Here is a simple checklist for us to make use of whenever we interpret a passage of Scripture. By no means this is exhaustive, but it has many of the major questions we can ask when doing interpretation. Please let me know if you may have questions regarding the points below. I hope that it will be of benefit to you.
When approaching a verse or a given Bible passage so that you may understand what it means and how it applies, you need to do the following:
- Acknowledge the Bible is the innerrant and inspired Word of God as it pertains to the original authographs.
- Acknowledge the Diversity and Unity of the Bible, where the diversity of the multiple authors, their differences of personality, the times in which they lived and the dates when they wrote unite under the superintending umbrella of the Spirit of God to form this unique book.
- What is the immediate context of the given verse or passage, above it and below it? Never isolate a verse or a passage when interpreting.
- What is the broader context? Meaning, the whole chapter, section of the particular book, the book itself, parallel passages, or even the whole Bible.
- What is it saying? What is its actual meaning as it was addressed to the original audience?
- Who were the original audience? No immediate personalizing. Application comes after the proper meaning is discerned as given to the original hearers/readers.
- Consider the progress of Biblical revelation. All teachings become clearer as the revelation of God progresses towards the end of the New Testament books.
- Consider cultural issues such as education, social life, work, religion, habits, sports, customs, ethics, dietary laws, etc...
- Consider the historical setting, background and the date surrounding the work.
- What is the literary genre of the passage - Meaning, type of literature to be identified? Is it a psalm, a proverb, a prophecy, a narrative, a parable, a letter, etc...
- Know about the author, his personality, pshyce, prefered words and phrases.
- What is the rhetorical goal of the author. Meaning, what does he try to communicate or wants to achieve in his hearers or readers with the things he says? What is his purpose? For example, John 20:31 clearly defines the purpose for which John wrote His Gospel.
- Verify grammatical issues whether something in the language structure is a verb, the tense of the verb, noun, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction, etc...
- Interpret unclear verses/passages in the light of the clearer ones. The implicit should be interpreted by the explicit.
- Check out for geographical issues such as terrain, land, area, etc....
- Determine the meaning of words. Understand the theological significance of words, especially the important ones.
- Check if there is a precedent of a Biblical word being used in your passage. Does it have a prior usage elsewhere in the context of the passage being studied? In the same book? In another writing of the same author? In the Bible? Check for all other usages. Remember: it is always the context which determines a word's meaning.
- Idioms/expressions need to be understood from the vantage point of the culture during which a passage/book was written.
- Literal vs figurative. Always try to interpret it literally unless the passage alerts you otherwise.
- Compare Scripture with Scripture to arrive at a proper doctrinal formulation regarding a topic.
- Don't allegorize/spiritualize unless the passage permits clearly. For example, be careful of not spiritualizing everything in a parable.
- Think about the theological issues involved - think theologically as theology permeates the whole Bible and it's entirely practical.
- Recognize the rule of inference - an inference is a fact logically implied from another fact. Scripture is its own best interpreter and clarifies itself regarding its more difficult passages (see point 20).
- Compare Bible versions for textual reasons (if original languages are not accessible to you). The NASB is a good literal translation (word-for-word) while the NIV is a good dynamic translation (thought-for-thought).
- Identify the main/key theme of a passage from its secondary themes.
- Seperate interpretation from personal belief and bias. Let the Word 'read into you' rather than you reading into it.
- No Scripture contradicts other Scriptures.
- Be careful to the exact wording of a passage's sentences and do not attempt to change the order of words.
- Do not invent answers to silent areas of Scripture to accomodate to people's needs.
- A doctrine should not be formulated based on only one verse or passage, unless clearly there's no other comparative passages. (Each of the major doctrines of Christianity are supported by multiple passages).
- Compare your interpretations with good commentaries as possible.
- Interpret the Old Testament in the light of the New (due to the progress of revelation).
- Seek to understand the author's intentions. Meaning, what does he want to convey to us through his teaching, characters involved, occurences, etc...
- Understand the figures of speech. (Metaphor, irony, simile, personification, etc...)
- Understand the types and symbols of the Biblical literature - that is, their meaning.
- Recognize if a passage's significance is culturally conditioned (i.e. pertaining to that culture alone) or is timeless.
- Understand the meaning of a given passage first, as it exactly meant to the original audience. Next, understand its significance whether you can draw timeless principles from it. Then try to apply it to your life. Never try to immediately apply a passage without understanding its original intended meaning as given to the original audience.
- Whenever our situation corresponds to that faced by the original readers, God's Word to us is exactly the same as it was to them.
- Whenever our situation does not correspond to that faced by the original readers, we should look for the principle underlying God's Word to them. We can then apply that principle to comparable situations today.
- Re-examine any of your interpretations in the light of new incoming data. Be open to them and humbly be willing to modify your initial conclusions regarding a passage. Do not let your preunderstandings and presuppositions get in the way of proper interpretation.
