Unlocking the Bible's Meaning
Keys to Interpreting Scripture
By Rob Armstrong
This is the first in a series of articles in which we will be presenting a number of keys (principles) for unlocking the meaning of the Scriptures. These keys are designed to help you discover the life-changing riches of the Bible for yourself.
Key #1:
The correct meaning is always the author’s intended meaning.
Although there may be more than one interpretation (opinion) about what a given passage in the Bible means, there is really only one correct meaning. The correct meaning is what the author meant to communicate in the first place. This is perhaps the most important principle to keep in mind as you read and study the Scripture for yourself.
Our natural tendency is to overlook or ignore the author’s intended meaning in order to make the passage fit into our own personal or theological viewpoint and/or bias. In other words, we force the passage into the mold of what we think it should mean, instead of paying attention to what it actually does mean. When we do this, we are unfairly misinterpreting what the author wanted to say. Even worse, we are guilty (perhaps unwittingly so) of tampering with the Word of God and changing the very essence of what Holy Spirit inspired the original authors to write. For many of us this is so commonplace that we are not even aware that we are doing it. But if we truly desire to understand God’s Word as He intended, we must face the reality that...
It's not what I think it means or what you think it means that counts,
its the author’s original intended meaning that really matters.
Helpful Hints
1. As with any form of literature or written communication, in order to understand the author’s meaning, we need to pay close attention to the indicators or clues in the text and in the overall context.
By following the author’s logic and the flow of ideas, it usually becomes quickly apparent what he is writing about and why. It has been my experience that whenever I read a passage in the Bible for the first time, I usually come away understanding, to some degree or another, about 80% of what the author is saying. When I read (or study) the same passage again, I typically gain further insight about the author’s meaning as I become more familiar with the his style of writing, line of reasoning, etc. Which leads me to conclude that perhaps the biggest reason we don’t understand the Bible is that we don’t take the time to read and study it in the first place!
2. Each author in the Bible was writing to a specific audience (the original readers), for a particular purpose, about a certain subject, with an intentional meaning.
So as you read or study a given passage, ask yourself...
Who is the author writing to (the original readers)?
Why is the author writing (his purpose)?
What is the author writing about (his subject)?
What is the author intending to communicate (his meaning)?
This is really not a very complicated process. In fact these are the kind of questions, we ask ourselves (consciously or sub-consciously) whenever we read any form of literature, whether secular or religious. All of us routinely apply these basic principles of interpretation whether we are reading an e-mail, a newspaper article, or a text book. Since God has written to us in a way that is purposeful, intentional, and sensible (using language and grammar that we can readily understand), it makes sense for us to apply commonsense, as well as our God-given intellect, as we attempt to understand what He has written.
3. The Bible is God’s Word. In it He used human authors to communicate exactly what He intended to communicate to us. Since He is the ultimate author and it is His book, we must depend on Him to reveal to us each original author's intended meaning.
As you read the Bible, ask God to make the author’s meaning clear to you. Pray that He will make you aware of any preconceived ideas or misconceptions you may have that could hinder you from a correct understanding. Pray that the meaning of the passage will become evident as you consider each of the words, sentences, and paragraphs. And always remember that it is the author who determines the meaning, not the reader. As readers it is our responsibility to do our best to try and understand the original author’s intent without reading into the text something that is not there or was never intended to be there.
Further Insights
In our day it has become popular to change, adapt, or add something new to the meaning of Scripture on the basis of a perceived personal, spiritual, or mystical revelation from God. Those who take this approach often claim that it is the Holy Spirit who is giving them the “new” or “special” revelation. It has been my observation that where this is practiced, often the end result is that the actual and intended meaning of the biblical text is ignored or circumvented in light of the newer so called “spiritual” insight. When this occurs, the Bible is subtly made subservient to (subject to) the perceived “new revelation”. It is, in fact, a very serious matter to add anything (or subtract anything) from the actual and intended meaning of Scripture, or to imply that we have a new or direct message from God. The Bible includes many warnings that are specifically directed to those who claim to speak on God's behalf or who presume to be God's prophets. All of us should be careful to avoid putting words in God's mouth by making the Bible say or mean something that it doesn't say or mean. Continue to Key #2
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to contact us.
