The use of a language of words to convey meaning and
to receive ideas is one of the most universal of all human practices. The
"rules" of interpretation ("right reading," also called Hermeneutics) have
been in use since Adam and Eve first received the power of speech. They listened
to the voice of God, and spoke with Him, and each spoke to and listened to
the other.
CORRECT METHODS and good practices in interpretation are natural to
the human mind. They are used by everyone who really wants to find out just
what someone was thinking and trying to communicate in a piece of writing.
If our eyes, ears, and hearts are open we will understand those who, like
God, are able to and choose to communicate clearly.
Many claim to speak for God. And some in fact do
so. If a person claims to speak for God, should you believe him? You'll often
be wrong if you do! If a book claims to be the words of One who cannot lie
or be deceived, what is the right use of human reason in dealing with it?
What God has made is good. God made us with minds that question, that seek
answers. We do not, and should not, automatically believe everything we hear.
Some people sometimes lie, and some prefer lies over the truth anytime.
The Bible includes instructions claiming to have
absolute authority to enlighten and rule our lives. It appeals to our judgment
to discriminate between its true words and conflicting writings which
are not true. In the Bible itself and in the manner of its origin, God gives
reasonable evidences and testimonies that enable persons who will do so to
decide intelligently concerning its source and authority.
We believe the Bible comes from God, but not because
we've tested each Bible statement to be sure we find it true. How could we
possibly do this? What human was there to observe when the world began? We
believe that the One who was there when this universe was made has in the
Bible told us truly of those incredible events! And of many other improbable
things, past and future, which we believe are true because the Bible says
they are!
When God, by special enlightenment through His Spirit,
reveals things which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and which never
entered into the heart of man (1 Cor. 2:6-16), it is foolish and irreverent
to try to prove whether God told the truth. It's unreasonable to expect the
scope of human (finite) experience and reason to provide the proof of (infinite)
things reaching far beyond both human reason and human experience.
Some say that all Bible statements must be discovered
by scientific method, proved by rational processes, or confirmed by results
in practice before they can be regarded as authoritative or established truth.
This is simply a demand that God must not be greater than man, and that He
must not reveal anything man could not find out for himself with his own
closely-limited and earthbound senses. How absurd!
It would be thoroughly irreverent and unbelieving for
me to question the truth of the message after I have assured myself that
it is from the One who made me. If a message truly comes from God, we may
be sure that, in the sense that He meant it, the message is unfailingly true.
A revelation of authoritative and infallible truth gives
us a degree and kind of certainty which could never be approached by the
incomplete inductions and the fallacy-ridden experiments of scientific methods.
The fact that such a revelation HAS been made is established
by the best combination of many independent evidences, both of experience
and reason. Several of these will be mentioned in this brief study. Any reader
is invited to seek additional light from Mission Outreach after you have
finished reading this study.
God doesn't ask humans to vote on what is right and what
is wrong in moral matters. He tells us what is right and what is wrong. To
learn what is right, instead of asking our neighbors, we should know to ask
God (who made us) what is right for us to do and not right for us to do.
Those who read other "holy" books and compare them with
the Bible will see remarkable differences. The Bible was written by more
than 30 different men over a period of about 1500 years, yet every page reflects
one mind. The men who wrote different parts of the Bible were in most cases
unaware that they were writing for posterity. Their audience was by them
thought to be persons near them and persons who were alive to read right
then or soon after their missive was penned.
Without consulting together, they managed to write cohesive
truth. Unaided men are not apt to easily accomplish this very well even when
a committee of 30 are gathered at one time around one table to work on just
one simple project. A strong reason why I'm convinced the Bible is God's
Word is its unity in purpose (its coherence).
Miracles, prophecies, claims, scope, unity amid diversity,
candor of judgment, and the unique character of the Bible message...these
all plainly indicate that this book is from some higher source than men unaided.
In human language, God has spoken to us. He calls on
us to hear and heed what He has said. Hearing is just making the right choices
about what we give our attention to. We generally "tune out" many more things
than we give attention to. When GOD speaks, men should listen! His words
count for more than even good financial advice which affects only our money.
Those who listen to God learn of the dangers men face
who "know to do good, and do it not." The Bible claims to be from Jehovah
God who made the world and all that's in it. Wise people (homo sapiens) will
use their minds to investigate the Bible's claims!
