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

What Are Common Ways To Misinterpret Scripture? ...

1.  Most common are taking out of context: theological, literary, historical, cultural;
2. not interpreting the implicit in light of the explicit;
3. not recognizing imagery or figures of speech;
4. not according to genre (narrative, prophecy; poetry, proverb, didactic);
5. not taking the OT in light of the NT or vice versa;
6. not interpreting as the author meant it to be—a face value;
7. spiritualizing or not believing it literally when meant to be;
8. not letting common sense makes sense, but seeking other sense;
9. hyper-personalizing or thinking there’s some secret or special message for you only;
10. interpreting texts in isolation to find some far-fetched truth, without regard to the whole of Scripture not interpreting Scripture in light of Scripture and letting it be its own Supreme Court;
11. reading into the Word your preconceived ideas and prejudices
12. confusing Law and gospel. 

Hermeneutics Made Simple

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!

Genuine Biblical Perusal

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law"  (Psalm 119:18, ESV).  
 "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble" (Psalm 119: 165, ESV). 
"I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil"  (Psalm 119:162, ESV). 
"... I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food"  (Job 23:12, ESV).
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you"  (John 15:7, ESV).
"... But this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word"  (Isaiah 66:2, ESV).
"[B]ut his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night"  (Psalm 1:2, ESV). 
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction"  (Psalm 119:92, ESV).
"Oh how I love your law!  It is my meditation all the day"  (Psalm 119:97, ESV).  
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple"  (Psalm 119:130, ESV).

SAINT AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO, HEARD A CHILD SAY, "TAKE AND READ; TAKE AND READ."


"[U]ntil what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested [tried] him"  (Psalm 105:19, ESV).  
 
CAVEAT:  DON'T DIVORCE SCRIPTURE FROM SCRIPTURE, TAKING OBSCURE, ISOLATED TEXTS OUT OF CONTEXT, BUT COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE AS ITS OWN SUPREME COURT AND INTERPRETER (PSALM 119:160A, ESV, SAYS, "The sum of your word is truth...") AN OBSCURE PASSAGE MAY BE MADE CLEAR ELSEWHERE ACCORDING TO THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE, AND THE IMPLICIT IN LIGHT OF THE EXPLICIT, USING ALL RULES OF SOUND READING AND LOGIC OR INFERENCE.  


We don't just read the Word once and set it aside! If we just want to feel "inspired" we could read Milton or Shakespeare, Christian authors, but if we want our lives transformed, read the Bible!  The Bible is said to read you as you read it!  This book, says D. L. Moody, will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from it.  To those skeptics and critics who doubt:  The Bible can defend itself; no one needs to prove it to you, you prove it yourself by reading it!  It doesn't need to be rewritten, but reread, says Billy Graham.  Even Samuel, the prophet, profited:  "... for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD"(1 Sam. 3:21, ESV).  Its importance is obvious:  "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life..." (Deut. 32:47, ESV).  Focus on this:  It wasn't written to increase our knowledge or make us scholars, but to change our lives and show us how to have a relationship with Jesus, the Author.  How else can we get regular spiritual checkups and take inventory of our spirit and soul?

God's Word feeds us, then makes us hungry, they say.  There is a blessing in the reading of the Word (cf. Rev. 1:3), and it is our only offensive weapon to fight Satan (cf. Eph. 6:17).  Sometimes Bible fatigue may set in and the Word seems to have lost its zing or pizazz, but reading another translation may make it come to life again, because passages can become overly familiar, and you must prime your pump again or recharge your spiritual batteries.  Reading God's Word and interpreting it is a privilege, but with every privilege comes responsibility, and that is to "rightly divide the Word of God" (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15).

It's the Holy Spirit's job to help you understand the Bible (1 Cor. 2:12-13).  A word to the wise:  You have received an "anointing" in the Holy Spirit and "his anointing teaches you about everything," and "you have no need that anyone should teach you," and "he will guide you into all truth," and "teach you all things"  (cf. 1 John 2:27, ESV; John 16:13, ESV; 14:26, ESV).  Truth is timeless and the Word never gets old or out of date, but is always timely and relevant--never passe nor obsolete!

