It is quite easy for someone to misinterpret the bible and come up with their own understanding of what scripture says. This may lead to misguided beliefs and doctrines. To prevent this from happening, you can learn the basic principles of rightly dividing the word. This will help you know how to interpret the Bible correctly and apply it to your life. You can do this by attending a theological college or by self-study.
Consider what the writer of the book intended to say. This is just like when you are reading a novel and you follow the storyline based on what the writer is saying and not on what you think they intended to say. When reading the Bible, keep in mind that it was written many years ago, so to understand what the writer originally meant, you have to have a good understanding of the culture and the times they lived in.
Avoid interpreting isolated texts of the bible. This will most likely lead to misinterpretation. Always read passages in context. This means finding out what the scriptures before and after the text you are studying say. You also need to consider the context of the whole chapter and book of the bible. You also need to know who wrote the scripture and compare it to their other writings in the bible.
Use other parts of scripture to help you understand what a particular text means. Ask yourself what other verses in the Bible say about the particular issue addressed in the text. Find out if there are other places in the Bible where the same passage is referred to. Study the other passages and see what they have to say.
The style that the book has been written in is important. This is because different stylistic devices have been used to write different sections of the Bible. To understand what a particular passage says, you have to understand the style which it has been written in and know how to correctly interpret that style. This may take a bit of hard work and in some cases, it may take a trained theologian to understand some difficult aspects of the passage.
When reading the text, try and understand what its plain meaning is. Even though the Bible uses figurative language at some points, some passages are quite direct and do not have any hidden meaning. Figurative language may be used to enhance the plain meaning of the text, but sometimes the main point of the text is quite clear.
Having an understanding of Hebrew and Greek will come in quite handy. If you do not understand the languages, then use Bible study guides to uncover the original meaning of various words used in the passages. This is because some words tend to lose their original meaning when they are translated from the original language they were written in.
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you discover God's truth. This means approaching scripture interpretation prayerfully and with an open mind that is ready to understand. It would be hard for you to interpret the scripture without the Spirit's help. However, this does not mean being lazy and not studying. You must study to understand the bible.
Consider what the writer of the book intended to say. This is just like when you are reading a novel and you follow the storyline based on what the writer is saying and not on what you think they intended to say. When reading the Bible, keep in mind that it was written many years ago, so to understand what the writer originally meant, you have to have a good understanding of the culture and the times they lived in.
Avoid interpreting isolated texts of the bible. This will most likely lead to misinterpretation. Always read passages in context. This means finding out what the scriptures before and after the text you are studying say. You also need to consider the context of the whole chapter and book of the bible. You also need to know who wrote the scripture and compare it to their other writings in the bible.
Use other parts of scripture to help you understand what a particular text means. Ask yourself what other verses in the Bible say about the particular issue addressed in the text. Find out if there are other places in the Bible where the same passage is referred to. Study the other passages and see what they have to say.
The style that the book has been written in is important. This is because different stylistic devices have been used to write different sections of the Bible. To understand what a particular passage says, you have to understand the style which it has been written in and know how to correctly interpret that style. This may take a bit of hard work and in some cases, it may take a trained theologian to understand some difficult aspects of the passage.
When reading the text, try and understand what its plain meaning is. Even though the Bible uses figurative language at some points, some passages are quite direct and do not have any hidden meaning. Figurative language may be used to enhance the plain meaning of the text, but sometimes the main point of the text is quite clear.
Having an understanding of Hebrew and Greek will come in quite handy. If you do not understand the languages, then use Bible study guides to uncover the original meaning of various words used in the passages. This is because some words tend to lose their original meaning when they are translated from the original language they were written in.
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you discover God's truth. This means approaching scripture interpretation prayerfully and with an open mind that is ready to understand. It would be hard for you to interpret the scripture without the Spirit's help. However, this does not mean being lazy and not studying. You must study to understand the bible.
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