This relativistic method of determining what is true and not true, has dug its way deeply into the Church and especially in the area of “hermeneutics” (interpretation of the Bible). In fact, this relativistic method of determining truth has been the cause of all sorts of wrong interpretations of God’s Word, thereby creating theological havoc amongst many denominations.
Interpretation of the Bible is also driven by various cultural and political agendas: homosexuality, abortion, social justice pundits, conservatives, liberals, warmongers and “peace at all costs” proponents. The Bible never speaks of a democracy or a republic, communism or socialism. The Bible speaks of a Kingdom, over which rules only one King, who makes all the rules and dispenses justice accordingly. He is a monarch. An electoral college or a popular vote does not put Him on His throne. King Jesus will rule and reign here on the earth at His second coming, just as the Bible prophesies.
Dr. Mal Couch taught his students that there is only one correct interpretation of a passage. There may be secondary applications, but there is only one correct interpretation. That’s why he was so emphatic about learning and using the original languages, so that the possibility of a wrong interpretation, and leading people astray, is minimized.
Not everyone can spend 3-6 years obtaining a seminary education; so let me give you some solid rules for doing a better job of understanding and interpreting the Bible.
For the deep study of God’s Word, I recommend the New American Standard Translation mainly because it is a transliteration of the original languages. That being said, the following rules will apply to any good translation, but not a paraphrase translation (e.g. The Message, The Living Bible, etc.).
When studying a passage remember the following 4 things are ALWAYS important:
- Context. What is going on before and after the passage you are studying? By paying attention to this, you will better understand why the author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has written those words.
- Grammar. Pay attention to whether the words are speaking of the past, present or future. A lot of misinterpretation comes from not paying attention to the verb tenses. A pastor friend once said that a lot of Bible misinterpretation is because people don’t remember their English grammar rules.
- History. What was going on during that time will tell you whether the passage applies to New Testament era believers or not.
- Literalness. Take it literally unless the Bible tells you not to. The Bible does use figures of speech and other literary devices, but normally you can determine what it means by following rules 1, 2 and 3. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. We may not like it, but that doesn’t render it untrue. Too many times I hear people say, “Well, it can’t mean that,” or “I feel like God meant something else.” No, He didn’t! He’s very clear.
One other thing to remember: Don’t create your theology from a singular biblical historical event. Ax heads don’t float, but it did happened once (2 Kings 6:1-7). Paul didn’t die when a poisonous snake, a viper, bit him, but that was for a specific time, location and reason (Acts 28:1-6). Unfortunately, some people have taken this as normative for the Christian faith and have died after being bitten by snakes.
The Bible is not hard to understand; it’s sometimes hard to accept. That’s because of our human rebelliousness toward God.
At the beginning of every Bible study session, pray for the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and insight into His Word. Then follow the above mentioned rules of interpreting and the Scriptures will become more clearly understood.
May the Lord bless you as you diligently study His Word and grow in grace and knowledge of Him.
By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.