But it’s well that we remember that human wisdom
and logic is helpless to determine the right answers to some questions! We
should note that no method of science or philosophy can prove [or disprove]
some statements which are of central importance in Bible study. For instance:
-
The death of Christ atones for sin (see Rom.3:24-26; 5:6-11; Heb.2:9;
10:8-14, Isaiah 53:4-12; Matt.20:28; 1 John 2:2; 4:10, 1 Pet. 1:18,19; 2:24),
or
-
Jesus will return to earth and receive us to Himself (promised in
John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16,17; and others), or
-
The baptism of a penitent believer in Christ obtains the forgiveness of
that believer's sins, and is accompanied by the believer receiving the
Holy Spirit! (See Acts 2:38; 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, and see Viewpoint Study
#2 et al).
THESE AND OTHER BIBLE DOCTRINES must be accepted
upon the authority and reliability of the One who says it is so! God
knows, and God has spoken. It's because we recognize the divine mind from
which those statements have come that we believe them. Since the Bible is
God’s Word, it’s not our privilege to re-write its message. We
only accept or reject it.
Those who become convinced that the Bible is
a word from the Creator should use their
best efforts to correctly understand
the message. Then we should live accordingly!
WE HAVE NOW SAID THAT
(1) men do well to investigate the Bible's claims,
(2) those who investigate will find convincing
proofs, and
(3) those who then believe the Bible to be God's Word
should live as the Bible teaches.
These are right uses of human reason in relation to divine
revelation. Also, it is certainly reasonable, as well as respectful to God,
for us to make every effort to determine exactly what He means by what He
has said to us.
Science is the search for and study of those dependable
rules by which God operates the universe. We follow rules in EVERY
discipline—in laboratories, in factories, in writing... Because builders
obey rules, our bridges and buildings are safe, our planes fly, our automobiles
run. Without rules, we’d have chaos in traffic, and daily tragedies
caused by unsafe construction.
So now let's talk about using human reason in understanding
the Bible. That is, [please face it bravely], there are guides to right reading
which we correctly call, "Rules for Right Reading." Lovers
of freedom resist rules, but here also we do need them!
Writers and speakers do well to follow rules of grammar.
Readers and hearers also follow sensible rules to assist us in correct
understanding of what is said or written. We note that good rules make good
sense. Reading "rules" should be logically analyzed and tested by use in
subject matter as free from bias as possible.
Rules we here consider are thought to be merely methods
every person uses to gain correct understanding of whatever the person reads
or hears. These are principles based upon the nature of the human mind and
upon the nature of truth. They are, in fact, inherent in the very structure
of language itself.
Sometimes the effect of emotional bias, the influence
of bad examples, the fog of superstition, or some other circumstance, interferes
with our normal thought processes, or hinders our usual intellectual honesty.
Especially then, in order that we may by them be guided back to straight
thinking, we need to consider what principles and methods have been generally
found to lead to true interpretations.
Then, to correctly understand it, we must read and study
the BIBLE! As with any newspaper, magazine, or book, we'll surely not
understand it if we don't carefully read it.
In the Bible, God has addressed the human mind in its
natural state, in its own language, with its own terminology and speech forms.
It's not gobbledygook that can only be understood by the initiates. I note
that some literary works which are called Bible translations DO qualify as
gobbledygook by seeming more to transform the text than to translate it into
understandable common speech. This is less apt to be the case when the work
is done by many rather than one "scholar."
There are translations into most languages which literate
readers can with few difficulties understand. Translations made hundreds
of years ago are recognizably harder to be understood by readers who speak
modern languages.
Some Bible scholars disagree with the claim
that all who read the Bible should be expected
to be able to understand it. They think some
special assistance is required before readers can
understand "the things of the Spirit."
They think of 2 Peter 1:19-21, where Peter writes:
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well
to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the
day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must
understand that no scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21 NIV).
In some translations, such as the Contemporary English
Version (CEV) recently published by the American Bible Society, verse 20
emphasized above is not so clear as it is in the NIV there quoted. The CEV
rendering is: But you need to realize that no one alone can understand
any of the prophecies in the scriptures.
It would be a mistake in this case to assume the newer
version is the better. It isn't. It appears to me that the verse following,
when taken with verse 20, sheds light on the intent of Peter in verse 20.
He was referring to the one making the prophecy rather than those
of us who later hear and/or read the prophetic word. Before he could speakfor
God, the prophet himself needed the Word of God within.
Even without special divine guidance, readers who follow common-sense
rules for right reading can and will
understand what God caused the prophet to say.
I think Peter did not intend us to understand him to
be saying
that the Bible can't be understood by ordinary readers. But
those who wrote did so only after they had heard God's voice
telling them what the message they were to speak in God’s name should
be.
Another passage on this same subject is in Paul's letter to the church in
Corinth, in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 (actually this subject begins in chapter
1, verse 18). It's the wisdom of GOD rather than the wisdom of MEN which
is source for gospel truth. He wants readers then and now to realize that
we walk by faith rather than by sight, and that it's GOD we honor and learn
from. He writes,
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,
but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming
to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden
and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers
of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory. However, as it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.'
