Principles of Biblical Interpretations:

General Principles

Rule 1 Work from full conviction that the Bible is authoritative, that is it the supreme court of truth.

Rule 2: Saving faith and the filling of the Holy Spirit are necessary to understand, perceive, assimilate, and accurately interpret the Scripture. When unbelievers use the Bible as his authority it results to heretical or cultic teachings, and when carnal believer distort the truth it leads to reversionistic doctrines. A spirit-filled novice or immature believer does not guarantee accurate interpretation. Always begin your Bible study or work of interpretation from the point of spirituality and function inside the divine dynasphere. Spiritual IQ is not operational outside the divine dynasphere, for this reason, no unbeliever will ever understand the Word of God.

Rule 3: The Bible interprets itself. The Bible is explained by the Bible, Scripture best explains Scripture. Let the Bible be its own commentary. Never trust any Bible commentary because it is not an accurate interpretation but a personal viewpoint of the author.

Rule 4: Interpret personal experience in the light of Scripture and not Scripture in the light of personal experience. The veracity of the Scripture alone is the basis of all truth. Human experience is not reality since they are variable, inconsistent and controlled by the old sin nature. The Scripture did not emphasize human experiences but the doctrinal point of view behind every human experience.

Rule 5: Any biblical example is authoritative only when supported by a command. The believer is free to do anything that the Bible does not prohibit based on biblical context. Every believer is free to obey any legitimate command under his dispensation.

Rule 6: Some passages are not to be applied in the same way they were applied at the time they were written.

Rule 7: Each believer has the right and responsibility to investigate and correctly interpret the Scripture for himself.

Rule 8: Church History is important but is not decisive in the interpretation of the Scripture. The church does not determine what the Bible teaches rather the Scripture determines what the church should teach.

Rule 9: The promises of God in the Bible are not available to all believers of all generation. There are 3 categories of promises intended for specific individual or group of individuals in the Scripture. First: personal conditional promises given to specific person for a specific purpose (Gen. 6:13-14). Such promises are not applicable to another person. Second: personal unconditional promises given to specific person for specific purpose (Gen. 12:1-3). Such promises are not transferable and only applicable for another person. Third: General conditional or unconditional promises exclusively given to specific people of specific generation in the Old Testament (Jos. 1:2-9). Such promises are not applicable to Church Age believers.

Grammatical Principles:

Rule 10: Scripture has only one meaning and should be taken literally unless implied or specified as figurative. Every diligent student of the Scripture will benefit from textual criticism, which is the science of determining the exact text of Scripture as it existed in the original manuscripts, as well as its composition, authorship, date of writing, and historical value as judged from internal evidence. Few books on this are now available at the bookstore.

Rule 11: Interpret words in harmony with their very own meaning at the time of writing. The avid student of the Bible must determine 4 things in studying a particular word or phrase:

• Its original meaning as used by the writer
• Its relation to its immediate context and its use by the time of writing
• Its root meaning (etymology) using Bible Dictionary and Hebrew-Greek-English Lexicon
• It current use  by the modern English translators

Rule 12: Interpret a word in relation to its sentence and context. Never skip a word because our vocabularies are different from the original languages of the Bible. An Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words by W. Vine, or Unger or White will be helpful.

Rule 13: Interpret a passage in harmony with its context. Relate the passage to material surrounding it, to the book and then to the entire teaching of the entire Scripture. A teaching is said to be biblical when it is consistent with the teaching of the Scripture as a whole.

Rule 14: When an inanimate object is used to describe living beings the statement may be considered figuratively and when the life and action are attributed to inanimate objects, the statement may be considered figurative.

Rule 15: When an expression is out of character with the very thing described, the statement may be considered figurative. A word or phrase cannot mean more than one thing at a time. When at all possible a passage should be interpreted literally.

Rule 16: The principal parts and figures of a parable represent certain realities. Consider only these principal parts and figures when drawing conclusions. Do not extend the purpose of the parable beyond the writer*s intent.

Do not make the parable say too much. Each parable has one chief point of comparison and exaggeration because undefined and unclear details will corrupt its original intent. Every biblical parable is explained by the Scripture itself.

