Bible interpretation

THE ESSENTIALITY
OF SCRIPTURE
APPROACHING THE BIBLE AS GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD TO THE WORLD
RICK HARRELL, M. DIV, M. A., INSTRUCTOR

GOD CHOOSES TO SPEAK IN WRITTEN FORM
JESUS IS NOT ONLY “THE WORD,” BUT SPEAKS THROUGH LITERATURE
• Why does it matter that we have the Written Word?
• We can compare, analyze, verify, and corroborate what is written.
• We can interpret the Bible based on rules of literature.
• We can engage in Scripture with our minds and our heart.
• We can know He speaks today through what He said yesterday.
• John 1:1 Jesus was and is the Word, eternally.
• 2 Tim 3:16 The Written Word is reliable and God-breathed.
• 1 John 1:1-2 We can know the Word – the Person and the Written.

IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW SCRIPTURE
THE MORE WE KNOW AND APPLY THE BIBLE TO OUR LIVES,
THE BETTER WE LOVE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS.
We read, interpret, and understand Scripture under the illumination of the Holy
Spirit.
• We HEAR it preached.
• We READ it for ourselves.
• We STUDY it to know it
thoroughly.
• We MEMORIZE it to use it
later.
• We MEDITATE on it to
Fellowship with Jesus.
• We engage our BRAINS.
• We increase our SKILLS.
• We hear the WISDOM OF OTHERS
• We stay faithful to PRINCIPLES
OF INTERPRETATION.
• We rely on the guidance
of THE HOLY SPIRIT.

PRESUPPOSITIONS WHEN WE
APPROACH SCRIPTURE
• The Bible is Sufficient – we don’t add to it.
• The Bible is ”Know-able” – we can interpret it correctly.
• We are the Responsible Ones – we study, learn, interpret, keep
getting better at it.
• The Holy Spirit helps us perceive as we study and interpret the Bible.
• The Holy Spirit helps us apply it through illumination and
conviction.

APPROACH SCRIPTURE (PART 2)
• Interpreting the Bible correctly is important to Jesus:
• “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He (Jesus) expounded to
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)
• Interpreting the Bible incorrectly is unacceptable:
• “…our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has
written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in
which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable
people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scripture.
(2 Peter 3:15-16)

APPROACH SCRIPTURE (PART 3)
• Our best interpretation and understanding comes through the wise use of the
best tools we can acquire within the constraints of the best time we can apply to
our study.
• Our best application will come from a consistent life devoted to:
• Prayer and Worship – Big Group, Small Group, and personally
• Obedience to what the Spirit of God shows you
• A growing love for God’s people
• A passion to see lives changed and saved around the globe.
• A deepening hunger to hang out in the Presence of Jesus!

PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION
LITERARY PRINCIPLE
1. Literary Principle – This principle takes into account the purposes of different
kinds of literature. Is it a parable? Is it didactic? Is is metaphor? Is it poetry? Is it
hyperbole?
1. Keep in mind that it was God’s choice to first create literature, and it is His choice to
use it to speak to the World about salvation and life.
2. Keep in mind that most “fails” in interpretation (that have led others astray) have
happened because this rule was ignored.
3. Interpret what God means based on how He chooses to say it.
4. Ask yourself before interpreting, what kind of literature did God choose to speak
through?

LITERARY PRINCIPLE
1. Example One - Personification
1. “You are of your father the devil.” (John 8:44)
This passage has been interpreted to mean that the Devil literally spread his “seed” and there
are people who are satanic children. Instead, this is a cause/effect personification. Because the
Pharisees lie and deny Christ, they are doing what Satan encourages. Today, we might say “like
father, like son.”
2. Example Two – Hyperbole
1. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and month, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26
This passage has been interpreted that, to be real disciples, one must deny their families their
love or relationship. In fact, there may be time when choosing Jesus means leaving family. But
the hyperbole is that our love for God will radically outweigh all other loves in comparison.

COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLE
2. Communication Principle – This principle calls for the interpretation to begin where
it makes the most sense. Some call it the “literal interpretation” but a better term
would be the Common or “Common Sense” interpretation. Words most often mean
what they are supposed to mean. God’s Word, most often, means what those
words usually mean.
1. Keep in mind that words have first meanings before they have symbolic, metaphoric, etc.,
meanings. (A chair is first a chair; then it can mean a place of authority or a person in
charge.)
2. Keep in mind that sentences and paragraphs have common meaning. Start there. Don’t
allegorize.
3. Start with “the main and the plain.”
4. Ask yourself before interpreting, how does this make sense?

