The following rules of interpretation are not some “special rules” belonging only to Bible study. They are identical to the rules that we ordinarily employ in our daily interchange of thoughts between any two rational persons. Applied to Bible study, rules are nothing more than a means of disciplining the mind by which we allow the Bible to mean what it must mean, not what “we” want it to mean.

These common sense rules are a science developed over many centuries. Like any science, they should continually be observed, tested, and used to seek new truth. Let us identify, learn, and use these rules. In this article, we will name and briefly discuss fifteen of these rules.

1. Ordinarily, every passage has but one meaning

In any letter, discourse, book, or conversation in ordinary communication this is true, unless the author is seeking to mislead or confuse the reader or conceal ignorance. We expect a writer to mean what he says, no more and no less. There are exceptions to this rule that in no way contradict it.

Sometimes a prophecy was given that had an immediate meaning as well as a remote meaning — more than one fulfillment. The earlier served as a pledge for the latter. In Psalms 16:10 , David seems to speak of himself in a time of danger when he says, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” David trusts God to deliver him from the hands of his enemies. However, in Acts 2:27 the apostle Peter reveals that David spoke of the resurrection of Christ. Thus, David prophesied truth of the coming Messiah through the same words that held personal significance for his own day.

2. The most simple and obvious meaning of any passage is usually the correct one

If God is speaking to man in his own language, directing it to his own powers of thinking, and involving his own normal experiences on earth, does it not seem reasonable that we should just look for the most natural interpretation of a text, unless otherwise indicated? If you come to a passage that has more than one interpretation, isn’t the simplest one most likely to be what the Lord intended? For example, there are several passages in the New Testament referring to “water” as it relates to a Christian’s conversion and life. There are some who insist that it doesn’t mean what it says, but really means “word.” One passage used is John 3:1-13 . They insist that the passage must mean other than what it says. Why? What is wrong with always preferring the more obvious meaning of a passage, unless the context forbids it? Is this not “reasonable” in any writing or conversing?

3. Always allow an author’s own explanation of a passage to stand beyond any other explanation

It is a self-evident fact that a person has a right to explain the way in which he is using an expression. He surely knows what he means better than anyone else does. Take the word “perfect”. Ordinarily, to us the word means “sinless” or “without error.” However, the word can also mean “grown up,” or “mature in mental or moral judgment.” In turning to Hebrews 6:1 , we know that the writer is urging the Christian to grow unto “perfection” in this latter sense. Why? Read the closing verses of the fifth chapter (Hebrews 5:12-14 ) and note that he explains fully how he uses the word.

4. Always interpret a passage in harmony with the context

By context, we mean the entire section of written thought in which the passage is found. It includes that which immediately precedes and follows and all parts properly connected to it. It may be a paragraph, a chapter, a large section, or the entire writing. The writings of Scripture demonstrate a continuous, logical flow of thoughts, and a passage should never be “forcibly” pulled out of this order and forced into the mold of some other thoughts.

5. An interpretation of a passage should always conform to the environment of the author

When the inspired writer recorded the words of the Bible, even though the Holy Spirit gave him the message, he used the conditions of life as he knew them to frame the revealed message. He drew upon the customs of his day, the circumstances surrounding his life, and the nature of his own personality. That’s why the books of the Bible have different styles of writing and use various expressions and examples, all the while revealing only what the Lord intended.

6. Each passage must be interpreted in harmony with all other passages

This is the normal law of consistency in truth – truth must harmonize with truth! God’s Word is “truth” (John 17:17 ), and any one portion of it must coincide with everything else He says. God never contradicts Himself! No two writers have exactly the same minds, nor do they express truth exactly alike. Therefore, when there seems to be a contradiction between the meanings of passages, one or more of the interpretations must be incorrect. The desire then must be to seek harmony and consistency.

