Friday, July 3, 2015

Biblical Interpretation Principles For Rightly Dividing The Word

By Dorthy Lloyd


It is quite easy for someone to misinterpret the bible and come up with their own understanding of what scripture says. This may lead to misguided beliefs and doctrines. To prevent this from happening, you can learn the basic principles of rightly dividing the word. This will help you know how to interpret the Bible correctly and apply it to your life. You can do this by attending a theological college or by self-study.

You should consider what the author's original intended meaning was. In order to do this effectively, you can use some study tools to help you understand the author's original context, in terms of culture and history. This includes using a bible commentary and a study bible when studying scripture. There are several versions of commentaries and study guides, so try and find a good one by checking out reviews about it before making a purchase.

Avoid interpreting isolated texts of the bible. This will most likely lead to misinterpretation. Always read passages in context. This means finding out what the scriptures before and after the text you are studying say. You also need to consider the context of the whole chapter and book of the bible. You also need to know who wrote the scripture and compare it to their other writings in the bible.

Use other parts of scripture to help you understand what a particular text means. Ask yourself what other verses in the Bible say about the particular issue addressed in the text. Find out if there are other places in the Bible where the same passage is referred to. Study the other passages and see what they have to say.

Consider the genre of the scripture you are reading. Different genres are interpreted differently, as they have different features and are written using different styles. For instance, how you interpret poetry books is different from how you will interpret narratives or parables. This may require a more trained mind to do this, as some differences may be quite subtle for an ordinary reader to notice.

Some passages are quite direct and straightforward. They have no hidden meaning. Don't try and find a hidden meaning when none exists. Just accept the scripture at face value. There are some cases where metaphors are used, so you have to know how to distinguish metaphors from direct language.

Knowing the original languages the bible was written in is important. It will help you have a better understanding of what different words mean, as the English translations may not accurately portray some original meanings. You can use study guides to know what the original translation of some words into Greek and Hebrew are.

Depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you discover God's truth. This means approaching scripture interpretation prayerfully and with an open mind that is ready to understand. It would be hard for you to interpret the scripture without the Spirit's help. However, this does not mean being lazy and not studying. You must study to understand the bible.




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