Articles
"That is Just Your Interpretation"
The Bible, in numerous passages, calls for people to be of the same mind. Before going further, let that in itself sink in. Moses, in Ex. 24:3, declared to the people of Israel the Law of God, and they responded, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” At that moment the people were in agreement. This call for unity of the mind continues throughout the rest of Scripture. An appropriate pattern of this is provided throughout the Pauline letters, where he calls the churches to be of the same mind, e.g. Rom. 12:16. Regrettably, individuals have taken upon themselves to assert their own views of what a passage is conveying. In this article, the purpose will be to point out: 1) Why it is a problem to rely on one’s own conclusions; 2) the proper way of determining the meaning of a scripture passage; 3) that there are areas that have room for judgment; and 4) establish that everything focuses back to the point of authority.
Not long after the establishment of the church fractures began to occur. Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-30, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” In the Corinthian church, divisions arose and Paul admonished them to return to the foundational teaching of Christ. That is the root of all the problems in the church today. What is the source that individuals should look toward to seek and understand the mind of God? Is it the Word? Is it the “pastor” or any other spiritual figure says to believe? Is it other forms of writings? An answer is given in Acts 17:11 in regards to the Bereans, “…for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” The distinction needs to be made clear, whether there is an objective standard or whether an individual’s own subjective view of truth can hold up against God’s Word.
A very common response when discussing matters of Scripture is a person will believe what they desire, and will in turn want nothing to do with further investigating what the Word actually says. Particular passages such as 1 Tim. 2:9-15, present polarizing and potentially destructive views. The notion that God does not love or elevate woman to equality with man is completely false, e.g. Gal. 3:28. God has given different roles to His creation, but to voice that the Bible is a prejudice book, would be to completely misunderstand Jesus’ greatest commandments—loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Gender roles are one of several issues that can bring about unproductive arguments. Something else that has caused devastating repercussions upon the church is the so-called “prosperity gospel.” One of its main attractions is to never mention sin and that all Christians are meant to be blessed with wealth. A couple verses, of many, that draw people in are John 10:10 and Matthew 19:29. These are completely misrepresented by the false teacher, because Jesus was pointing towards heaven and the church, not the temporal life on earth. Someone who has been cast underneath the evil of such a perversion of the truth can look to what God really instructs, e.g. 1 Tim. 6. In this chapter, Paul warns of false doctrines and the catastrophic outcomes that it produces. The devil has many tricks up his sleeves and his greatest tool is distorting the Word of God, which he did when he tried and failed while tempting Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11//Lk.4:1-13). God provided His Word for salvation, but people will twist those words to meet their desires and drag along as many as they can. Distorting the Word and using any rationalizations for it will not change the ultimate outcome for anyone who does not repent. Anyone who is unwilling to discuss where a misunderstanding may exist is giving Satan power that he is not supposed to have. There must be hope that maybe with time and prayer that anyone who is reluctant to look honestly at God’s Word, will potentially be open to talk. Whether someone is ready to have a constructive dialogue or not, the Word commands the faithful to be prepared (1 Pet. 3:15).
A grave error that is made by many is deciding what a passage means by their own thoughts, eisegesis, instead of drawing an objective interpretation by focusing on what the original writer was conveying, or exegesis. Scripture declares in 2 Pet. 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Jesus desires all to think and know the Word. He wants all to be able to follow it properly, e.g. Luke 10:25-28. In this passage, Jesus was tested by a lawyer to see if He knew the way to eternal life? In Christ-like fashion, Jesus turns the question around on the lawyer, to have him think for himself and give a response. Even though the lawyer gave an accurate response to knowing what was written in the Law, he still lacked the full understanding and application of it. So one may ask, is there a way to interpret and apply the Scriptures correctly?
