UNDERSTANDING THE WORD (Part I)

UNDERSTANDING THE WORD (Part I)

According to the Apostle Paul, “all scripture is given by inspiration of GOD.” (II Timothy 3:16)  It is vitally important to note that the SUBSTANCE of scripture is divine since the source of scripture is GOD.  The Apostle Peter confirms this: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of SCRIPTURE is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:20-21)  In this instance, the word “prophecy” means to foretell and to forth-tell, i.e. to disclose the future and also to proclaim God’s present and perfect will for us.

Since the will of God is manifested through His Word, we may accurately state that God’s will is God’s Word.  As His will, the written Word of God is the divine and final testament of OUR Creator, which accurately discloses the Mind of God, i.e. His past, present and future plans concerning us.

That being the case, the HOLY Bible is not only the best selling book in human history, it is the most important book in human history.  Therefore, it is a matter of life and death that we master sound principles of interpreting its life-giving message, thus understanding its important implications for our human existence.

The accurate interpretation of Scripture involves “HERMENEUTICS” [hur-muh-NOO-tiks], which may be defined as “the science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures” (or) “the branch of theology that deals with the principles of Biblical exegesis.” (Dictionary.com)  “Exegesis” [ek-sah-GEE-sis] is “the critical interpretation of the biblical text to discover its intended meaning.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)

The underlying miracle of The Holy Bible is simply this: It was written over a TIME Span of 1,500 years by 40 culturally diverse authors, yet it provides a seamless and unified view of the nature of God and His purposes concerning us.  That, in and of itself, is simply amazing!

However, even though The Holy Bible is an awesome phenomenon, there are three primary reasons why people have so much difficulty interpreting the biblical text.  First of all, we are far distant (in time) from the historical events written about in the Bible.  Secondly, our modern-day cultures are quite different from the ones in which the scriptures were originally written.  Thirdly, the biblical texts were originally written in languages that are foreign to most of us.  These three reasons offer clear evidence that we need an objective and systematic method to examine the Scriptures, firstly to glean their original intent and meaning, and secondly to apply them correctly today.  In the absence of this, it becomes rather easy to misappropriate and misapply Scriptures for our own purposes.

Will this be an easy task?  Certainly not!  The Scriptures, themselves, disclose that there are certain mysteries, which will only be completely disclosed in the future presence of God.  Moses, the lawgiver, wrote, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)  Paul, the apostle, wrote, “now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (I Corinthians 13:12)  Even so, the Scriptures present a clear-cut mandate to every believer: “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)

Over the next few days, we will present ten principles of biblical hermeneutics.  These may be used as a substantive starting point, from which all of us can glean greater comprehension of the scriptural record.  Before starting this process, however, we should note that scriptural interpretation is not an exact science.  Admittedly, we come to the Word-table with certain prejudices (prior ‘knowledge’ and ‘beliefs’) that can potentially color our interpretation and our acceptance of divine truth.  As we begin, we must own up to that limitation; and, we must recognize that the human mind can never fully apprehend the things of God. 

Nevertheless, the following premise is mission-critical to our understanding: God’s Word is living! (Hebrews 4:12)  That is, God’s Word is Spirit-breathed, and to truly understand its message, God’s Word must be Spirit-received.  It can never be fully appreciated or apprehended by the natural man, utilizing the natural mind.  Rather, one must be “born again” in order to “SEE” (understand and accept) “the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)  Jesus declared, “To you [all born again believers] it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:10)  So while you are reading the Scriptures, make sure that you have a genuinely intimate relationship with “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed and stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!