Interpreting the bible

 My Hermeneutics (proper interpretation) BLOG April 2024

This is going to be the premiere entry in a future series of blogs called "Shortfalls of Soundbite Scriptures". We see it all the time. When someone wants to prove a point they will quote a Scripture that backs up what they are saying. The problem, or shortfall, of this is people often will only quote part of a verse or quote a verse that, in its proper context, has no connection with the point they are trying to make. This is a dangerous trap that we all at some point in our walks have fallen into. This study of how to study the Bible (Hereneutics) has a fancy name that can scare many people away, but the process is simple. Properly examining the Scriptures in the context they were written is not only necessary, but helps us to be "one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15) The first thing we need to understand before we try to "interpret" a passage of the Bible is that the primary meaning of any Scripture is the meaning it would have had to those who originally received it. Only once we understand the meaning in its original context can we safely apply a passage or the truth of a passage to our own lives. This step takes a little work. We need to ask ourselves, "Who was this written to? Why was this written? What did this mean to those it was written from. For example, we will interpret the first five books of the Bible, which were written for the benefit of the Jewish nation as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land, differently than we would the Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament, which were originally written to specific churches or people to address specific issues and questions. Once we know who the original target audience was and the reason it was written, we then need to examine these verses in their context. First, how does the verse or verse section we are looking at fit in within the paragraph or section it is written. For example, Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." This is an often quoted verse that people use as a "bandaid" to feel better. However, when we read the verses before it (15-18), we see the "conditions" that existed that led Paul to say this. The Philippian church had taken a collection and sent financial support to the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. As a result of their giving, Paul stated that God would supply their every need. Next, to further our understanding of a verse, we look how that verse or section fits within the book it was written. Philippians is known as the "joy epistle" because of the frequent statements of joy throughout. in fact the word joy appears 6 times and "rejoice" appears 10 times in only 4 chapters. How does Philippians 4:19 fit with this theme of joy. In verse 10, Paul "rejoiced" at their gift. He didn't rejoice because he sought the gift, but because, "I seek the fruit that increases to your credit."(4:17) Finally, we need to examine how the verse or section fits in the narrative of the entire Bible. There are three steps in this process. "Same author, different book", "Same testament, different author", and "different author, different testament". 1. "Same author, different book": Lets look at what else the apostle Paul has to say on the subject of giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:6, Paul states, "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will as reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully." This ties in directly with Philippians 4:9 where he talks about the "reaping" the Philippian church will receive for their generosity. 2. "Same testament, different author": Luke, in Acts 4:34,35, wrote, "There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as the had need." As a result of the generosity of the early church in Jerusalem, there "was not a needy person among them", God supplied their needs. 3. Different author, "different testament": Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the window of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Again we see that in our giving, the needs of all are met AND our needs are also met. By looking at the context of Philippians 4:19 in the context of the whole Bible, we gain a much fuller understanding of how God meets our needs and how we a part to play. As we went through all these other Scriptures, we should also go through the whole process with them as we did with our original verse and understand the context they have in their original paragraphs and books. When we take these important steps to studying the Word we both gain understanding for ourselves, but also get to where we are able to teach others what we have learned in our study. May God bless you as you take these steps and apply them to other Scriptures you encounter in the Word.

Andrew H Collins Correctional Facility, NY

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