BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

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.