A Short Guide to Biblical Interpretation

Often you hear people say: “Just read the Bible and do what it says!” The problem with this attitude is that different people, even though they read the same Bible, come to very different conclusions about what it actually says!

Many people also tend to think of the Bible as “God’s little instruction book for life.” While this statement has a kernel of truth – the Bible certainly does contain much teaching on how to live – it is far more than just an instruction manual. It is the written record of God revealing in history who He is, what He is like, who we are, what we are like, and what He expects of us. This is the overall message of the Bible in a nutshell, and it should always be kept in our minds as we read the Bible.

The Bible was originally written to people who lived in a different place, in a very different culture, at a different time and period of history, and who spoke different languages. It also contains several different types of literature (called genres).

Because the Bible is God’s word in history revealed to people in history, it means that each passage has an historical context – an particular author, audience, purpose and occasion. On the other hand, since the Bible is also the word of God, its contents are also eternally relevant.

Therefore, the goal of interpretation is not to come up with the most unique interpretation (unique interpretations are usually wrong), but to discover the original intended meaning of a passage – the way the original audience understood it. The task of discovering the original intended meaning is called exegesis.

The key to doing good exegesis is reading the text very carefully, paying close attention to the details it describes, and asking the text the right questions. This is critical to finding the correct interpretation. Bad interpretation results directly from bad exegesis.

One of the easiest and most effective ways of identifying ambiguities and differences of opinion in interpretation is to read different translations – preferably as many as possible. There are three basic types of translations: literal (word-for-word translation), dynamic (thought-for-thought), and paraphrase (rephrasing of an existing translation). Here is a list (not exhaustive) of useful translations:

(note: I deleted this section of the article because I didn't want the debate to be which translation is the best. You can see the authors opinion if you click on the link.)

No-one is ever completely unbiased. Everyone approaches the Bible with presuppositions and pre-understandings or preconceived ideas about what the text means. However, this is not necessarily a problem, provided you are conscious of them and aware of how they may influence the way you read and interpret the text. Indeed, many interpreters come unstuck at this point because their presuppositions and pre-understandings often rule out a priori various interpretive options.

(note: the author included a graph at this point but my old computer could not copy it. Go to the link to see graph.)

The process of reading and interpreting the Bible should be cyclic. A reader approaches a passage of scripture with presuppositions (e.g. the Bible is the inerrant word of God) and usually has a pre-understanding about what the particular passage can or cannot mean. These presuppositions and pre-understandings, along with the context, influence the reader’s understanding of the passage, and help them derive their interpretation. This interpretation then effects the reader’s presuppositions, and becomes part of their pre-understandings the next time they read this passage. If our exegetical information, reasoning and judgements are thought through again and reassessed each time we go through the cycle then the accuracy and correctness of our interpretation will improve.

Different literary genres (kinds of literature) are interpreted in different ways, so the first question to ask is: “To which category of literature does the text you are interpreting belong? Below are brief descriptions of the different genres found in the Bible:

Historical Narratives. These describe actual historical events from God’s perspective. They tell us what God is like (His character and nature), what God likes/dislikes, how He deals with people who obey and honour Him, and how he deals with those who disobey and hate Him. Narratives give us principles and lessons, not commands, patterns or laws. Historical Narratives are found in Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. In the New Testament, they can be found in parts of the Gospels, and the book of Acts.

Poetry and Songs. These are expressions of emotion to God. They allow us to express to God our feelings of happiness, joy, trust, hope, security, as well as feelings of discouragement, guilt, suffering, fear, anger, despair and repentance. They also assist us in expressing our love and appreciation for God or our need for forgiveness. Poetry and Songs allow us to relate to God on our own level. They show us how to communicate with God and how to honour and worship Him. In the Old Testament, these writings are found primarily in the Psalms and Song of Songs.

Legal Writings. These writings indicate God’s high moral standard, His idea of justice, principles of common sense government, principles of common sense health and safety, and His pattern and order for acceptable worship. These laws are NOT directly applicable to Christians today i.e. they are not meant to be legalistic instructions and commands to Christians. Such legal writings can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Wisdom/Wise Sayings. These writings indicate God’s view of wisdom as opposed to man’s view of wisdom. They contain wise sayings, and practical advice on how to live life and avoid trouble and hardship. Wisdom literature can be found primarily in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job.

