Last week’s blog introduced an interesting tension in our Christian life.  The heart of the Protestant Reformation (and, at this point, we are all Protestants) was the claim sola scriptura—Scripture alone!  Every believer should have access to Scripture, and the right to interpret Scripture.  Creeds, councils, and clergy could no longer dictate Christian belief. Since we are all wired differently with varying worldviews and intellectual capacities, how do we establish what a particular text means?  Does a new Christian with no background in the Bible have the same “right” to interpret Scripture as a life-long pastor or accomplished scholar?  And, if everyone has a different interpretation, then who is right?  Is it possible to be right?

In some ways, it would be easier if there were no grey areas.  This is why strict denominations sometimes have success.  Just tell me exactly how to live, how to dress, and how to think so I can go to heaven.  Some days, I would love to have a manual.  Is salvation primarily a manner of divine determinism or human choice? Check page 873.  Is it ok for infants to be baptized?  Look at page 94.   I could browse the table of contents and discover how to think about: secular media, social drinking, and spiritual gifts.  It just doesn’t work that way, though. Scripture is God’s eternal word, but was delivered at specific times in specific contexts to specific people. As our context changes, we must attempt to decide what the Bible speaks in our situations, in our lives.

Many Christians summarily dismiss the question.  I am just led by the Spirit; or, I just pray about it and God tells me, they say. I believe that the Holy Spirit is integral to the hermeneutical process.  However, what happens when loving Spirit-filled Christians differ?  Is one hearing the Spirit, and the other in rebellion?  In sum, we all hear the voice of God through our broken paradigms.  We all know only in part because we are ultimately fallen, which clouds our reason.  Rightly dividing the word of truth is an imperative.  The Word of God is too rich, too meaningful, and too beautifully complex for us to butcher because of our fragile understanding. 

Now, that we have sufficiently diagnosed the problem.  Here is my approach to responsibly interpreting Scripture.  I, by no means, have it all figured out. But, I’ll share what I do know in the hope that is helpful to your ministry.  

Be a student. It is impossible to really be “The Bible Answer Man” (Sorry, Hank Hanegraaf).  The more you study, the more you realize that you don’t know.  You can’t expect to know the meaning of every verse.  The key, then, is having a “working knowledge of Scripture.”  A good mechanic can fix a problem with your car that he has never encountered because he has a working knowledge of cars in general.  The best way to understand a passage of Scripture is to have a comprehensive understanding of the Bible in general.

The only way to obtain this “working knowledge” is the hard work of reading and studying.  Read the Bible for devotional purposes. Then read the footnotes.  Browse commentaries, biblical dictionaries, and concordances. Stretch yourself beyond popular Christian books, like “90 Minutes in Heaven” and “The Shack.”  Read those if you want, but also try more substantive things.  Set a goal of at least one substantive book per month.  I am currently reading books covering Church History (Christianity’s Dangerous Idea by Alister McGrath), Biblical Studies (Reading Luke-Acts in the Pentecostal Tradition by Martin Middlestadt), and Christian Apologetics (Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli).  Though I am more interested in some areas of Biblical Studies/ Theology than others, I try to read enough to maintain a robust understanding of Scripture.

Go through the responsible steps.  We have discussed hermeneutics at length, so I can be brief here. Every passage of Scripture requires careful and intentional study.  Determine the context, the genre, the historical and cultural background, etc.

Find a couple of leaders/teachers that you trust.  But, know them—both their fruit and their presuppositions. When I am preparing to preach/teach something and need understanding, I normally consult ministers that I respect.  Have they taught on this passage before?  What did they say?  Some of them I know personally, such as my father and Dr. Brassfield. There are others that I have never met, such as John Piper and Mark Driscoll.  I access their printed material online, download their sermons from iTunes, or browse through their books that I own.

When consulting others, consider their lifestyles and their presuppositions.  I can’t view someone as an “authority” on Scripture if his life does not reflect Christian character. Similarly, I research his presuppositions and perspectives.  We all see the world through our biases.  Know the “biases” of the teacher, and try to filter through them.