“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”  – Psalm 1:1-2

If you want to read and understand the Bible better, then today’s article will hopefully shed some light. How many times you’ve been in a situation when your friend said “That’s just your interpretation. You have your truth and I have my truth”. 

Well, when somebody says that, it means he/she believes in relativism (knowingly or unknowingly). Relativism believes that there’s no absolute truth. Arguably, I don’t think that relativism has any substance at all because of its self-contradictory nature. Let’s dissect this quickly. If there’s no absolute truth, then there will be no absolute reason to know this statement to be true either. 

Considering that all of us are prone to misunderstand the Bible at one point, that’s why we need to know some basic guidelines of understanding the Bible. 

7 things to consider when reading the Bible

1. What’s the literary form?: The Bible has different styles: poetry, stories, parables, teachings and more. We don’t turn poetry into history or vice versa, that would confuse things. Therefore, it’s important to recognise figures of speech and metaphors in the Bible. And avoid isolating verses from their surroundings.

2. What’s the grammatical aspect?:We need to focus on the grammar of the text in order to analyse how words and sentences are structured. Please consider figures of speech and basic language rules (a verb is a verb, a noun is a noun, etc).

3. What’s the historical context?: We must look at the historical context of the passage. Consider the time, culture, and events when the text was written.
4. What’s the author’s original purpose?: When reading the Bible, please consider what the original author intended to say. Just like understanding your friend’s text message, it’s imperative to know his/her purpose of writing the text to you. By combining the grammar and history, that’s how we know what the author wanted to say to the original audience.

5. Let Scripture interpret Scripture: Since the Bible presents a unified, consistent, and coherent message from God, that’s why any interpretation of a passage that contradicts another part of the Bible is not acceptable. When the Bible itself explains the Bible, it acknowledges the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit as the ultimate interpreter of the Bible. Therefore, pitting one part of Scripture against another without reason goes against this principle. The Bible should be interpreted considering not only its immediate context but also the broader context of the entire Word of God. It is advised to use cross-reference related passages to gain deeper insights.

6. Stay Humble & Open-minded: Interpreting the Bible isn’t always easy. That’s why we need to be open to learning and discussing different viewpoints. If needed, feel free to use Bible commentaries that have been written by Bible scholars or experts. We need to be humble so that we can study the Bible diligently without biases.

7. Pray to God for guidance: Last but certainly not least, we always pray for wisdom and illumination from the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit helps us to understand the true meaning of God’s Word.

In conclusion, please remember that interpreting the Bible requires diligence, reverence, and a heart open to God’s truth. Even though the Bible is both rich and complex, these guidelines can help you explore its depths and true meaning. Happy reading! 

Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven, thank you for your revelation, thank you for sending us your only Son, Jesus Christ to redeem us. Make us hungry more for your Word day by day. Humble us so that we can understand your Word better. Let the Holy Spirit reveal to us the meaning of your Word so that we can become doers, not only readers of your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.