Teachings of Jesus. These are direct statements of truth from Jesus concerning the nature and character of God the kingdom of God/Heaven, what God expects of us, principles of righteous living, and the ways in which Jesus fulfils the OT prophecies. They are not exhaustive ‘DOs and DON’Ts,’ but rather, serve as examples and paradigms (patterns) from which we can derive underlying principles to apply in other situations. These teachings are found in parts of the Gospels i.e. Matthew – John.

Parables. Parables are stories with a punch-line. Parables are not so much illustrative, but rather, provocative. They are designed to draw people in and hit them with something unexpected, in the same way a joke does. Most parables have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea. Note also that they are not perfect analogies! Parables are also found in parts of the Gospels.

Letters. These are generally occasional documents i.e. they were written with a clear purpose to a well identified audience. However, some letters (called epistles) were written to a larger people group. The letter/epistle writer presents arguments to correct, rebuke, defend, instruct, praise and encourage their readers. Letters/epistles form the vast majority of the New Testament from Romans to Jude.

Apocalypse. This includes the book of Revelation, and also large parts of Ezekiel and Daniel. Revelation is a vision of warning and encouragement to the early church as it was going through immense persecution.

In the same way that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location and location, the three most important factors in exegesis are context, context and context. Understanding the context is the key to understanding what you are reading. Gordon Fee and Doug Stuart also point out “[t]he only proper control for hermeneutics is to be found in the original intent of the biblical text.”

There are two aspects of the context of a passage: the historical context and the literary context.

Historical Context. The Bible was written over a period of time dating from approximately 2000 BC (Job) to 95 AD (Revelation). It was set in a different country/continent and a vastly different culture and society from our own, therefore we must be careful not to make 20th century “western world” assumptions about the situation. Consult Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks in order to find out about the manners and customs of the various nations at that time in history. Use your imagination and try to put yourself in the shoes of the people involved. Make observations about who? what? when? where? and how?

Literary Context. This is the position of the text you are reading in relation to other texts. What verses come before? What verses come after? What situation, event, statement or argument led up to this passage? What situation, event, statement or argument followed or resulted from this passage? What book is the text in? Whereabouts in the book? What testament is it in? Why is the text in this position? Why is it in the Bible at all? What difference would it make if it was left out?

Following are some suggestions on making observations depending on the genre of the passage you are interpreting:

Historical Narratives. Choose a complete narrative and read it in a single sitting. Make (mental) notes as you are reading, and ask: What is happening? To who? When? Where? WHY? (The most important question!) What can I learn about God? What can I learn about the other characters involved?

Poetry and Songs. Read a complete Psalm or Song in one sitting, taking (mental) notes as you are reading. What is being said about God? What is being said about humanity? Is the writer pleading for something? Are they pouring their heart out? If so, about what? Are they praising God? Are they angry with God? What mood does the writer seem to be in? Joyful? Happy? Angry? Fearful? Anxious? Distraught? Discouraged? Does the writer’s mood change?

Legal Writings. Read a collection of related rules/regulations in one sitting. What rules/regulations are being put in place? Why? What situations/circumstances do they cover? Are they for moral reasons or are they concerned with administration/ government and personal hygiene? Can you see any pattern being established? Is a feast, offering or ceremony being described? If so, what seems to be its purpose or significance? Never stop asking WHY?

Wisdom. Read as much of Proverbs/Job/Ecclesiastes as you can in one go, taking (mental) notes as you read. Consider what you think the central message of the text is. What advice is given? What warnings are given? What comparisons are made? Compare the proverb you are reading with other similar or related proverbs (similar or related proverbs could be anywhere in the book of Proverbs). If there are similar/related proverbs, how do the proverbs differ? Do they relate to slightly different situations? Do they address different aspects of a problem or situation? If two proverbs say the opposite thing (and there are several) why would this be? Do you think the statement made or the advice given is good? Why or why not? You must also remember that proverbs are not always globally applicable to every person and every situation. They are guidelines and “rules of thumb,” not absolute rules, statements of fact or direct promises.

Prophecy. Read a single prophecy (called an “oracle”) in one sitting. Try and establish the historical setting. What circumstances in history provoked this prophetic word from God? What does it say about God? Is the prophecy positive or negative? Is it a warning? About what? Is it a condemnation? For what? Is it an encouragement or a message of hope? About what? Is it a promise? To do what? Prophecy is some of the hardest literature to read. Knowing the historical context is essential to really to appreciate what is being said. It may be necessary to consult a commentary or Bible handbook if you are struggling.

