problem to it for solving!  Just like G. K. Chesterton said, "We have found all the questions, now let's find the answers!"  (They're in the Bible!)   If you don't know the answer, get to know the Answerer!  All that God has revealed and that we need to know is written in the Word. We don't read it for purely academic reasons, to increase knowledge, but to change our lives!   In sum, the best habit you can learn is to develop a taste for Bible reading--discover it for yourself; don't just take someone's word for it!  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Hermeneutics Made Simple

Fundamentalists are those who believe in the fundamental doctrines by definition, but they were known from the 1925 Scope's monkey trial as those who took the Bible literally, whatever that means.  We believe that the Bible is literally true, but not everything is meant to be taken literally.  This is a loaded question and you lose either way:  Do you take the Bible literally?  They want to make a fool of you and prove you don't know how to read a book!  We are to learn the basic principles of interpretation and avoid what is called subjectivism.  We are to take the Bible at face value and not spiritualize it or think there is some secret or hidden interpretation that God has revealed only to us ("no Scripture is of any private interpretation" means you don't have a monopoly on truth or a secret revelation)--it God doesn't show this to the church body it is not truth and it must stand the test of time as orthodox and not contradict anything already accepted.

lSt. Bonaventure taught that there were seven ways to interpret Scripture and Thomas Aquinas taught four (historical, allegorical, moral, and anagogical).  Way back to the church fathers, Origin taught three ways (literal or what happened, moral or how it applies, and spiritual or what it teaches regarding our faith).  Erroneous interpretation results when people insist on spiritualizing or not taking something literal that was obviously meant that way.  Jesus believed in a literal Jonah, for example.  Even the ancient Jews didn't regard Hosea's narrative as an allegory but literal too.

The Word of God is alive but today's understanding of a "living document" like the US Constitution, doesn't apply--truth is timeless!   According to Hebrews 4:12, that means it is always relevant and never gets dated or becomes obsolete or passe, and it works on the believer's heart.   It doesn't mean that it is alive in the sense that we are free to indulge in modern-day interpretations that are clearly not what the writers meant--you must ask what the writer meant by what he said and not take it out of context (context of the language, the customs, the history, the paragraph, the chapter, the book, and even according to what the whole analogy of Scripture teaches).

There are no special methodologies to interpreting Scripture that you wouldn't use in any other book, except that you interpret it as it is written (this is called genre analysis:  regarding poetry as poetry, parables as parables, history as history, didactive portions as teachings, etc.).  Sometimes the Bible does use poetic license for instance, but in historical accounts, it is meticulous to be exact and mention details to show how much attention the writer paid to them.   All the laws of logic apply to the Bible just as to any book we cannot make illogical deductions on presuppositions or what is called eisegesis or reading into the Bible instead of exegesis or reading out of the Bible what it really means to say.  You can make any book say anything you want it too if you ignore the principles of hermeneutics, much more the Bible.  Satan was adept at taking verses out of context and trying to use the Word to his advantage.

The Bible is said to be its own Supreme Court because "Holy Scripture is its own interpreter" (or sacra Scriptura sui interpres in Latin):  If you don't understand an implicit passage or obscure one, check out an explicit or clear one that is parallel. That's why we have to cross-reference and study Bibles and commentaries: to take advantage of centuries of scholarship by God's people.

There are many basic principles one should heed:  We interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament and vice versa--you can distinguish but not separate them (before the New Testament was written for the first 20 or so years they considered the Old Testament the Scriptures).  We must learn not to make false inferences by taking a verse out of immediate context--it is easy to jump to the conclusion that it is plain as day when that isn't the rest of the story on the subject matter.  We must guard against forcing our prejudices into the passage and make it a proof text for what we want to believe--especially if our interpretation depends upon a certain translation and not the Greek text itself.

