Part 5 The Principle of Interpretation

The next step in studying the Bible involves interpretation.  While observation seeks to answer the question “What does it say?”  Interpretation seeks to answer the question “What does it mean?”  Interpretation is determining what God meant by what He said in the Bible.  Many seem to think that this is something that only pastors or Sunday School teachers are able to do.  The Bible, however, was not given so that these people should interpret the Bible for you, but that you should interpret it for yourself.  Granted, gifted church leaders may be able to lead you into a greater depth of understanding due to their training, but they are not to do your studying for you.  Every child of God has the ability and awesome responsibility to study and interpret the Bible for themselves.

Paul told Timothy in  2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”  [NASB]

Some seem to think that studying the Bible requires a special gift that only certain people have.  Interpreting the Bible, however, is a skill that every child of God can learn.  Some have made the Bible more difficult to interpret than it really is by neglecting the normal rules of literary interpretation.  In doing this they have disregarded the literal interpretation of the Bible and have attempted to make the Bible say something other than it actually says.  Where do you begin?