Teachings of Jesus. Read a complete section of teaching (called a “pericope”) in a single sitting, taking (mental) notes about what is being taught. What message is He communicating? What subject is He talking about? What is He actually saying about it? Is it a command? Is it a warning? Is it an exhortation/encouragement? Is it a promise? Does it give us a better understanding of who God is? Does it give us a better understanding of what we are like?

Parables. Read a single parable and the surrounding dialogue in one sitting. Try to determine the central thought of the parable. What message is it communicating? Keep in mind the CONTEXT! This is a big clue to identifying the central thought. What events prompted Jesus to tell this parable? How did the hearers react to it? Did they understand it? Focus on the central thought – don’t focus on all the minute details – they are not meant to be important. Read ahead – some parables are interpreted for you by Christ later on in the gospel.

Letters. Read them like any other letter. Start at the beginning – stop at the end. If possible, read a letter right through in one sitting. Identify the major issues/arguments of the letter. Focus on one of the major issues/arguments. What is the point of each paragraph? What does each paragraph contribute to the current issue/argument? Why did the writer include a particular paragraph? What difference would it make if it were not included? Don’t pay too much attention to the chapter and verse divisions or the chapter headings – they’re NOT inspired! Words/phrases such as “Now about”, “Concerning” and “Finally” often indicate a change of argument/subject.

Apocalypse. Read the books of Daniel and Ezekiel first. Revelation uses lots of imagery from these books. Identify as much as possible, the use of imagery (by comparing Revelation with Daniel and Ezekiel). What is the imagery used to communicate in Revelation? What kind of message is being communicated? Hope? Encouragement? Warning? What does the text say about God and about Jesus Christ? What does it say about Satan? What does it say about the Church (New Jerusalem)? You will definitely want to consult some good commentaries in these matters. Revelation is the most difficult book in the Bible to read and understand.

Pray, meditation and wresting are things the reader should do throughout the entire interpretive cycle, not just before you begin or when you are about to deliver your talk/sermon/speech.

Meditation does not mean emptying your head of everything – quite the opposite in fact. It means filling your mind with all the information required to make decisions about what the text says, how significant it is and how it should be applied today. When looking at a difficult passage, you may need to really pray about, and wrestle with, the various alternatives.

What do the particular key words or phrases mean? Pay attention to those elements that are repeated in the current passage or used elsewhere by the same author.

What is the significance of a particular key word, phrase or sentence? Does the element carry any special significance given the historical and social context? What does it contribute to the overall meaning of the text? How would the meaning of the text be effected if this particular element was left out?

Determine the relationships between the key words and phrases. Especially look for the following connecting words:

Contrast: but, however, even though, much more, nevertheless, yet, although, then, otherwise

Temporal/Time: now, immediately, just then, until, when, before, after, while, during, since

What is implied by the use of particular terms, phrases, or sentences? Any implications must be clear and reasonable – be careful not to exaggerate or over extend what the text says in order to support a preconceived idea (see section on Presuppositions and Pre-understandings).

Note also Gordon Fee’s and Doug Stuart’s warning: “A text cannot mean what it never meant.”

Ultimately, the test of a good interpretation is whether it makes good sense of the text and its context.

Is there a command to obey? Is there an error to avoid? Does the passage point out sinful behaviour or attitudes that may be present in your own life? Is there an example to follow? Is there a promise to claim? Does the passage highlight an aspect of God’s nature and character which you had not seen before?

G. W. Bromiley (editor), International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995.

D. A. Carson, D. J. Moo & L. Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992.

G. D. Fee & D. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All its Worth (2nd Ed), Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993.

J. M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, Whitaker House, Springdale, PA, 1996.

W. M. Klein, C. L. Blomberg & R. L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Word, Dallas, 1993.

D. Kuske, Biblical Interpretation: The Only Right Way, Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1995.

W. S. LaSor, D. A. Hubbard & F. W. Bush, Old Testament Survey (2nd Ed), Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996.

G. R. Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1991.

I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer & D. J. Wiseman (editors), New Bible Dictionary (3rd Ed), InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1996.

Prophecy. Prophecy is God’s message to a particular person, a particular group of people and sometimes to all humanity. It is not necessarily foretelling the future – in fact the vast majority of prophecy in the Bible speaks of the present. Prophecy is found primarily in the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi.
Parables. Parables are stories with a punch-line. Parables are not so much illustrative, but rather, provocative. They are designed to draw people in and hit them with something unexpected, in the same way a joke does. Most parables have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea. Note also that they are not perfect analogies! Parables are also found in parts of the Gospels.

