Can the Bible mean anything you want? Or are there clear rules for interpreting it?

Answer 1

Interpretation of the Bible - Exegesis

In Bible study, exegesis is the process whereby a critical analysis of the given text produces direct, logical conclusions. Often, original texts (Greek and Hebrew) are used, passages must be viewed in context, and time/purpose of writing are taken in to account. This is often accomodated by asking:

Who wrote the text, and who is the intended readership?
What is the context of the text (i.e. how does it fit in the author's larger thought process, purpose, or argument)?
When was the text written? To whom was the writer writing?
Where was the focus of the text (i.e. Jewish settlements vs pagan areas)
Why was the text written (i.e. dispel heresy, church sanctification, recordkeeping)?
What is the cultural, historical context? What was the author's original intended meaning? Why was he saying it?

One interpretation. When the author of a book recorded history, or wrote their letter or gospel, they had a single intended meaning attached to what they wrote. When a person writes a letter, they are not thinking how they can write it so that the receiving person either cannot understand it or comes up with many different interpretations of what the writer meant. One should always be aware of what the authors intended meaning was. This should guide and direct one's studies, and should also safeguard against interpretations that do not fit the thought or flow of the book one is studying.

Regard for genre - Identification
Different literary genres (kinds of literature) are interpreted in different ways, so the first question to ask is: “To which category of literature does the text you are interpreting belong? Below are brief descriptions of the different genres found in the Bible:

Historical Narratives. These describe actual historical events from God’s perspective. They tell us what God is like (His character and nature), what God likes/dislikes, how He deals with people who obey and honour Him, and how he deals with those who disobey and hate Him. Narratives give us principles and lessons, not commands, patterns or laws. Historical Narratives are found in Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. In the New Testament, they can be found in parts of the Gospels, and the book of Acts.

Poetry and Songs. These are expressions of emotion to God. They allow us to express to God our feelings of happiness, joy, trust, hope, security, as well as feelings of discouragement, guilt, suffering, fear, anger, despair and repentance. They also assist us in expressing our love and appreciation for God or our need for forgiveness. Poetry and Songs allow us to relate to God on our own level. They show us how to communicate with God and how to honour and worship Him. In the Old Testament, these writings are found primarily in the Psalms and Song of Songs.

Legal Writings. These writings indicate God’s high moral standard, His idea of justice, principles of common sense government, principles of common sense health and safety, and His pattern and order for acceptable worship. These laws are NOT directly applicable to Christians today i.e. they are not meant to be legalistic instructions and commands to Christians. Such legal writings can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Wisdom/Wise Sayings. These writings indicate God’s view of wisdom as opposed to man’s view of wisdom. They contain wise sayings, and practical advice on how to live life and avoid trouble and hardship. Wisdom literature can be found primarily in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job.

Prophecy. Prophecy is God’s message to a particular person, a particular group of people and sometimes to all humanity. It is not necessarily foretelling the future – in fact the vast majority of prophecy in the Bible speaks of the present. Prophecy is found primarily in the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi.

Teachings of Jesus. These are direct statements of truth from Jesus concerning the nature and character of God the kingdom of God/Heaven, what God expects of us, principles of righteous living, and the ways in which Jesus fulfils the OT prophecies. They are not exhaustive ‘DOs and DON’Ts,’ but rather, serve as examples and paradigms (patterns) from which we can derive underlying principles to apply in other situations. These teachings are found in parts of the Gospels i.e. Matthew – John.

Parables. Parables are stories with a punch-line. Parables are not so much illustrative, but rather, provocative. They are designed to draw people in and hit them with something unexpected, in the same way a joke does. Most parables have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea. Note also that they are not perfect analogies! Parables are also found in parts of the Gospels.

Letters. These are generally occasional documents i.e. they were written with a clear purpose to a well identified audience. However, some letters (called epistles) were written to a larger people group. The letter/epistle writer presents arguments to correct, rebuke, defend, instruct, praise and encourage their readers. Letters/epistles form the vast majority of the New Testament from Romans to Jude.

Apocalypse. This includes the book of Revelation, and also large parts of Ezekiel and Daniel. Revelation is a vision of warning and encouragement to the early church as it was going through immense persecution.

Regard for literary devices
"Various forms of Hebrew poetry, simile, metaphor, and hyperbole need to be recognized if the reader is to understand the passage's meaning."

