Chapter 7: Interpretation
Interpretation is the step where you pull all the facts together into a coherent explanation of their
meaning.
This is also where you will investigate any puzzling details in the passage.
-determining the meaning once all the facts are in.
Interpretation is built on thorough observation.
Careful observation, however, does not guarantee accurate interpretation.
Interpretation brings meaning to the facts.
*No method of interpretation is “foolproof.”
Questions of interpretation for a passage: What does the passage mean? Are there several
messages? Do you need to discover more about the meaning of significant words in the text?
What was the author trying to say?
Interpretation: Discovering the Author’s Intention
What was God saying through the biblical writers?
-it is the work of trying to get inside the author’s head and heart to determine what he intended
his readers to understand.
Identifying with the author involves trying to reconstruct the historical context in which he
wrote. An effective Bible teacher tries to reconstruct the meaning of the text as if he or she were
actually the writer.
**It is not our meaning that we are after, but the writer’s intent, and ultimately that of God
Himself, communicating His truth through the writer. We try to discover God’s intent by
asking questions of interpretation—and then answering them.
Principles of Interpretation
The process of interpretation is known by the technical term hermeneutics, which comes from
the Greek hermeneuo, meaning “to interpret or explain.”
Luke 24:27 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them what
was said in the Scriptures concerning Himself.”
Four Principles of Interpretation:
1. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
This is the first tenet of the Reformation, known in Latin as Sacra Scriptura sui
interpres, “Sacred Scripture is its own interpreter,” which means that the Bible
does not contradict itself; it is internally consistent in its teaching.
When we are deriving the meaning of a passage or book of Scripture, our
conclusions must be compatible with other teachings of the Bible. God’s message
is coherent and harmonious.
2. Interpret the Bible literally.
In general, the most accurate meaning of a text is the obvious one. The Bible
simply means what it says.
The Bible is literature, and therefore, its words should first be understood in their
historic context, having the intended meaning in the usage of that day.
A great deal of the Bible is figurative language and has a special set of rules for
interpretation and understanding (discussed later).
3. Interpret the Bible grammatically.
The words of Scripture are to be interpreted in the natural sense, according to the
ordinary rules of grammar.
A word has only one meaning when used in a sentence.
A word’s meaning is tied to the sentence by rules of grammar.
The meaning of a word must be derived from its context.
4. Interpret the Bible in its historical setting.
The Bible is the story of God working in human history, a record of events that
actually happened. For this reason, we must study Scripture in light of the
historical times in which it was written.
Many things have changed since then so the more we understand about the
author’s setting, lifestyle, and culture, the more accurate our interpretation (and
therefore our application) will be.
The Questions of Interpretation
The goal is to discover what the author meant by those items in the observation stage: who, what,
when, where, and now why.
Interpretation goes beyond the facts. Now you will be asking yourself:
What additional research do I need to do in order to find out more about the meaning and
significance of:
Who? (the characters)
The writer.
The recipients.
The characters involved in the action.
Special people addressed in the passage.
What? (the key truths or events)
Key ideas.
Theological terms.
Key events.
Important words (verb tense, commands).
Figures of speech
Atmosphere
Where? (the geography and location)
Places mentioned.
Buildings
Cities
Nations
Landmarks
When? (the time factors)
Date of the author’s writing
Duration of the action
At what point in the life of Israel
At what point in the life of the church
Past, present, or future
Why? (the purpose of the passage or book)
The reader’s need.
The writer’s message.
--This question of purpose is two-sided; there is the need that caused the revelation to be given,
and the author’s message that addressed that need.
First, what is the reader’s need? What central concern do you find the writer addressing in the
passage or book? Why was it necessary for the author to write?
This need question could be called the “problem” that the message was meant to “solve.”
*Not all Scripture addresses a problem (Ephesians, for example, does not).
The reader’s need: The reason why the author wrote the passage or book.
The writer’s message: The answers or solutions the writer gave to address the need.
This requires diligent thinking and drawing conclusions on all you have previously studied.
The Answers for Interpretation
Five Cs of interpretation:
Content, context, comparison, consultation, and conclusion
1. State an initial proposal based on the content.
What do you think is the answer to your question? We all come with preconceived
ideas of what the text means—write that idea down and test your hypothesis as
you work through the other stages of interpretation.
Your interpretation should come from the passage you are studying, not from
referring to someone else’s idea of what the passage means.
2. Search the context.
The teaching of a passage of Scripture must be viewed in the setting of the book
in which it is located.
How do the surrounding verses (the paragraphs before and after, the chapter
before and after, the whole book) help you understand?
Knowing the purpose and development of the book as a whole will automatically
narrow your thinking about any individual part. *This is one way of letting
Scripture interpret itself.
