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Saturday, March 03, 2012

Six Principles for Interpreting Scriptureby Rick Warren

No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:11b NIV)

Have you ever heard someone say, Well, thats just your interpretation of the Bible? Itsas if that little phrase disproves everything thats been said. But it really doesnt disproveanything.There are right ways and wrong ways to interpret Scripture. There are some methods forinterpreting the Bible thatll always give you the wrong interpretation every time. Hereare six principles of interpretation that are accepted just about everywhere.

You need faith and the Holy Spirit to interpret Scripture. The Bible doesnt makesense to non-believers. It is Gods love letter to believers. When an unbeliever reads theWord, he is reading someone elses mail. The Bible is a spiritual book that must beunderstood by spiritual people. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:11, No one knows thethoughts of God except the Spirit of God (NIV).

The Bible is its own best commentary. Scripture interprets Scripture. Practice thisprinciple by getting a Bible with cross-references in the margin. By looking up othercross references, youll get a much bigger and clearer picture of what God has said in all

of his Word, not just that one context.

Read the Old Testament with the New Testament in mind, and read the NewTestament with the Old Testament in mind. The New Testament is hidden in the OldTestament. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.

Always interpret unclear passages in the light of clear passages. Look at the fullcounsel of God in Scripture to get a clear understanding when you find a passage that

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8/2/2019 Six Principles for Interpreting Scripture

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seems contradictory or confusing. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:29 has a very obscurereference to baptism for the dead. It's the only time the idea is mentioned in Scripture.Paul isnt condoning this. Nothing in Scripture condones it. Let clear passages aboutsalvation and baptism interpret this unclear one, not visa versa.

Don't form a doctrine based solely on an historical event. Take historical passagesof the Bible for what theyre meant to be: good lessons. Dont build your doctrine uponthem. For example, in Mark 1:35, the Bible says Jesus got up very early, went into aplace of solitude, and prayed. Does that mean you must get up every morning at 4 a.m.,leave your house, and go somewhere and pray? Of course not! God may convince youthats a good idea, but its not a command. Use doctrinal passages to base doctrine on.Use narratives to teach lessons.

Never interpret Scripture based on your own experiences. The point of Bible studyis not to shape Scripture to agree with your subjective opinions or your experiences.Feelings lie. Emotions lie. Instead, discover God's timeless truth and let it shape yourlife. Study the Bible with an open heart and invite God to conform you to his will.

God doesnt want to leave you in the dark when you study Scripture. Following thesebasic rules of Bible study can help to ensure you read the Word from Gods perspective.Talk About It

With these points in mind, re-read a passage from one of your quiet times this pastweek. What new insight does God reveal to you?

Are you open to letting the Holy Spirit work in your life? Do you have an open mind wheninterpreting Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can direct your thoughts?