If any individual is to look at the Word in the objective manner, then they need to consider several aspects. First, is to seek to find the correct and original text, or in other words, use the proper methods of textual criticism. The best way of doing this is by looking at multiple mainstream translations such as KJV, NASB, or NIV. Another valuable way to increase in knowledge of the Bible is to study the languages or the original manuscripts that were written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Few take on this endeavor; however, the reward in greater understanding of the Holy Book is invaluable. If a person cannot learn the original languages and if it is determined that there are differences among various translations, then further study can be done with the use of a reliable modern-day commentary, such as Tyndale, Truth, and Gospel Advocate to name a few. Once the original text has been established, then it is necessary to determine the literal meaning of the particular passage that is being studied. Breaking down a passage will be aided by the use of multiple biblical tools, such as lexicons and concordances. Using these to look up individual words in their original languages is a vital step in understanding the literal meaning of a specific verse. Commentaries are also helpful in comprehending passages and breaking down the original languages with their grammar usage. Another key factor is looking at the style of the biblical writer, and being able to recognize words or phrases that characterize the writer’s style. Also critical is having a solid grasp of the background of the material being researched. This will consist of having knowledge of the particular time period or focusing on the historical context. Areas that will be vital in making sense of a narrative will include: political, social, cultural, geographical, and other factors of the period. Having the use of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and archaeological materials are of great benefit in this aspect of exegesis. The final part is actually determining the meaning. Commentaries, as well as any other reference material, will only go so far. Material that presents their viewpoint and any potential dissenting biases are useful, but not foolproof. Each person needs to gather as much information as possible to understand the Scriptures. The Word always harmonizes and never contradicts itself, i.e. the “Analogy of Faith.” God does not lie (Titus 1:2), nor does He offer confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).
In the Bible, there are passages that contain uncertainties and leave room for judgment. For example, in 1 Sam. 17, David chooses five stones to place in his pouch when heading off to battle Goliath. The text does not indicate specific directions that were given to David on the exact method that he would kill Goliath. Even in verse 49, one possibility may be that Goliath was knocked out by the stone to the forehead, and then the fatal blow was the cutting off the head. The Lord did not reveal in His Word, in this instance, the exact manner He would carry out David’s victory. There may be some who consider David in this section of Scripture lacked complete faith in God’s ability to bring about the defeat of the giant, because why the need of five stones? Would not one be sufficient? Another possibility or point that can be taken by some is that the stones in reality were partly symbolic of the five cities of the Philistines. These cannot be determined nor be bound due to the fact that it is not explicitly indicated in the text. The Bible has multiple examples where a civil discourse can occur without having to withdraw from someone for heretical beliefs, whereas sometimes it will be necessary to separate from one who is not doctrinally sound. When Peter made his confession of Christ in Matt. 16:18, the response that Jesus gave, has caused many to have differing beliefs. The passage has been radicalized by Catholics and others struggle with it as well. One would think that since Jesus stated, “I will build My church,” then it would be self-explanatory, but sadly that is not the case. Furthermore, in verse 19, “the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” also bring about great debate. Contemporary western culture has depicted Peter as being in the heavenly realm and all must go through him before entering, which is totally unbiblical. Peter presented the “keys” in the first sermon in Acts 2. Members of the body have the “keys” today and are hopefully using them daily to bring more to Christ. The “keys” are the steps one must take to be saved or become part of the Church. Those that choose to ignore or pervert the understanding of this vital passage will turn many to their own destruction. As stated earlier, there are those who will have a strong stance on the role of a woman in the assembly. Paul teaches in 1 Tim. 2:12, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” Some take this to be merely only a custom at the time and that it is no longer applicable. Nowhere does the Scripture give the authority for a woman to preach or teach in the assembly of the saints. This goes back to God giving roles to both man and woman. It does not mean that a woman has less value; however, God has chosen that only man shall be allowed to preach the Word. One other subject to briefly mention, because it is such a deep and hotly debated topic is penal atonement. The purpose of this article will not go into great detail, because the issue would be sufficient as its own main focus, but it is important to reference. Basically, there are two viewpoints: 1) Jesus was forsaken by the Father and literally became sin for mankind; or 2) That God did not reject Him at the cross. Much more can be said on that particular discussion, but one must always come to the conclusion that what Jesus did on the cross and raising from the dead is sufficient for the redemption of sins. Doctrine on the propitiation of sins is vital to unity, and there may simultaneously be disagreement on unclear matters that contribute to that doctrine.
Whenever a legitimate question regarding the interpretation of the Bible is asked, then a response is required. The thought that should come to mind is, “What is God saying?” An individual’s own personal viewpoint will ultimately not matter, because it is God’s Word, not mankind’s. Humility needs to be part of one’s approach when broaching this subject. Jesus pointed out in Matt. 22, that the Sadducees lacked understanding, and presented the true meaning of Ex. 3:6. Jesus desires all to know, love, and obey Him. It must be done by following His way (John 14:6, 15). Always be willing to present the Word (2 Tim. 2:15), and it is up to the other person to accept it or reject it. God’s Word cannot be broken (John 10:35).
