“Unlocking the Puzzle”

During a Bible study have you ever heard someone say, “Well, that’s your interpretation.” This implies that correct interpretation is simply a matter of opinion. Is this true? Can two people come up with two different and opposing interpretations of a Bible passage and both be correct? Not according to the laws of logic, particularly the law of non-contradiction which states that contradictory propositions cannot be both true. Understanding the Bible seems like a big puzzle, but don’t despair.

This may be news, but the only interpretation that is right is the one God intended, and it is our job as followers of Christ to discover it. God is the author, yet he also had co-authors in a way, and they are the people like Moses, the prophets, and Paul who wrote the words down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What they wrote down included their style and personality yet without error and exactly what God wanted. 

How do we know we have the right interpretation? After asking, “What does it say?” next is to ask, “What does it mean?” Also, “How does this passage point to Christ?” and “How does this passage fit into the story of Scripture as a whole?” These questions form the method of interpretation called “Hermeneutics.” Because we seek what the divine author said through the human author, we interpret the Bible literally. Because the Bible was written in a certain context, we consider the historical background. Because every word in the Bible is “God breathed” (2 Tim 3:16), we study the grammar. Because Christ is the theme of the entire Bible (Luke 24:27), we look for Him. Finally, because the Bible is a unified story, we interpret the passage in light of the whole. When this method is followed, the Bible becomes less a puzzle and more the revelation of truth God intended.

Pastor Phil Newby