We are commanded to read the Bible in Isaiah 34:16 (ESV):  "Seek and read from the book of the LORD...."  We are to meditate on it too, and this implies reading.  Jeremiah said that he digested the Word, and this implies really thinking and meditating on the nuances and what it means to him.  "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart..."( Jer. 15:16, ESV).  Note that we forget most of what we merely read, and therefore we must learn to commit some beloved passages to memory to always have them in our hearts.

Children haven't yet learned to attend to God via the Word and depend upon the visual, or pictures (videos and movies), but as we mature we think like adults and can attend to the written Word and grow in that skill and discipline.  It is important to realize that it's not as important how much you read, but how well and how well you understand it and apply it to yourself.  Job 5:27 (ESV) says to apply it to ourselves:  "Behold, this we have searched out; it is true.  Hear, and know it for your good."

Note that it's much more important how well we know the Author than the Book, but it is the avenue for knowing Him as we apply its truths.   We need to develop a taste for Bible reading, which can become addictive and the Bible will have the preeminent place in our lives, not just an important place:  "... for you have exalted above all things your name and your word"  (Psalm 138:2, NIV).

We should love the Bible above all the gifts God has given us, according to Abe Lincoln, and it is the one book that we should never want to be without; resolve never to be remiss in daily reading! Timothy was acquainted with Scripture from youth and was exhorted to "give attention to the public reading of Scripture" in (cf. 1 Tim. 4:13).  He devoted himself to that endeavor and his progress then became evident to all, for the Word is what sanctifies (cf. John 17:17).  Note that Jesus rebuked the religious leaders:  "... 'You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God [they're equated]" (Matt. 22:29, ESV). "Give yourself wholly to the Scriptures" (cf. 1 Tim. 4:15).   Caveat:  We are dependent on God's Word:  "And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified"  (Acts 20:32, ESV, italics mine).

Famous lines:  "The Word is an elixir for low spirits; balm for sore hearts; immunization for bad habits; pick-me-up for dreary days; stimulant for positive nerves; and a boost and shot for high spirits".  "Read the Bible to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy."  

While reading doesn't perform surgery on the text by reading into it what your preconceived ideas want to read or see.  Read in context and in light of the sum or entirety of the Word (cf. Psalm 119:160).  Beware of subjectivism because no prophecy is of any private interpretation, meaning that God doesn't show you something and not anyone else.  Scripture is its own interpreter and Supreme Court and if you don't understand one obscure passage another one may enlighten you and shed some light on the subject matter.  Read it at face value and as written (poems as poems and narrative as narrative, etc.).  A basic is to interpret narrative in light of didactic passages, not vice versa, and implicit in light of explicit!  With the privilege of reading comes the obligation to interpret it right--no spiritualizing or fabricating your own truths!  Remember, we're not at the mercy of church dogma but have been liberated to have the right to go directly to God's Word and interpret it with the aid of the Holy Spirit as our personal tutor.  

In sum, it's all about abiding in the Word as disciples or learners:  "... If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples..." (John 8:31, ESV, italics mine); "... 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word..." (John 14:23, ESV, italics mine); "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:16, ESV). So then, let's keep up our reputation as "people of the Book!").   In closing, it's not about being familiar with the Word, nor having biblical savvy, or knowing your way around the block in Scripture, but of loving the Word and learning to take every problem to it and grow to hear God's voice speaking to you through it--its value is in obeying it, doing it, and even living it, not merely knowing it! (John 13:17, ESV, says, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.").   Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Study The Bible?

