Have you ever felt that ten different people could study the same passage of scripture and come to ten different understandings of what the passage means?
Does that bother you? Overwhelm you?
Do you wonder how you’re ever supposed to know when you accurately interpret the Bible?
This is the second article of a three-part series on reading about and understanding our place in God’s story. To read the first article, click the link below:
The Bible is a complex collection of writings originally written in a language far removed from our own. In a world of a high concentration of Christians, and in an age when many different Christians can write about and publicize their understandings of the Christian faith, it can feel disillusioning at times to grasp what the Bible is actually saying.
However, that ten different people would interpret a passage of scripture ten different ways is a lie our generation too easily believes.
Yes, it can look as if that’s what is happening. But when you dig into God’s Word, and when you stop and examine the different interpretations given, you discover there are actually really only three or four different interpretations. As you compare them with each other, you gain a greater understanding for why people come out where they do, and you are better able to think through it for yourself as to how you believe that passage is best interpreted.
Furthermore, most of scripture—especially the crux of the Gospel—is quite simple to understand. In fact, scripture itself suggests that it’s too simple, that we struggle to understand it or believe it because it seems like foolishness to our minds (1Co. 1:18-23, 2:14).
And while different denominations may explain it or flesh it out differently, Christianity across the globe is pretty unified on what salvation means and how we get saved.
But as I said above, the Bible is a complex collection of writings. The first time we read it through, there may be a lot of it that goes over our heads.
Even the seventh and eighth times through, we not find ourselves overwhelmed by the glory and beauty of the book of Leviticus.
Are there simple things we can remember or apply as we wade our way through the story that can help us sift through the complexity and more easily glimpse the larger message?
Yes, there are.
That’s what we’re going to spend the rest of this article walking through. I am not going to show you how to interpret the Bible so you come out at the same place I do. I am going to give you some practical tools for thinking through the story yourself as you read it.
As you implement them and study God’s Word yourself, you may come out at one of those other two or three different understandings and challenge my interpretation.
That’s actually a beautiful part of God’s Word and the Christian faith: it demands us to work through the story together, rubbing shoulders with each other, seeing through other people’s eyes so we can more intimately know our Creator.
So, let’s dive in!
The Bible Is Not about You, It’s about God
One of the biggest mistakes we can make with the Bible is to assume that the story is about us, mankind.
Perhaps we read it because we want to figure out what God wants us to do.
Maybe I am feeling as if I don’t get enough recognition and attention, so I read the Bible because I like God’s perspective of me. I want to be reminded of it. Especially those sections which talk about his love and faithfulness, and compassion of me.
Or we might read it because we want to see what we need to do in order to get into heaven. That’s the goal after all, isn’t it? As long as I know I am doing what I need to do in order to enter through those pearly gates, I know I am on a good track.
But each of those approaches have everything to do with us. We’re going to be disappointed because while there are sections that tell us what to do and we can most certainly see God’s perspective of ourselves—we can even know what is required to be entered in the Lamb’s book of life—most of the Bible doesn’t talk about those things.
Most of the Bible doesn’t talk about us.
The Bible is about God. He has a message he wants to communicate to humanity, and he has revealed it through this collection of writings.
Information Does Not Equal Transformation
Don’t mistake gaining information for “being transformed.” Just because you may know a lot of the Bible does not mean God’s Spirit has transformed you from the inside out.
Furthermore, you can’t cram for this test. It takes time in God’s Word, allowing his Spirit to speak to the deepest parts of your heart, before the nature within you that takes things into your own hands is replaced with the nature of God.
“Being transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Ro. 12:2) is like simmering in a crockpot; not getting zapped in a microwave. We need to be daily sitting in God’s Word and spending time with the Father. That’s how we develop an intimate relationship with him. And through that relationship, he sanctifies us and makes us into the image of his son Jesus (Jn. 8:32, Ro. 8:18-30).
The Holy Spirit Is the Prerequisite to Understanding Scripture
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 tells us,
Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. (HCSB)
Anyone who knows how to take a work of literature and decipher its meaning can read the books of the Bible and understand what the authors are trying to say.