Rule 17: Interpret the words of the prophets in their usual, literal, and historical sense, unless the context or manner in which they are fulfilled clearly indicates they have symbolic meaning. Their fulfillment may come in parts, each being a pledge of that which is to follow.

Historical Principles:

Rule 18: Since Scripture originated in a historical context, it can be understood only in the light of biblical history not as church history. Inspiration includes the historical accounts of the Bible which guarantees its accuracy. Whenever a question arises between secular and biblical history, then biblical history remains infallible. No historian (secular or religious) is more reliable than the veracity of the Scripture.

Rule 19: Though God*s revelation in the Scripture is progressive, both Old and New Testaments are essential parts of this revelation forming a unity. It is the human understanding of God and perception of His revelation that is progressive. God is unchangeable and immutably perfect.

Rule 20: Historical facts or events become symbols of spiritual truth only if the Scripture so designate them.

To allegorize historical facts is to subtract from the intended meaning. No extra-biblical facts or events are considered symbols of spiritual truth. God*s revelation to man is complete by itself.

Theological Principle

Rule 21: A believer can understand the Bible theologically only after he understands it grammatically. The Spirit-filled believer can understand what a particular verse means (spiritually) only after he understands what it says (grammatically). You must understand what the passage says before you expect to understand what it means by exegetical process.

Rule 22: A Bible doctrine cannot be considered biblical unless it sums up and includes all that the Scripture says about it. A teaching is not conclusively biblical without being related to the teaching of the entire Scripture.

Rule 23: When two doctrines taught in the Bible appears to be contradictory, accept both as scriptural in the confident belief that they resolve themselves into a higher unity. Contradiction appears only in the mind of men not in the truth of the Scripture. Consistent, progressive and correct methods of Bible study will bring the answers to every doubt and what appears to be a contradiction in a matter of time.

When interpreting the Bible, do not allow human logic to make it say more or less than what the fact says. Exaggeration and over simplification are not helpful but destructive.

Rule 24: A teaching merely implied in Scripture may be considered biblical when a comparison of related passages and general content of the Bible support it.

Rule 25: Our first and primary allegiance is not to a system of theology, church or denominational beliefs or doctrines but to the Scripture.

The Bible is designed to be understood by believers who are spirit-filled. However, the understanding or perception is dependent on the amount of Bible doctrine already stored in the soul (frame of reference). The means for understanding the Word of God is provided by the grace of God and is available to every believer inside the divine dynasphere.

 The Bible is a book of progressive revelation of a divine Person, impossible for any man to understand apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God is not progressive but only His revelation. Historical, God’s revelation started from the time human beings are not capable of reading or writing, for which reason. God used symbols like the animal sacrifice to explain doctrines. The progressive revelation is due to socio, political, economic, and spiritual progression. After the completion of the New Testament Canon, the progressive revelation has already ended, meaning to say, that everything God wanted man to understand are already documented in the Scripture.

. The Bible does not contradict itself except in the mind of those are either negative toward the Word of God or totally incapable of understanding the Bible because of being spiritually death and separated from God.

 Three spiritual requirements before anyone can comprehend the Word of God:

1. We must be born again
2. We must rely and depend on the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry.
3. We must approach in faith.

God shares His Word only with those who approach His Word in humility and trust.  True wisdom, understanding and power are reserved only for those who are willing to obey God in both intake and application.  When we find Scripture at odds with our ideas or our desires, we must let the Bible be the final authority.  Where the Word of God opposes what we think, our thinking is wrong; where it opposes what we want, our desires are wrong.

The task of interpreting the Scripture is mandated to the pastors. It is properly required of the pastor that he both understands and expounds the Scriptures.  This is the distinctive field in which he serves. The unprovoked anathema which rests upon all who pervert the Gospel of divine grace (Gal. 1:8-9) may be deemed, to some degree, to be true concerning the misrepresentation of all divine revelation. 