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within
him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of
God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from
God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we
speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the
Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that
come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually discerned....
SETH WILSON writes, "A careful study of these verses in their
contexts, will show that they do not disagree with the stated principle.
This Corinthian passage is speaking of the need of inspiration by apostles
in their receiving the divine word to deliver to others. Paul does not speak
of those doing the reading after it had been delivered in written form.
"This view is shown by the context both before and
after the verses, and it is in harmony with all the scriptures which call
upon men, women, children, masters, and slaves, to read the scriptures for
themselves without any reference to special spiritual qualifications.
"In fact, it is the same message, whether spoken or
written, which is the instrument of the Spirit in convicting the world and
converting the carnal mind."
I also believe that the gospel, whether oral or written,
is the power of God to salvation, as is here affirmed. How could the Bible
serve as the instrument of convicting and converting if it took a special
power from God before the reader could understand its message? I believe
it could not do so. Seth Wilson continues,
"PETER ALSO is speaking of the origin of
prophecies, of the writing, not the reading of them. His parallel expression
in verse 21 plainly shows this to be true. The language in verse 20 is best
understood to mean, No prophecy of scripture is of the prophet's own releasing
(prompting, or impulse)."
THEREFORE, we say that interpretation of the Bible
is not an esoteric art known only to experts or mystics who have been initiated
into the mysteries of the art!
The Bible has been considered so different in authority
and purpose that methods of interpretation have been proposed for it which
no one would ever use for understanding a plain message in human language.
Because they are not governed by and limited to the actual forms of language
used to express the author's ideas, methods of interpretation just for
the Bible could not be expected to yield right results.
Instead of seeking the author's intention, some "special"
methods of interpretation draw upon the imagination of the interpreter (or
some other outside source of ideas) to supply meanings that the author's
words themselves do not clearly signify when studied with normal application
of rules for right reading. The Bible is no more difficult to understand
correctly than your daily newspaper. In many cases the writers of the Bible
are more easily understood than some who frequently write opinion pieces
in our newspapers. In particular, the New Testament writings are a clear
Word from God inviting sinners to salvation. We urge you to read your
Bible seeking light from God. Seeking it there, we believe you're sure
to find it.
These principles lead to PROPER Bible Interpretation --
-
The true (correct and proper) interpretation is whatever the author intended
to say. We want to learn what the writer's intended meaning is!
-
Bible writers are not mystery writers, seeking to withhold the "answer" from
the reader until the final page, nor seeking by Delphic utterance to give
many conflicting answers in one.
-
Meanings men read INTO the Bible rather than read FROM the Bible are not
Bible words at all. We need to avoid saying, "God says" when HE really didn't
say.
-
Even when it is used to express divine truth, the language of the Bible is
the language of men, and was meant to be understood.
-
God is able to communicate to man. His words then, CAN be understood by sensible
men who want to correctly understand them.
In 66 separate Bible books, we read of events
spanning the creation of the world and its dissolution. Some of those events
may be considered more important than others.
The Bible includes words of crooks and scoundrels as
well as those of God and saints. Some of the words are true. Some are not.
When the Devil's words are reported, does this mean he was speaking truth?
By no means!
Right reading requires us to determine then, even in
the Bible, WHO is speaking, and WHEN. The words are important, but even more
important is the who, when, and why. Obviously, some words are much more
important than others. And some words which were very important to other
people may be relatively unimportant to us today. The most important to us
are ones applying to us. Of lesser interest should be words which applied
to other people and only indirectly (if at all) to us.
Studying the Old Testament is a matter of history. We profit
from studying history, but people today are expected to
live by the teachings of the New Testament.
It's Jesus who gives life. The Old Testament says
He will come. In the New Testament He is revealed!
Interpreting the Bible is merely reading it so as to
grasp fully and accurately what the author thought he expressed. If we by
reading get as much thought from the author's mind as he intended to convey
by his words, we have read well. We then have fulfilled the purpose of our
reading the inspired Word -- to pull out (exegete) the intended meaning.
We have no business putting words in the author's mouth
by claiming he said more than he said, by omitting part of his message that
we don't agree with or like, or by saying it means whatever we want it to
mean!
Many in our day don’t like what Peter said (Luke
reported it in Acts 2:38) on the first Pentecost in church history. But
that’s what he said just the same. We should learn to LIKE what God’s
men have said and written. We should accept it as God’s truth!
