How To Interpret The Bible

Thesis: When we read the Bible, how should we
interpret it?

• HERMENEUTICS - How we interpret scripture
  • Do we need interpretation rules?
  • Considerations:
    • culture, discrepencies, contradictions,
      allegory
  • Why study the study of scripture?
    • 1 Peter 3:15, Jude 3, Matthew 28:19,
      2 Timothy 2:15, Ephesians 4:14
• Entire Bible is fixed, objective, revelation
  from God. Is not subjective, open to various
  interpretations. Is not relative or changing
• Proper scriptural interpretation is literal,
  grammatical and historical.
  Literal: says what it says in plain sense
  Grammatical: can be poetic, symbological, etc
  i.e. uses word "like" = simile. Uses figures
  of speech in obvious ways.
  Historical: not stories, but real history.
• Must consider context - verses, chapters and
  books are part of a whole. Must consider the
  authors audience, time written, issue addressed
• Compare scripture with scripture: God cannot
  lie, mislead, contradict himself.
• Ways to approach text:
  • Exegesis - taking out of/from Bible
  • Eisegesis - putting into the Bible
    We should strive to take out.
• Ultimately, we should find Jesus in all Bible.
  He taught this in Luke 24:27. If you don't
  see/read Christ in all scripture, you end up
  teaching morals, do's/dont's, stories without
  a basis or reason.