The Bible is God's communication to man. Its message is straightforward. "For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand" (2 Cor. 1:1 3a). Interpreting the Bible text requires no special set of rules. The principles by which you would determine the meaning of a set of instructions, a novel, or a letter from your mother are the same means by which you interpret Scripture. Consider a few.

  1. Keep every statement in its context.

    The Corinthians misinterpreted Paul's instruction not to associate with immoral people because they failed to keep it in its context - he was writing about immoral Christians, not people of the world (1 Cor. 5:9-13). It is a common mistake.

    Seemingly opposite statements can both be true when viewed from their perspectives. For example, Christians are both free and slaves (1 Cor. 7:22). Man is both mortal and immortal.

    Context is key in determining word meanings. "For God so loved the world. . (In. 3:16), yet we are warned, "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 In. 2:15). Obviously, world is being used in different senses. Context determines which.

     Just what is context? It has numerous components. One is the historical period in which a statement is made. Another is the nature of the book or conversation. These vary greatly in tone, approach, etc. It is essential to note who said a thing and to whom. While all the Bible is inspired, it sometimes records the words of uninspired men, even the devil himself, always a liar.

    Primarily, context is the subject under consideration. To determine that, you need to read several verses, one or more chapters, or perhaps an entire book.

  2. Let Scripture explain Scripture.

    God said through Malachi, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (1:2-3). What does that mean? Paul cited Genesis 25:23 to ' explain it. God told Rebekah, "Two nations are in your womb ... the older will serve the
younger." God "loved" Jacob by choosing him and his family as the ones through whom the Christ would come; He "hated" Esau by not choosing him (Rom. 9:10-13).

    This principle is helpful in various ways. One passage may shed light on an unfamiliar word or phrase in another. One account on an incident may supply a detail which clarifies or amplifies another.

    Nowhere is this rule more vital than in studying Old Testament prophecy. When a Bible writer/speaker cites a prophecy and says by inspiration that it is fulfilled in a specific event, we must so interpret that prophecy. Paul said Isaiah 11 was fulfilled by Jews and Gentiles becoming Christians (Rom. 15:7-13). Clearly then, Isaiah was not foretelling a utopian earth still future in our day. Let Scripture explain Scripture.

   The Bible commands us to "understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:17). Interpreting the Book of books requires the same common sense we use in discerning any other communication.

    A previous article emphasized two essentials: keep every statement in its context and let Scripture explain Scripture. Now consider three more.

1. Do not interpret one passage so as to contradict another.

    God's word is truth an. 17:17). Since truth is not self-contradictory, the Bible will not contradict itself. Whenever a student's interpretation of one verse disagrees with what another verse says, he has missed the meaning of one or both passages.

    This was one of the devil's mistakes. When tempting Jesus to show Himself by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple, Satan tried to make Psalm 91:11-12 a promise of universal protection from God. Jesus replied that his interpretation contradicted Deuteronomy 6:16, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God" (Mt. 4:5-7).

2. Note carefully what is and is not said.

    This rule applies when listening to any communication. Imprecise hearing inevitably leads to misunderstanding. Take your time. Read the Bible slowly and carefully. Beware of the danger of seeing what you want to see instead of what is really there. And be cautious about Breading between the lines," filling in the text with your imagination.

    Major doctrines are sometimes built on what the Bible does not actually say. For example, the popular idea of the Rapture," a snatching up of the righteous which leaves the rest behind, going on with world activities, is derived from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Read it carefully. Paul's point is simply that those who die before the Lord comes again will not "miss out" on His coming. He says nothing in this text about the unrighteous, neither is there the slightest hint that the world will. continue after the event he describes.

3. Take into account all the Bible says on a subject.

    Rarely does all the Bible information on a subject occur in one place. Therefore, the student must accumulate information from a number of passages before drawing conclusions. Concordances, topical Bibles, dictionaries, cross-references, etc., can help you locate verses dealing with a particular theme.

    Hastily drawn conclusions often prove erroneous. Some read John 3:16 or Acts 16:31 and conclude that all one has to do to be saved is believe, that we are saved at the point of faith. Further study reveals that the faith which saves is obedient faith. Forgiveness occurs when faith expresses itself in repentance (Acts 3:19), a verbal confession of Christ (Rom. 10:9-10), and baptism into Christ (Acts 2:38).

    As the Psalmist observed, "The sum of Thy word is truth" 0 19:160).

 Frank Himmel