Methodical Principles
INTERPRETING
Methodical Principles
INTERPRETING
“During study, I have difficulty with interpretation. How do I interpret what I observe? Should I answer all the questions I ask? How do I know if my answers are correct?”
Purpose of Interpretation
To interpret means to explain or tell the meaning of something. When interpreting a Scripture passage, your aim should be to determine what the author meant by the words used. You should try to put yourself into his place, recapturing his thoughts, attitudes and emotions. You should mentally try to re‑create the experiences of the author in order to discover why he wrote a certain historical situation for a specific purpose. Also you should try to understand the people to or for whom he was writing.
Please note that the primary purpose of interpretation is to discover what the author meant by what he said. This is not easy because he is not around for us to ask him the questions we ask ourselves. But, it behooves us to be objective in our interpretations. Thus, when we are trying to interpret, we are not to think about what the passage means to us, but what it seemed to mean to the author. Even so, interpretations will often vary. You can read a dozen commentaries on some Biblical passage and have as many different explanations. Also, it is not possible to know the meaning of everything stated in the Bible. We lack in background and insight.
Process of Interpretation
While we are limited in our ability to interpret, there are many things we can do in order to be as fair as possible to the author. We shall list activities involved in the process of interpretation as “steps,” though they do not have to be taken in the order listed below:
STEP ONE – Pray and Mediate
Only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit can you interpret Scripture properly and receive insights into the truths; therefore, prayer and meditation are first in the process of interpretation. You must be willing to take the time to meditate prayerfully in order to give God an opportunity to reveal His truths; otherwise your results may be rather shallow and superficial. An open heart and spirit of receptivity are necessary characteristics of a Bible student.
STEP TWO – Discern
The questions you have been asking yourself can be the bridge between observation and interpretation. They reveal areas needing special thought and consideration, but you have to use discernment regarding the questions you answer and the way to answer them. Some of your questions may overlap and some may be irrelevant. You will soon realize that a question that can be answered with “yes” or “no” does not have much value in the interpretive process.
Do not think of answering questions as an end in itself, but only as a means by which you gain deeper insight into the whole passage. Questions are guides to point out areas needing interpreting. Do not attempt to answer individual questions but use them as your guide when considering the meaning of a whole thought.
STEP THREE – Define
The dictionary is one of the most important tools of the interpreter. Look up the definition of the key words in the passage. Study those words you do understand. Often new insights come when observing the many variations of meaningsthat can be applied to some words. From the definitions, choose the one that best fits into the Bible context. Also make note of the usage and origin of words.
When studying definitions, be sure you relate the definition to the Bible text. Always ask yourself, “What insight into the passage does this definition give me?” At first, there is a tendency for some Bible students to look up definitions as an exercise without relating the definitions to the Bible text itself.
STEP FOUR – Compare
It is always helpful to compare the various translations of a Bible passage, especially when studying a difficult portion. Compare the standard translations such as King James, New King James, New International Version, American Standard and Revised Standard Version. Also consult some of the “free” translations such as Phillips, Moffat, Williams and the Amplified New Testament, to name a few. Copy those portions giving you new insights into the passage. Of course, the ideal would be to read the passage in its original Greek or Hebrew.
STEP FIVE – Investigate
Look for Scripture’s own interpretations. Often in the Gospels, Jesus interprets His own statements by explanations and quotations from Old Testament Scriptures. Comparing Scripture passages with other Scripture passages provides many new insights. Use a concordance and cross references to find additional references on the idea you are considering. Make note of marginal references and suggestions in order to understand the various ways of translating a word.
STEP SIX – Consult
In order to get historical and geographical background for your Bible study, consult such sources as a Bible dictionary, Bible geography, Bible atlas, Bible history and maps. Studying the historical books, the Gospels and the book of Acts, it is especially helpful to locate events on a map. You can make a Bible study interesting by tracing the journeys of such Bible characters as Abraham, Jacob, David and Paul.
Because of the difficulty of some Bible passages, you may need to consult a commentary in order to comprehend the meaning, but this should be last. Consulting a commentary before completing individual study denies you of the joy of personally discovering truths. Too many people are “commentary” students rather than “Bible” students. Use the commentary as a tool – not as a crutch.
STEP SEVEN – Summarize
The final step in the process of interpretation is summarizing your interpretations in order to determine the main message of the Scriptural portion of your study. You can formulate a brief statement by paraphrasing the passage in your own words, by making an outline or diagram to show the main teachings. The summary should always reflect your objective study. A summary statement should begin with, “. . . therefore, it seems that the author is saying . . . and means . . .” Remember you are trying to interpret what the author meant by what he has written.
Practical Suggestions
Be Logical
Be logical as you define, compare, and investigate the answers to your questions. First, define your terms and then determine their interpretation in relation to the text.
Example:
Interpretive questions – What is the meaning of the word “count” in the passage, “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials” (James 1:2). Why use the word “count” and not another verb? Is there a difference between counting a trial a joy and rejoicing in a trial?
Interpretation
In considering these questions the first step is to define the word “count.” Possibly you may feel that it is rather foolish to study the definition of a word as well-known as count, but the key to interpreting this passage rests on understanding this word. In consulting a dictionary, we find some of the following definitions: to reckon, to number, to compute, to esteem, to judge, to regard. From these we must choose the one that best defines “count” in its context. In this case, “to reckon” or “to regard” define the word better than “to number.” If we look up the definition of “to reckon,” we find that it means “to consider” or “to conclude.” Thus by defining the word “count,” we learn that James is saying that a person is “to regard or to consider it all joy when he meets trials.”
James could have said, “Rejoice in your trials.” In order to understand the difference between “rejoice” and “count,” we need to define “rejoice.” In the dictionary we find that it means “to feel joy or a great delight.” Thus, we see there is a difference between “feeling a great delight” over a trial and “regarding it as a joy.” In other words, James is saying that a person should accept trials as something valuable in life. There will be pain in trials, but a person should regard them in a spirit of joy because they are a means by which faith is tested and steadfastness is produced.
Be analytical
Noting Structural relationships has little value unless you relate them to the meaning of the passage. Your purpose for noting comparisons, contrasts, repetitions, progression of ideas and logical relationships is to analyze their significance in the interpretation of the message. For instance, whenever comparisons are given, always consider characteristics of the ideas compared before trying to interpret the Spiritual truths involved.
Example:
Interpretive questions – What is the significance in the comparison: “for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:7). How do these characteristics fit the doubter?
Interpretation
In considering these questions and the interpretation of this comparison, we must first think about characteristics of the wave. Our text gives us two: driven and tossed by the wind. To these we can add others. A wave has no roots, no stability, and no will of its own and goes in all directions. Meditating on these characteristics, we see how well they fit the doubter. He, too, is rootless, has nothing upon which to base his beliefs, is at the mercy of every wind of philosophy, and goes in all directions. Thus we see how doubt is the opposite of faith.