Primary Principles on Biblical Hermeneutics

Biblical hermeneutics is both a science and an art.  It is a science in that it can reduce interpretation within limits to a set of rules; it is an art in that not infrequently elements in the text escape any treatment by rules.

Hermeneutics is founded on the formulated activity of exegesis. Biblical hermeneutics, exegesis, and teaching form one continuum. The greatest responsibility of a pastor-teacher is the ministry of the Word to his congregation which impossible apart from the work of exegesis.  His teaching must be centered and grounded in the interpretation and application of the Word of God and not by the opinion and teaching of men.

When this is the case, his messages will be Biblical, exegetical, and expository. The Word of God is his Source; exegesis, the scientific ascertaining of its meaning; and exposition, its ‘application in proclamation.’ Exegesis and exposition bear a special relationship to one another.  Exposition grows out of exegesis.

• The Bible is the written Word;
• Exegesis is the Word understood;
• Teaching is the Word made relevant to time and place.

 In exegesis the pastor-teacher concentrates on the meaning of the text historically understood. In exposition his main concern is with its relevance and application for the here and now.  There is no genuine exposition of Bible doctrine without diligent exegetical study of God’s Word. Exposition that is not grounded in exegesis is superficial, misleading, or both Exegesis without application is mere academic the ‘paralysis of analysis.’

There must be no separation of exegesis and application.  Application is not a secondary thought, a dispensable activity after exegesis; exegesis should lead, inevitably, to application.  If the Word of God is the focal point of his ministry, then the pastor-teacher must deal with his text exegetically before he deals with it homiletically.

To be a responsible exegete demands a responsible working theory of Biblical hermeneutics. To be a faithful steward demands a mature working theory of Biblical hermeneutics as the basis of homiletics.  Textual criticism is followed by a study of isagogics, (authorship; date of writing; place of writing; recipients; and conditions) which prompted the writing.

Principles of General Hermeneutics that carry Over into Biblical Hermeneutics

Literary Genre:  The material of literary genre must be settled. It is the literary genre of the text which determines the frame of reference in which words are used; and therefore, the frame of reference logically precedes the words themselves.  This is simply recognition of the fact that some Scripture is written as poetry, some as proverbs, some as history, sermons, parables, etc. Determining the literary genre of the text determines the interpreter’s mood and viewpoint.

 Word Study:  Exegesis usually begins with a study of words, because the word is the ultimate unit of meaning.  Words can be studied in a variety of ways.

• Etymologically: its formation and derivation may unlock its meaning and give you new insight; breaking down the components of a compound word.
• Comparatively: tracing a word through many passages of Scripture is basic homework for thorough exegesis.  Studies of synonyms have merit as well.
• Historically: This moves from Classical Greek usage to the Hebrew Bible; from there to the LXX; to the inter-Biblical period {Aramaic}; then a comprehensive treatment in the Greek NT.

 Grammatical Exegesis:  The study of words alone is helpful but limited.  It is grammatical exegesis which moves forward into the interpretation of the sentence in all its parts, and the paragraph where the sentence is found. Grammatical exegesis is sometimes called ‘literal exegesis.’  By the literal meaning of words and phrases is meant their normal, natural, customary sense in their language. In grammatical exegesis context is paramount! “A text without a context is nothing more than a pretext!”  Context begins with the accepted Canon of Scripture itself, then moves down to the Old or New Testament; the individual book; a chapter within the book; a paragraph in a chapter the sentence within the paragraph; and finally, each word within the sentence.

• Allegorical exegesis is the virus to which literal, historical, grammatical exegesis is the cure
• Literal exegesis is the ‘check’ upon all irresponsible exegesis, whether it is found in the history of the Church or in some contemporary cult.

There are two principles of hermeneutics.

• Good hermeneutics is the thorough use of good resources; bad hermeneutics is their neglect.

• Critical and grammatical commentaries will be more rewarding to a teaching ministry over the years than popular and devotional ones.

Hermeneutical Principles Unique to Scripture

 The Spiritual Factor: (1 Corinthians 2:14-15) The Word of God is spiritual, and therefore, can only be perceived and discerned by the spiritual man.

