Bible Principles of Interpretation Tonight I’m continuing our series on Bible study. Since there’s a great deal of information in the lesson, I’ve put much of it in this bulletin to help you. There Are Many Methods of Interpretation The method we choose to interpret the Bible changes the conclusions we reach. One method will lead us to conclude baptism is not essential to salvation. And a different method will lead us to conclude baptism is essential to salvation. Choosing the correct method to interpret the Bible can mean the difference between salvation and damnation. The solution is not to choose a man-made method of interpretation, but to study the Bible, as taught by the Bible. God’s word equips us with everything we need to know, including the proper manner to interpret His word (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Bible Principles of Interpretation God’s Word is Truth In contrast, other churches recognize sources of authority other than God’s word. Some churches have a catechism, creed, or church manual. Others place oral tradition above God’s word. Some make the writings of men more authoritative than God’s word, and others have their own Bible. As Christians, God’s word is our standard of truth. Therefore, our responsibility is to learn it, and obey. We Can Understand God’s Word Today, false teachers tell people we can’t understand God’s word. They lead people astray, convincing them they’re right with God, as long as they “think” they’re doing right. We Must Reason God calls making these judgment “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV). For example, God called Israel to repentance, saying, “Come now, and let us reason together,” (Is. 1:8). And Paul, when he preached, reasoned with people:
No Contradictions in God’s Word God is not the author of confusion, because it’s impossible for Him to lie (1 Cor. 14:33; Heb. 6:18). Therefore, His word is harmonious, without any contradictions. Note: There are a few scribal errors, but nothing that changes the meaning of God’s word in matters concerning worship, service, or salvation. Copyists and translators are not perfect, but God’s word is perfect. Interpret Scriptures In Context One common illustration is: When we take Scriptures out of context, we twist (distort) the Scriptures, resulting in destruction (2 Pet. 3:16). Jesus criticized the Jews for taking Scriptures out of context and twisting them. On one occasion, the Sadducees used a story of a woman who had seven husbands. Each husband died without fathering a child, requiring the woman to marry one of his brothers, under the Mosaic Law. The Sadducees tried to use this story, applying the Mosaic Law to a set of circumstances, thinking it proved there wasn’t a resurrection, because a woman couldn’t be married to seven men in the resurrection. Jesus told them their conclusion was false, because they didn’t understand the Scriptures.
Must Take Into Account The Precise Meaning of Words
Jesus used the words in Exodus 3:6, where God spoke in the first person, using the present tense, to show that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob had eternal souls and were alive (cf. Lk. 16:19-31). Thus, He proved there’s a resurrection. God’s word is absolutely precise. Therefore, we should understand it and teach others, based on this fact.
An Interpretation Can’t Contradict Other Scriptures For example, Jesus proved the Sadducees’ doctrine of the resurrection was incorrect by presenting a Scripture that contradicted it, showing it was a false doctrine. From this we learn that an interpretation must be consistent with all the Scriptures. If it’s not, the interpretation is false. For example, we often hear people teach that baptism is not essential to salvation, because the thief on the cross was saved without baptism. There are many reasons why this isn’t true, but we can simply prove it’s false by showing it contradicts Scriptures like Matthew 16:16, Acts 2:38, and 1 Peter 3:21. Establish Authority Today, our responsibility is to establish authority from God’s word, and do those things in our lives. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, we must establish authority and do the things He authorizes (Matt. 28:18; Col. 3:17).
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