They’ll grasp that Ezekiel’s visions are symbols pointing to how the God of Israel is leaving the temple and the city of Jerusalem because his people have rejected him. They will see how the anger and furry spelled forth in Zechariah and Malachi have to do with the God of Israel proving his greatness and glory over all other gods.
But understanding how submitting one’s desire for control to a God whose ways are good and just and how denying oneself and looking out for others brings about the happiest experience of this life is extremely foreign to human way of thinking.
Furthermore, we find it royally difficult to surrender and to trust. Grasping how simple faith in Jesus changes something within us so that we want to do these things—it all takes a mysterious work of God’s Spirit.
It will never make sense to an earthly mind.
We can talk all day long about what things might mean. But if we want to know how it’s relevant to our lives today, we need God’s Spirit to help us in the process.
Remember the Bible Is a Collection of Writings
The Bible is not just one book written in one language at one point in history by one author. The Bible is a collection of writings written over 1,400 years in 3 different languages over 3 separate continents by more than 40 different authors.
When studying the Bible, one has to be aware of issues of translation, cultural dynamics, authorial perspective, changes in time, geography, economics, and much more. The fact that scripture tells one cohesive story in spite of all these differences is a miracle in itself!
We also need to realize that there are many different times of literary genre used throughout scripture. It’s not all explanatory as when I write to you explaining how our van ended up in the ditch. Throughout scripture, there is:
- Historical narrative (or epic literature)
- The Law
- Psalms
- Prophecy
- Apocalyptic literature
- Gospel
- Acts of the Apostles
- Epistles (or letters)
- Fables
- Parables
- Riddles
- Maxims
- Monologues and dialogues
- Metaphor
Each genre uses unique literary devices, and if we want to understand what a certain book is saying, we need to be aware of the genre and how the author is using the literary devices.
Common Ideas on How to Interpret the Bible
So why doesn’t everyone come out with the same interpretation?
It really comes back to how one goes about the process of finding what the author means by what he says.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most common “hermeneutical” methods. “Hermeneutics” is the process of interpreting literature—primarily used of interpreting the Bible.
If you have been reading the Bible, you have a way of going about finding out what you just read means. Maybe you went to Bible college they taught you how to do it. Perhaps your parents taught you how to do it during family devotions. Or it could be that you were never “officially taught,” but rather handed a way of figuring that out as you met with someone to study the Bible together.
Systematic Hermeneutic
One of the most common ways of doing Bible study is systematic Bible study.
When someone studies the Bible this way, they start with a question or a topic they want to see what the Bible has to say about. Maybe the question is “how do I get eternal life.” They might want to know how single men and women ought to interact together in a way that glorifies God.
Whatever it is, they take that topic to scripture and then scour it cover to cover to see what the Bible has to say.
This can be a handy way of finding out what scripture says about particular issues, but it can also set one up for coming to wrong conclusions. If we’re not careful, when studying the Bible in a systematic way like this, we can develop a lot of “proof texts.”
These are verses that make our point but have been yanked out of the context which they were originally. In so doing, they are being used to make a point they did not originally make.
If we are going to study the Bible in a systematic way like this, we must remember the over-arching message of scripture while we scour it for certain topics.
Before doing systematic Bible study, read the whole story of scripture. Get to know that well, and then jump in for specific topics. But never take a verse to make a point that is not consistent with the whole narrative you saw back when you were reading the whole story.
Jesus Hermeneutic
Another way of studying the Bible, which has become more common in recent years, is what is known as the Jesus hermeneutic.
Basically, this approach is primarily concerned with getting a handle on how Jesus interpreted scripture when he was here on earth and applying that same method to all of scripture.
Jesus (as well as most New Testament writers) do not have the same neat and tidy hermeneutic Western Christians like to use today. So if we force the Bible to fit our way of looking at Scripture we will likely miss its message.
The problem is most of us jump into the New Testament and try understanding the way Jesus (or other NT writers) interpreted the Old Testament without really knowing what the Old Testament says. Only if we understand the Old Testament well can we understand how Jesus interprets it.
