THE MEANS OF INTERPRETATION

Scripture is plain. God intended it this way so that, individually, we could understand and obey it. Therefore, if we have the Spirit, we have no need of organizations or authorities to tell us what the Bible teaches:

·       But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything [through the Scriptures], and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:27, 20 ESV)

·       When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13 ESV)

·       The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

·       But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); (Romans 10:8; Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

However, Scripture also tells us that we need teachers and pastors to understand the Word:

·       And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14)

Does this passage contradict the first set of verses, or is there a way to reconcile these teachings? Unless we are versed in Scripture, we might need a teacher to help us here. Let me use an example to illustrate a solution:

·       Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. (Exodus 23:13)

In one sense, the meaning of this verse is plain – have nothing to do with other gods, even to mention them. However, even the Bible mentions other gods and makes reference to their false teachings. We are told to not even mention other gods, but the Bible often does so. Isn’t this a contradiction?

This is where teachers come in. Ideally, we not only have to understand what a verse is teaching within its immediate context.  We also have to interpret it from the context of the entire Bible. Our interpretation of the one verse has to agree with everything else in the Bible.

This is why we are instructed to meditate on the Word both day and night (Psalms 1:1-3; 119:1; Joshua 1:8). This is what is required if we want to comprehensively understand any single verse in a way that agrees with Scripture as a whole. And this is why we need teachers and pastors who have a comprehensive understanding of the whole, and this comes from meditating on Scripture day and night.

How then do we understand this verse from Exodus? Here is my suggestion. We understand it as hyperbole (exaggeration). We are to stay so totally away from false worship and false gods that we are to have nothing to do with them. Literally speaking, we can mention them and their false teaching but not to venerate them but to expose their falsehood.

But you knew this anyway, right? However, every verse places similar demands upon interpretation. Let’s take “Honor your father and mother.” What does it mean to honor father and mother? Does it mean to bow down before them? To obey everything they say? To provide for them in their old age? How do we answer these very basic questions? By meditating on the Word day and night, perhaps with the help of teachers, but certainly not without prayer and the Spirit!