For example, in Romans 3:28 we read, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” and James 2:24 , “By works a man is justified, and not by faith only” are presented as being in conflict. Are They? Read the entire context of both and you will see where they are really complementary, not contradictory. In the light of the authors’ purposes, they support one another

7. One passage will often explain another passage

The Apostle Paul says that the wisdom of the Holy Spirit teaches us to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13 ). Do not be too disturbed over a difficult verse or verses but continue steadfastly in your study. Many times another passage will shed light on the obscure passage and bring forth a sudden revelation of understanding. We know more than one instance in which this had happened. However, one word of caution is in order at this point. Such a practice can be overdone by “forcing” comparisons that are not relative.

8. A passage must be interpreted in harmony with any idioms it contains

These are the characteristics peculiar to the original languages of the Bible. The Bible was written in the common languages of man (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) and is filled with expressive idioms. Thus our understanding of the meaning of a passage depends upon our understanding the idioms used in it. For example, a type of repetition was frequently used in the Hebrew language to give emphasis, as in Genesis 22:17 , “That in blessing I will bless thee”. Another kind of idiom is found in the “love” and “hate” expressions. When we read, “I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau” (Malachi 1:2-3 ), it does not mean the contrast of opposites, as the words literally indicate, but it merely denotes a comparison of one being loved “more than” the other.

9. All passages on any given subject must be studied

Truth has many sides. Each passage, though true, does not always give all the truth. Usually a passage has a particular design of presenting clearly one facet of truth or of combating some significant extreme people are susceptible to. No one should ever draw a general conclusion on any Bible subject until all passages concerning it have been collected, considered, and compared. We can think of no better illustration of this than the subject of conversion. In pointing out the elements of salvation that a sinner must take, such passages on faith as John 3:16 and Acts 16:31 have been emphasized by some. On the other hand, such verses on repentance as Luke 13:3 , Acts 2:38 ; Acts 17:30 ; on confession of faith as Matthew 10:32 ; Romans 10:9-10 ; and on baptism as Mark 16:16 , Acts 2:38 ; Acts 22:16 have been put aside. Remember that only the sum total of passages on a given subject will give complete understanding (Psalm 119:160 – ASV; Psalm 139:17 ; Matthew 4:4 ; 2 Timothy 3:16 ).

10. Observe the proper balance of scriptural truth

Many false doctrines have arisen because some passages have been exaggerated or overemphasized, while others have been slighted. Let us as honest Bible students carefully weigh out our conclusions so we will be sure to balance the truth as God wills it. Sometimes a passage itself contains signs of emphasis or urgency, this being done by repetition, sentence structure, and the words themselves. This is not always evident in an English translation, and so the average student may have to use a reliable commentary or several English translations for help in understanding these fine shades of meaning.

11. Let plain passages determine difficult passages

There are some difficult passages of Scripture that are obscure or hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16 ). They may seem to have more than one meaning. Which is the correct one? Always choose the one that harmonizes with the more plain or easy passages on the same subject. Let definite passages help you understand those that are obscure. Do you find it difficult to grasp what Jesus meant by the expression “born again” (John 3:3-6 )? Then get out a concordance and examine each passage in the New Testament on the subject of “birth”; “begotten”; “conversion”; and “salvation”

12. Rightly divide the book, the dispensations, the covenants, and the settings

a) The book – The two main divisions of the Bible are (1) the Old Testament and (2) the New Testament. Basically, the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament were written to guide people before the coming of Christ, while the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are directed to all people living since the coming of our Saviour. The word “testament” means “will”. There is great significance in the words “old” and “new”. God established the “Old Testament” primarily for the Jewish nation of Israel while Christ established the “New Testament”" in order to bring salvation to “both” Jew and Gentile people (Gal. 3:26-28 ).

b) The dispensations

Patriarchal Age – The word “patriarch” means “father”. In this age, God began to deal with man as the head of his family. Instead of revealing a written code of law and a system of worship, He spoke to the fathers through visions, dreams, and angels. Because of the limitation an nature of God’s revelation during this long age. It has been called the “Starlight Age”.

Mosaic Age – Here the name springs from the great lawgiver, Moses. During this period God expanded His method of dealing with man by choosing a nation (Israel). Man was now ready for more revelation from God; hence this age is often called the “Moonlight Age”. Through Moses, God set down a definite written code for social, political, and religious life, with the Ten Commandments as its center.

