Methodology
The word
"method" comes from the Greek word methodos, which literally
means "a way or path of transit."
Methodology
in Bible study is therefore concerned with "the proper path
to be taken in order to arrive at Scriptural truth."
This clearly implies that improper paths can be taken.
Of course, proper methodology is essential to many fields of
endeavor. A heart surgeon does not perform open heart
surgery without following proper, objective methodology.
(Would you trust a heart surgeon to operate on you who told
you that he intended to discard objective methodology,
instead opting for a subjective approach - cutting you where
he feels like cutting you?)
Improper
methodology in interpreting Scripture is nothing
new.
Even
in New Testament times, the apostle Peter warned that there
are teachings in the inspired writings of Paul "which they
that are unlearned and unstable wrest [distort], as
they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction" (2 Peter 3:16, insert added).
This verse tells us that mishandling the Word of God can be
very dangerous. Indeed, mishandling the Word of God is a
"path" to destruction.
Contrary to the practices of some false teachers in Corinth,
the apostle Paul assured his readers that he faithfully
handled the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:2). Paul admonished
young Timothy to follow his example: "Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, italics
added).
A
Foundational Truth: God Created Language for a
Purpose
A plain
reading of Genesis indicates that when God created Adam in His
own rational image, He gave Adam the gift of intelligible
speech, thus enabling him to communicate objectively with his
creator (and with other human beings) via sharable linguistic
symbols called words (Genesis 1:26).
God
sovereignly chose to use human language as a medium of
revelational communication.
If the primary purpose of God's originating of language was
to make it possible for Him to communicate with human
beings, as well as to enable human beings to communicate
with each another, then it must follow that He would
generally use language and expect man to use it in its
literal, normal, and plain sense.
This view of language is a prerequisite to understanding not
only God's spoken word but His written Word (Scripture) as
well.
The Bible
as a body of literature exists because human beings need to
know certain spiritual truths to which they cannot attain by
themselves.
Thus
these truths must come to them from without - that is, via
objective, special revelation from God (Deuteronomy
29:29).
And this revelation can only be understood if one interprets
the words of Scripture according to God's original design
for language - that is, according to the ordinary, plain,
literal sense of each word.
Seeking
the Author's Intended Meaning
Instead of
superimposing a meaning on the biblical text, the objective
interpreter seeks to discover the author's intended meaning
(the only true meaning).
One
must recognize that what a passage means is fixed by the
author and is not subject to alteration by readers.
Meaning is determined by the author; it is discovered by
readers.
Our goal
must be exegesis (drawing the meaning out of the text) and not
eisogesis (superimposing a meaning onto the text).
By
using eisogesis instead of exegesis, a Marxist interpreter
could, for example, so skew the meaning of the U.S.
Constitution that it came out reading like a socialistic
document.
Cultists have done the same type of thing with Holy
Scripture.
They so skew the meaning of the biblical text that it comes
out saying something entirely different than what was
intended by the author.
Only by
objective methodology can we bridge the gap between our minds
and the minds of the biblical writers.
Indeed, our method of interpreting Scripture is valid or
invalid to the extent that it really unfolds the meaning a
statement had for the author and the first hearers or
readers.
The
Importance of Context
A woman
entered the Democratic primary for governor of the state of
Texas. She was convinced that the Bible had told her she would
win the nomination. When she received the official list of
names from the primary she saw her name printed last. Then she
read in her Bible, "Many that are first will be last, and the
last first" (Matthew 19:30). On the basis of that verse she
thought God was telling her she would win. But she lost. This
amusing story illustrates the need for interpreting Scripture
in its proper context. Taken out of context, the Scriptures can
be twisted to say just about anything.
Seeking the biblical author's intended meaning necessitates
interpreting Bible verses in context.
Every
word in the Bible is part of a verse, and every verse is
part of a paragraph, and every paragraph is part of a book,
and every book is part of the whole of Scripture.
No verse of Scripture can be divorced from the verses around
it. Interpreting a verse apart from its context is like
trying to analyze a Rembrandt painting by looking at only a
single square inch of the painting, or like trying to
analyze Handel's "Messiah" by listening to a few short
notes.
The context is absolutely critical to properly interpreting
Bible verses.
In
interpreting Scripture, there is both an immediate context and
a broader context.
The
immediate context of a verse is the paragraph (or
paragraphs) of the biblical book in question. The immediate
context should always be consulted in interpreting Bible
verses.