3. Seek biblical comparisons.
The Bible, though it contains many different parts, speaks with one unified voice.
Sound interpretation always takes into account the whole teaching of Scripture.
Use cross-references found in the margins of the Bible to compare verses you are
studying with related passages elsewhere in the Bible.
Take into account the context of each new reference you look up to see what they
are saying about the subject you are examining.
Look at several different translations of your passage to get a fuller range of
meaning for certain words or concepts.
Use a concordance to look up similar teachings or topics mentioned in other
places in Scripture (see Appendixes A and B for the definition and uses of a
concordance and other Bible study aids).
4. Consult the secondary sources.
These include commentaries, concordances, atlases, Bible dictionaries and
encyclopedias, theology books, and other reference works (refer to Appendixes A
and B in the book).
We must always use these tools with discernment because even godly people
make mistakes. Some writers are more skilled than others, and all writers are
influenced by their theological presuppositions or biases.
5. State your conclusions.
Having consulted references to help interpret your passage, state your conclusion.
These should flow out of your work in the previous steps.
Chapter 8: The How-tos of Interpretation
Not all areas of consideration will be significant for the passage or book you are studying. For
example, the question of “where” may not be particularly illuminating as it would be if studying
Exodus.
Who? (the characters)
Find out all you can about the author and the recipients, including their identities and
situations. If specific people or groups are mentioned, now is the time to learn more about
them.
Example: James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes
scattered among the nations”
Q: Who are the “twelve tribes” that were scattered abroad?
Initial proposal based on content: The twelve tribes must have been the Jews who were
living in many different places throughout the Roman Empire.
Context: James 2:2 refers to the “meeting” (NASB has “assembly”) or synagogue (see margin
note), not the church, which establishes the Jewish background of the group in question.
However, this book is written to Christians (James 2:1), and, therefore, must be to converted
Jews—Jewish Christians. James makes extensive use of Old Testament stories: 2:25; 5:11, 17.
He also calls Abraham “our father” (2:21).
Comparison: Many early Christians were Jewish converts (Acts 1-7). Luke 22:30 uses the term
“twelve tribes” to speak of Israel. John 7:35 refers to the Jews scattered among the Gentiles.
Psalm 147:2; Isaiah 11:12; 56:8; and Zephaniah 3:10 also refer to this scattering of the Jews.
This letter seems to have a special message for Christians who had problems specifically related
to their Jewish backgrounds.
Consultation: Most commentators agree that James was written around A.D. 45 to Jewish
converts scattered throughout the Roman Empire. H. A. Ironside, in his commentary James and
Peter says, “The letter was addressed, not to any individual church or group of churches, as such,
but to the twelve tribes of Israel in the Dispersion, those twelve tribes of whom Paul speaks in
his address before Agrippa” (Acts 26:7). This letter was circulated to these groups wherever they
were found meeting in the old synagogues.
Conclusions: The twelve tribes scattered abroad are Jewish Christians facing unique challenges
because of their heritage. They are located throughout the Roman Empire.
What? (the key truths or events)
This is the time to investigate important words and ideas in the passage. What is the tone
of the passage—joy, sorrow, disappointment, delight? If it is an action passage, what do
the main actions represent?
Example: Philippians 2:1–3
Q: What does it mean to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit”?
Initial proposal based on content: Selfishness is usually caring more for yourself than for
others. Conceit seems to imply useless or worthless vanity. From verses 2–4 it seems to
mean a lack of unity, love, and purpose; the opposite of humility—pride; regarding
yourself as more important than others; looking out for your own interests first.
Context: Paul is speaking here of the kind of conduct we in the church ought to exhibit (1:27).
Christ is given as the great example of humility; He showed no selfishness or conceit. Notice
also that Paul showed no selfishness in his lifestyle (1:22–26).
Comparison: Some of the Jewish Christians preached Christ out of selfish ambition (1:15–17),
trying to harm Paul. Those who don’t care about the good of the church are preaching the Gospel
for their own gain. This selfish goal warrants the wrath of God and is a characteristic of
unrighteousness (Rom. 2:8). This ambition and conceit is contrary to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.
5:25–26).
Consultation: The phrases “selfish ambition” and “vain conceit” mean “to be self-seeking” and
are based on a false view of ourselves. A person with humility realizes his or her great
dependence on God, and views others as equals before God. We are all equal in the church and
should not put ourselves before others. Our dependence on God affects our behavior toward
others.
Conclusions: Selfishness or conceit, as defined in this passage, is the opposite of humility. It is a
self-seeking attitude that cares nothing about the welfare of the church, but only about the
personal success of self.