The Unity of the Bible

:  The unity and harmony of Scripture is Jesus Christ, and the redemption and revelation centered in Him.

The one theme of both is the Person of Jesus Christ and His redemption of a human race bound in the slave market of sin; His reconciliation of that sinful race to a righteous God, and His propitiation of God’s righteous demands concerning sin For the Body of Christ in the Church Age the focus and priority of the Scriptures is the NT and especially the Epistles, for it’s here that we find the Incarnation, the impeccable life of the Son of God, His saving work in the Cross, His resurrection, and the impact of His Person and Work on the Spiritual Life.

 Progressive Revelation: The concept of progressive revelation is based upon the conviction that revelation and redemption were moving along an historical line.  Progressive revelation means that as the timeline of history unravels, the plan and purpose of God becomes fuller and clearer; the meat is slowly being put on the bones, if you will.  Basically, this means two things to the interpreter. If there is tension or conflict between the older revelation and the newer, the older must give way to the newer. Therefore, not all Scripture is as important to our daily faith and practice as others. 

Scripture Self-Interpretation.  The Scripture interprets Scripture.  We need to understand that the Bible is its own greatest commentary. The Bible as a whole interprets the various parts, and hence no single aspect of the Word can be so interpreted as to destroy the teaching of the whole.  That is., what are minor and incidental references in Scripture cannot be made the foundation of our doctrine or the basis of our theology. One of the characteristics of sects and cults who name the name of Christ, or make some claim to Christianity, is this kind of exegesis.  They major in the minors to the exclusion of the foundational and fundamental truths of the Spiritual Life.

The principle of ‘Scripture interprets Scripture’ is called the ‘hermeneutical circle.’  The whole of Scripture can only be discerned through interpreting it part by part.  This is part of the reason why we should study the Bible word by word, verse by verse dealing with categories of information, the doctrines as they come along.  No man’s attention span is so great or intellect so highly developed that he can ingest the entire Bible at once.  Yet no part stands alone; there is nothing in Scripture which stands totally and completely by itself, isolated from the from the rest of Scripture.

The Christian expositor recognizes a fundamental difference between the supernatural in Scripture and the supernatural in other literature.  There is a rationale for the supernatural in Scripture based upon the Biblical structure of revelation and redemption which is completely lacking in other ancient cultures.

. Theological Exegesis:  The serious student of the Word of God is interested in the fullest reach of his Biblical interpretation, which leads to the necessary theological exegesis of the text.  Don’t confuse this with a ‘double treatment’ of the text, a grammatical interpretation and a ‘spiritual’ interpretation has their own place in the science of hermeneutics.

Theological exegesis is the natural extension of grammatical exegesis.  There has been an abundance of ‘double exegesis’ in a negative sense in the history of Christianity.  It goes all the way back to the times of early Church fathers in the first few centuries that imposed an allegorical meaning on the grammatical meaning of a passage. 

Theological exegesis extends grammatical exegesis because it is interested in the largest implications of a passage of Scripture.  Propositions imply other propositions; principle is built on principle; conclusions in one area lead to greater conclusions in other areas.  When all the facts are considered, and all those facts rightly interpreted, the student draws what is known as an inductive conclusion.

It’s not so much a matter of difference between grammar and theology in exegesis, as it is theology taking up where grammar leaves off and seeking to find the fuller implication, and ultimately, application of the text. The outstanding theologian differs from the ordinary theologian in his ability to draw out these principles, implications, and conclusions from the Word of God

The fact that theological exegesis deal with the creative extension of a section of Scripture means it is not controlled as strictly as grammatical exegesis.  Theological exegesis is more art than technique, and therefore, spiritual insight which the Spirit of God provides is more important to it than the details of grammar. The proof is always in the finished product and the ultimate justification of theological exegesis should be its ability to make the Word come alive to the hearer, to bring the meaning out in its greatest depth.

One major aspect of theological exegesis is that the Canon of Scripture is the context of every passage of Scripture.  Keep that in mind.  This is the principle of Scripture interprets Scripture in the theological sense. 