The broader context is the whole of Scripture.
The
entire Holy Scripture is the context and guide for
understanding the particular passages of Scripture.
We must keep in mind that the interpretation of a
specific passage must not contradict the total teaching
of Scripture on a point.
Individual verses do not exist as isolated fragments, but
as parts of a whole.
The exposition of these verses, therefore, must involve
exhibiting them in right relation both to the whole and
to each other. Scripture interprets Scripture.
As J. I. Packer puts it, "if we would understand the
parts, our wisest course is to get to know the
whole."
The
Importance of Historical Considerations
Historical
considerations are especially important in properly
interpreting the Word of God.
The
Christian faith is based on historical fact.
Indeed, Christianity rests on the foundation of the
historical Jesus whose earthly life represents God's full
and objective self-communication to humankind (John
1:18).
Jesus was seen and heard by human beings as God's ultimate
revelation (1 John 1:1-3).
This is why He could forcefully claim, "If ye had known me,
ye should have known my Father also" (John 14:7).
The apostle
Paul, when speaking with the religious men of Athens, affirmed
that the reality of the future judgment of all humanity rests
on the objective, historical evidence for the resurrection of
Jesus (Acts 17:16f.).
This evidence is recorded for us in the New Testament Gospels,
documents that are based on eyewitness testimony and written
very close in time to the events on which they report.
Based on how people respond to God's objective, historical
revelation contained in Scripture, they will spend eternity in
a real heaven or a real hell.
Making
a Correct Genre Judgment
A "literal"
approach to Scripture recognizes that the Bible contains a
variety of literary genres, each of which has certain peculiar
characteristics that must be recognized in order to interpret
the text properly.
Biblical genres include the historical (e.g., Acts), the
dramatic epic (e.g., Job), poetry (e.g., Psalms), wise sayings
(e.g., Proverbs), and apocalyptic writings (e.g.,
Revelation).
Obviously, an incorrect genre judgment will lead one far astray
in interpreting Scripture.
A
parable should not be treated as history, nor should poetry
or apocalyptic literature (both of which contain many
symbols) be treated as straightforward narrative.
The wise interpreter allows his knowledge of genres to
control how he approaches each individual biblical text.
In this way, he can accurately determine what the biblical
author was intending to communicate to the reader.
Now, even
though the Bible contains a variety of literary genres and many
figures of speech, the biblical authors most often employed
literal statements to convey their ideas.
Where
they use a literal means to express their ideas, the Bible
expositor must employ a corresponding means to explain these
ideas - namely, a literal approach.
A literal method of interpreting Scripture gives to each
word in the text the same basic meaning it would have in
normal, ordinary, customary usage - whether employed in
writing, speaking, or thinking.
Without such a method, communication between God and man is
impossible.
Interpret
the Old Testament in Light of the New
Testament
God gave
revelation to humankind progressively throughout Old and New
Testament times.
He
didn't just give His entire revelation for all time to our
first parents, Adam and Eve, or to Moses, the Lawgiver.
Rather, as time went on - as the centuries slowly passed -
God provided more and more revelation that became
progressively full so that by the time the New Testament was
complete, God had told us everything He wanted us to
know.
In view of
this, a key interpretive principle is that one should always
interpret the Old Testament in view of the greater light of the
New Testament.
The
Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished
but dimly lighted.
The introduction of light brings into it nothing which was
not in it before; but it brings out into clearer view much
of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all
perceived before.
The Old Testament revelation of God is not corrected by the
fuller revelation which follows it, but only perfected,
extended, and enlarged.
Again,
then, the Old Testament should be interpreted according to the
greater light of the New Testament. The Old Testament is much
clearer when approached through the lens of the New
Testament.
Dependence
on the Holy Spirit
Scripture
tells us that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit's illumination
to gain insights into the meaning and application of Scripture
(John 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11).
It
is the Holy Spirit's work to throw light upon the Word of
God so that the believer can assent to the meaning intended
and act on it.
The Holy Spirit, as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13),
guides us so that "we may understand what God has freely
given us" (1 Corinthians 2:12).
This is quite logical: full comprehension of the Word of God
is impossible without prayerful dependence on the Spirit of
God, for He who inspired the Word (2 Peter 1:21) is also its
supreme interpreter.
Illumination
is necessary because man's mind has been darkened through sin
(Romans 1:21), preventing him from properly understanding God's
Word.
Human beings cannot understand God's Word apart from God's
divine enablement (Ephesians 4:18).
