The Bible has shown that God’s Word is eternally relevant. A collection of books written centuries ago still speaks to us today. With several versions having being printed, it can be said to be the most popular book in the world. But there is a problem.
People have read passages and sentences from the Bible and interpreted it differently. But since God’s Word is Truth, it can only remain constant. One therefore has to learn how to interpret the Bible. I am aware that a lot of people will disagree. “Why not just read the Bible and keep the Word? After all it is written in English, a language we understand not Spanish.” Such an argument may be naïve because of the natures of both the reader and the Scripture.
The authors of the books of the Bible have their intent. As a reader reads the Bible, he may think that his understanding comes from the Holy Spirit. This may not be false on some occasions; however, the reader as he reads brings his understanding, experience, and culture to the text. The problem with this is that sometimes the reader ends up with ideas that are foreign to the text.
The Bible was written many centuries ago. Inasmuch as it is God’s Word relevant for all times, it was written by men who were influenced by culture, language, and thought. They had their culture, we have ours; they had their language, we have ours. These are the reasons why one has to learn how to interpret the Bible. In addition to that, we are far away from their time.
In trying to interpret the Bible, the reader should read carefully and ask what the author was actually expressing. What the author expresses can be different from what the reader thinks he expresses.
The Bible communicates God’s Word to us using various kinds of communication. You find proverbs, letters, poetry, parables, narratives, and so on. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Staurt write, “The first task of the interpreter is called exegesis. Exegesis is the careful systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original intended meaning. This is basically a historical task. It is the attempt to hear the Word as the original recipients were to have heard it, to find out what was the original intent of the words of the Bible.”1 They went on to mention that, “The key to good exegesis, and therefore a more intelligent reading of the Bible is to learn to read text carefully and to ask the right questions of the text.”1
The second task according to them is hermeneutics which is the seeking of contemporary relevance of ancient texts.
…The only proper control for hermeneutics is to be found in the original intent of the biblical text…this is the “plain meaning” one is after. Otherwise biblical texts can be made to mean whatever they mean to any given reader.1
Let me give an instance. Deuteronomy 22:8 says, “When you build a house, put a parapet around the roof; otherwise, if someone falls off, you will bring bloodguilt upon your house.” Exegesis enables us to realize that the buildings back then usually had a flat roof. A parapet, a low protective wall built on the edge of the roof, was therefore for the purpose of preventing a fall. Hermeneutics hence will tell us that we do not have to literally follow this text because the kind of roof we have in our time is not flat. Back then people do sleep on the roof, today who does that? This is just an instance to show that it is not every sentence of the bible that we should literally take as God’s command to us here and now.
What we essentially have to learn how to do is to seek the original meaning of the text of the Bible when we read it. From there we can then come to the here and now to understand God’s message to us. When properly done there is no contradiction for what the Word of God says then and is saying now is not different. God’s Word is eternal and it is relevant to every age. His Word is Truth. They say the only constant thing in life is change. That is false. Truth is constant and if one is to be more constant than the other, it is Truth for by its very nature, Truth cannot change.
Let us approach the Bible as we should. It is a collection of books which transcends time. Let us read it and get the message we should. Let this post give you the incentive to acquire what you may need, say a commentary, to begin interpreting the bible in a way that you get the message that would transform you.
Reference:
- Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 2003, Oasis International Ltd.
You need to look at who the verse was written to and whether or not this can be applied to Christians today. The promises made to Israel apply to Israel. The animal sacrifices and dietary laws applied to Israel under the old covenant and don't apply to believers today.
You need to interpret scripture literally unless it's clear from the context that you can't. For example:
(Luke 13:23-25 NIV) Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, {24} "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. {25} Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'
That's very similar to what Jesus says in Matthew:
(Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. {14} But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.