It has been well said that the Word was not written to increase our knowledge (note that I am referring to knowledge about the Bible, not knowing the Bible's message, nor knowing the Author and I am critiquing formal Bible education, not informal studies or self-study), but the purpose of the Bible is to change our lives.  I used to really like Bible trivia games because I was so good at it and seemed to have a knack for it because of my extensive studies and readings.  However, I soon realized that trivia is unimportant and a person can know a lot of it and not get the message of the Bible.  I believe that the teacher's goal is to get the student prepared to study on his own and not be dependent on him, but weaned, as it were.  You are said to retain up to thirty percent of what you study, five percent of what you hear, and about ten percent of what you read--the mind has to be very selective, or we would have a cognitive overload.  Repetition is the key and the brain retains best by reinforcement--that is why it's good to take notes during a sermon to highlight when God speaks to you.  If you seek the Lord, you will taste and see that the Lord is good:  The proof of the pudding is in the eating--I had the advantage of having experienced this as a youth and I have grown in my love for the Word.

Knowledge for its own sake is not right, but it is only a means to an end--we are not all striving to be scholars or winners at trivia contests (why?), but only to enjoy our Bible more and be equipped to rightly divide the Word of truth. Paul warns:  "He that thinks he knows something, doesn't know yet as he ought to know" in 1 Cor. 8:2.  It is not a matter of being talented at theology (which comes from exposure and a clear-thinking and trained mind, but what kind of attitude one brings to the Word ("O, how I love thy law.  It is my meditation all the day long, " according to Psalm 119:97).  We are not better Christians merely because of our knowledge. Bible knowledge is only a tool that one has to learn how to use and not abuse. Some believers know enough to be dangerous and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!  I know of a Christian who wanted to take a seminary-like college course on the Bible so he could get a pastor-like handle on it; I believe he felt insecure in his knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (which come from God).  I asked him why he wanted to take the study and he really had no reason but to increase his knowledge.

I am very suspicious of Bible classes led by leaders who are not Spirit-filled or don't know the Lord--they know their way around the Bible and can discuss doctrinal issues that arise--they may even be intoxicated with the deeper truths, not even mastering the basics.  Don't ever forget that the goal is to know the Lord, not be informed--the Gnostics taught that we are saved by knowledge, even secret knowledge for the select, elite few.  Familiarity with Scripture or knowing your way around in it can be said of the devil, and we don't want to be impressed with someone for that reason. He uses it to his own advantage and schemes.  It is more vital to know the Author of Scripture than to be a scholar schooled to teach (sometimes that is all you can do with knowledge--teach it--especially if you cannot put it into practice (like lawyers who decide they want to teach law instead of practicing it, where the money is--like they say, if you can't do, teach!

"Knowledge puffs up," said Paul in 1 Cor. 8:1; however, it is love that builds up and we ought to practice that--I don't mean love in word only but in deed and in truth (cf. 1 John 3:18).  Man has a tendency to be arrogant and conceited in his knowledge and we have no right to think that we have an edge or have cornered the market.  We don't love knowledge per se, we love Christ and His Word!  If you take a Bible course, I'm saying, have a godly purpose for it, and not just to get a Bible education. If you have the gift of teaching you should take sufficient coursework, but what is paramount, is having the acquired skill to study the Bible on your own and know how God speaks to you particularly in His Word. Remember this, the disciple is not above his teacher and if you don't feel the teacher knows the Lord better than you, then you are in the wrong class--we don't go to one-up the teacher or show him up (regardless of Psalm 119:99, we don't pull rank on the prof or teacher!).

The premier goal of the Christian walk is to walk with Christ and know Him and have a growing relationship with Him.  If you know your gifts and where you belong, don't go on a guilt trip that you don't know as much as your brother--God blesses in manifold, multitudinous ways, and we are not to compare ourselves with others.  If knowledge per se was the key, then the best Christian would simply be the smartest one or the one who took the most courses.  We aren't looking for professional Christians but genuine ones.  God wants us to be authentic and sincere, not copycats emulating one another--we are to obey our leaders and imitate their faith though. Jesus said that eternal life is to know Him! We are to keep our eyes on Him and focused on the agenda and mission He assigned to us and commissioned us with--the Great Commission.