This aspect of the Holy Spirit's ministry operates within the
sphere of man's rational capacity, which God Himself gave man
(cf. Genesis 2-3).
Illumination
comes to the 'minds' of God's people - not to some
nonrational faculty like our 'emotions' or our 'feelings'
[like a 'burning in the bosom'].
To know God's revelation means to use our minds.
This makes knowledge something we can share with others,
something we can talk about.
God's Word is in words with ordinary rational
content.
The
ministry of the Holy Spirit in interpretation does not mean
interpreters can ignore common sense and logic.
Since
the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26;
16:13), He does not teach concepts that fail to meet the
tests of truth.
In other words, "the Holy Spirit does not guide into
interpretations that contradict each other or fail to have
logical, internal consistency."
It must
also be kept in mind that the function of the Holy Spirit is
not to communicate to the minds of people any doctrine or
meaning of Scripture that is not contained already in Scripture
itself.
The
Holy Spirit makes men "wise up to what is written, not
beyond it."
Indeed, "the function of the Spirit is not to communicate
new truth or to instruct in matters unknown, but to
illuminate what is revealed in Scripture."
The
Example of Jesus Christ
Jesus
consistently interpreted the Old Testament quite literally,
including
the
Creation account of Adam and Eve (Matthew 13:35; 25:34; Mark
10:6),
Noah's Ark and the flood (Matthew 24:38-39; Luke
17:26-27),
Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:39-41),
Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), and
the account of Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28-29).
In his book
The Savior and the Scriptures, theologian Robert P. Lightner
notes - following an exhaustive study - that Jesus'
interpretation of Scripture "was always in accord with the
grammatical and historical meaning. He understood and
appreciated the meaning intended by the writers according to
the laws of grammar and rhetoric."
Jesus affirmed the Bible's
divine
inspiration (Matthew 22:43),
its indestructibility (Matthew 5:17-18),
its infallibility (John 10:35),
its final authority (Matthew 4:4,7,10),
its historicity (Matthew 12:40; 24:37),
its factual inerrancy (Matthew 22:29-32), and
its spiritual clarity (Luke 24:25).
Moreover,
He emphasized the importance of each word of Scripture (Luke
16:17). Indeed, He sometimes based His argumentation on a
single expression of the biblical text (Matthew 22:32,43-45;
John 10:34).
Is
the Bible Alone Sufficient?
That the
average person can understand Scripture without having to rely
upon a church for the "authoritative teaching" is evident in
the fact that Jesus taught openly and with clarity, and
expected His followers to each understand His meaning. Recall
that following His arrest, Jesus was questioned by the High
Priest about His disciples and His teaching. Jesus
responded:
I
spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue,
and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in
secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them
which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they
know what I said (John 18:20-21, emphases added).
According to Jesus, those who heard Him would be able to
clearly enunciate what He had openly communicated.
There were no confusing or obscure meanings in His words
that required an "authoritative interpretation" by a
church.
In keeping
with this, the apostle Paul instructed young Timothy: "From a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).
This
verse points to the complete sufficiency of Scripture in the
life of a believer.
Jewish boys formally began studying the Old Testament
Scriptures when they were five years of age.
Timothy had been taught the Scriptures by his mother and
grandmother beginning at this age.
Clearly, 2 Timothy 3:15 indicates that the Scriptures alone
are sufficient to provide the necessary wisdom that leads to
salvation through faith in Christ.
The Scriptures alone are the source of spiritual
knowledge.
Then, 2
Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is "profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works."
This
verse does not say that Scripture as seen through the lens
of the Mormon church is "profitable for doctrine, for
reproof," and so forth.
It is Scripture that does these things. And the reason
Scripture can do these things is that all Scripture is
inspired by God (vs. 16a).
The word inspired means "God-breathed." Scripture is
sufficient because it finds its source in God.
It is noteworthy that the phrase thoroughly furnished ("that
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished") means
"complete, capable, fully furnished, proficient in the sense
of being able to meet all demands."
Scripture alone makes a person complete, capable, and
proficient.
Scripture furnishes all that one must know to be saved and
to grow in grace.
Correctly
Handling the Word of Truth
Jesus said
His words lead to eternal life (John 6:63). But for us to
receive eternal life through His words, they must be taken as
He intended them to be taken.
A cultic reinterpretation of Scripture that yields another
Jesus and another gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians
1:6-9) will yield only eternal death (Revelation
20:11-15).