Principles for Understanding the Bible
Principles for Understanding the Bible
Here are some points that hopefully will help you to become a better student of God’s Word. This brief paper is obviously not meant to be a thorough discussion of Biblical hermeneutics. ["Hermeneutics" is from the Greek word "hermeneuo" usually translated "interpretation" in the Bible.] You will find considerable “overlap” from point to point. But a careful consideration of these points will help us understand more clearly what “Thus saith the Lord.”
Approach Scripture with great reverence and awe.
Watch out for the temptation to “explain away” passages that bring conviction.
Examples:
Some Christians are tempted to think: “Tithing is for Old Testament believers.”
“Witnessing is for those who are good with people.” “Worship is for those who
can sing or who are more outgoing.”
Study the Bible as a whole.
Use cross-references to see what else God has to say about a particular subject.
Consider related passages together before drawing conclusions.
Examples:
Deut 13:5 says that false prophets are to be put to death. Numbers 28:8 says
that we are to sacrifice a lamb. But we must understand these commands in light
of the New Testament.
Consider Carefully the
Context of the
Passage.
Each passage you study has a context. In other words, we must look
carefully at the verses that precede and that follow the verse we are studying.
When we take a passage "out of context" we are in danger of misinterpreting it.
A passage can often be taken more than one way--until we look closely at the
larger picture, perhaps the entire chapter or even the entire book.
Example:
Some have taught that Rev 4:1
(“Come up hither”) is a reference to the rapture of the church. But a careful
reading of the context makes it clear that the plain meaning is that these words
are addressed specifically to John regarding the revelations he was about to be
given.
Make sure you understand the words and
sentences.
Check out different translations, lexicons, and commentaries to help.
Example:
1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Evil
communications corrupt good manners.”
1 Peter 3:1 says, “They also may without the word be won by the conversation of
the wives.”
You must do careful word studies to understand what those verses mean.
Remember the definition of the English words may be different from the definition of the Hebrew or Greek words. If you check out an English dictionary for the word “manners” in 1 Corinthians 15:33, you may still not really understand what the word means in this particular verse.
Be VERY aware of
the difference between “exegesis” and “eisogesis”. It can be very tempting to
“read into” a passage what we want it to say.
"Exegesis" is a Greek word meaning, "To draw out of." When we do this, we are
doing good Bible study! We are attempting to "draw out" the meaning of the
passage.
"Eisegesis" is a Greek word meaning, "To draw into." When we do this we are
not doing good Bible study! We are reading our own ideas into God's Word,
rather than "drawing out" His meaning.
Examples:
Matthew19:14 says, “ But Jesus
said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such
is the kingdom of heaven.” This verse has been used to validate infant baptism.
But, of course, it really says nothing about infant baptism.
Rabbis used to teach that the reason God confounded the tongues at the tower of
Babel is that the men were falling off the tower and dying and that the builders
were mourning more over the lost bricks than the dying men. To teach that we
should care more about people than things is a good lesson. But it is not found
in Genesis 11.
Unless there is a strong Biblical reason otherwise (for example, other Bible passages that clarify the subject), take Scripture at its face value.
Assume the Bible literally means what it says. Just because a passage reminds
you of a principle, doesn’t mean that particular passage teaches that
principle.
Examples:
John McArthur shared these examples:
A pastor preached a series on Nehemiah in which he said Nehemiah represented the
Holy Spirit. The king's pool was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The mortar
between the bricks was speaking in tongues. He said that the whole point of
Nehemiah is that God wants to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and build the
fallen walls of your human personality through speaking in tongues.
Another preacher preached on the rapture from John 11. McArthur said the sermon
was about an hour long and very clever. People were saying, "This is deep! Wow!"
He preached that Lazarus was the church. Lazarus coming forth from the dead was
the dead saints being raised. Martha was the Old Testament saints. Mary was the
living New Testament saints. But, as McArthur said, “It just wasn't there.”
McArthur went on to say, “When it was over we met again and he said to me, ‘Had
you ever seen that in John 11?’ And I said, ‘No one has ever seen that in John
11.’”
Allegorizing the Bible was once very popular. But it is dangerous to take the
plain meaning of the text and try to draw “spiritual” conclusions that are not
found there.
Caution: The danger of allegorizing does not mean that the Bible does not
contain “typology.” In typology there is a strong connection with Bible history.