A Bible student can know all the answers and still not know the Lord very well--he may just be well-read!  We don't want to give the impression Christians are know-it-all's who like to quote Scripture to impress people.  There comes a time when a believer cuts the umbilical cord of his teacher and seeks the Lord till he finds Him. The search, according to R. C. Sproul, for Christ begins at salvation--don't assume all Christians have "found" the Lord.  One may say he knows the Bible, but the Christian who knows the Lord knows better, and his portion will not be taken away.

We remain as students of the Word our whole lives and never stop learning--when we are saved the Holy Spirit endows us with His illuminating and enlightening ministry to open the eyes of our hearts to the Word if we are teachable and receptive.  We must have a willing spirit, an open mind, and a needy heart for God to speak to us in the Word.  God looks at the motive:  True morality consists of a good motive and a good objective done in a wise manner!  A true believer who is somewhat biblically ignorant, but knows the Lord can get along with surprisingly little Bible knowledge, but the important trait he has is knowing the Author! I am not saying ignorance is bliss either because God puts no premium on ignorance. 

We study for Bible to be able to answer those who taunt us and to be equipped for every good work (i.e., "thoroughly furnished unto all good works," according to 2 Tim. 3:17.  It is the tool of our trade and we are given this gift which is better than if Jesus were here in person--we have the whole counsel and will of God!

We must realize that a Bible teacher, whose knowledge is a byproduct of his calling and, I hope, his love for the Word, is not always an ideal believer that we all emulate automatically (he may be someone's mentor though), but we are all unique creations in Christ who have different callings, ministries, missions, and gifts.  Many of us don't need to know more, but to apply more of what we do know!  The motive should not be to desire to know the answers or to show off, but because one loves the Word and senses that God is calling him to it, i.e., formal Bible education. You can be a great preacher without formal education if you are called to the ministry--look at C. H. Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, H. A. Ironside, D. L. Moody, et al.

I must reemphasize and define knowledge in itself (and the attitude "just gimme the facts!" doesn't fly!); knowledge per se is no indicator of maturity or of a growing relationship with the Lord (there are seminary grads who don't adequately know the Lord)--if this was the case, I would rank among the most "spiritual" of Christians, because of my studies, blogging, and classes taught through the years.  I would never take a Bible course for its own sake, out of curiosity, to please others, to ingratiate myself,  nor because I think it's the thing to do.  A believer's knowledge about the Bible or about God is no gauge of his knowledge of the Bible, nor of God.  If there was a direct correlation between knowledge per se, that would make me a bona fide spiritual giant; but there's more to consider: In the final analysis, it is in obeying the Word that we find the power, not in knowing it (there is the danger of arrogance) and to whom much is given, much is required.  "PREPARE TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED..."  (CF. 2 TIM. 2:15).  Soli Deo Gloria!

How Do You Read Scripture?

ATTITUDE CHECK!

"I am profitably engaged in reading the Scriptures"  (Abraham Lincoln).
Challenge:  Do you read with a purpose in mind?
Ezekiel's challenge:  take it and eat the scroll (cf. Ezek. 3:1-3; make it your own!).
Mark Twain wisely quipped:  "It's not the parts of Scripture that I don't understand that bother me, it's the parts I do understand."
"Take it and read it; take it and read it!" (words were spoken to St. Augustine by a child concerning the Bible--this lead to his conversion experience).  EMPHASIS MINE!

"For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days..." (Deut. 32:47, NKJV).

We are responsible for the light we have and to whom much is given much is required--the light that we had access to and cannot claim willful ignorance. When you pass on insight, God grants more! Don't try to understand every passage, but concentrate on what you know and let further light reveal the meaning as God's Holy Spirit illuminates through pastors and teachers.  We are not to ignore the tradition and scholarship of the ages and especially the church fathers of orthodoxy.

