Bible Interpretation I - Lesson 5
Attached Audio:
Introduction Continued
- THE LAWS OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION (Continued)
- The Law of Application
- All scriptural is profitable for the believer (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- No scripture is fully understood until it means something to you
- Tools: books by practical authors; for example, books on prayer by E. M. Bounds
- See 1 Corinthians 10:6-11 and Romans 15:4
PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION
- THE PRINCIPLE OF SCRIPTURAL DEFINING
- Stated: Biblical Words or Phrases are Defined by Biblical Usage
- Some Words are Plainly Defined in a Single Passage
- Wisdom (Job 28:28; Proverbs 9:10; James 3:17)
- Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)
- Messias (John 1:41)
- Cephas (John 1:42)
- Perfect (2 Timothy 3:17)
- Full age (Hebrews 5:14)
- Faith (Hebrews 11:1)
- Candle of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27)
- Parallel Phrasing Often Helps Define Words
- Instruments of death (Psalm 7:13)
- A ravenous bird (Isaiah 46:11)
- Deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13; cp. Luke 9:23)
- Context Provides Help in Defining Words
- Elements
- Of a legal system (Galatians 4:3,9)
- Of material substance (2 Peter 3:10)
- Church (1 Timothy 3:15, 4-5)
- City (Hebrews 11:10,16)
- Common Word Association Provides Clues as to Word Meaning
- If the same word or phrase is found with a word in several different places, this may give a clue as to the meaning of the word in scripture
- Examples
- Longsuffering with forbearing (Romans 2:4; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12-13)
- Power with authority (Luke 4:36; Luke 9:1; Luke 20:20; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 13:2)
- Note: This kind of association does not mean that the words are identical; only that their meanings are somehow related. Their meanings must still be contrasted from one another in order to determine the entire definition.
- Parallel Passages may Help to Define the Word
- Parallel passages include:
- Old Testament passages quoted in the New Testament
- Separate accounts of the same event (especially common in 1 Samuel - 2 Chronicles and in Matthew - John)
- Near repetitions by the same author (Isaiah and Jeremiah have many examples)
- Other similar passages
- Examples
- Tempt (Genesis 22:1 with Hebrews 11:17)
- The finger of God (Luke 11:20 with Matthew 12:28)
- The wisdom of God (Luke 11:49 with Matthew 23:34)
- Christ (Acts 4:26 with Psalm 2:2)
- Church (Hebrews 2:12 with Psalm 22:22)
Reagan, David