The New Testament makes it clear that some Old Testament people events
“foreshadow” or “prefigure” or are “types” of New Testament teaching. However,
typology taken to an extreme, can become allegory to the extent that we are
reading our creative, but very human, ideas into the passage.
Recognize the
difference between the meaning of a passage and an application of
that passage.
Example:
Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”. A good application of
that verse would be to come to Sunday School. But the verse itself does not
specify a time or place or frequency. The meaning of the verse is simply
that Christians must not stop gathering together with other Christians.
Remember that historical events recorded in the Bible are not the same as Biblical commands directed to us.
There will always be principles to learn from any Bible passage, but remember to
consider the context!
Examples:
The Bible says, “Go and wash in
Jordan seven times” (2 Kings 5:10). This passage does not teach that all Bible
believers are to make a pilgrimage to the Jordan River!
1 Corinthians 15:29 says, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the
dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?”
This verse is not a command for us to be “baptized for the dead.”
The fact that some of the Old Testament patriarchs practiced polygamy does not
mean God approves it.
Remember that some passages are obviously meant to be taken as figurative language.
Examples:
When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth,” He is obviously not saying,
“You are sodium chloride.”
When Judges 7:12 says, of the Midianites and Amalekites, that “their camels
were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude,” we don’t
necessarily conclude that there were literally billions of them.
There are times when the spirit of a passage must be interpreted in light of the culture.
Example:
Romans 16:16 says Christians are to greet one another with a “holy kiss.” Most
Bible students recognize that the emphasis here is not on the kiss, but on the
holy greeting. In New Testament culture (and in many cultures today) the kiss is
a common greeting. In other cultures the greeting is a handshake, bow, smile,
friendly words, or hug.
Always pray for wisdom and understanding when studying a Bible passage but do not assume that every thought you have is a correct understanding of the passage.
It takes time and careful study to understand some passages.
Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good.”
Example:
You might read 1 Samuel 3:10 “Then shalt thou go on
forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall
meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and
another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:”
You might think: “Carrying three kids” reminds me of the importance of
supporting our children. “Three loaves of bread” reminds me that Jesus is the
Bread of Life and that God is the Holy Trinity. “Carrying a bottle of wine”
reminds me of the dangers of drunkenness. So you proceed to teach a lesson on
how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are displeased when a
father allows alcohol to keep him from supporting his children.
All these “conclusions” are Biblical truths, which are taught in other passages
of Scripture. But it is not what God is communicating in 1 Samuel 3:10!
You might think, "Well, what is the problem as long as the conclusions are
Biblical?"
Suppose someone read the above passage and proceeded to teach that we should all
raise goats, make sure we always had at least three loaves of bread on hand, and
carry a bottle of wine with us? That passage might "remind" them of these kinds
of ideas. But obviously this is bad hermeneutics! And these conclusions are
not Biblical! Just because one gets an "idea" from a passage, doesn't
mean the idea is Biblical.
When we wish to communicate that the Bible teaches a principle or truth, we
should use the passage that actually teaches that truth. To try to use a passage
that doesn't teach that truth is to misuse the Scripture and to open the
door to the possibility of using a passage to try to teach something that the
Bible does not teach at all.
To attempt to use a passage to teach something that is actually taught elsewhere
in the Bible, or perhaps not taught at all is not "rightly dividing the
Word of Truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
We have a stern warning in 2 Corinthians 4:2 of the danger of "handling the Word
of God deceitfully." There are those who disrespect God's Word to the point that
they willingly and knowingly distort it with bad principles of interpretation.
Now I know that many who misinterpret Scripture this way are very innocent about
it. Their motives are good. But still, we certainly don't want to follow the
example of those who do "handle God's Word deceitfully!"
Be humble and keep a teachable spirit.
There are equally sincere Christian Bible-believing students of the Word who
come to very different conclusions about the same passage of Scripture. We must
each stand on what we believe to be true, but be aware that we may someday learn
that we were sincerely wrong!
Don’t confuse the sins of arrogance and spiritual pride and self-righteousness
with the virtue of standing firm on God’s Word.
Example:
Many sincere and godly students of God’s Word have changed their minds about
what the Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ after careful Bible
study. Others have changed their minds about one or more of the points of
Calvinism.
It is always unwise to have a spirit of arrogance. But if sincere Christians
disagree about what the Bible says on certain issues, it is doubly unwise to
be arrogant about the position we happen to hold. It is possible to believe
something very strongly, yet very humbly. If we are truly humble, we will not
“blast away” those who disagree with us!
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