I believe the above 3 give some idea of this man's biases entering this so-called "neutral" review of biblical interpretation. His comments on prophecy, parables, and apocalypse are hotly debated and he states them as if they are fact. From these comments he's made, it's obvious to me that I'm dealing with someone who has a moderately liberal interpretive bias.

Prophecy - he says the "vast majority of Bible prophecy speaks to the present." He means the prophetic literature speaks to the "present day of the writer." In other words, he's saying it applies to a time millenia AGO. He says this is true of the "vast majority" of the prophetic writings. The debate is that that is simply not the case. Others believe the vast majority of the preserved writings dealt with a time other than that of the author. A huge portion of the prophetic literature dealt with the coming of the Messiah which occurred hundreds of years AFTER the time of the prophet author. A huge portion of it deals with a time that CANNOT be easily cubby-holed into the time of the author prophet....in fact one can make a case for curiosity of the original readers about the intended time being a primary reason why they preserved the prophetic literature in the first place.

Parables - Most parables have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea. This is such a common, monotonous refrain of the moderately liberal interpretive advocates that I cannot believe they don't mention that others simply don't see it that way. Only one meaning is a gross assumption that ALSO means by these folks that one can make only ONE allegorical cross-application. The story of the treasure hidden has only one application -- the treasure equals the kingdom of heaven. One cannot speculate on who the man represents.

But look at the parable of the sower who went out to sow. Jesus says that virtually everything in that parable has an allegorical application. The seed equals the word of God. The seed that fell on the good soil equals and abundant harvest. Jesus uses this parable as an example of how we will interpret any parable. 13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Apocalypse (especially Revelation) -- Revelation is a vision of warning and encouragement to the early church

This is such a gross misrepresentation of the current debate over Revelation that it's almost laughable. The moderate liberal will always try to relegate the Revelation to that early Church era. They don't want to see a future application aspect to it. This man has just told you that proper interpretation of Revelation REQUIRES YOU to strip it of any notions YOU might have about its being a futuristic book. Despite what you might read in that sounds futuristic, looks futuristic, compares with other passages as futuristic, this man tells you that you are mistaken.

We call that assuming the result before the debate.

Show of hands: How many of you think Revelation is a book with many futuristic elements in it? Good....I thought so. Many of you.

How many of you think Revelation is a book that MIGHT contain many futuristic elements in it? Just as I though....most of the rest of you.

This guy just told you all that you're dead wrong.

Unbiased biblical interpretative method........bah, humbug! book.

Most of Revelation is written to the persecuted church. I know that view isn't popular, but popularity doesn't really mean much.

However, major portions of Revelation do look forward (from its writing) and major portions of the old testament prophets do look forward. Enough to establish supernatural foreknowledge of a wide range of things.

The prophet Daniel outlines history for the next 500 years after his writing with stunning detail. The materialists who reject the supernatural can only get around Daniel's predictions by making him a near-contemporary of Christ or ignoring him altogether. Of course, then you run into more problems, such as Alexander's identification with one horn, where he would be depicted with the two horns of Amen-Ra after visiting Egypt if Daniel had written at a later date.

I certainly agree. This is a well-done and even-handed article. I have underlined that portion of the quotation which is so amply demonstrated by the posters here at FR.

The author has included, in the original, an interesting schematic diagram just below the title "The Interpretive Process" (which didn't come through in the FR posting above) in which he shows his understanding of the cyclicality of the interpretive process in which the data received from the reading is 'recycled' into the readers 'presuppositions' and 'preunderstandings'.

This is, of course, true and, indeed, the aim of Bible study -- to bring the meaning of the Scriptures back into our lives. However, this is the part of the process where the 'presuppositions' can become like weeds which consume immediately upon return any response from the teaching of the Bible, thereby growing, in turn, ever stronger and more voracious at the expense of any further study. Eventually, they are so pervasive and so hardy that they entirely 'choke out' any feedback from the study. So, the students conclude that their presupposition is now complete and they have no further need to focus on the 'raw material' since they now have the more sophisticated product.

As I suggested in another post last night, the ultimate risk is that demonstrated by so many here: that this 'short-circuiting' of the study process causes the 'study' process to become a desire to study one's own presuppositions and use the Bible as simply a source of (supposedly) disconnected 'proof-texts' which can be used independent of each other and their context to 'support' the presuppositions. As this process procedes over time, the subject abandons any pretense of 'Bible study' and engages every more intensely in 'presupposition study'.

