Bible Class

Tuesday, November 28th

 Warm Up
The Answer Is

INTERPRETATION
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
This means ...

The Scripture has greater authority than public

opinion.
We dont need to reinterpret scripture to fit the latest
social or scientific theory.

Whatever is not eternal is eternally out of date. C.S.

Lewis
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
This means ...

Therefore, it cannot contradict itself.

How do we handle passages that seem to
contradict themselves?
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
How do we handle passages that seem to
contradict themselves?

Withhold judgment we still dont know a lot

about parts of scripture.
Research and archeology are continuing to
uncover historical culture, languages and events
that we previously didnt know about (i.e. The
Dead Sea Scrolls).
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
2. Modern readers are the secondary audience.

Although Scripture was written for the benefit of all

believers throughout history, it was originally written to
meet particular needs at a particular point in time.
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
2. Modern readers are the secondary audience.

Gird up the loins of your mind 1 Peter 1:13

What did this mean to the first readers?

What does this mean to me?

 Two Principles
of Interpretation
2. Modern readers are the secondary audience.

Gird up the loins of your mind 1 Peter 1:13

Specifically, how do I prepare my mind for action?

 Two Principles
of Interpretation
Therefore, our first priority in studying Scripture is not
to discover what it means to me but to understand
what the text meant to its original or primary audience.
 Two Principles
of Interpretation
A passage has one primary meaning, although it might
have secondary meanings and have a wide variety of
applications. A single passage of Scripture cannot have
one meaning for one person and a contradictory
meaning for another.
 Two Features of
Good Biblical Interpretation
1. Good biblical interpretation begins with careful
observation.
 Interpretation
True or False? Money is the root of all
evil? 1 Timothy 6:10
 Two Features of
Good Biblical Interpretation
2. Good biblical interpretation uses common sense.

We must interpret Scripture by Scripture. Always keep the

context in view. That is, be aware of the verses
immediately around the passage and the teachings of the
rest of Scripture.
 Two Features of
Good Biblical Interpretation
2. Good biblical interpretation uses common sense.

Example: Philippians 4:13

Philippians 2:12 how do we interpret this verse, keeping

in mind what we know about the rest of Scripture?
 Two Features of
Good Biblical Interpretation
We must interpret the Bible text in its normal sense
that is, we interpret the text literally unless it is using
metaphor, irony, or some other figure of speech.
Example: Psalm 1:1-3
 Two Features of
Good Biblical Interpretation
We must be humble as we interpret Scripture.
If you dont know, you dont know and thats ok.