Furthermore, we have no example of how Jesus would have interpreted the writings of the apostles because they wrote after his time on earth. Their way of writing is different than the way most Old Testament authors wrote.
We also don’t have any first-hand accounts of how Jesus interpreted the Old Testament.
Everything we know about Jesus came through someone interpreting what he said and then documenting it for us to interpret what they said about what he said. The Gospels were written by other people—not by Jesus.
Not only that, but they each have a different theological angle. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus looks like a good, law abiding Jew. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus looks like a radical lunatic who frequently breaks the law. How are we supposed to know how Jesus understands the Old Testament law?
To compound things even more, Jesus spoke in Aramaic while the Gospel writers wrote in Greek. Contrast this with Paul and Peter who wrote their own words in the same language they spoke. We can have greater confidence that we know how they interpreted the Old Testament than we do of how Jesus interpreted it because there is less space for translational discrepancies.
I’m not trying to say we shouldn’t try understanding how Jesus interpreted the Old Testament. Rather, these are simply some things to remember as we do.
Biblical Hermeneutic
A third common way of studying the Bible is to understand that all of scripture tells one cohesive story and that each book of the Bible and each topic investigated ought to be understood according to their respective place within that over-arching story. This is called biblical theology.
If you want to understand salvation, don’t start in Romans. Start at Genesis 1.
If you want to understand gender roles according to scripture, don’t jump in at Genesis 3. Start at Genesis 1.
If you want to grasp Jesus’ perspective of what it means to “be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” don’t simply immerse yourself in Matthew 5. Start at Genesis 1.
I think this is fairly self-evident. If you wrote a story communicating an important message through various literary devices, you would hope the publisher understood the allegory in the middle chapters in light of the story-arc of the book, right?
Is Aslan just a lion? Or does he symbolize someone?
Is Jacob Marley really shackled with chains in his grave? Or do those chains represent the consequences of living life with a certain motif?
In the same way, the Bible ought to be understood within the whole of itself.
This requires time spent in the Bible. It means in order to grasp the full picture one must read it over and over again. Don’t be discouraged by this. If anything, be encouraged. You don’t have to understand it fully the first time. Just keep reading the story.
We Can Interpret the Bible by Taking the Interpretive Journey
In light of all this, how do we actually go about the process of interpreting what the Bible says? Following are five practical steps for coming to a healthy conclusion about what God is communicating to us through his Word.
1. Understand the importance of grammar AND history.
Most Bible scholars will talk about the Grammatical-Historical Method of studying the Bible. This means we look at what the text actually says (grammatical) and compare it with what we discover of historical background to the audience the text was written for (historical) and blend the information together to come to a conclusion. Often, they present it as if fifty percent of our study should be grammatical and fifty percent should be historical.
In reality, however, we usually bank primarily on either what the text says or on what the historical background we know about the audience suggests we should conclude about the text.
So, for you and I, we need to figure out what is most important to us. If historical background suggests we should conclude something that seems different than what is said in English, does that matter to us? If understanding a passage by only what is written ignores the overwhelming reality that its audience would have heard something different, does that matter to us?
This has significant implications for how we understand Genesis 1 and 2. Most epics of origin at the time of the writing of Genesis would have been filled with metaphor and imagery not meant to be taken literally but explored for its deeper meanings.
So how should we understand Genesis? Just take what is actually said and interpret it according to how we would interpret such things today? Or do we explore how the people in the time of Moses would have taken such writings?
2. Recognize your bias.
The question is not “do you have a bias;” the question is “what is your bias.”
I have grown up in a heavily complementarian atmosphere. I tend to see all kinds of evidence throughout scripture to support a complementarian view of gender roles. This is a bias I have.
My bias may be accurate according to the whole arc of scripture, but while studying the Bible I need to hold that bias at bay and be willing to explore other perspectives.
Recognizing our bias really only happens when we study the Bible with others or allow other voices to speak into our lives in the process of studying the Bible.
