Interpreting the Bible Literally (Protestant/Evangelical Caucus and Devotional)

Ligonier.Org ^ | 2/20/2017

[Gamecock]

“Who knows the interpretation of a thing?” - Ecclesiastes 8:1

We have been considering the doctrine of sola Scriptura as part of our yearlong study of the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation. As we have noted, because Scripture alone is inspired, it is the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the church (2 Tim. 3:16–17). However, like all rules, Scripture must be interpreted in order for us to know what we must believe and how we must live. And, with the need for interpretation comes the solemn obligation to interpret God’s Word correctly. So that we will have a better understanding of how we can interpret Scripture rightly, we are now going to spend a few days looking at hermeneutics—the science of biblical interpretation. Dr. R.C. Sproul will guide our study as we turn to his teaching series Knowing Scripture as the basis for our devotionals.

The most basic rule of biblical interpretation that we can follow is that we should interpret the Bible literally. What does this mean? Essentially, we are not to treat Scripture like a secret code book; rather, we are to read the Bible as we would read any other work of literature. In other words, our goal is to read the Scriptures according to the intent of its authors and the literary conventions of the particular style that is being used. We do not read poetry the same way we read historical narrative, for example, for we know that poetry employs rich imagery that often serves as a figurative depiction of reality. Historical narrative, on the other hand, tends to give us the bare facts, as it were, the orderly account of what exactly happened.

In reading the Bible literally, our goal is to get at the plain sense of the text. Scripture is divinely inspired and contains the content we need to know for salvation. This does not mean, however, that there is a secret method for discerning the Bible’s meaning. After all, in inspiring the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit guided its human authors to use common literary styles—poetry, narrative, proverb, epistle, sermon, and many others. In other words, God accommodated Himself to the genres that we know when He gave us His Word. There are rules for reading each of these genres, and we are not to violate these rules for the sake of allegorical readings that are not connected to the text.

God did not use specialized or obscure forms when He revealed Himself; He used well-known genres and languages to give us His Word. That is because He wanted us to readily understand it.

Coram Deo

If we do not read the Bible according to the literary conventions that are appropriate for the various literary styles that it is using, we will go far astray. The plainest meaning of a passage, which we derive from reading poetry as poetry, narrative as narrative, and so forth, is the meaning that controls our interpretation and application of a text. Read the Bible as you would read other books, and its essential meaning will be plain to you.

Passages for Further Study

Deuteronomy 31:9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

2 Kings 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found ithe Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, jhe tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and kAhikam the son of Shaphan, and lAchbor the son of lMicaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is mthe wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and ta curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’ ” And they brought back word to the king.

Luke 12:54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see ha cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Acts 8:26 Now man angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, r“How can I, unless someone guides me?” And the invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: u“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”5 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

[Gamecock]

Ping

[metmom]

I don’t *interpret* it.

I just read it and tell people what it means. ;)

[Lee N. Field]

I don’t *interpret* it.

Except that that step is always there.