To correctly understand the Bible,
WE NEED TO:
(1) Recognize the meaning of the words as used by the writer,
(2) Interpret according to the grammatical structure of the
sentences,
(3) Read each passage in the light of its context,
(4) Take into account all relevant historical circumstances, and
(5) Interpret in harmony with parallel passages, and in the light of
all Bible teaching on the same subject.
These simple, sane, and sensible rules for right reading point to
correct Bible interpretation.
Rule 1 -- RECOGNIZE THE MEANING OF THE WORDS
AS USED BY THE AUTHOR.
Any word in any language means whatever it is used
to mean. From their uses, we learn the meaning of words we didn't already
know. We recognize that the same word may be used with various meanings by
different people and in different areas or departments of their knowledge.
For this reason, the reader who would correctly interpret
diverse writings must have a broad and accurate understanding of words
and how they are being used. If he/she does not (and even sometimes when
the person does have this knowledge) ridiculous and amusing, or sometimes
tragic, misunderstandings occur.
To know how words should be used, the most accurate
and complete dictionaries are helpful. But they must be supplemented by continual
observation of the various uses being made in the public arena of words in
our own language. Investigation of (Bible) word meanings must be made from
the point of view of the AUTHORS of passages under consideration. We should
give attention to the author's special uses, and to all uses nearest him
in time, in territory, and in subject matter.
The writer's own explanation of his language is final
and sufficient. It must not be ignored by those who honestly wish to make
a correct interpretation. Words of the writer's original expression in his
own language are always surer evidence of his meaning than words of any
translation. Our knowledge of word use gained from study of past usage and
of word origins (etymology) of words in a translation must not be substituted
for etymologies of words in the original language.
If we want to study the Bible well, we may need to study
the Hebrew and Greek languages used by its authors! A caution -- some "experts"
have an axe to grind. The meanings they allege for any word should be accepted
only if other reputable (genuine) scholars agree with the "expert."
GOD'S WORDS HAVE
ONE INTENDED MEANING
Before we had telephones so people could speak and listen
to one another over wires, we had telegraph and short-wave radio that enabled
communication between people who all had learned the (usually Morse) code.
But the users had to know and use the same code. They couldn't assign their
own preferred meanings to the code bits and then understand the message that
had been sent. Words are like that too.
A WORD is accepted by a group of people as the sign
of some thought or experience which they have in common. Words we have in
common enable us to communicate with one another. Obviously, the words must
mean the same thing to the hearers as to the speakers. If not, why call what
we're doing communicating?
Dictionaries include listings of normal usages of words there
listed. Codes are when some choose to use words abnormally, with meanings
different from the usual and accepted. Some segments of society make use
of coded speech. By using words with different and unusual meanings known
only to the initiates, they disguise their thought from others they want
to confuse. But that's not normal. Normally we want our hearers to understand,
so we use words in known ways.
God speaks to Bible readers in human languages, expecting
to be understood. Therefore, persons who know the language in which it is
given, and know facts presupposed to be familiar to original readers, should
be able to understand the Bible with the same abilities by which they ordinarily
understand all other written messages.
GOD'S WORDS HAVE
ONLY ONE INTENDED MEANING...
If we understand the Bible correctly, our understandings
will be alike except for differences in the degree of fullness of our conception.
That is, because they lack experience, children may not fully understand
teachings on matters which many adults comprehend because they've been through
it. And not all adults have reached the same level of maturity! Each person
is unique. God has given a written word which can be understood by simple
thinkers and which challenges the intellect of the most profound thinkers.
We learn by experience. Some learn more quickly than
others. It may be that only those who have suffered the loss of a mate or
a child will fully understand some of God's consolation in the Bible. The
more deeply we study some themes, the more we may comprehend of truth that
was always there but that we earlier failed to see. We should always be willing
to study and learn more. How grand it is that some do eagerly "search the
scriptures" wanting to learn lessons from God! Those who seek will
find.
Our goal always should be to understand the Bible's
words as the writer did. Bible readers are not editors whose duties include
changing the message. Our chosen task is to derive from what others have
written the full truth they intended to express. Note that the better
understanding we gain of words, the more apt we are to be able to correctly
understand what others say or write. One who often speaks is most apt to
listen well when others speak. One who is master of words is most apt to
understand why particular words were chosen or not chosen for this particular
use.
RECOGNIZE THE
PARTICULAR USAGE
OF THE WORDS
We're proud of our children when they learn a new word
(generally—some we’d rather they hadn’t learned, of course).
Pride turns to dismay if they don't soon start to string their words together
into sentences. "Mommy" becomes "Mom, may I?' "Dad" turns to "Dad, may I
use the car tonight?" Whether or not we always like what they choose to say,
we're proud when our children have learned to communicate their thought in
understandable words and sentences. In our schools, we teach thoroughly and
thoughtfully both vocabulary and how words are correctly used.
