Interpreting the Bible in Our Times Lesson Two Caution: These basic views of how to interpret the Bible do not lend themselves to rigid categorization. Views below are sometimes cast in their extreme form for purposes of clarity. Each one has strengths and challenges. Furthermore, there are endless variations within each category and even between categories. In that sense, it is more of a continuum. These lists are done with much hesitation, in the fear that the readers will interpret the categories too rigidly. There are many, many variations of Biblical interpretation. View I Blue Birds Bible is a rule book for living, a handbook or textbook, a collection of propositions to be believed and imperatives to be obeyed all for Christian belief and living. God is strict and wrathful toward sinful humanity. It consists of and is identical with God s very own words written inerrantly in human language (sometimes called dictation theory of inspiration, with God s Holy Spirit doing the dictating). The Bible represents the totality of God s communication to and will for humanity and is God s exclusive mode for true communication. Every word of the Bible is historically and theologically accurate. The Bible is accessible and understandable for any person to grasp in his or her language in a rational and logical approach of its doctrines. Anyone can understand the plain meaning of the text by piecing together the clear meaning of the texts to determine the biblical truths therein. The Bible is not only authoritative, it is infallible, inerrant, and perfect in every way. The Bible is God s instruction manual to all people for all time as they seek to live before God. All related passages of the Bible fit together almost like pieces of a puzzle into a single, unified, internally consistent body of instruction about right and wrong. Some in this category would see the Bible as a compendium of divine and inerrant teachings on a full array of subjects including science, economics, health, politics, and romance. View II Red Birds The Bible is the Word of God for the people of God, providing a way of salvation from sin and hell. The Bible is read as a collection of timeless principles for conversion and living the moral life. It contains timeless truths of God s heart that are for all people. God s primary way of communicating to his people is through sacred Scripture, giving humanity the fullest understanding of God. While the copies of the biblical manuscripts might possess some small degree of variation, the autographs (original manuscripts) are thoroughly inspired. The human element of Bible transmission is acknowledged (guided by the Holy Spirit), as are a variety of literary and historical contexts. The Bible is also seen as being therapeutic and inspirational. Some in this view attribute power to the Holy Spirit to use these timeless truths as a practical guide for the Christian s everyday decisions. Some in this category would use terms like infallible and inerrant to describe the Bible (or at least its original manuscripts); others prefer the term plenary (or full) inspiration, without theological error or contradiction.
View III Yellow Birds The Bible is seen as an unfolding drama, inviting all people to participate in the work of God in the world. God is the loving Father who wants to transport men and women out of darkness and sin and prepare them for a new heaven and a new earth. The term, Word of God, is often reserved for the sayings of Jesus. The Bible is the word of God, which reveals the Word [Jesus]. The Bible is God s word in that it is trustworthy, powerful and effective in leading people to a living encounter with the power and mystery of Jesus in the world. The Bible is the sacred drama of God, with Jesus as the main character [not human beings]. God reveals himself in a variety of ways (creation, art, music, friendship, etc.), but scripture is unique in that it became the authoritative guide for the early church and beyond. Through the Bible the Holy Spirit is at work, bringing the believer closer to Jesus, the center of all creation. The Bible is a mirror that shows us who God is and who we are. The Bible is not to be worshipped or made an idol; it is simply the tool God uses (along with other means of revelation as mentioned above) to bring us closer to his original intent for his creation (e.g., faithful discipleship, resistance to powers of this age, etc.). This group resists terms like infallible and inerrant because they do not appear in Scripture; by doing so they avoid being pulled into a variety of old debates (e.g., science and faith). They take terms like inspiration and authority very seriously, seeing them as central to the main purpose of the Bible, which is to reveal Jesus. View IV Mockingbirds [This category is the broadest, ranging from Liberal Christians to atheists. The Bible is an inspiring document, with varying levels of relevancy for coping with life in the modern world but not inspired. For most, the concept of God is whoever you think God to be or were taught to be, assuming he exists at all. The Bible presents a rather subjective approach to reaching and knowing God; there are many other ways and paths to reach whatever serves as Ultimate Being for you. The Bible takes its place, alongside other sacred and religious writings, such as the Qur an, Torah, Bhagavad Gita, writings of Confucius, etc. all of which address the human condition of pain and suffering. Although not inspired, the Bible is useful in providing links to history, meaning, purpose, and identity. The Bible is not meant to be literal history but rather is an important narrative for understanding the values of many modern westerners. The Bible is a great guidebook on providing witness to a standard of ethics. The correct names are: I. [Blue Birds] Fundamentalist/Basic/Conservative II. [Red Birds] Evangelical/Conservative III. [Yellow Birds] Progressive/Mainline Protestant (don t know what to call this one) IV. [Mockingbirds] Humanist (used in its most negative way, with perhaps elements of agnosticism or atheism).
