There are a few important principles that guide my understanding and application of the Word of God. I believe that these principles are the only safeguard to a consistently objective understanding of God’s Word. In other words, these principles, when properly applied, keep the interpreter of God’s Word from imposing a subjective meaning to the text, or more simply, from reading something into the text that is not there.
Before you think that this is not important, consider it this way: have you ever said or written something to someone only to have them “read” into what you were saying to such an extent that they claim you meant something you never intended? For example, I could tell someone that I don’t believe that the church should monetarily support the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital because the philosophy and theology of the Shriners, which is Freemasonry, is anti-Christian. Now someone may misinterpret that - thinking I mean I don’t believe that the Shriners are doing a “good” and “humanitarian” thing. They may even go so far as to say that I must think that children should not be helped medically. But, do you see that this is not what I said? The church’s mission is not primarily humanitarian, although it certainly includes this, but rather the church’s mission is primarily evangelist. The ultimate goal of any ministry of the church and any of the ministries supported by the church is to evangelize and disciple by means of the Word of God. Any effort that does not share this priority is not to be supported by the church. Individual Christians may choose to support it, but it is not the mission of the church (Matthew 28:19-20). Does this mean we are not to help or that we do not care about the medical needs of children? Of course not, but it does mean that the church is to look to a more Christian approach to meeting such needs.
So I want to share theses principles that govern my understanding and application of the Word of God.
The first principle is this – a consistently applied literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of the Scriptures. A very simplistic definition of this is as follows: when the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. If we apply this to Scripture, we are to take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the context or other Scriptures clearly indicate otherwise.
A second principle that governs my biblical interpretation is this – that God has a plan and a future for Israel in which they, not the Church, will literally fulfill the covenant promises He made to Israel in the Old Testament. The Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New covenants all literally speak to and have eschatological reference to Israel. In other words, there is a distinction between Israel and the Church. The Church is not Israel and Israel is not the Church. The Church does participate (not fulfill) in the soteriological (salvation) side of the Abrahamic and New Covenants, but she does not replace or fulfill the literal promises made to Israel. The Abrahamic Covenant clearly speaks of Abraham and his descendents blessing all the nations of the earth, which we learn from the Scriptures refers to the coming of Jesus Christ as the Savior not only for people of Israel, but also for people of every tribe, tongue and nation. But the covenant was made with Abraham and his physical descendents, that is Israel.
So I want to share theses principles that govern my understanding and application of the Word of God.
The first principle is this – a consistently applied literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of the Scriptures. A very simplistic definition of this is as follows: when the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. If we apply this to Scripture, we are to take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the context or other Scriptures clearly indicate otherwise.
A second principle that governs my biblical interpretation is this – that God has a plan and a future for Israel in which they, not the Church, will literally fulfill the covenant promises He made to Israel in the Old Testament. The Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New covenants all literally speak to and have eschatological reference to Israel. In other words, there is a distinction between Israel and the Church. The Church is not Israel and Israel is not the Church. The Church does participate (not fulfill) in the soteriological (salvation) side of the Abrahamic and New Covenants, but she does not replace or fulfill the literal promises made to Israel. The Abrahamic Covenant clearly speaks of Abraham and his descendents blessing all the nations of the earth, which we learn from the Scriptures refers to the coming of Jesus Christ as the Savior not only for people of Israel, but also for people of every tribe, tongue and nation. But the covenant was made with Abraham and his physical descendents, that is Israel.
The third principle that governs my biblical interpretation is the overall theme or purpose of God as revealed in the Scripture – and that is His glory. While the redemption of sinful man and the exalted person of Jesus Christ are certainly major themes of the Bible, the overriding theme is the glory of God – that is how God glorifies Himself through all His actions and dealings with humanity. The apostle Paul best summarizes this idea in Ephesians 1 where we see both the redemption of sinful man along with the exalted position of Christ – but to what end? Consider –
Ephesians 1:4-6
4 In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:11-12
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
To restate these principles that govern my understanding of Scripture:
1. The consistent application of a literal or plain interpretation (as opposed to allegorical interpretation) of the Bible.
2. An understanding (that flows from this literal interpretation) of a distinction between God’s eschatological (future) plans for Israel and the Church. Note: all are saved by faith in Jesus Christ – there is one soteriological (salvation) plan for the elect of all ages.
3. God’s ultimate purpose in Scripture is to glorify Himself, freely and fully expressing His attributes and character.
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