Regard for section of content

Historical Context. The Bible was written over a period of time dating from approximately 2000 BC (Job) to 95 AD (Revelation). It was set in a different country/continent and a vastly different culture and society from our own, therefore we must be careful not to make 20th century “western world” assumptions about the situation. Consult Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks in order to find out about the manners and customs of the various nations at that time in history. Use your imagination and try to put yourself in the shoes of the people involved. Make observations about who? what? when? where? and how?

Literary Context. This is the position of the text you are reading in relation to other texts. What verses come before? What verses come after? What situation, event, statement or argument led up to this passage? What situation, event, statement or argument followed or resulted from this passage? What book is the text in? Whereabouts in the book? What testament is it in? Why is the text in this position? Why is it in the Bible at all? What difference would it make if it was left out?

Answer 2

Let me approach this from a different angle. Who do you want to enforce any given interpretation?

Assuming for a moment there are clear rules for interpreting the Bible. If I come up with different rules, and I claim that these rule make better sense of the Bible and the related evidence (archeology, other related texts, etc, etc.), will the adherents of the old rules come after me and kill me?

There is indeed a scholarly endeavor for interpreting the Bible in its proper historical context. However, anyone who has read even a little widely in this area knows that at almost every step there is disagreement (sometimes bitter) and widely divergent interpretations of just about everything. I suppose one can discern a middle of the road consensus in this scholarly endeavor, but as soon as some further relevant evidence surfaces, that consensus can change quickly.

Every denomination claims to have the best interpretation. I have not been impressed with any institutional interpretation/orthodoxy. And I am not often impressed with the dissenting interpretations either.

Assuming you live in the United States or in another western democracy, you are free to interpret the Bible any way you want to. And I am free to disagree. Now if we want to have a conversation, then it might be nice for each of us to present the reasons we interpret the Bible the way we do. Heck! We might even learn something from each other.

Answer 3

The are clear rules for interpreting the Bible.

Answer 4

There are several schools of thought who have developed specific rules with their own internal logic. Some people twist it to mean whatever they want. Some people read it while assuming certain presuppositions. Some people (like myself) look into peer-reviewed academic works produced by secular scholars.

Who's to say which method is correct? Personally, I think a scientific approach is best. Assume it was written by human beings who wanted to advance a specific message, and then try to understand what that message actually was. Did the author of Jonah expect his readers to believe that Jonah survived three days in the belly of a fish? Probably not.

Answer 5

Cashelmara, impressive exegesis on 2:Tim 3:sixteen-17. It for sure does not say what Protestants because of the fact that Luther might desire it to way. It says that scripture writers have been inspired, and that the scripture is "worthwhile," which skill neither infallible nor sufficient. As further historic past, "scripture" right now meant the previous testomony. most of the recent testomony had no longer even been written, much less wide-unfold as canon by unique Christians. Paul is telling us something with regards to the previous testomony that must be obvious to all present day readers: That mutually as inspired, the previous testomony won't be in a position to be taken at face value. Jesus for sure known this while he made statements like that recorded in Matthew 19:8: "Jesus spoke back, 'Moses approved you to divorce your better halves because of the fact your hearts weren't elementary. whether it exchange into no longer this sort from the initiating.'" unique Christians and their present day heirs comprehend that the be conscious of God isn't the Bible, yet Jesus Christ himself (John a million:14: The be conscious grew to alter into flesh and made his living between us). Our understanding of the be conscious of God isn't limited to a e book. If a e book have been paramount, Jesus might have written one. quite, he taught by oral be conscious and occasion. The exaltation of the accrued writings contained in the Bible over the full revelation of Jesus in scripture and contained in the truthful custom of the Church to which Jesus entrusted his revelation is a sort of idolatry. Cheers, Bruce

Answer 6

Scripture interprets Scripture.
After many readings in many different translations and studying the original texts one finds basic foundational precepts and interprets everything else from what is definitively known.
Of course, the Holy Spirit who lives within us is the one true guide.

Answer 7

The bible can mean anything that you want. If something in there agrees with what you are saying, quote it. If it doesn't, say the bible wasn't meant to be taken literally.

People interpret it to fit their modern lives. If they didn't, and had to follow what the bible says, everyone would be Amish.

Answer 8

Yes, its called sound reason.

The Bible is a written communication which follows the same logical rules as all forms of written communication.

Answer 9

you can pretty much get the bible to say anything u want it to say. the bible can be very confusing, in one book it might say one thing and in another change it up a little bit. especially if you read the english one, it was translated several times.

Answer 10

Exegesis is the science of Biblical interpretation. Notice "SCIENCE." And yes, there ARE rules which must be followed to reach VALID conclusions.

Answer 11

People take whatever pieces they need to use for their own purposes.