We who sincerely want to understand the Bible are sure
to study to learn the difference between nouns, verbs, and other parts of
speech, and we’ll study to learn how words are used to clearly communicate
the writers’ thoughts. It’s not terribly difficult to learn good
grammar. Poor knowledge of grammar will detract from our communicating with
others, and seriously hamper our right reading.
WORDS GET LONELY...
THEY WORK TOGETHER
Bible writers used words well, and followed normal rules
of grammar. We don't need to learn special rules of grammar in order to
understand the Bible. Since some concepts are not part of our daily converse,
we do learn a few words that we don't frequently use in normal daily
conversation.
Not that the ideas are foreign. Think of the
word, "justification." It's one that modern translators are apt to consider
too "difficult" for modern readers. But even young children may be called
on to "justify" some act they thought no one would notice, and they learn
the concept of justifying what they've done. "Justification" is not far from
"justifying," so the concept is not all that difficult for most readers.
"Grace" is not an unused word apart from the Bible, but is more frequently
used there. Some want to reduce all Bible vocabulary by omitting all specialized
words entirely. And that's not necessary.
Seth Wilson puts it this way, "Words are the bricks and boards of which
a house of meaning is built. Grammar is the design by which these are put
together to create a house rather than a heap. What the author thinks and
feels about the things designated by his words is shown by the grammar he
uses. Even people who think they know no grammar do grasp the meaning of
the most usual and simple grammatical constructions, or they would not be
able to read and speak the language."
Most people who have studied a foreign language can
remember instances of students (perhaps themselves) being able to give a
meaning for every word in a sentence to be translated, and yet being unable
to put together the author's thought. What the student lacked was the ability
to perceive the relation of the words to each other, and the meaning indicated
by those relations. The "grammar" escaped the student.
Since we want to properly interpret, we should study
word relations as much as necessary in order to understand the grammar used
by Bible writers. In different USES of a word, there is meaning beyond the
basic meaning of the word itself. Those who want to be good students of the
Bible need to study language as well as vocabulary.
Grammar is studied and taught in language courses. This
brief study is not a language course. We have pointed out the importance
of words, and the necessity of understanding relationships of words to one
another. A word's meaning is seen in every different voice, mood, tense,
number and person of the verb, and in every other inflection of any part
of speech. It seems likely that any person who wants to correctly handle
the Word of Truth may eagerly study the grammar which holds the key to right
reading.
RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE
BOTH GRAMMAR AND CONTEXT.
We seek to not apply an author's words to something
far from the author’s purpose and thought. We have no right to misapply
(misappropriate) a passage to try to make it seem to say what was not the
intent of the writer. We'll remember that our purpose is to learn what the
writer meant, not to put thoughts into the Bible, but to read thoughts
from the Bible.
By means of careful attention to the paragraph, section, chapter, or book
in which any expression occurs, we learn to
(1) determine the subject on which the author is speaking,
(2) follow the author’s course of thought,
(3) find the author’s purpose for each word or phrase,
(4) feel the author’s own places and matters for emphasis, and
(5) see the author’s mental or expressed antitheses so that the
exact sense of the words is shown by the way
they fit together and what the author considers the
opposite of what is said or written.
A helpful context may be remote from the focus of attention,
especially (with Paul) in the case of intervening digressions. The full context
will usually supply some of the historical facts we also need to consider.
For the context to be properly helpful to our understanding, we must be able
to determine what exactly is the context of any particular word or phrase.
Some isolated passages (as many proverbs, for example) may have no context
on the same subject. While some contexts are quite limited, or nonexistent,
others are extended even to the full length of a book or related books by
the same author.
THERE MAY BE SOME
QUESTION ABOUT THAT
Word meanings may be indicated, limited, or affected otherwise, by any or
all of the following particulars:
Who wrote this? About what? In what form? To whom? When (under what covenant)?
Under what personal circumstances? With what helps? For what purpose? With
what special knowledge of the persons to whom the writing is addressed? With
what related facts that the readers might be expected to know?
WE'VE BEEN SAYING...
To correctly understand the Bible, WE MUST
(1) Recognize the meaning of the words as used by the author.
(2) Interpret according to the grammatical structure of the sentences.
(3) Read each passage in the light of its context.
(4) Take into account all relevant historical circumstances.
(5) Interpret in harmony with parallel passages, and in the light of
all Bible teaching on the same subject.
And thus we've stated five
RULES FOR RIGHT READING
We can always follow these simple, sane, and sensible
rules. This will help us do the proper Bible understanding we want to do!
And you’re correct in noticing that the only thing here said so far
about historical circumstances is that they mustn’t be ignored and that
the context is apt to mention them if they’re pertinent. Also following
are comments about parallel passages and inferences. Stay with us!
IN THE BIBLE,
WE FIND TRUTH AND
HARMONY
An intelligent and alert honest man will not knowingly
contradict himself. Men may fail in this regard. But God never fails. Any
true statement must be consistent with all related inspired statements and
established truths. Here is where the Bible is different from other books.
Inspired writings, when accurately preserved and correctly understood, will
never conflict with other inspired writings or with any truth. Yet some Bible
passages sometimes seem to conflict with other passages. Two suggestions
may help—
-
Passages which are obscure or capable of more than one meaning must be
interpreted to agree with those which are clear and definite in meaning.
-
Those which are general or incomplete in expression must be considered to
include or make room for all specific statements on the same subject by the
same or any other inspired writer.
COMPARE LIKE PASSAGES
Every Bible verse must be allowed to stand and speak
its part and never be completely overshadowed or ever denied by another Bible
verse. There is some danger in interpreting too exclusively by means of
parallels. Every passage must be read as fully as possible in its own context,
and by its own wording, or we cannot even tell whether another passage IS
parallel with it. One passage cannot be a guide to, or a limitation on, the
meaning of the other, unless they treat of the same subject! Even when the
same words may be prominent in two passages, they may still NOT be on the
same specific subject. For example, consider the word 'faith' in Romans 10:17
and in Romans 14:23.
Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from
hearing...” "Faith" in Romans 10:17 is what we believe about God
and His revealed message. That’s what comes from hearing.
Romans 14:1,2,23 “Accept him whose faith is
weak... Whatsoever is not of faith is sin....”
In Romans 14, Paul speaks of conscience and how we sin
when we do what we think is wrong for us to do. Or, of course, when we fail
to do what we're sure we ought to do. Conscience is not based solely on God's
revelation. By no means! But saving faith comes by believing what God says.
A syllogism using "faith" from Romans 10 and Romans 14 as if it had the same
meaning in both passages cannot produce correct results.
IT’S NOT THE SAME
Following our conscience is different from accepting
as true what God tells us by His Word. Paul addresses this difference in
Romans 2:12-16. He clearly points out that men who have done what they thought
was wrong (they’ve offended against their conscience) will be held guilty
even if they had not heard God’s law against the wicked deeds.
In Romans 14, Paul speaks of "disputable" matters, questions
of conscience which often trouble Christians who are eager to please God
in everything they do. It's not about church meetings, but about daily living.
And Paul encourages them by letting them know that only when God has spoken
to say a thing is wrong is it really wrong for those whose conscience is
clear. Yet, he says, if a person thinks any action is wrong, that makes it
wrong for that person. But not for his friend and neighbor unless the friend
or neighbor also feels it is wrong. What God tells us is wrong is of course
always wrong regardless of how we feel or what we think about it!
Those are mistaken who think that Paul was teaching
that our conscience should only be clear on matters which are specifically
or inferentially taught as being necessary parts of Christian living. That's
not his subject in Romans 14. Yet many construct doctrinal systems based
on the supposed truth that only what is taught in the Bible is acceptable
to God.
A real knowledge of any Bible subject is formed by observing
and comparing all Bible statements relating to that subject, which is by
a true inductive investigation of all the available truth.
HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
AFFECT ANCIENT WRITINGS.
Has the ancient writing come down to us unchanged, or
has the text suffered some alteration or loss? Through the ages since Bible
books were written, men of God have made strenuous efforts to preserve the
exact text of books known to be from God. Scribes of the Jews kept the Old
Testament books carefully, copying the books repeatedly by hand with scrupulous
checking and rechecking to avoid introduction of any errors.
Prior to the introduction of the printing press, copying
was always done by hand. Despite the copier's best efforts, sometimes errors
were made. Many recent scholars have attempted to determine what the originals
actually said. An amazing number of very old manuscripts and manuscript portions
have been preserved. Although we do not have the original "autographs," (the
actual first writings that were made), we believe that our present texts
are actually what the original writers put on their pages. We can read what
God caused his men to write. And we will be blessed by the reading.
OUR ENGLISH BIBLES
Bibles in English are all translations. Old Testament
books were mainly written in Hebrew. New Testament books, in Greek. We seek
the most accurate and clear translation that can be made. Since the Bible
was written in different languages than English, those who don't speak and
read the original languages must rely on translators to put the original
thoughts into English words which we ordinary (non-scholarly) readers of
English will understand as the writer intended them to be understood.