Approaches: The science of hermeneutics demands that we approach any study of the Word of God from three perspectives-- Isagogically (the historical background and context), categorically (the doctrines, i.e., categories of information on a particular subject), and exegetically (exegesis deals with the grammar, etymology {derivation of words}, and syntax {word order and sentence structure}).

        Isagogics:  It is from the Greek preposition eis ‘into,’ and ago ‘to lead.’  In English, an ‘isagoge’ is an introduction.  Isagogics is defined as “introductory study”. Isagogics is the study of the historical and cultural background of Biblical passages.  The Bible must be interpreted in light of the time in which it was written.  All Scripture was written for every believer (Timothy 3:16) but not all Scripture was written to every believer.  If our goal is to understand what the writer wanted his readers to understand then we have to know something about history.

 Categories: Category is, very simply, a specific area of Bible doctrine.  The Bible is one Book, inspired by one Spirit, with one unified message progressively revealed.  To fully understand the Biblical teaching on any subject, we must take into consideration all that the Bible has to say on that subject.  will never have a proper interpretation until we take all the passages on a subject, draw them together, and then examine them individually.  That is contextual, categorical study; it is time-consuming work, but it is absolutely essential for accuracy in teaching. Our approach to the Word of God must also be dispensational.

         God has divided human history into time segments known as ‘ages’ or ‘dispensations.  Many of the promises and principles in the Bible are dispensational in character.  Unless we understand this simple fact, and know how to determine which ones apply to us, we will never be able to tap into the power of God.

Exegesis is a Greek word which means explanation. Exegesis refers to the grammatical study of the Word of God.  This means the study of individual words and of how words are put together in sentences and paragraphs. Because the Bible is inspired by God the Holy Spirit, every word in the Bible is important.  It is certainly important to be able to go back to the original Hebrew and Greek words in Bible study, and the books and tools are available which make that relatively easy to do

Probably the most important rule to remember in Bible study is to always consider the context.  To understand words or phrases, study the sentences which surround them.  To understand a sentence or sentences, study the verses that surround them.  To understand verses and paragraphs, study them in the light of the chapters where they are found.  Think about where they fit in the scheme of the entire book.  All of this helps to shed light on the proper perspective of a particular passage.

 We must rely and depend on the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry: If we approach the Word without the Spirit, we may find information, but wisdom and power will be beyond our grasp.  This is true not just for unbelievers, but also for believers who are walking in the energy of “the flesh” rather than “by means of the Spirit,” Galatians 5:16.  This is precisely why it is paramount, every time we open our Bibles, that we utilize the confession and cleansing of 1 John 1:9; and that we know ourselves to be yielded to the will, Word, and Spirit of God.

 We must approach in faith: God shares His deepest secrets only with those who approach His Word in humility and trust.  True wisdom, understanding and power are reserved only for those who are willing to obey God in both intake and application.  When we find Scripture at odds with our ideas or our desires, we must let the Bible be the final authority.  Where the Word of God opposes what we think, our thinking is wrong; where it opposes what we want, our desires are wrong.

In Bible study more than anything else in life-- we get back exactly what we put in.  Sloppy study will never fill our thirst.  The more minute and tireless our study, however, the more we will be rewarded.  The people, who have great insights into the Word, will and character of God is the people who have put in time and effort, and who do not quit when study turns to sweat.  If we carefully follow consistent rules of study, we will gradually develop the skill of interpreting the Bible; we will eventually learn how to get to the heart of God’s message.

The goal of Bible study should never be intellectual achievement.   We should always approach the Word with the desire to be transformed a little more into the “living image” of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We should never end our study without asking ourselves: [1] how this portion of Scripture applies to our circumstances; and [2] what we’re going to do with the things we’ve learned.

 We study to learn, not just to teach.  If we study only to teach others, the Truth never penetrates our own souls or convinces us of our need for correction.  Neither do we continue to grow, for us ourselves are not subject to what we study.  If we remain students, if we are disciples, then we will have no difficulty having sufficient information to teach to others; and they will be moved by those things which God has made real and exciting to us in our own growth.

JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

  11/30/06

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