Where? (the geography and location)
Using the maps in your Bible or an atlas, locate where the author and readers were at the
time of writing. Can you find all the places mentioned in the text? Can anything to be
learned from the location of the events?
Example: James 1:1
Q: Where were these Jewish Christians of the Dispersion?
Initial proposal based on content: They could have been anywhere in the Roman Empire.
The book of James tells us only that they were “scattered among the nations.” A margin
note translates the phrase literally as “the Dispersion”—a Greek term for a specific group
of people.
Context: The Book of James does not give us any help in locating them geographically.
Comparison: John 7:35 mentions the Dispersion, saying that they were among the Greeks.
References from the Old Testament (noted in the Who study) tell us that these people are the
remnant that were scattered abroad during the great Assyrian and Babylonian persecution. These
Jews never returned to Israel when the nation was rebuilt under Ezra, Nehemiah, and
Zerubbabel, but remained scattered throughout the Middle East (Ps. 147:2; Isa. 11:12; 56:8;
Zeph. 3:10).
Consultation: Diaspora is the Greek word for “scattered,” from which we get “dispersed.” In
New Testament times there were approximately five million Jews living outside of Palestine,
scattered among the Greeks. They were descendants of all of the original twelve tribes of Israel.
These communities of scattered Jews often became fertile soil for the spread of the Gospel. For
example, Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer (Acts 16:1) who married a Greek living in
Asia Minor.
Conclusions: The dispersed Jewish Christians were scattered throughout the Roman Empire
wherever their descendants had settled after the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
When? (the time factors)
Determine if there is anything critical related to the element of time in this passage. Does
the message depend at all on certain aspects of the era in the church’s history in which it
was written? Are there lessons to be learned based on the timing of the events?
Example: Philippians 2:1–11
Q: Christ suffered before He gained victory; humiliation preceded exaltation. Is there a principle
of timing here that is true for us?
Initial proposal based on content: This passage seems to teach that, as Christians, we too
must suffer with Christ before we receive our reward of ultimate victory with Him in
heaven. We should have the same attitude that Jesus had—that of humility. Jesus’
exaltation was won through His humiliation on the cross.
Context: Philippians 1:29 says we will suffer as Christ did; Paul shares his own suffering and
imprisonment in chapter 1. He also says that he lives on, not for himself, but for others. He
seems to back up the humiliation of Christ—His suffering—with his own testimony. We too, it
seems, are asked to live a life of humility, like both Paul and Jesus, before we can reign with
Christ.
Comparison: 2 Timothy 2:12 teaches that “if we endure, we will also reign with him.”
Therefore, we will one day share His exaltation. We also know that Jesus taught that the greatest
in the kingdom would serve all the others (John 13:12–15). Proverbs 18:12 says: “Before his
downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.” Serving is fundamental to
reigning.
Consultation: John Calvin made the same observation about humility coming before honor. “He
shows that abasement, to which the human mind is averse, is in the highest degree desirable—
because everyone therefore who humbles himself will in like manner be exalted.”
Conclusions: There seems to be a biblical pattern about the progression from humiliation to
exaltation. We must have the one before receiving the other. It could use further study, but the
examples of Jesus and Paul support the principle.
Why? (the purpose of the passage or book)
The last task in interpreting Scripture is to discover the purpose of the passage.
Remember, the purpose question is two-sided: there is the need that caused the revelation
to be given, and there is the author’s message that addressed that need. Here you are
drawing conclusions based on all you have studied. To illustrate, look at the following
example.
Example: James 1:1–18
The Need: The readers of James seem to be in the midst of severe trials. Trials and temptations
are the recurring needs mentioned in these eighteen verses.
The Message: There are lessons to be learned and victories to be gained through trials, so look
for the treasures behind the trials of life.
More insight to the question of “why?”
1. Initial Proposal. Write an initial proposal to the twofold question of purpose.
• The Reader’s Needs:
• The Writer’s Message:
2. Context. What does the rest of the book of Philippians add to your understanding of the
purpose of this passage—especially the material immediately before and after the passage?
3. Comparison. How do cross-references, a concordance, and other translations provide further
insight on the purpose of Philippians 2:1–11? Where else does the Bible speak on this theme?
How do these instances affect your understanding of this text?
4. Consultation. What do the experts say about the purpose of this passage or book? Write down
several key comments from scholars that helped you understand the author’s purpose in writing
the text. (Refer to the list of resources in appendixes A and B.)
5. Conclusions. Having consulted other sources, now revise your initial proposal in light of any
new insights. State your conclusion as a concise and personal interpretation of the passage.
• The Reader’s Needs:
• The Writer’s Message:
