Interpreting the Bible

We Presbyterians believe that the Bible is the “unique and authoritative witness” to what God wants us to believe and to do. In other words, if you want to be faithful to God, the Bible is the first and most important place to turn. This conviction about the authority of Scripture is something that we share with most Christians. Unfortunately, this commitment isn’t enough to have us all agree with each other, even within the Presbyterian family. We all turn to Scripture, but frequently come up with many different perspectives from it. Acceptance of the authority of Scripture isn’t the conclusion; it’s the beginning of a conversation and adventure.

A number of years ago, the Presbyterian Church put together a summary of what the Book of Confessions (a collection of statements of our faith) has to say about interpreting the Bible. As you study the Bible and seek to hear God’s message for you through it, I hope these basic guidelines will be helpful.

a. Jesus Christ is the center of Scripture. The redeeming work of God through Christ is central to the entire Bible. Any teaching of the Bible on a matter of faith or life should be consistent with Jesus' own teachings and His embodiment of the will of God.

b. Focus on the plain text of the Scripture, referring to the grammatical and historic context of a passage, rather than to allegory or subjective fantasy.

c. Depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in interpreting and applying God's message. The Holy Spirit is living and active, so we can be open to the Spirit’s guiding presence only if we are ready to discover new and different insights for our time and place.

d. The rule of faith is the consensus of the church. Listening with respect to fellow believers from the past and in the present will enable us to interpret God's word faithfully for our time and place.

e. All interpretations should follow the rule of love, the two-fold commandment to love God and to love our neighbor. Our understanding of the Bible should promote our love for God and for people and groups of people within and outside the church.

f. Interpreting the Bible requires earnest study in order to recognize the divine message within the influence of the historical and cultural context of the text.

g. Seek to interpret a particular passage in the Bible in light of all the Bible. A proper understanding of one passage will be consistent with what the Bible as a whole teaches us.

Enjoy the adventure of learning what God has to teach you!