Bible Interpretation

Bible interpretation is not something Bob the bloodhound always agree with me (Tim) on. He sometimes doesn’t like what I say on the subject of interpreting Holy Scripture. In fact, there are times I get under his skin (which isn’t very hard to do – Bob has lots of skin).

The matter of bible interpretation is an important discussion. No matter which Christian tradition we come from, there is disagreement as to how to deal with certain Bible verses. Even most parishioners within the same local church do not agree on how to treat particular passages of Scripture.

The Real Issue of Bible Interpretation

Just so you know, I was trained in a seminary that largely looked through the lens or the starting point of biblical authority, as if we had the right view on it all. Biblical authority, however, is not really the issue, in my opinion. Before you pick up stones, hear me out. The issue, as I see it, is this:  

No matter who we are, we pick and choose what Bible passages are authoritative, and which are not. 

Although Christians say the Bible is authoritative, we all have what I would deem as “boss verses.”  That is, verses which control other verses. For example, I take Matthew 28:18-20 as “boss verses” that control other verses. The words of Jesus from those verses help me interpret and view other Bible verses. Because of this, I am not willing to concede that the mission of the church is primarily about something other than making disciples.

An Example

Okay, you might be with me so far. So, let’s pick a hot potato: LGBTQ+ folks and the Church. When it comes to same-sex relationships, it seems to me that there are those who take seven verses out of the over thirty-one thousand verses in Scripture and make them boss verses.

Even if we camp on verses where the word “abomination” shows up, it only ends up talking of same-sex relations once. Things like worry, procrastination, and gossip are addressed much more in Scripture and are also much more prevalent everywhere. But we do not make “boss verses” out of these, so we pretty much let them slide.

I’m not seeing Christians, Churches, or denominations talking about biblical authority and sins of the tongue in the same breath; or, looking to bring discipline to gossipers; or, getting upset about chronic whisperings behind others’ backs. Instead, we mostly just live with it. We wish it were different, but it doesn’t make our blood boil. If gossip began to take away our power or authority, then I am sure it would make it to the floor of denominational meetings and annual congregational meeting scream-festivals.

Who or What Is in Control?

All Christians hold to biblical authority. To me, this is not the issue. The real issue is which Bible passages call the shots for us. 

Until we are able to confess this bible interpretation practice of particular verses controlling other verses, it seems to me we will get nowhere.

So, in the meantime, I would rather be looked at as a friend of gays. Because that controls my thought and practice more than injunctions from the book of Leviticus.

I take loving my neighbor as a boss verse, so this determines how I speak and act more than whether I speak in tongues or not. I will choose to go out of my way to emphasize that all people are made in the image of God, because I take the Bible’s reference to God’s creation of humans as a boss verse. This does not mean I ignore other verses; it just means I have identified which verses of Holy Scripture I believe control other verses.

Let’s Be Honest about Our Bible Interpretation

I am really not trying to stir the pot (Bob differs with me on this!). I am simply making a plea for us to be honest about how we handle the Bible.

And if we have never read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation (and more than once) then it seems to me we are thin ice to make pronouncements about what are to be the boss verses or what is the clear teaching of Scripture.

If you need to go pet your own dog after reading this, I understand. I hope he or she is lot more furry than Bob. Please just do me the respect to think about these things without jumping to conclusions or condemnation.  After all, I believe that grace and love are the boss of everything in the Bible, and control how we ought to do our bible interpretation.

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The Bible as history means it is an historical book, filled with historical documents. The essence of Christian ministry is the ability to grasp the Bible as God’s special self-revelation. Then, use it to edify Christians and proclaim good news to all creation. (Matthew 28:19)

This may seem obvious or elementary, yet we need to be reminded of the Bible as history.  That is, it was written in history by actual historical characters. Yes, the Bible is a spiritual book. Yet, that does not negate or cancel the fact that it is an actual historical document.

Handling the Bible with Care and Skill

Glorifying God through properly handling Scripture is a skill that develops over a lifetime of following Jesus. Therefore, understanding something of the basic nature of the Bible as history is critical to the church and all believers.

I serve as a church pastor and a hospital chaplain, and am a theologian and philosopher. I am also an historian with a few academic degrees to show for it. Even if a pastor or layperson is not credentialed as an historian, that person still does the work of an historian by handling God’s historical Word.

So, I cannot emphasize enough the need to approach the Bible as history with some common historical sense. If we don’t, we are in danger of misinterpreting God’s Holy Word for us today.  As contemporary people who seek to apply the Bible to our present needs and situations, the historians’ craft can help us in our quest.

Paying Attention to History

John Fea, professor of American History at Messiah College, has rightly explained that the historian’s first task is not to find something relevant in history, but to do the work of helping explain the past. The goals of the historian, Fea says, are:

  • To observe change over time.
  • To interpret the past in context.
  • To be constantly interested in the causes for an event.
  • To keep the big picture in mind by seeing how events are influenced by other events.
  • To realize the past is complex by resisting simplistic explanations that can be put into sound bites.

If we rip biblical characters from their historical context and roots; try and make them just like us; ignore their understandings and motivations; ask first what something means for us before asking what it meant for them; seek to selfishly use biblical persons as tools for our own propaganda in the present; then, we have done a disservice to the church, not to mention a disservice to the God whom we seek to honor.

Respecting the Historical Process

I insist we eschew cherry-picking from the past and the Bible. That practice is merely done to get positive accolades with the people for whom we minister to. The Bible as history is not to be used to get our point across. It is God’s revelation to us so that we can know the Lord better – and that we might grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. (2 Peter 3:18)

One needs not be a scholar to effectively learn or communicate Holy Scripture. Rather, I am pleading for some intellectual hospitality, some basic human decorum in handling the Bible. We need to learn and listen to both the characters of the Bible, and the people in our lives, with views that differ from our own.

Historical and Biblical Collaboration

Someone might argue that all we need is the Holy Spirit.  And I would argue that only narcissists believe they can independently handle the Bible, as if the Holy Spirit speaks only to individuals and not the community of the redeemed as a whole.

Let’s examine the Old and New Testaments – not to give ammunition to our personal and cultural agendas – but because it has the potential to change our lives and transform us for compassionate service in the church and the world.

May it be so, to the glory of God.

Be safe. Be strong. Be smart. Be spiritual. We are all in this together.

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Far too often churches stick to a literal interpretation with the notion that they are keeping its fidelity out of fear that Christendom will be lost to the broader culture, and society will sink into an abyss of egregious sin.  The irony is that many so-called believers in the Bible are sinking into forms of abusive and ungracious behavior by fighting battles that Scripture itself never calls them to fight.

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