What are the 'warning signs' of this conversion from 'Bible Study' to 'presupposition study'? I think several that we often see here present themselves.

Changing the Focus

We see the focus becomes, not a passage of Scripture, but some convenient topical summary of the presupposition. For example, we see here at FR repeatedly that the 'discussion' is begun with the posting of some convenient summary of the presupposition -- the suggested outcome, if you will, of the Bible study. Then the poster says something like "let the fun begin."

Unfortunately, this process is almost doomed from the start. The entire focus is on the presupposition -- whatever its content -- and not on the underlying evidence.

The Expectation of Presuppositional Testing

After this process is reepeated a few times from various points of view, the resident posters are 'trained' in all the wrong ways to respond, much like dogs who are repeatedly treated to a single large piece of meat at feeding time become 'trained' to fight over it. There is the expectation that the post will treated to the hypercritical presuppositional -- not Biblical -- testing. Indeed the nature of the presuppositional postings almost precludes Biblical testing for the reasons set out below.

Misuse of Evidence and Evidentiary Techniques

Indeed this misplaced focus and concommitant expectation of further misplace focus begins to corrupt the entire use of Biblical evidence. Instead of the dispassionate review of the Biblical record, we see the accumulation and citation of long lists of 'proof-texts'. Almost always these are limited to mere verses or even parts of verses (selected because they contain some 'key' word or phrase) lest the context of a larger passage undermine the 'utility' of the verse for it support of the presupposition. Since these 'proof-texts' are gathered hither and yon for this limited purpose, they make no sense other than as part of a list.

Gradually, over perhaps years, people who once may have studied the Bible turn it into a 'book of lists' organized by a concordance or a search engine. It no longer has anything to 'teach', merely a function to 'support' pre-existing 'pre-understandings' and presuppositions.

This loss is egregious. Now the entire process is out of control, spinning ever more toward embittered reinforcement of these pre-existing presuppositions. Lists are no longer even devised; they are adopted from prior defenders. These lists of much-abused Scripture verses are lobbed back and forth in what now passes for a Bible-based discussion. Needless to say, it casts little credit on the Scriptures or upon the Lord of the Scriptures.

What Can Be Done?

I believe the 'cure' for this biblically destructive disease is equal parts of intellectual humility and revised technique. The humility comes with the recognition that, had the Lord felt that systematic presentation of presuppositions a more accurate way of ordering Truth, He could readily have done so. He did not. Therefore, there must be something superior -- not almost as good or subject to improvement, but superior -- in the presentation of Truth in the Scriptures over the organization of presuppositions.

The changes in technique ought to include: (1) a collective refusal to perpetuate the focus on presuppositional, topical summaries of Scripture, (2) a collective insistence that citation of single verses, partial sentences or even, amazingly, half verses ought to be not only ignored but condemned as abuse, and (3) a new insistence that only a focus on the Scriptures themselves and not on anyone else's 'results' has value for us. This latter point is probably not true but useful nonetheless. For example, we know that others' experiences or insights are often valuable, but we have now seen firsthand how destructive a continued focus on such is to our appreciation of the greatest intellectual gift which has been given to mankind -- the very Word of God.

[1]Prophecy - he says the "vast majority of Bible prophecy speaks to the present." He means the prophetic literature speaks to the "present day of the writer." In other words, he's saying it applies to a time millenia AGO. He says this is true of the "vast majority" of the prophetic writings. The debate is that that is simply not the case. Others believe the vast majority of the preserved writings dealt with a time other than that of the author. A huge portion of the prophetic literature dealt with the coming of the Messiah which occurred hundreds of years AFTER the time of the prophet author. A huge portion of it deals with a time that CANNOT be easily cubby-holed into the time of the author prophet....in fact one can make a case for curiosity of the original readers about the intended time being a primary reason why they preserved the prophetic literature in the first place.
[2] Parables - Most parables have only one message or central idea, and even if multiple messages are present, one of them will be the chief idea. This is such a common, monotonous refrain of the moderately liberal interpretive advocates that I cannot believe they don't mention that others simply don't see it that way. Only one meaning is a gross assumption that ALSO means by these folks that one can make only ONE allegorical cross-application. The story of the treasure hidden has only one application -- the treasure equals the kingdom of heaven. One cannot speculate on who the man represents. But look at the parable of the sower who went out to sow. Jesus says that virtually everything in that parable has an allegorical application. The seed equals the word of God. The seed that fell on the good soil equals and abundant harvest. Jesus uses this parable as an example of how we will interpret any parable. 13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
[3] Apocalypse (especially Revelation) -- Revelation is a vision of warning and encouragement to the early church This is such a gross misrepresentation of the current debate over Revelation that it's almost laughable. The moderate liberal will always try to relegate the Revelation to that early Church era. They don't want to see a future application aspect to it. This man has just told you that proper interpretation of Revelation REQUIRES YOU to strip it of any notions YOU might have about its being a futuristic book. Despite what you might read in that sounds futuristic, looks futuristic, compares with other passages as futuristic, this man tells you that you are mistaken.