It’s important then that we read translations made
by honest and intelligent and capable persons who succeed in conveying to
us God's meaning in words that we can easily comprehend. When our purpose
is correct understanding, the words are important! Note also that words may
change in meaning over the years. A translation that was good for our
grandparents may be very poor for their grandchildren. New words come into
use. Old words may no longer be used. The way a word is used may change.
Recent translations are apt to reflect those changes. Older ones couldn't
possibly do so.
In 1996, many American Christians and many of their
preachers and teachers have accepted the New International Version (NIV)
as a generally accurate and acceptable translation for our day. In 1997,
this is being called in question. For good reasons, others prefer the Today's
English Version (TEV, of the American Bible Society). And Seth Wilson highly
recommends the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
There are several other good translations into English,
and a few that are less good. You may want to check out the New King James
Version. Best are ones made by a committee rather than by one scholar, and
ones made by independent scholars rather than a group whose work is directed
by one particular denomination. The personal library of any Bible student
is apt to include several translations which are frequently consulted.
PROPHECIES MAY BE
HARD TO INTERPRET!
Another proof that the Bible is inspired is that prophets
of God foretold many events hundreds of years prior to the time they actually
happened, and we can be sure that the prophecy actually was made long in
advance of the event. Prophecies from God are always exact and true.
But some quite strange understandings of prophecy are
heard. How can we know what a prophet meant? Modern prophets come up with
often-startling interpretations, some of which are obviously incorrect. Those
who assign a date for the 2nd coming have all been wrong so far. Has
Revelation’s beast been correctly identified yet? Many have made guesses
and called them inspired interpretations. But if the guess turns out to be
wrong, we all will know it was only a guess. If it was right it still may
have been a guess, of course.
The surest guide to the exact meaning of any prophecy
is to be found in the facts of the clearly identified fulfillment of the
prediction. When Luke says, "This is what Joel was speaking of..." then e
can know that the events Luke describes were what God had in mind when He
had Joel speak. When Matthew, Mark, or Luke tells us that Isaiah's prophecy
was fulfilled in a particular way, we can be sure that the inspired writer
is accurately stating the intent of the prophet.
When Jesus says that the prophetic "sign of Jonah" is
to be fulfilled by His being in the tomb, we may be sure that the duration
and fact of Jesus being in His tomb for parts of three days was known by
God when this "sign of Jonah" was first spoken of. Fulfilled prophecy helps
us to realize that the Bible contains God's words, words from the One who
knows all things even before they come to pass.
FIGURATIVE IS NOT LITERAL
To designate something quite different from what they
usually name, but suggesting some vivid association between the literal and
the figurative, words are sometimes used figuratively. If Jesus says He is
a door, a gate, or a vine, He doesn't mean He has ceased being a person.
When He asks His friends to eat of particular bread which He identifies as
"my body," He does not mean that He is no longer in His body. When a hungry
man says, I'm starved, we realize he has not really starved. He's only
exaggerating. He's not lying. But his exact words are understandably not
entirely true in their usual meaning.
If ordinary, well-established meanings fit the passage
being read, readers should not assume a figurative meaning, or any new meaning,
was intended by the writer. We can usually tell easily whether or not the
normal word definitions are intended. We let the speaker or writer convey
his thought by sympathetically understanding his/her intention.
When ARE INFERENCES (REALLY) NECESSARY?
IN ORDER TO COMPREHEND and apply the full teaching
of a Bible passage, it is often necessary to draw some inferences, to see
implications which are clearly associated with that passage. Speakers and
writers often intend to convey somewhat more thought than the actual words
used might express. We expect the hearer or reader to draw necessary inferences.
One clear statement, when understood and fully accepted, establishes in the
mind all the immediate and necessary inferences. These include the converse
and obverse of the same expression.
Another necessary inference is the refutation of any
statement which actually contradicts what we said. In a broad and practical
sense, we fully interpret a passage only when we can and do safely and accurately
draw the immediate inferences. Note that in drawing even the most simple
inferences, our accuracy depends upon the correctness of our understanding
of the original statement, not as it appears we may use it, but exactly as
the author intended his words to be understood.
It’s not RIGHT reading to dodge the clear, immediate
inference of any truth or command given us by God. Neither, however, should
we suppose that the inference WE have read into the writer's words must be
similarly understood by every other reader.
INFERENCES ARE BINDING on the conscience of the person who sees
them. Yet inferences drawn from the Bible but not stated in the Bible must
be regarded as human statements liable to human error.
To what extent should our inferences be considered equal
in authority to what God has actually said? Not at all. The Bible doesn't
need our additions! Our inferences must not be made tests of fellowship to
separate ourselves from others who cannot see our inferences as the real
meaning of divine utterances.