Keys to Interpreting Scripture
By Rob Armstrong
This is the first in a series of articles in which we will be presenting a number of keys (principles) for unlocking the meaning of the Scriptures. These keys are designed to help you discover the life-changing riches of the Bible for yourself.
Key #1:
The correct meaning is always the author’s intended meaning.
Although there may be more than one interpretation (opinion) about what a given passage in the Bible means, there is really only one correct meaning. The correct meaning is what the author meant to communicate in the first place. This is perhaps the most important principle to keep in mind as you read and study the Scripture for yourself.
Our natural tendency is to overlook or ignore the author’s intended meaning in order to make the passage fit into our own personal or theological viewpoint and/or bias. In other words, we force the passage into the mold of what we think it should mean, instead of paying attention to what it actually does mean. When we do this, we are unfairly misinterpreting what the author wanted to say. Even worse, we are guilty (perhaps unwittingly so) of tampering with the Word of God and changing the very essence of what Holy Spirit inspired the original authors to write. For many of us this is so commonplace that we are not even aware that we are doing it. But if we truly desire to understand God’s Word as He intended, we must face the reality that...
It's not what I think it means or what you think it means that counts,
its the author’s original intended meaning that really matters.
Helpful Hints
1. As with any form of literature or written communication, in order to understand the author’s meaning, we need to pay close attention to the indicators or clues in the text and in the overall context.
By following the author’s logic and the flow of ideas, it usually becomes quickly apparent what he is writing about and why. It has been my experience that whenever I read a passage in the Bible for the first time, I usually come away understanding, to some degree or another, about 80% of what the author is saying. When I read (or study) the same passage again, I typically gain further insight about the author’s meaning as I become more familiar with the his style of writing, line of reasoning, etc. Which leads me to conclude that perhaps the biggest reason we don’t understand the Bible is that we don’t take the time to read and study it in the first place!
2. Each author in the Bible was writing to a specific audience (the original readers), for a particular purpose, about a certain subject, with an intentional meaning.
So as you read or study a given passage, ask yourself...
Who is the author writing to (the original readers)?
Why is the author writing (his purpose)?
What is the author writing about (his subject)?
What is the author intending to communicate (his meaning)?
This is really not a very complicated process. In fact these are the kind of questions, we ask ourselves (consciously or sub-consciously) whenever we read any form of literature, whether secular or religious. All of us routinely apply these basic principles of interpretation whether we are reading an e-mail, a newspaper article, or a text book. Since God has written to us in a way that is purposeful, intentional, and sensible (using language and grammar that we can readily understand), it makes sense for us to apply commonsense, as well as our God-given intellect, as we attempt to understand what He has written.
3. The Bible is God’s Word. In it He used human authors to communicate exactly what He intended to communicate to us. Since He is the ultimate author and it is His book, we must depend on Him to reveal to us each original author's intended meaning.
As you read the Bible, ask God to make the author’s meaning clear to you. Pray that He will make you aware of any preconceived ideas or misconceptions you may have that could hinder you from a correct understanding. Pray that the meaning of the passage will become evident as you consider each of the words, sentences, and paragraphs. And always remember that it is the author who determines the meaning, not the reader. As readers it is our responsibility to do our best to try and understand the original author’s intent without reading into the text something that is not there or was never intended to be there.
Further Insights
In our day it has become popular to change, adapt, or add something new to the meaning of Scripture on the basis of a perceived personal, spiritual, or mystical revelation from God. Those who take this approach often claim that it is the Holy Spirit who is giving them the “new” or “special” revelation. It has been my observation that where this is practiced, often the end result is that the actual and intended meaning of the biblical text is ignored or circumvented in light of the newer so called “spiritual” insight. When this occurs, the Bible is subtly made subservient to (subject to) the perceived “new revelation”. It is, in fact, a very serious matter to add anything (or subtract anything) from the actual and intended meaning of Scripture, or to imply that we have a new or direct message from God. The Bible includes many warnings that are specifically directed to those who claim to speak on God's behalf or who presume to be God's prophets. All of us should be careful to avoid putting words in God's mouth by making the Bible say or mean something that it doesn't say or mean. Continue to Key #2
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to contact us.
