The Importance Of Biblical Interpretation

The beginning of chapter one in Grasping God’s Word discusses the four steps of ‘The Interpretive Journey’ that are designed to navigate readers through the Bible, but as a whole, it is designed to help readers “grasp the meaning of the [Bible that] God intended” (Duvall & Hays, 2012, p.21). In order to understand the intention God has for each passage of His word, there must be a substantial understanding of the context according to the original audience, therefore the first step is titled “Grasping the Text in Their Town” which answers the overarching question of ‘What did this message mean for people of that time’? As this question is inquired throughout Ephesians 2:1-10 , the reader is instructed to make simple yet meaningful observations,

One of the most controversial aspects of Christianity is the interpretations gathered by its followers because multiple sects formed based on different opinions of how to correctly interpret and comprehend the scripture. While not he was not the first to question how to interpret the scripture, the third century scholar Origen had significant influence on how Christians should decipher their religion within his text, Origen: On First Principles. Origen describes the scriptures as having three meanings behind them: bodily, spiritual, and soul meanings. Each intended to illuminate the Christian understanding of how to practice the faith correctly. However, this is not to say that each piece of scripture has each layer of meaning behind it. For instance, each passage of scripture could have only one type of interpretation or any combination of the three.

The authors set the groundwork in the first two chapters for the reader to have comprehension and understanding for the rest of the book. Therefore, the basis of the book is helping the reader to interpret and study the Bible. Fee and Stuart thoroughly discuss the process of interpretation. They stress the importance of correctly understanding what the reader is saying. Fee and Stuart stress that correct interpretation “brings relief to the mind as well as a prick or prod to the heart”

In my opinion the environment detects the emotions and through our emotions, thoughts are develop which leads to communication. How we language will determine how are thoughts are process and subsequently information is given. This component (author) is highly important because how the text is perceived can and will effective our relationship with God. Therefore, when things are not spoken in the content in which it was meant to be, our own ideologies unfortunately will be implemented. Stuart adds, “The aim of good interpretation is simple: to get at the “plain meaning of the text...Correct interpretation, therefore, brings relief to the mind as well as a prick or prod to the heart.”3 I grew up in a church that the author’s interpretation was not stress, simply stated, the Scripture would be read and the preacher would use life experiences to support his premise. Stuart rebuttal this argument by stating, “The first task of the interpreter is called exegesis. This involves the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning.”4 In brief, Scripture is God’s Word, and he wants people to read it because of its great value to

Introduction: The Sermon on the Mount is probably the most well-known section of Scripture. There are verses that most anyone can quote and certainly they do quote. For example, “You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world.” Let us not forget the golden rule, “Treat people the same way you want them to treat you.”

The association further believes there is only one true interpretation of Scripture, although there may be several applications. The true meaning lies in the text and is that which the divinely-guided author willed to convey. It is recoverable through careful application of a literal (grammatical, historical, contextual) method of interpretation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and in the community of Christ. The Holy Spirit illumines the text, enabling the reader to embrace the significance of what God has communicated, and to see the glory of Christ in the Word of God. To sum this up, they believe they are right about

Reading the text as if it were addressed to God’s people in all times and places, would help us to “make ourselves at home and allow the texts to shape us” (61).

To articulate my theological view of scripture, I will address Scripture as broken yet beautiful, then express how I read and interpret sacred texts, given the need to understand the author’s intent, the historical context, and a Christocentric hermeneutic. This will be followed by the aim of reading scripture, which is not simply for orthodox doctrine, but for right living. Although Scripture is primary, it is not the only way God speaks to humanity, thus I will address the Spirit, tradition, creation, and experience as other sources of insight. Despite this integrated approach to scripture and theology, it is not foolproof or necessarily correct. Therefore, I will end this section with a discussion of knowledge and how we understand truth, grounded in the epistemological paradigm of practical

2. How do you apply that in your life? What are your response in practical actions? 3. Recite the verse from last week: Gen.17:1 II.

Just as the early church fathers engaged in study, this discipline is popular among modern believers, who have found many ways to practice it. Many successful methods of practicing this discipline exist, but a foundational element of engaging in this discipline that applies to all of these ways is the method of interpretation. In another article, Robert Velarde explains that “when studying the Bible one must keep in mind not only the immediate context of the portion under study, but also other forms of context such as the cultural context, the literary context and more" (“How”). Context is important to studying the Bible because it will help make the passage easier to understand and will justify why certain things are happening. The Bible

In doing so, we can discover that final authority is not in and of scripture itself but of the Triune God who is the Author of scripture. The second obstacle to consider is that many have dismissed scripture as a book of Israelitic & Christian stories. Wright contends that these stories are told to inform us of “internal dynamics” of the past so as to engage us in the present for transformation into Christ-likeness. (p.25). Thirdly, Wright asserts that the question of scripture’s authority should not be viewed as a list of rules where God condescends to man. Rather, scripture should be received as God’s purpose to save and renew the entire world by authorizing the church—God’s agent in the world—with His mission through the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is imperative that biblical scholars “see the role of scripture not simply as being [informative about or revelatory of God’s truth] but as a means of God’s action in and through us.” (p.28)

Hermeneutics is distinct from interpretation in that the role as interpreter is accounted for. He furthers this idea saying, “There is a dynamic relationship that takes place between the object of our understanding and ourselves, such that we as interpreters must always bring ourselves, our pre-understandings, and even our prejudices to interpretation”. In using hermeneutics three perspectives are to be considered: the context or period of that scripture, the way interpretation has changed over time, and the interpreter/modern

The primary need of Hermeneutics is to determine and understand the meaning of Biblical text. The purpose of Hermeneutics is to bridge the gap between our minds and the minds of the Biblical writers through a thorough knowledge of the original languages, ancient history and the comparison of Scripture with Scripture. Through Hermeneutics, Biblical Interpretation can be achieved in three ways; historically, the message and the doctrine.

This means that the Bible is ONLY understood by those that are "seeking God's help and willing to follow it" (Wayne Grudem). Those who do not have the work of the Holy Spirit in them will not see the truthfulness of Scripture. Psalm 119:130 says, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple." In addition, 2 Peter 3:16 also goes on to state that “there are some things in them"(the epistles) "that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction." Like Jesus' disciples did, we will sometimes misunderstand Scripture, but we should not believe the error is in the Bible, but with the interpretations we have made, because Christ's "ways are higher than ours ways and his thoughts than our thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). However, God provides us with scholars to make clear the errors in interpretations and to defend the Bible from false teachings and interpretations. The clarity of Scripture also shows that if we do not respond to Gods truth "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...” will "suppress the truth" (Romans

God is gracious. He has been gracious enough to do the best thing He could ever do for mankind: offer eternal life to all who obey (Heb. 5:8, 9). Clearly, though, the way one can receive eternal life is revealed in His Word. Other than how to come to Christianity, God has also revealed how to life a life that is well pleasing to Him. Everything that men need in order to live a life that is pleasing to Him is revealed in His Word (2 Pet. 1:3). However, with the many groups of religions and denominations that profess Christianity today, there is much confusion. There are many differences in beliefs or understandings reached after one reads the Bible. Nearly all of these differences stem from one principal matter: hermeneutics. Hermeneutics