What do we make of all this? Some observations and conclusions: 1. We begin with the conviction that the Bible is God's inspired Word and it has eternal relevance; it speaks to all humankind, in every age and in every culture, and we must be obedient. [Fee, 21] 2. We must also keep in mind that the Bible does have a human side, as well as a divine side, which can be both an encouragement and a challenge to us. a. The Bible is a library of books, with numerous authors who write over a period of some 1,500 years. b. That being said, each author is distinct in his writing style, context and content. c. In order to communicate God's Word to all human conditions, God chose to use almost every available kind of communication: i. Narrative history; genealogies, chronicles, laws of all kinds, poetry of all kinds, proverbs, prophetic oracles, riddles, drama, biographical sketches, parables, letters, sermons, apocalyptic language, etc. etc. ii. But remember, in addition to the general rules of interpreting the Bible, there are special rules that apply to each of the above literary forms. 3. These divine truths God chose to reveal to us through a wide variety of people, each within the particular circumstances and events of real human history. a. In speaking through real persons, in a variety of circumstances over a 1,500 year period, God's Word was expressed in the vocabulary and thought patterns of those persons and conditioned by the culture of those times and circumstances (ancient Middle Eastern). i. God's Word to us is first of all God's Word to them. ii. Since we are far removed from them in time, place, and sometime in thought, we need to learn how to interpret the Bible. b. Therefore, our task of interpreting the meaning of a particular passage is two- fold: i. First, to learn what a passage said to its original hearers, and why. ii. Second, to learn to hear that same Word in the here and now and interpret its meaning to us. 4. Since a vast majority of Christians do not have advanced training in language and history, most serious students of the Bible need access to a good Bible dictionary, good commentaries, and several translations of the Bible. Also there are numerous Bible study helps on the internet, but be discriminating! 1 1 Among the many Bible dictionaries available are: The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Nelson s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: New and Enhanced Edition (2014) and numerous others in book form and online.
5. Example of a possible misuse of Scripture: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28+ "Avoid every kind of evil." I Thess. 5:22 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 [[room here for your favorite mis- used Scripture]] 6. In Bible study, the most important contextual question you can ask is, " What's the point?" 7. "God's Word is infallible, in the sense that what he has said is true. But no Christian individual, group or church has ever been or will ever be an infallible interpreter of God's Word." [Stott, 177] 8. How are we to understand God's Word? Here are the basic elements: a. Through the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our understanding of Scripture. (Eph. 1:17-19) i. The Holy Spirit is both "revealer" and "illuminator" of Scripture. (I Cor. 2:14) ii. "Without revelation we have no truth to perceive; without illumination no faculty with which to perceive it." [Stott, 178] b. Through use of our rational and critical powers in interpreting Scripture. (Mk. 8:17-21; Lk. 12:57; I Cor. 10:1, 15; II Tim. 2:7; Heb. 5:14, etc.) c. Through prayer for guidance and wisdom to discern God's will. (Ps. 119:18; Eph. 1:17-19) i. Divine illumination, however defined, is never a substitute for human effort throughout the lifetime of the Christian. d. Through the church (even though Christian history is littered with misuse of this teaching). i. The church has a rightful place in giving people a correct understanding of God's Word. ii. The NT portrays the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit through the assembled body of believers, the church. (Eph. 3:18-19; Col. 3:16; Acts 8:26-39) e. The right of private judgment should not be taken away from us, but neither should the collective view of the congregation of believers be ignored. f. Out of loyalty to the Scriptures the individual Christian may at times disagree with teachers in the church. g. Nevertheless, God has appointed teachers in His church, and He has insisted on unity (Eph. 4:1-6; Romans 14; John 17; etc.)
9. Lest you are a bit overcome with all these things about Biblical interpretation to think about, let's review with the following ideas: The most important Ingredient we can bring to the task of Biblical Interpretation is enlightened common sense at least a good starting point. a. Our goal is simple: to get at the "plain" meaning of the text. b. But it has to be enlightened (thus this series); c. And we must remember that in some cases, common sense may not be all that common. d. So why interpret? Why not just read? Doesn't the plain meaning come simply by reading? e. In a sense, yes, but in a truer sense, this approach can be naive and unrealistic because of two factors: i. The nature of the reader, and ii. The nature of Scripture. 10. And so we continue to commit to a lifetime of searching the unfathomable riches of God's Word, revealed to us through His Son, Jesus, and transmitted to us through divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit through a variety of people- but powerful and fresh and inspiring and convicting and relevant to us who believe and to all who follow. Brain Teaser Do you agree with the statement: A Text cannot mean what it never meant? Answer: The statement is basically true, although it is a complex concept, especially when one is handling the Scripture through teaching and preaching, where one interprets the contemporary meaning of a scripture. Another way to put it that may be more understandable, is to say it in its positive form: The true meaning of the biblical text for us is what God originally intended it to mean when it was first spoken. [Fee, 30] How about this one? What do you think of the phrase, That was then; this is now, as it applies to Scripture interpretation? Our first reaction might be to hit the pause button and label the question as dangerous stuff. But upon greater reflection, we all do it to some extent in our biblical interpretation. v Some examples: women with head covering; men lifting hands to pray; practicing the holy kiss greeting, foot- washing (a direct command of Jesus), etc. all of which are commands in the New Testament. Perhaps the key is to exercise caution when you say, That was then and this is now. If you are curious, check out Scot McKnight s book, which talks some about the idea.