COMPARISON PRINCIPLE
3. Comparison Principle – This principle calls for the interpretation of one passage
to agree with other passages. This is also called the Harmony or Unity of
Scripture.
1. Keep in mind that one passage doesn’t stand alone but in context to all other
Scripture. This is foundational to most cults and aberrant theologies.
2. If one passage seems to contradict another, a deeper study will reveal it’s unity.
Compare the two, discover the context historically and theologically, and see where
they intersect.
3. Ask yourself before interpreting, what other passages can I compare this to and
interpret it by?

CONTEXTUAL PRINCIPLE
4. Contextual Principle – This principle calls for the interpretation of one passage
in light of the various contexts. This is also called the Historical Principle.
1. God chose to deliver His Word not only in the form of literature, but also in specific
circumstances. While His Word is timeless, it is also written in time.
2. Discover the cultural, historical, and relational context. If it is teaching for everyone,
interpret it that way. If it is teaching for the specific circumstance or moment, learn
from that circumstance or moment.
3. This is the place your CSI skills come in – ask: Who? Where? What? When? How?
4. Ask what did it mean for the recipient, then ask what does it mean for me today.

THEMATIC PRINCIPLE
5. Thematic Principle – This principle calls for the interpretation of passages in
light of the great themes of the Bible. This parallels the Theological Principle.
1. Keep in mind that there are threads that run through the entire Bible – threads like:
Redemption, Relationship, Freedom, Calling, and Good Wins, all are from beginning
to end.
2. These “Super-Themes” parallel different aspects of Theology like Soteriology,
Ecclesiology, and Christology.
3. Interpret Scripture in light of Scripture; ultimately, interpret Scripture in light of
Jesus.
4. Ask where does this Scripture fit into the grand work of God in the Bible?

ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLE
6. Ecclesiastical Principle – This principle looks at what the church through the
ages has said about the passage. This is also called the Church History Principle.
1. Keep in mind that centuries of godly men and women have searched the Scripture
and written about every verse in the Bible.
2. Search the Early Church Fathers, the Reformers, the Classic Commentators and
Linguists, and current trustworthy Exegetes for their wisdom.
3. The Holy Spirit has guided the church toward a lasting doctrinal orthodoxy through
the centuries. Care is best taken to consider interpreting outside this.
4. Ask who else has written on this and how does this “fit” with accepted beliefs?

CHRISTOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE
7. Christological Principle – This principle focuses on the central point of Scripture,
the birth, life, teachings, miracle, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus.
1. Keep in mind that the Redemptive, Revelatory Person of Jesus Christ is immovable
point with in the Bible.
2. The consistency of God’s revealed nature is perfectly revealed in Jesus.
3. Ask where is Jesus in this passage? What of His Presence is found in this Scripture?
4. Like the Sunday School motto: when in doubt, the answer is Jesus.

WHAT OTHERS TEACH ABOUT INTERPRETATION
DR. WAYNE MCDILL, SOUTHWESTERN SEMINARY
• Kind of Literature
• Context in history and other Scripture
• Look for the main and the plain
• Intentionality – what did the author mean to mean
• Words to Thoughts – what do the words mean, what do they mean together
• Look for themes – how does it fit theologically
• Read it God-centered and Christ-centered

TIM CHAFFEY, AUTHOR
• Carefully observe the text
• Context is Key
• Clarity of Scripture
• Compare Scripture with Scripture
• Clarification of the Text
• Christian history view

HANK HANEGRAFF, AUTHOR & PRESIDENT OF CRI
• L – Literal Interpretation
• I – Illumination of the Holy Spirit
• G – Grammatical Principles
• H – Historical Context
• T – Teaching Ministry of Others
• S – Scriptural Harmony

R. C. SPROUL & LIGONIER MINISTRIES
• Principle of Analogy of Faith – Scripture is its own best interpretive tool.
• Principle of “Sense of Literal Meaning” - ”sensus literatis” – communication makes
sense.
• Principle of Ordinary Language – avoid “arcane” and “esoteric” meanings – let
language mean what it says.
• Principle of Explicit over Implicit – Choose what it says obviously and mainly over
what it implies or suggests.
• Principle of Clear over Obscure – Interpret the clear instead of the obscure.

Bible interpretation

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Bible interpretation