There are many errors because students don't realize that only the original texts are authoritative in any doctrinal dispute or misunderstanding.  We must realize that the Bible uses virtually every figure of speech known and they are to be interpreted appropriately:  For instance, a parable cannot be interpreted to the nth degree, but is only meant to teach one main idea.  It is a good idea to make sure your interpretation is not way out in left field by checking commentaries of reputable scholars you know you can trust.

NB:   Remember that no Scripture is of any private interpretation. The New Testament trumps the Old in case there is a question of authority:  For example, if something is repeated in the New Testament it is doubly important, and if ignored, not so (like the example of the Sabbath Day command not being repeated in the New Testament and therefore we are not under obligation to observe it).  Gross error often results from not recognizing the recipient and what the author meant to say.  Never, and I mean never, make deductions based on isolated texts! Never pit one text against another ("The sum [entirety] of your Word is truth" according to Ps. 119:160).

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the first condition of interpreting Scripture is to know the Author!  The Word must not just be important to us, but take precedence.  God will not speak to you unless you are teachable: Possessing a willing spirit, an open mind, and a needy heart.  It is not the mental faculties that are as important as the condition of the person spiritually.  Above all, read with a purpose and pray for God's Spirit to do His job of illumination because we all have the anointing to teach us according to 1 John 2:27.

Remember, as Protestants, we believe in the right to dissent, disagree, and protest and we are not at the mercy of church dogma like Catholics are; however, we are exhorted to "rightly divide the Word of truth" in 2 Tim. 2:15.  The key to understanding Scripture is the one it is about--Jesus.  You should be able to see Him as the scarlet thread or common motif running throughout the Bible and on every page.   One caveat:  You will never know the truth if you think you have arrived and have nothing to learn or won't admit you could be wrong--the first step to learning is admitting ignorance!

In principle, one shouldn't rely too much on any one commentary or translation, or make your doctrines dependent upon them.  Learn comparative reading if you don't know the original languages. Commentaries are not inspired, though they can indeed br inspiring!  Johnny Cash said the Scriptures shed a lot of light on the commentaries!  Having a working knowledge of the original tongues or knowing ones way around using a lexicon and dictionary can be invaluable and give you an advantage.  It is vital to know what teachers you can trust and teach sound doctrine so you don't err from the truth or go off on a tangent.  In resolving a doctrinal dispute don't proof-text or trust some gifted teacher just because he says so--challenge them and learn to think independently.  As you grow in your reading you may become partial to one translation and this is all right, as long as you realize that God speaks through all of them and you don't become a student of one version. When you get Bible fatigue or have lost the pizzazz from reading one version too much (overexposure and over-familiarity), it may be helpful to try a new version and see what insights and "Aha!" moments God may give you as you encounter Him personally in the Word.

Interpreting the Bible has no special rules that you wouldn't apply to any book, but hermeneutics is a special problem for us since we live two thousand years after the fact and are of a foreign culture and language and might not know the historical backdrop they were immersed in--so there is a lot of work that may go into interpretation and we are not to think it is some mystical thing that we have a special connection to the Almighty to understand things by "experience" or existential encounter.  God may speak to us in an "Aha!" moment but we must be careful to make teachings and doctrines this way. The Bible doesn't "become Word of God" upon an "existential encounter," as Karl Barth believed, but it is the Word believed and experienced or not.   Many cults have started because believers felt God was speaking exclusively to them and they were enlightened.  The Gnostics taught that you had to have special secret knowledge that only they had and this was one of the first heresies that St. John the Elder refuted.

The conclusion of the matter is that I would be missing the mark if I failed to mention in passing how important it is to see the big picture, i.e., survey the entire Word of God (don't just casually peruse)  and be able to put everything into its perspective  in the light of the whole analogy of Scripture or the big picture, as it were: Psalms 119:160, NKJV, says, "The entirety [or sum] of Your word is truth...." The NIV says, "All your words are true...."

FINAL CAVEAT:  DON'T BASE SOME FAR-OUT OR FAR-FETCHED TRUTH BASED ON SOME ISOLATED PASSAGE!  ("NO SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION!")    

Soli Deo Gloria!