It is commanded to read in Isaiah 34:16 saying, "Look in the scroll of the LORD and read...."
There is a blessing in reading it in Rev. 1:3. ("Blessed is he that readeth")
Paul urged Timothy to "pay attention to the public reading of Scripture" in 1 Timothy 4:13.
It is vital to know that we read because we want to and not because we have to and should look forward to our time in the Word as hearing from the Almighty Himself.

According to John MacArthur, the prerequisite to learning something is a teachable spirit, a receptive mind, and an obedient heart.
"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby"  (1 Peter 2:2)
"On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word" Isaiah 66:2).
"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10).  We are drawn to the Word because Jesus is in our hearts, i.e., the Author himself!

By way of intro; a word to the wise is sufficient:  Never put someone down for reading the Bible for whatever reason and especially that they may read too much--thirsting for God in essence--("curiosity killed the cat" doesn't apply to the Holy Writ); they will eventually grow up and learn what God is teaching them.  You can't read the Bible enough! It quenches your thirst, then makes you thirsty for more--how blessed that the Word of God abides forever (Isa, 40:8)!  Sola Scriptura!  (Scripture alone is our authority, in other words--from the Latin--a key battle cry during the Reformation period.)

First of all, we follow the rules of reading for any book:  interpreting the obscure in light of the clear, putting things in context, distinguishing genres and interpreting accordingly (poetry, didactive or teaching, prophetic, wisdom or parable, and narrative) and adjust our reading speed and habits as needed.  We need all the skills of reading itself, and learning to read is a skill that does come in handy, though God can speak to the most simple-minded individual if his heart is needy, his spirit is willing, and his mind is open.

We don't want to take any preconceived notions into the Word or to read into it, but to read what God meant it to say--not our own fabrication--for no Scripture is of any "private interpretation" (2 Pet. 1:20).  We have no right to invent truths that God doesn't reveal to other believers.  What does the passage mean and what did God intend for us to know, is more important than what we "feel" is right. We don't want to get mystical or to claim that secret knowledge will save us (this is what Gnosticism was all about). If God speaks to you, share it and don't think that it is some kind of secret!  We have a right to our own opinions, but not our own facts or fabrications.

We don't read the Bible (you have to be alert to genre analysis and distinguish narrative form didactic, poetry from prose, and teaching portions--read them differently!) like it is an ordinary book like it is some interesting tale with a plot to keep us enraptured or engrossed.  We read it like we should read a divine book, to have God speak to us. We read with the purpose in mind and expectation that He will open our eyes to wonderful things that only the Word can do.

We must pray for the Holy Spirit's illumination and guidance to read what He wills for our needs to be met.  It isn't how much we read, but how we read and what we read.  Some may say that they proudly read for two hours a day--well maybe they aren't getting "fed" by the Word but are only reading for "information" to get "informed" and not to be enlightened. We don't need an education or to improve our knowledge, but to change our lives.  God doesn't handicap believers due to a lack of education; it's in their hearts where the issue is.

Some may comment that we must read the Bible a lot to remember so much  (quality, not quantity is the measure of a good reading session), but it is the Spirit that brings Scripture to mind and puts meditations on our hearts.  What is meditation but to digest and rethink a Scripture until we arrive at the meaning God wants us to get? It does no good to read a lot of Scripture if we come away and don't know what God has convicted us about or spoken to us in.  If I don't get an "Aha!" moment I feel I have read in vain. I don't want to be just informed and read for academic reasons to get educated, but to feel that God has met my daily needs and spoken to me personally.

Sometimes it is necessary to read more than usual, because we may have "Bible fatigue" (boredom when it has lost its zing and seems too familiar to excite our spirits, like when we read the same translation too much), but if we faint not God will open our spiritual eyes (conditioned upon our being in fellowship with Him and it is not our fault by harboring some sin we have not known or confessed).  According to Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 two of the purposes of the Word is reproof and instruction in righteousness--they can show us where we went wrong and how to get back on track!

