Bible Interpretation Study Part I

Bible Interpretation Study Part I Lesson One: Taking the Bible Literally Lesson Two: Interpreting Figurative Language Lesson Three: Prescriptive versus Descriptive Passages Lesson Four: Positional versus Experiential Passages Lesson Five: Interpreting in the light of Context

Bible Interpretation What does the Bible Mean Why this Study? Because All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. II Timothy 3:16

Warning If an individual can make the Bible say what he wants it to say, then the Bible cannot guide him. It is merely a weapon in his hands to support his own ideas. [Layman s Guide to Interpreting the Bible, by Walter A. Henrichsen]

Paul s Exhortation Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth II Timothy 2:15

Bible Study Basic Parts 1. Observation What does it say? 2. Interpretation What does it mean? 3. Correlation How does it relate to other scripture? 4. Application - What does it mean to me?

A Must Acceptance #1 The Bible is authoritative. It has the ultimate power to determine what is true and real in all that it says. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Ma#hew 7:28-29

A Must Acceptance #2 To be guided correctly by the word of God, we must assume the Bible contains its own laws of interpretation, which, when properly understood and applied, will yield the correct meaning to a given passage. [Layman s Guide to Interpreting the Bible, by Walter A. Henrichsen]

Holy Spirit s Help Now we have received, not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. I Corinthians 2:12

Ask God for Help Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18

Bible Study Basic Parts 1. Observation What does it say? 2. Interpretation What does it mean? 3. Correlation How does it relate to other scripture? 4. Application - What does it mean to me?

Scripture should be taken Literally Interpret scripture literally, unless an obvious symbol is employed; such as you would find in parables and Old Testament Prophesy (e.g., Daniel Chapter 7 s lion, bear, leopard, and beast symbolic of four kingdoms) Stick with the obvious, plain meanings Don t spiritualize a passage, assigning secondary meaning (e.g.,, turning it into a allegory, assigning poetic/imaginative and hidden meaning There are times when God uses figurative language to communicate a spiritual truth (e.g., Jesus says I am the door John 10:9)

C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritualizing The first sense of the passage must never be drowned in the outflow of your imagination; it must be distinctly declared and allowed to hold the first rank; your accommodation of it must never thrust out the original and native meaning, or even push it into the background. The Bible is not a compilation of clever allegories or instructive poetical traditions; it teaches literal facts and reveals tremendous realities: let your full persuasion of this truth be manifest to all who attend your ministry. It will be an ill day for the church if the pulpit should even appear to endorse the sceptical hypothesis that Holy Scripture is but the record of a refined mythology, in which globules of truth are dissolved in seas of poetic and imaginary detail. [emphasis added]

C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritualizing The first sense of the passage must never be drowned in the outflow of your imagination; it must be distinctly declared and allowed to hold the first rank;

C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritualizing your accommodation of it must never thrust out the original and native meaning, or even push it into the background.

C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritualizing The Bible is not a compilation of clever allegories or instructive poetical traditions; it teaches literal facts and reveals tremendous realities: let your full persuasion of this truth be manifest to all who attend your ministry.

C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritualizing It will be an ill day for the church if the pulpit should even appear to endorse the sceptical hypothesis that Holy Scripture is but the record of a refined mythology, in which globules of truth are dissolved in seas of poetic and imaginary detail.

Definitions Allegory: A story using symbolic language to convey a spiritual truth; fable or parable Poetry: Literature that uses sensory, emotional, and rhythmic qualities of language Myth: Traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being, or hero or event, without a basis of fact or natural explanation.

Spiritualizing a Passage 15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:15-17 Interpretation: Jonah being swallowed by a great fish is an allegory about sin and repentance. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpreta<on. II Peter 1:20

Non-literal Jonah Conflict with Spiritualization For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40

Genesis 1:26-28, 31 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ================================================= 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Literal Genesis Interpretation God created man in their ( our) image (Gen 1:26) God Created man on the 6 th day. (Gen 1:27, 31)

Genesis 2:7, 21-25 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ====================================================== 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife (Eve, 3:20), and were not ashamed.

Literal Genesis Interpretation Adam was formed from the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7) Woman (Eve) came from one of Adam s ribs. (Gen 2:22) God created Adam and Eve who were the first two people in the world. (Gen 2:23-25)

Genesis 3:6, 9-11 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ============================================= 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Literal Genesis Interpretation Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Gen 3:6,11)

Literal Genesis Interpretation God created man in their ( our ) image (Gen 1:26) God Created man on the 6 th day. (Gen 1:27, 31) Adam was formed from the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7) Woman (Eve) came from one of Adam s ribs. (Gen 2:22) God created Adam and Eve who were the first two people in the world. (Gen 2:23-25) Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Gen 3:6,11)

Spiritualization of Genesis God created man in their ( our ) image (Poetic/Allegory man created in impersonal way through evolution) God Created man on the 6 th day (Allegory God used evolution over billions of years in creation) God created Adam and Eve who were the first two people in the world (Allegory for the creation of men and women through evolution) Adam was formed from the dust of the ground (Poetic/Allegory for creation of men) Woman (Eve) came from one of Adam s ribs (Poetic/Allegory for creation of women) Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Allegory for man s sin)

Genesis Spiritualization creates a conflict when correlating with New Testament

Romans 5:12,17-19 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ================================================= ====== 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

I Corinthians 15: 21-23 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Consequence of Non-literal Interpretation No basis for man s sin if the first sin is an allegory, not real because no real Adam No need for the second man, the Lord Jesus Christ to sacrifice Himself for our sins if the first man, Adam never existed No need for redemption/salvation if Adam didn t fall from a right relationship with God No need for resurrection from the dead if Adam didn t really die for his sin

Matthew 6:26 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? No basis for the uniqueness of man (i.e., created in the image of God) if Adam was not really created on the 6 th day.

Conclusion If we falsely spiritualize-away the first sinner (the man, Adam), then we falsely spiritualize-away the Savior (the man, Jesus Christ) If we correctly interpret Genesis literally, then the man Adam is the first sinner, consequently we are sinners, and the man Jesus Christ came to make right Adam s wrong

Significance For the Christian, a non-literal view of Genesis, is a barrier for sanctification (maturing in Christ). It leads to confusion on how to interpret much of scripture. This is because it eliminates the foundation for understanding scripture in the New and Old Testaments that reference back to Genesis.

Significance For the non-christian, a non-literal view of Genesis is a barrier to salvation. It leads to a conclusion that there is no personal God and no personal sin and guilt that results in condemnation by a holy and just God. Therefore, it also eliminates the need for a personal salvation by a loving God.

References A Laymans Guide to Interpreting the Bible, by Walter A. Henrichsen The Joy of Discovery in Bible Study, by Oletta Wald Lectures to my Students, by C.H. Spurgeon

Questions

References A Laymans Guide to Interpreting the Bible, by Walter A. Henrichsen The Joy of Discovery in Bible Study, by Oletta Wald Lectures to my Students, by C.H. Spurgeon