Christian Age – The name here refers to Christ, the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 ). The chief characteristic here is that God now turns from a family and a nation to the whole world. Now the grand pupose of God is fulfilled through His Son: the redemption of all mankind on earth (those who are willing to be saved by the Gospel or “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25 ). Thus, this age is often called the “Sunlight Age” – the present age in which we now live. More than nineteen hundred years have transpired thus far.

c) The covenants – The two main covenants in the Bible are: (1) Old Testament and (2) New Testament. One of the chief causes of misunderstanding the Bible has been the failure to rightly divide these covenants and put them together to build or defend a doctrine. The mixing of the covenants can do nothing else but produce chaos and confusion. Jesus lived under the Old Testament (Covenant). When he died on the cross, this brought an end to, and the fulfillment of (Matthew 5:17 ) the law (Colossians 2:14 ; Hebrews 10:9-10 ). This could be similar to a labor union contract. No matter how good the one is, a better one is written and ratified later on and takes the place of the old one.

d) The settings – In order to arrive at a correct interpretation of a passage or passages of Scripture, it is important to put the Scripture in its rightful place, according to the period of time and the covenant involved. This involves the important issue of seeing it in its original, thus true environment.

13. Rightly divide the language

In speaking to man God used human language, the language man uses in his everyday life. The Lord has used all types of languages known to man – from literal fact to figurative statement, prose to poetry, story to sermon, history to prophecy, and law to example. Many, times the Lord wished simply to state facts, name persons and places, relate incidents, issue commandments and warnings, or draw conclusions. Such things should be taken literally, just as we do in our daily conversations. To be constantly searching for hidden meanings and fancy figures of speech would be useless. Too many Bible readers have forgotten this obvious truth, and so they exert wasteful and fruitless energy in forcing many literal words and expressions to issue forth deep, spiritual meanings never intended. Remember, a good portion of the Bible is in plain, literal language!

14. Know the meaning of words and sentences

If we want to know the “exact meaning” of God’s Word, we certainly must know the exact meaning of the words God chose. Each word is a symbol of His thoughts. In the Bible we are taught to “hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13 ). The Greek word “form” in this passage means “an example” or “pattern” that has definite size and shape for the purpose of maintaining a sameness in meaning. It is, therefore, exceedingly important that we correctly define all words. In this way the Bible student shall be able to understand what God has in mind.

15. Know the limit of divine revelation

The final lesson to be learned is just where the Bible ends. There is a limit, a stopping place of God’s Word. This is the point where the Lord “ends” His revelation. Many students fail to locate this and so add greatly in their misunderstanding of the Bible.

For example, a man draws up a will. In it are certain specifications, promises, restrictions, etc. The terms are clear. But then, when the author has said exactly all that he wants to say, he stops! This is the “end” of his will. An observer might list a hundred things that the will failed to say but these unsaid things never came from the author. They are merely private “opinions” of a reader. By intelligent study one can determine the exact limit separating what was said and what was unsaid. This must be done with the Scriptures. We must be able to ascertain the exact limit of all that God has said. Anything beyond this would merely be the “opinion” of man (every man has one). This is one of the main reasons why many of the scribes and Pharisees “failed” to understand Jesus. They had confused divine wisdom with human wisdom. They had failed to see where the one left off and the other began. So the Master remarked, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9 ).

On any given statement, God has either spoken or He has not spoken. Both cannot be true. This is obvious. Suppose you are a relative of someone who has made a will. Either you are “in” the will as a beneficiary or you are “not”. It cannot be both. So it is with any single part of any Scripture passage you might consider. Either God has revealed His will in it or He has not. It is exceedingly important for a Bible student to learn to determine the difference. He must never become wise beyond that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6 ).

Conclusion:

If we as faithful students of God’s Word will more diligently make application of these fifteen rules of interpretation as we study God’s word, we will more accurately divide “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ).

 

Source: mbriley.preachersfiles.com