What Makes Biblical Interpretation Reliable? Part 1
For many people, including some Christians, interpreting the Bible is a major challenge. The reason is that certain interpretation protocols must be respected; failing to do so makes the interpretation unreliable. Let’s explore some key points to keep in mind when interpreting the Bible.
The Holy Spirit Guides
Simply put, arriving at an accurate interpretation of the Bible is impossible without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. John 16:13 teaches us that He leads us into all truths, in accord with the Father’s will. Without the Holy Spirit, biblical interpretation is devoid of meaningful spiritual backing. This is why unbelievers cannot provide a trustworthy interpretation of Scriptures, as the spirit guiding them is not holy. Moreover, when the Holy Spirit directs our interpretation of Scriptures, the outcome consistently aligns with that of Christians worldwide. Interpretations of the Bible that conflict and contradict are not from Him.
Understand The Difference Between the Logos and Rhema
The Ecclesiast was quite correct in saying God created man upright, yet we have pursued other schemes. This holds true regarding how we have swapped the use of Logos and Rhemas in our Christian lives. Everything written in the Bible represents the Logos, the written word of God. Rhemas are the inspirations that come from the written Word or Logos.
The written Word or Logos conveys a specific message that remains unchanged. That message was created within a particular context, sometimes intended only for certain people, and plays a distinct role in completing the Bible’s unique message – life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. When recording the Logos, the writers had a particular meaning and message in mind for a specific audience that points to the Cross.
Bear in mind that theological research and discoveries aid greatly here by generating evidence to grasp that message. The meaning or intention in the Logos remains constant over time. Christian denominations and worldviews frequently find it difficult to grasp the true meaning of various parts of the Logos. The Book of Revelations serves as a good example, with some interpreting it literally and others allegorically, resulting in conflicting and contradictory views. Misunderstanding the meaning of the Logos makes it hard and complex to produce reliable Rhemas from it.
A single verse of the Logos can spark hundreds of Rhemas. Rhemas are distinct because they are tailored to an individual or group seeking guidance from God and pertain to a particular situation. For example, the apostles heal a man at the temple gate known as Beautiful. When reading that Logos, one receives a healing technique or ministry, while another feels inspired to establish a humanitarian organization. Someone pays attention to the paralytic’s faith, whereas another person is interested in the belief that God heals even now. Through meditation, Christians worldwide can produce hundreds of Rhemas from that one passage across different contexts. Yet the true meaning of the verse is that the Apostles healed a man before entering the temple.
As theology depends on the Bible to guide theological research, trying to produce Rhemas from any source other than the properly interpreted biblical Logos is witchcraft and superstition.
Context
Context is the next element to consider when interpreting the Logos. What was the purpose behind writing the Scripture? For whom was it written? Where did it get written? Is it about the Old or New Covenant? How is it relevant to us nowadays? These and numerous other questions assist us in contextualizing the Bible passage so we can firstly determine its precise meaning, and subsequently produce authentic Rhemas from that meaning.
Numerous preachers nowadays extract Rhemas from their context and apply them indiscriminately without clearly distinguishing between different contexts. Also Some Christians pick and apply certain Old Testament Scriptures in the New Testament context without considering the meaning of the message in both covenants? Also, although many still cling to the “eye for an eye” mindset or eagerly pursue revenge when wronged, we are now in a distinct context that demands loving our enemies, praying for them, and striving to lead them to Christ.
To conclude this first section, we need to differentiate between studying the Bible and meditating on Scriptures to grasp the intended message of the writer, allowing the Bible to interpret itself, and meditating on that meaning to obtain specific Rhemas or revelations that provide guidance or solutions tailored to our unique context in our time.
Be sure to read Part 2 to gain a full understanding of what makes biblical interpretation reliable.
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