I challenge you to stick with it till you do have an existential encounter of sorts, and not just read academically (for no practical, but only theoretical reasons) for the info, but to have your soul enlightened.  We must be patient and not give up reading until we feel that God has spoken to us and we have some "meat" of the Word that we can chew on for the day.  It is the condition of our soul not the Bible's problem if we are not fed.  The biggest temptation to read is the desire to know as much as a fellow believer (just because of the motive of wanting to know everything) who has accumulated knowledge by virtue of many years reading and lose track of the goal, to hear from God. It is good practice to pray that God opens the door to knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in the Word prior to reading--keep the faith and don't quit until you feel God has met your needs and spoken to you for the day (i.e., something to chew on or meditate upon). You may read and find some verse that is just what you needed to hear for the day.

Now the whole goal of reading to put into practice God's Word that convicted.  Jesus said that if we know these things happy are we if we do them!   The real joy comes in doing the Word and not just accumulating knowledge, which is a byproduct of our experience in the Word and should never be a goal--so as to think we are a cut above others if we just "know" more.  The more we know, the more responsible we are, but this doesn't mean that ignorance is bliss.  We are commanded to grow in the knowledge of Jesus (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).

Faith comes by hearing the Word and this doesn't just refer to hearing sermons but to the public reading of Scripture and to any time we hear the Word either from friends or by media.  We are to speak to one another in psalms and hymns, etc. ("Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" says Col. 3:16), and how can this be if we are not "full of the Word" by virtue of much-devoted reading. Now, the wonderful effect of maturity is to love the Word and to read it because we love it.  "Oh, how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day long"  (Psa. 119:97). "Great peace have those who love thy law, nothing shall cause them to stumble"  (Psalm 119:165).

We have reached a point of maturity when we actually love the Bible and look forward to a time in the Word to hear from the Lord for the day's needs.  One verse that really speaks to you can have more impact than a whole lot of reading that is just "interesting."  God doesn't want His Word to be just interesting or inspiring (we can go to Shakespeare for that), but life-changing, convicting, and uncomfortable---even knocking us out of our comfort zones.  When God speaks to your spirit you know it and you feel fed and can have the courage and strength to face another day.

The Word has many ways of speaking to us:  Warnings to take, prayers to echo and utter, principles to follow, promises to claim, commands to heed, examples to emulate, and if we read with a purpose and don't quit till we have achieved it we will gain good habits in the regular reading of the Word, that will develop into a lifetime habit and relationship to God that we can confidently go to Him to have Him "speak" to us for our daily needs.

Neglect of the Word estranges or alienates us from God and we are no longer in sync with Him, and cannot walk in the Spirit and in daily fellowship. The characteristic of the Word is that it feeds you, then makes you hungry!  You can never read it enough--you don't just read it and put it aside like a novel or textbook to study and master, but never grow weary of it and get new insight every time you read it. You can never say, "I read it and know what's in it" as if its an ordinary book and put it back on the shelf--for we can never say we know enough or have mastered it as if we are scholars.  If you have never had an existential experience in the Word, you are missing the boat and haven't yet known what it feels like to have God speak to your heart and encourage you in the Word.  It is our lifeline and link to God's will--of which we should desire to know and do. Time in the Word is never wasted and we must remember that we are all at different levels--God's Word is at work in us who believe and has the power to change our lives into Christ's image.

To sum up, we cannot really read it unless we know the author and have a relationship with Him! We speak to God in prayer, but He promises to reply to the Word.  One key to understanding Scripture is to see the big picture and learn to see Christ in it. The Word should not just be important but take precedence:  Billy Graham tells of a man who just made millions of dollars, but when he met Billy he insisted on telling him what the Lord had shown him that morning in the Word! Just have priorities and put first things first!  If we ignore the Word we cannot know God's will for lives, (doing the will of God is the easier yoke that Israel needed from the heavy yoke of the Law) case closed.    Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is The Place Of The Law?

