Page 15 - Homiletics Student Textbook

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C. The Qualifications for Bible Interpretation

Apart from having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, one cannot fully comprehend
that which God has communicated in His Word (cf. 1 Co. 2:14). Even believers must put forth
diligent effort to understand what the Bible says and means (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15). Prayer, humility,
and a dependence upon the Holy Spirit also rank at the top of the list (cf. Jn. 16:13). One need
not be a Bible college graduate, seminary professor, or pastor of a church to accurately
interpret the scriptures. While well-trained teachers and preachers are helpful, any lay person
can study God’s Word with great success.

To avoid the tragedy that plagues many who discuss the Bible, we ought to be faithful servants of Christ
committed to studying the Bible, determining God’s intended meaning.

Principles and Methods of Bible Interpretation

Obviously learning to fly takes a lot more than just handing the controls to someone and shouting,
“Have fun.” It requires skills that take years to develop fully. Apart from gaining that experience,
you’re taking your life in your hands.

The study of God’s Word is no different. Learning to do it properly is a process that can’t happen
overnight. Yet that’s exactly what we do with new believers when we tell them to get into the
Scriptures, hand them a Bible, and expect them to take it from there. No wonder so many believers
give up in frustration.
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In this session you will be introduced to some of the basic skills (principles and methods) that you will
need in order to successfully study the Bible. These tools of the trade, when used wisely and
consistently, will be a tremendous asset to the serious student of the Word.

I. The Interpretive Journey
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Studying the Bible is like taking a journey. It is a journey back in time to the world that was then, to
the people that were then, to a context that was seldom the same as that in which we live today.
The goal of the traveler is to locate the meaning in the biblical text that was placed there by the
author and then transport that meaning back to the present in principle form, a form that conveys
the author’s intended meaning to all people, regardless of time. Unless one is willing to take this
journey, stated interpretations of scripture hold little weight or authority because they lack strong
exegetical support. Without this strong foundation, such interpretations and subsequent
applications are perceived merely as the opinions of men.

A. Grasping the Text in Their Town

This is the most important part of this interpretative journey. In this step one must purposefully
block out his contemporary world, set presuppositions aside, and seek to discover the original
intended message of the author to the people of his day. Consideration in this step is given but
not limited to the following:

20 Zuck, 25-28.
21 Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Henricks, Living By the Book (Chicago: Moody, 1991), 35.
22 J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 22-25.
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