BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Whenever we read anything, we have
to interpret what it means. What is the author saying to us? The same question
has to be asked when we read the Bible. But the task of interpreting the Bible
is particularly complex because every book in it has two authors – God and the human
author. The Bible is God’s inspired word (2 Tim 3:16) but those he inspired
were human beings (2 Pet 1:21). They used everyday language to record what they
heard from God, and thus each book of the Bible reflects the language, time,
geography and culture in which it was originally written. The writers also had
different styles and different levels of literary ability. Some wrote prose,
others poetry. Some intended their words to be read literally, while others spoke
in images and parables.
When we interpret the Bible, we
need help to bridge the distance of time and culture between the text and our
world today. That is why scholars have developed general rules and methods that
we should use if we are to interpret the Bible correctly. The study of these
rules is called hermeneutics.
There are three areas we need to
focus on when we interpret the Bible: the readers, the exegesis (that is, the
meaning of the words in their context) and the application.
The readers of a
biblical text fall into two broad categories: the original readers, that is,
the people to whom the biblical writer addressed his words, and readers today.
For example, the original readers of the account of the exodus in the OT were
Jews who needed to be reminded of what God had done for them and why they
needed to obey his commandments. But for Dalits who read the story today, God’s
liberation of the Israelites from Egypt is seen as a reminder of God’s deep
concern for those who are poor and exploited. They see themselves in a similar
position to the Israelite slaves and the oppressive upper castes as equivalent
to Pharaoh and Egyptian political structures.
We need to remember that no one
does interpretation in a vacuum. We all come to the Bible with presuppositions
that affect the way we interpret what we read. Thus we need to acknowledge the
context in which we attempt to explain Scriptures today. The type of
reinterpretation of the text done by modern readers such as the Dalit theologians
is perfectly valid. However, it must be done with caution and preparation. It
is irresponsible simply to search for novel interpretations or interpretations
that suit us without paying serious attention to the text itself.
This is the task of exegesis,
in which we dig out the meaning that the author intended to convey to his
original readers. It involves paying attention to the context and content of
the message and the particular historical setting of the original readers. For
example, Isaiah wrote the famous words, “The virgin will conceive and give
birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isa 7:14) in the eighth century
BC.
The original readers were people
whose nation was being threatened by a coalition of hostile kings. Isaiah’s
prophecy encouraged them not to lose heart, because within the time it would
take for a young woman to conceive and give birth to a child and teach him the difference
between right and wrong, this coalition would be overthrown (Isa 7:3-16). The
child was called “Immanuel” as a reminder that the Lord was with Judah. Many
centuries later, Matthew remembered these words and recognised that they also
applied in a different way to the circumstances of Jesus’ birth (Matt 1:22-23).
Because the writings and events
recorded in the Bible span many centuries, the historical context will differ
for each biblical book. We need to understand this context if we are to
understand why, for example, the Israelites were commanded, “Do not wear
clothing woven of two kinds of material” (Lev 19:19). Are we wrong to wear shirts
made of a mix of polyester and cotton today? Why were tattoos forbidden (Lev
19:28)? Is the head covering Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 11:4-16 the same
as a hat or veil? To be able to understand these texts, we need to investigate
what these things signalled in the culture of their day. Many instructions in
the Bible are culturally dictated and are not to be mistaken for commands that
will always apply.
Often, the clue to the correct
interpretation of texts is found within the book itself. We can also seek the
help of a good Bible dictionary or commentary.
A second important issue in
exegesis is the study of the literary context of the text. On the broadest
level, this means the genre or style of the writing. Is the author writing
poetry, telling a story, describing a historical event, or using the genre
known as apocalyptic writing? Should we read the psalmist’s declaration “A
thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by” (Ps 90:4) as
a mathematical equation from which to calculate the age of creation? Or, should
we recognise that the psalm is a hymn, using the poetic device known as simile
(the word “like”) to celebrate the eternal existence of God?
Understanding the literary context
also means recognising that sentences have meaning in relation to the preceding
and succeeding sentences. So recognising units of thought helps us understand
the author’s original intent. For example, many Christians use, “I can do all
this through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13) to reassure themselves that
they can succeed in some undertaking. But if we look at the immediate context,
we discover that what Paul is talking about is the ability to be content
regardless of economic circumstances.
It is also important to be aware of
the meaning of the individual words in a sentence or passage. The words Isaiah
or Paul used may not have the same connotations today. Moreover, the same word
may have more than one meaning. If we do not recognise this, we will be puzzled
by the apparent contradiction of how David can say that he is righteous (Ps
7:8) while Paul declares that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom
3:10).
Finally, we must remember that we
do not seek only theoretical biblical knowledge. Interpretation is not complete
if we do not also look at the application of what we have studied to the
present.
Interpretation should lead to
transformation. The Bible should be used for self-examination, prayer,
guidance, healing and sanctification. Our obedience to it and the
transformation it causes in our lives should ultimately lead to transformation
of the church and society.
We have scriptural justification
for insisting on this. The Scriptures repeatedly claim that people glorify God
by obeying or applying his word (Deut 30:11-20; Matt 7:13-27). The Bible also claims
that its message is relevant for later generations, and not just for its
original readers. Moses instructed his people to reread the laws every seven
years (Deut 31:9-13). Later prophets applied to their own generations the
messages given by earlier prophets (2 Sam 7:12-16; Jer 33:19-22). Paul told the
Romans: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so
that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they
provide we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Therefore every reader should try to
find what bearing the biblical message has on life in general and on our
personal lives.
We should also make sure that our
interpretation of any one text is in line with what is taught in related texts
across the whole Bible. For example, careful study makes it clear that we
cannot interpret 3 John 2 as meaning that God has willed financial prosperity
for all who believe in him. Sometimes we will find texts that seem to be in opposition
to one another, but careful study helps to ease these tensions and assists us
to interpret Scripture with Scripture.
While our application should be
solidly rooted in our study of the text itself, every text can have a number of
applications. Its significance for one person may be different from its
significance for someone else. Obedience to the Great Commission (Matt
28:19-20) may involve one person becoming a missionary, another witnessing to neighbours,
and a third doing something else. Thus the meaning of the Great Commission,
while singular, has numerous implications and invites different applications in
different contexts.
Finally, we should not
underestimate the role of the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation. The
Spirit’s role is to convict, convince and arouse sluggish hearts by applying
the truths perceived in the texts to the lives of individuals. The Holy Spirit,
who was active in the process of writing the Scriptures by working along with
the biblical authors, was also involved in the recognition that these books
should be included in the Bible. Today that same Spirit is involved in guiding every
reader in a lifelong interpretative process. Therefore, every reader of the
Bible should pray that the Spirit will help us to recognize the truth of the
text and show us which of its implications apply particularly to us and our
situation.
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