_____________________________

I don't know anything about this fellow's presuppositions, but I think what he wrote is basically sound. I think you may be being a little tough on the guy for not saying more.

[1]Prohpecies. I think I understand your point, but it seems to me that even you would agree that, as far as he goes, he is correct. Certainly, the vast majority of prophecies did have a near-term application.

But of course, you argue, "Others believe the vast majority of the preserved writings dealt with a time other than that of the author." But, I think, most would say that there is a second, futuristic, application, not that there was no near-term (to the writer) application. Is that not true?

[2]I am not sure I understand your point here. You say Jesus gives us an example of interpretation and He does. But it is quite a specific interpretation and He clearly implies that He had a single meaning in mind and His listeners were dense not to appreciate that meaning He wasn't arguing that there were several meanings available and they were dense for only seeing one.

So, I think I need to hear more as to why he is so wrong here. He appears to allow for secondary applications and meanings as the context might indicate. What is wrong with that? On what basis should anyone assume multiple available interpretations?

[3] Revelation. Again, what he says seems unremarkable. I wouldn't think anyone -- even a thoroughgoing dispensationalist -- would dispute the truth of what he said. They might say it was also much more, but it was at the very least a warning and encouragement to the early church. Is that not true?

Perhaps you are much more sensitive to liberal phrasing than I am, but I didn't find that much to quarrel with in what he said

By the way, wouldn't you agree that where secondary meanings and/or fulfillments are to be found, there should be some direct clue in the text that tells us? We shouldn't be simply assuming such, should we?

1. Prophecy. Take Daniel as an example. Very little of the prophecy has a near-term application. I'm not saying there are not near-term applications, but I'm saying that the expression "vast majority" simply isn't correct. Define "vast majority" and I think most would agree that it's more than "super majority" which is 67%. Vast majority must be approaching 90%.

2. Parables. Some see a gold-mine of symbolism and meanings in each parable. This man says there's just one. Having taken a "liberal" class on the parables, I know that this "one meaning" mantra has a vise-grip on their minds. They don't see a gold-mine; they see a single nugget. The example of the parable of the sower shows that each act and actor in the story had a relevant parallel. The sower represented someone, the seed represented something, the paths represented something, the birds represented something else, etc. Now go to the parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Who is the man? (What does that mean?) What does he find. (What does that mean?) What does he do? (What does that mean?) What is the result. (What does that mean?) If Jesus' interpretive method in the parable of the sower is instructive -- that each item had a representation and a meaningful application -- then one would think he could apply that same method to the parable of the treasure. According to this methodology, you are wrong if you do. AND THEY ENFORCE IT.

Revelation. I'm not convinced that Revelation was written to encourage the early church. It says about itself 1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near

For those who wish to discuss the points "soon take place" and "time is near," I call them to the section of this book about the various judgements and the new jerusalem. In light of those, what must this book mean by "near" and "soon" other than "from God's perspective."

You know, in all deference, I think you are being a little hard on this guy. I checked out the remainder of his site and he has a lengthy commentary by Geisler on the "Chicago Statement" which seems pretty sound.

When you read the approaches he recommends for the various types of books, they also seem pretty sound. He certainly doesn't seem to denigrate the authority of Scripture at all.

Now you didn't answer my question, "wouldn't you agree that where secondary meanings and/or fulfillments are to be found, there should be some direct clue in the text that tells us? We shouldn't be simply assuming such, should we?" But it seems to me that his suggested questions probe for information that would encourage the careful student to determine that from the text and its surrounding context (which he emphaiszes).

Now, I realize that this doesn't mean that he would arrive at the same view of Daniel or Revelation as you would, but it seems to me that our 'rules' of interpretation should not guarantee a particular presupposed outsome. I assume you agree?

Since I like this well enough to build on it for future use, what additional questions do you think the careful student should be encouraged to answer with regard to a passage? [You can restrict to your categoriew of prophecy, parables and Revelation or not as you wish.]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.