The moral code has not been rescinded which is summarized by the Ten Commandments, except for the Sabbath requirement which is a principle more than a legalistic burden (cf. Romans 14:5; Col. 2:16).  The law was made for lawbreakers and rebels according to 1 Tim. 1:9. We obey the law out of gratitude and not out of obligation: because we "want to" not because we "have to." Obedience is a "therefore" not an "in order to." The law is holy, righteous, and good if one uses it righteously. So, we don't have to become somewhat "Jewish" to be good Christians. Judaizers are wrong missing the point and want to burden themselves with the law.

Does the law of Moses serve any purpose today? There were 613 laws in the books of Moses. They were of three classifications: ceremonial (ritual); governmental; and moral. Only the moral laws are still in effect and are fulfilled in the command to love our neighbor as Paul said. "The entire law is summed up in one single command: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal. 5:14).  We are under a higher law:  the law of love  The law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ as Paul said in Galatians 3:25. "If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." "Cursed is everyone who relies on the law for righteousness" (Gal. 3:10). Paul said in Rom. 6:14, "...You are not under the law but under grace."

The law has been set aside as a way of life, either justification sanctification, or obedience. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for those who believe" (Rom. 10:4). "For if justification were through the law, Christ died for nothing" (Gal. 2:21). "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming not the realities themselves..." (Heb. 10:1). The law is obsolete for Christ "by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and ordinances" (Eph. 2:15) has made it irrelevant to us as a way of life, except for the moral code (it is still wrong to murder, for example).

Our relationship to the law is like a husband and wife and when one dies the other is free from the union. We are free in Christ and shouldn't be yoked again in bondage. The Law adjudicates or declares a man to be a sinner and does not exculpate him or free him from guilt. Only in Christ can we be free even though we say, "Mea Culpa" (I am to blame).

Romans 3:20 says that by the Law is the knowledge of sin. Paul wouldn't have known himself as a sinner unless he heard that he shouldn't covet. It is by the Word of God that the Holy Spirit convicts and it is His job to convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (Isaiah 55:11; cf. John 16:8). One law that is not repeated in the New Testament is the Sabbath law (cf. Neh. 9:14). This law was given as a sign (cf. Ezek. 20:20) to Israel that they were His people and comparing Rom. 14:5 and Col. 2:16 we see that this is not commanded or re-instituted in the New Testament. Finally, we serve not in the old written code of the law but in the new way of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 7:6). Watchman Nee said that the day he was delivered from the law was like heaven on earth.

The Formula of Concord (1577), the Lutheran confession of faith, established the so-called three-fold purpose of the law: To reveal sin; to establish decency in the society at large, and to provide a rule of life for the regenerated through faith in Christ. (this is according to R. C. Sproul). On the other end of the spectrum is Martin Luther's Against the Antinomians which refuted those who thought the law had no purpose (literally "against the law"). Sproul says that the law (here the moral law) does not sanction the idea that everyone has the right to do as they please in their own eyes or the right to do wrong just because we are not "under the law."

The law prepares us for grace and if we love Jesus we will do His commandments. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The law is a mirror according to Luther that shows us our true selves. The Hebrews, upon receiving the law, didn't pray for mercy but said they would obey it--what a mistake! Legalism is mainly adherence to the letter of the law and exclusion of the spirit of the law according to Sproul. He says, "The antidote to legalism and antinomianism is a serious study of the Word of God."

The law should be used in witnessing because the "law is perfect, converting the soul" (Psalms. 19:7). Billy Graham says that the law is not a panacea but a diagnosis. "It condemns but does not convert, it challenges but does not change." Charles Finney says, "By a convicted sinner, I mean one who feels condemned by the Law of God as a guilty sinner. I remark that this [the Law] is the rule and the only just rule by which the guilt of sin can be measured." Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the sinner."

D. L. Moody says, "God, being a perfect God, had to give a perfect law, and the law was given not to save men, but to measure them...They try to save themselves by trying to keep the law, but it was never meant for men to save themselves by...This, then, is why God gives us the law--to show us ourselves in our true colors." John Wesley says, "The first use of [the Law], without question, is to convince the world of sin." Yes, when He comes He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (cf. John 16:8). John Bunyan says, "The man who does not know the nature of the law does not know the nature of sin. The world at large is under the law until they are redeemed from its curse. 

