Why Do We Need To Interpret The Bible?
“God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.”
“I may not understand the Bible, but I believe it.”
“You don’t have to interpret the Bible. Just read it and do what it says.”
People make these statements and others like them without realizing that the Bible needs to be interpreted. For example what does a parent do when the Bible says, “Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death” (Exod. 21:17)? What is one to do when reading, Mark 9:43, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.”
Furthermore, just because someone places an interpretation on a passage doesn’t necessarily make it right. After chloroform was developed in England, doctors wanted to use it to help women with childbirth. However, women refused because of Gen. 3:16—“with pain you will give birth to children.” Only when it was shown from Gen. 2:21 that God “caused the man to fall into a deep sleep” to create woman would women accept chloroform.
By Biblical interpretation we mean “to explain the meaning of; make understandable” (Webster). When one interprets the Bible one is trying to determine what a biblical statement meant to its author and his readers, and then how it applies to us today. This is in harmony with what the Lord commands us to do in 2 Tim. 2:15—“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” In other words we are called to interpret correctly the “word of truth.”
This practice is not new. Moses interpreted and applied the Ten Commandments given in Ex. 20. The Book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ interpretation and application of them. The prophets interpreted God’s Law for the people and challenged them to obey it (Neh. 8:8). Jesus Christ interpreted the Old Testament scriptures concerning Himself for His disciples (Lk. 24:27).
We are not strangers to this business of interpretation. Lawyers interpret the law for their clients, judges interpret the law for the lawyers, and police interpret the law for citizens. Also counselors help families interpret their problems and these are just a few examples of the fact that interpretation is a fact of life.
God has one primary purpose for His word: to bring us into personal relationship with Himself. This makes Bible study intensely personal in nature. While you should use the help of other people you must learn to study for yourself. Each Christian is his or her own priest before God as Peter discusses in I Pet. 2:4-10 and this means that every believer has the right and responsibility to interpret the Bible personally.
We encourage you to study the Scriptures for yourself. Get behind the sermons, commentaries and human creed books to study God’s word for yourself in order that your beliefs may be yours instead of belonging to someone else. Remember it is your soul that is at stake. Don’t let someone lead you astray. Jesus said, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matt 15:14 KJV).
Do you have a question about the Bible or Christianity? Send it to us and the answer may be posted as a Question of the Week.
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