3. Spend TIME simply OBSERVING what you SEE.
In my opinion, this is the most difficult part of Bible study. I tend to automatically assume what I think a passage means as I read it.
But if we’re going to be accurate Bible interpreters, we need to spend lots of time simply observing what is actually there in the text. Then, when we go to figure out what it might mean, we need to be rigorous to not import things that aren’t there and not neglect things that are.
It’s in the process of observation that we will likely find surprising pieces we never noticed before.
Another thing to note is that the Old Testament—particularly the Torah—is written as Jewish meditation literature. This means it is not intended to be read like an American self-help book where if we struggle with anger, we read a few chapters and gain some immediate tips on controlling anger in the workplace.
Rather, the Old Testament should be read slowly, contemplatively, and frequently. As we meditate on it, the deeper message will become clearer to us.
4. Do some study to figure out what the author meant.
As mentioned before, there is a lot playing into what you read in scripture—literary genre, time in history, cultural dynamics, language, covenantal period of Judeo-Christianity.
Take some time to look at the literary context: surrounding verses, surrounding chapters, connection with other books that reference the same vents, other books the author wrote, and ultimately its placement within the biblical narrative.
Compare whatever passage you’re reading with any cross references your Bible notes.
Ask your friends, pastors, parents, or enemies what they think the passage is saying.
Study secondary sources to get an idea of what the historical and cultural context is for the author, his audience, and the specific book written.
Do word studies. Only, be sure to look up the words in the originally language. One of the biggest errors in words studies to find the meaning of the English words you’re reading. That could be helpful, but ought to be done only after you have first studied the words in the original language.
Find out how that word was often used by the author. How was it used other places within the book and how was it used in other books? How would people in the time of the writing have understood that word? Could the word have been rendered any other way in English?
The point of all of this is to figure out what seems to be the core principle in a passage that is true for all people in all times and all places.
5. Think through what it would look like to obey that passage today.
And then obey it.
Any Bible study has fallen flat if it does not change our lives right here, right now.
When Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” what was he saying and how does it affect my life today?
The passage is found in Philippians 4. Paul is rejoicing in the care the Philippian church has given him. He has experienced tremendous hardship in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles and they seem to have been worried about him. While thanking them for their concern and care, he emphasizes that he is not thanking them in order to get more of their care—as if he was currently in need. Rather, he had never had a chance to thank them for it and wanted to be sure and do so.
Paul says he has learned to be content in whatever situation he finds himself. In other words, “you really don’t have to worry about me. I’m okay because Christ gives me the stamina and strength to do his work no matter what the situation.”
Nonetheless, they did well in being concerned and Paul is grateful for that.
So, for you and I today finding ourselves in wealthy 2020 America, how does this affect our lives?
As we participate in God’s work of reconciliation, we will experience hardships. We may be discriminated against. We may be ridiculed by the mob attitude. We may feel no one notices how hard we are working at sharing the Gospel with others. Even so, we can take courage because just as Christ gave Paul strength to be content and joyful no matter what situation he found himself, we can be content and joyful. Not because everything is going well, but because Jesus is with us.
Go Spend Time in God’s Word
Most times when people come to many different conclusions about what the Bible says, they haven’t actually spent time in it, being saturated with it.
The Bible is a collection of sometimes extremely complex writings that reveals to us God’s message of creation, rebellion, and redemption. If we want to know what it says, we need to spend time in it. We need to read the whole story and then interpret each book or topic in light of the greater narrative.
As we spend time in God’s Word, we will get to know Jesus. And it’s through Jesus and the presence of his Spirit within us that we are transformed into his image. As transformed beings, we radiantly display God’s goodness and glory to the world.
So, go spend time in God’s Word. Not beat others in a Bible bee, but to become one with Almighty God.
Do you find this helpful in your personal reading and study of Scripture? What particularly impacts you? You can share in the comments below.
*For further help, check out:
-
- The Drama of Scripture by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen
- The Bible Project (free resource)
- NETBible.org
- Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
- Living by the Book by Dr. Howard G. Hendricks
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