The Law was given to convince us we cannot keep it!     Soli Deo Gloria!

What is Subjectivism?

Just because we have the right to interpret Scripture doesn't mean we have the right to interpret it any way we want to. The obverse of privilege is responsibility--to interpret it right!  Just because we feel something is true doesn't make it so: e.g., not believing in the election because we feel it seems to make God out to be a despot. We cannot fabricate our own truths! We are obliged to cutting it straight so to speak. Quakers believe they should heed the "Inner Light" and Mormons follow "the burning in the bosom." There have been many "mystics" who claim special revelation and new interpretations that only they have been privileged to know.  We are entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts!

Remember the road to Emmaus: "Were not our hearts burning within us?" Karl Barth said that passage becomes the Word of God when you have an "existential experience" with it. Well, that could subjectively mean anything: Does he mean getting goosebumps, chills down the spine, or "burning in the bosom?" Somehow God can convict us of the truth and speak to our hearts; it is usually different to each individual. Reading into the Scriptures what we want to see is called eisegesis (reading into the Bible), and correct interpretation is called exegesis (reading what's there). Also, we don't interpret it to justify our behavior but to change it!

God can speak through the air vent if He chooses, but He has chosen to primarily speak through His Word. "And the Word of the Lord tried him." "He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word" (1 Sam. 3:21). "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life" (Deut. 32:47). "Do not My words do good to him whose ways are upright?" (Mic. 2:7). Note that God uses His Word.

Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian Emmanuel Swedenborg was a mystic that decided he would eliminate some of the books of the Bible that he didn't "feel" were scriptural. Today we have a sect following his errant teaching. If God is going to reveal the meaning to you He will do it to other members of the body also as confirmation. "For no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation..." (2 Pet. 1:21). In summary: Subjectivism is a road to mysticism and we must endeavor to be objective, even though there is no such thing as total objectivity except with God.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Cutting It Straight

We are told to "rightly divide the Word of Truth," which literally means "cutting it straight" or rightly interpreting according to proper hermeneutic principles. I have heard that we should interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament or vice versa. Well, you can sometimes interpret the Old in light of the New and sometimes the reverse. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine and so forth. Examples are Jesus talking about the abomination of desolation and referring to Daniel and about Isaiah talking about the virgin birth and Luke saying Christ fulfilled it. Or Peter saying that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel 2.

We have teachers that say, "Where in the New Testament are we told to obey the law?" Is this fair? We are not under the law as it says in Rom. 6:14 (the ceremonial and governmental institutional law) but still must obey the moral code. Morality doesn't change, but Christ said that all the law is fulfilled in loving God and our neighbor. "Love is the fulfillment of the Law." The messianic Jews, though sincere, are plainly wrong, seeking to put themselves under bondage again when they have been set free (cf. Gal. 5:1).

There is the argument that we don't have to obey the sabbath laws because this is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament. We ought to live in the New Testament and not in the Old Testament. I realize that the only Scripture the early church had was the Old Testament but they also had the prophets and apostles. There are 613 laws in the books of Moses and the only ones that apply to us are repeated in the New Testament. The New Testament is to be looked upon as the fulfillment of the Old. The law does have a purpose: to convict of sin and lead one to Christ. Paul said that if it wasn't for the law to not covet he wouldn't have considered himself a sinner. It is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ says Paul in Galatians.

So, one must be very careful to know the place of the law when interpreting the Scriptures. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). Or "Indeed, it is by the straight edge of the law that we realize how crooked we really are" (J. B. Phillips).

Christianity was a break from Judaism and not another sect of that religion. Thus the New Testament stands alone as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, just as Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. The Old Testament looks forward to Christ while the New Testament presents Christ. The Old looks forward to Christ and We look back to Christ; the important thing is that we are both looking at Christ.   Soli Deo Gloria!