IMPLICATIONS OF INFERENCES
(1) No Bible verse or passage can honestly be used as authority for anything
except the one meaning it was intended to convey.
(2) No statement in the Bible denies anything except that to which it is
essentially opposed.
(3) Any passage of Scripture actually supports only those conclusions which
must be true if the passage is true. Implications which are merely
possible or even probable are not the same as really necessary
inferences.
(4) Analogies may clarify affirmation, or indicate its probability, but they
furnish no positive proof of any inferential conclusion.
(5) There cannot be proof for more in the conclusion of any logical thought
than is actually contained in the premises or evidence from which it is drawn.
As our conclusions, inferences may be taught freely.
But they should NOT be taught as if they were clearly stated words from God,
for they are not.
It is often true that errors are committed in the use made of
passages or phrases to construct conclusions or systems of doctrine. Such
errors are not based on simple reading of the Word. The error is in our
use of what we read. Many sincere Bible readers seem able to put 2
and 2 together and get 7 if they feel the 7 is devout enough! Others add
2 and 2 and get 22. But the correct answer is still 4.
Not a TOY for children to play with, the Bible instead
is a TOOL for serious adults to use in seeking to know God and His will for
our lives. The Bible calls for all Christians to love one another and to
serve God in one body. Many Christians today ignore this truth. But ignoring
it will not make the truth go away.
WE WILL BE JUDGED by how we used the Bible and
whether or not we followed its teachings. Those who want to pass the test
will surely study the Bible with enthusiasm, eagerly seeking to learn more
each day. Those greatly err who imagine there is no God or that God doesn’t
care about us and what we think and do. God loves us. We should love God.
Any Bible student will find these suggestions helpful.
An application of RIGHT READING follows:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
CONTRASTED WITH
RELIGIONS BASED ON LAW
Some who think of the gospel AS IF IT WERE LAW
suggest we must search the New Testament to find justification for every
act we perform as Christians. With special interest in Christian assemblies,
they speak of "commands" and "necessary inferences" and "examples which have
the force of commands."
These students are apt to think God is much more interested
in what we do when we're together than during the much longer periods when
we're alone with Him or busy in daily life. No such emphasis is found in
the New Testament! To such readers, the New Covenant is only a law code.
It's like the Old, except that the laws are not spelled out clearly by God,
as they see it. It's up to their editors and designated experts to tell everyone
exactly what the new law requires.
They've developed a "Christian law code" in which whatever
is not required is not permitted. Their understanding is that if Jesus or
His apostles say to do a thing, we must without exception do it. If they
didn't say we had to do it, unless they speak of others doing it, we don't
dare do it.
Unless, that is, the lawyers can cause the Bible to
seem to say what they want it to have said (to forbid or to require the
particular act). Inferences are necessary if they want them to be. Examples
are "binding" if they want them to be. It seems that any Bible passage means
whatever they want it to mean. This is not good reading, nor in fact is it
the Christianity of the Bible. Many religions, including the Jewish religion,
are based on legalism, but the gospel of Christ is not a code of law.
Paul sums up our religion by pointing out three abiding
characteristics of Christianity, which are faith, hope, and love. He says,
"The greatest of these is love." That's LOVE, not law. And that's Christianity!
Rather than having earned salvation by our good works, we’re saved by
grace through faith.
RULES FOR RIGHT READING (in other words, proper Bible
interpretation) lead us to an understanding of the gospel which is quite
different from a code of law. Jesus gave no code of laws. His apostles gave
no code of laws. Those who prefer to live by law make up their own rules
and regulations. No code of laws is contained in the New Testament but many
have been created out of phrases and inferences from that text.
Paul encourages us to realize that the gospel sets us
free. It gives us life. It causes us to love God and those He loves. Legalism
does none of the above! Any Bible reading we do which leads us to love ourselves
and our thoughts and our practices and our ways, and to despise those who
do not also love us supremely, is somehow skewed. It’s not right. Whatever
our rules for reading were, we've not read the Bible rightly if our reading
makes us think of ourselves (and/or our logic and/or our opinions) more highly
than we ought to think.
If we choose to follow them, Seth Wilson's rules proposed
and presented in this study will lead us to right reading, which should lead
to right understanding and, if our heart is good, to right living. This will
take us all (together, in unity) to glory with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
We need to read the Bible more, and then put its clear (proper) teachings
into practice in our lives. This will result in our having LOVE, JOY, AND
PEACE in our hearts.
Right reading of the Bible is also apt to give
us a strong desire to be in unity here on earth with all others who also
love Jesus. This is "proper" Bible interpretation!
