An Introduction to Interpreting Scripture

Coming to the Scriptures can be a daunting task for many. We know that the Scriptures are words of life that teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and train us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). They also are a comfort and guide to us, helping us to avoid evil and walk in the paths of life (see Psalm 119). However, many come to the Scriptures with fear and lack of assurance that they will indeed “hear from God” during their time of reading. So how can we approach the task of reading Scripture in such a way that we can walk away from our time confident that we have understood what God would have us understand? It is my desire in this short article to help you begin to get a deeper understanding of how to read the Bible well.
Our starting place in reading the Bible well is understanding that the Bible is not merely a collection of stories or human wisdom- it is the very Word of God Himself, breathed out by Him and written by the hands of His beloved servants (1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21). It should be logically deduced, then, that the Bible has intended meanings that can be understood by those reading it. God did not give us His Word to further befuddle us- He gave us His Word that we might have life by believing what is contained within (John 20:31). But to be able to believe, we must be able to understand what is being understood. Enter hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation- in this case, specifically interpretation of the Bible.
The following are five principles of hermeneutics that will help you to get the most out of your Bible study time.
A Prayerful Mindset: Christians are called to be prayerful in all things, trusting that God cares about us and hears us (Psalm 17:6, Ephesians 6:18). The same is most certainly true when we come to God’s Word. When we sit down to read Scripture, it is important to realize that the things of God are incomprehensible to the flesh (1 Corinthians 2:14). Now, no matter how we approach the Scriptures, they remain the Word of God- living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). However, those who read the Word in the flesh and rely merely on their own wisdom and understanding are blind to the beauty and glory of God that is in the Scriptures. Their eyes are not open to see and their minds not illuminated to understand the things of God. But for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Therefore, let us approach the Scriptures in prayer and in a humble spirit of dependence on the Holy Spirit, knowing that He is our great teacher and that it is through Him alone that we can understand the deeper things of God.
Scriptural Context: The men of the great Protestant Reformation of the early 16th century had a phrase that they used in interpreting Scripture- scriptura scripturam interpreter, which means scripture interprets Scripture. The common evangelical (and more importantly, the Biblical) view of Scripture is that it is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, breathed out by God through men and contained in the pages of the Holy Bible (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21). It is not merely a collection of stories, but is the coherent, unified Word of God. Therefore, because God does not change His mind or contradict Himself (Numbers 23:19), His Word does not lie or contradict itself. Therefore, when we approach a passage of Scripture, it is important to look to what the whole counsel of Scripture says about it. This will not only help us to avoid error in interpreting but will also help us to know God’s Word better in its fullness and to know the grand story of redemption as it is laid out in Scripture. This is why it is important to not only look to the immediate Scriptural context of the passage (what the verse before and after the verse you are studying are saying) but also the whole Scriptural context (what the rest of the Bible has to say on the subject).
Historical Context: As we noted above, the Bible is the Word of God; not man’s ideas or even merely man’s interpretation of God’s mind. However, it is also important to remember that God chose to speak these words through certain people at certain times. Understanding the context in which the passage we are studying was written can often add a whole new depth to the Scriptures that we didn’t even realize was there. For example, the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” speaking of the struggles that we face as people in a fallen world. Now, this is a great passage of Scripture all on its own. Understanding that God is working through our afflictions to produce steadfastness in us and to prepare us for heaven is a wonderful and comforting truth. However, when we look to the man who God spoke this through, we are convinced all the more.
Paul was beaten on multiple occasions (2 Corinthians 11:25); imprisoned on many others (Acts 21:26-36, Ephesians 6:20, Philippians 1:13). He was shipwrecked (Acts 27:39-44). He faced need and hunger (Philippians 4:12). He was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). Near the end of his life, he writes of how almost all those that he had ministered with and to had either abandoned him to pursue the things of the world or had left to minister elsewhere as he was imprisoned and close to death; only Luke remained by his side (2 Timothy 4:10-11). Of all people, he truly knew affliction. And yet, what did he have to say to such things? That they were not even worth comparing with the eternal weight of glory set before us in Christ! And so we see that understanding the circumstances into which God spoke these words magnifies His glory and our understanding of it. Here are a few things to think about as you study the historical context of a passage…
• Who wrote it?
• Who was it written to?
• What was its original purpose?
• What are some significant events going on at the time?
Grammatical Context: This may come as a shock to some, but God, when He gave us the Bible, did not speak it through men in the King’s English. Instead, He spoke forth in the languages of those whom He spoke through. One interesting fact about Hebrew and Greek languages (the original languages of the Bible) is that words often mean a whole lot more than just the one word we use to show their English meaning. For example, 2 Timothy 2:15 reads as follows in the King James Version, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In English, this could produce some confusion… Does this mean we should split up God’s Word and only read segments of it? Does this mean parts are irrelevant?
This is all cleared up when we study the Greek word, ὀρθοτομέω, which carries the connotation of meaning “to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly”.
Now, you may be thinking, “okay, well that’s great. But I don’t have time to learn an ancient language.” There is good news! You don’t have to. There are great online resources (such as https://www.blueletterbible.org/) which help you to do word studies in the original languages and more.
Practical Application: When it comes to applying the Bible to our lives, we must understand the difference between a descriptive passage and a prescriptive passage. A descriptive passage tells us of an event that occurred or instructs us in our understanding of God and His work in the world. A prescriptive passage is a passage that has an instruction for us to follow (i.e. “pray continually” or “do not forsake meeting together” etc.). Applying a prescriptive passage to our lives is fairly simple- do what God has commanded (doing so prayerfully and trusting God to bring about the results He has promised to bring about). Applying a descriptive passage can be more difficult to see but is equally as important. For example, the Scriptures teach that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works (see Ephesians 2:7-8). If you are an unbeliever, than the “do” would be to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done on the cross, receiving His salvation. If you are a believer, however, there is not necessarily an action that you can take to apply this. Rather, such a beautiful statement serves to remind us of the sufficiency of the work of Christ in dealing with our sin and gives us comfort and assurance in Him.
God’s Word is one of His greatest gifts to mankind. Through it, we can know Him unto salvation, find wisdom and guidance, and much more. Therefore, it is important that we handle it correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). I hope and pray that this short introduction to hermeneutics will help you as you grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This article is adapted for writing from two classes taught in the Foundations of the Faith series at One Family Church, which can be heard in the following web addresses:

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