DO’s & DONT’s

Do not rush your reading. Survey the text of Scripture, read it several times if you have to, ask questions and read different translations.

Do try and understand the historical context, culture, and genre of the surrounding verses; to help you get a more precise meaning of the text. Also, note that each genre has its own rules for interpretation, so it is vital to keep this in mind if the ideas presented in a certain text of Scripture seem foreign to you.

Do keep in mind the grammatical principles that can often bring a different meaning to the sentence.

Do use Bible commentaries along with your daily scripture reading. All research work mentioned in points (2) (3) above has already been done by biblical scholars. Bible commentaries are an easy way to get useful insights into the academic world of scholars and experts who have put years of study into the Bible.

Do interpret scripture literally as you would reading any other literature rather than looking into the text for some mystical, secret, hidden or deep spiritualized meaning.

Do allow scripture to interpret itself. Particularly see how the New Testament interprets the Old Testament and how the New Testament writers understand the Old Testament.

Do interpret passages that are less clear to understand in view of those that are clear-cut and straightforward. This simply means that when there is doubt over challenging passages, read them with reference to clearer passages.

Do not draw any conclusions at the cost of proper interpretation. Sometimes, lazy efforts to put across an idea or a theme can lead to people twisting the Bible to make it say what they want rather than focusing on what God intended to say when He inspired the sacred texts.

Do avoid any superficial interpretation. For instance,” to me, this passage means,” or “I feel it is saying….” The passages have a clear meaning and message without us inferring our life experiences into them.

Do not over-spiritualize the passage. We tend to exaggerate our reading of the text to force a mystical / emotional experience out of it. We must interpret and understand the passage in its ordinary, literal, historical, and grammatical sense, just like you would understand any other piece of literature you were reading today. Even if you do not get goosebumps, you will learn to appreciate the timeless truths and principles behind the text of Scripture.

Do use proper Exegesis, which involves;

• Observation: what does the passage say? What is the immediate context? Who wrote the passage, and to whom was it addressed?
• Interpretation: what does the passage mean?
• Correlation: how does the passage relate to the rest of the Bible?
• Application: how should this passage affect my life?

Accurate Bible study is undoubtedly hard work. Discerning what God is saying to us through His word can’t be accomplished simply by flipping through pages. We must be diligent as we carefully and accurately handle the Word of God.

While God has not hidden His plain truth of the gospel from us, there are some texts of Scripture whose meaning isn’t immediately clear to us and requires a certain amount of study.

Sometimes you might find the real meaning of a passage by understanding the culture to which it was addressed, and sometimes a simple nuance in the original language might clarify the text.

There are also some differences of interpretation (between some denominations and faithful teachers) in some passages that may never be resolved in this life. Still, it does not negate our responsibility to study them carefully and diligently.

First Timothy 5:17 says that “double honor” is to be given to those in the church “who labor in the word and doctrine. God has given teachers to the churches to help His people with correct instruction and an understanding of His Word.

This, of course, requires people who are committed to persistent, conscientious labor in response to the divine calling ~ not just on the teaching side but also on the listening side.

More importantly, we should note that while the Holy Spirit does perform the ministry of illumination, it does not excuse us of the requirement of diligent study (2 Tim. 3:16) and the requirement to always maintain a teachable spirit.

We should use whatever tools we have at our disposal as a means to expose our hearts and minds to the truth of the word of God.