Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth

THE NEED TO INTERPRET:

Every so often you might hear someone say with great feeling, "You don't have to interpret the Bible, just read it and do what it says." They would argue that "any person with half a brain can read it and understand it. The problem with too many preachers and teachers is that they dig around so much they tend to muddy the waters. What was clear to us when we read it isn't so clear any more."

Well, there probably is a little truth to that. And we agree that the Bible should not be an obscure book if studied and read properly. I am convinced that the single most serious problem people have with the Bible is not their "lack" of understanding, but with the fact that they understand most things too well. The real problem is with obeying it - putting it into practice.

We also have to agree that the preacher or teacher is often prone to dig first and look later, and thereby cover up the plain meaning of the text, which often simply lies on the surface. There is one thing that needs to be repeated often: the aim of good interpretation is not uniqueness; one is not trying to discover what no one else has ever seen before.

Interpretation that aims at, or thrives on, uniqueness can usually be attributed to pride (an attempt to "out clever" the rest of the world), a false understanding of spirituality (the Bible is full of deep spiritual truths just waiting to be mined by a spiritually sensitive person with special insight), or vested interests (the need to support a theological bias). Unique interpretations are usually wrong.

The aim of good interpretation is to get at the "plain meaning of the text." And the most important ingredient one brings to that task is common sense. The test of good interpretation is that it makes good sense of the text.

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